Dimensions of National Culture
Contemporary Management
“Dimensions of National Culture (Hofstede)”
Assignment no. 1
Dimensions of National Culture
We know we are living in a global age. Technology has brought the world much closer together. This means that people of different cultures find themselves working together and communicating more and more.
Building connections with people from around the world is just one dimension of cultural diversity. You also have issues like motivating people, structuring projects, and developing strategy.
What works in one location may or may not work somewhere else. The question is, "How can I come to understand these cultural differences?" Are we relegated to learning from our mistakes or are there generalized guidelines to follow?
Geert Hofstede proposed a systematic framework for assessing and differentiating national cultures best known as the Cultural Dimensions Theory. He gathered and analyzed extensive data on the world 's values and cultures, in order to build a comprehensive model which argues that people differ across on the extent to which they endorse five dimensions of values.
The Five Dimensions of Culture:
1. Power/Distance (PD) : This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – among people with and without power. A high PD score indicates that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand "their place" in the system. Low PD means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals.
The power distance dimension can be defined as ‘the extent to which less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally’. In large power distance cultures, everyone has his or her rightful place in a social hierarchy. The rightful place concept is important for understanding the role of global brands. In large power distance cultures, one’s social status must be clear so that others can show proper
“Dimensions of National Culture (Hofstede)”
Assignment no. 1
Dimensions of National Culture
We know we are living in a global age. Technology has brought the world much closer together. This means that people of different cultures find themselves working together and communicating more and more.
Building connections with people from around the world is just one dimension of cultural diversity. You also have issues like motivating people, structuring projects, and developing strategy.
What works in one location may or may not work somewhere else. The question is, "How can I come to understand these cultural differences?" Are we relegated to learning from our mistakes or are there generalized guidelines to follow?
Geert Hofstede proposed a systematic framework for assessing and differentiating national cultures best known as the Cultural Dimensions Theory. He gathered and analyzed extensive data on the world 's values and cultures, in order to build a comprehensive model which argues that people differ across on the extent to which they endorse five dimensions of values.
The Five Dimensions of Culture:
1. Power/Distance (PD) : This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – among people with and without power. A high PD score indicates that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand "their place" in the system. Low PD means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals.
The power distance dimension can be defined as ‘the extent to which less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally’. In large power distance cultures, everyone has his or her rightful place in a social hierarchy. The rightful place concept is important for understanding the role of global brands. In large power distance cultures, one’s social status must be clear so that others can show proper