Transcript Four Dimensions of Culture - Baltic University Programme

Geert Hofstede
4 Dimensions of culture:
•Power Distance
• Individualism vs Collectivism
• Masculine vs Feminine cultures
• Uncertainty Avoidance
Power distance Index PDI
Geert Hofstede
Power distance
•Power distance as level of dependence (low PDI – co-dependence,
high PDI – dependence)_
•How education depends on PD
Family as source of differences
in Power distance
•Relations between children and parents in countries with low
and high PDI
•Power distance at school
Power distance in politics
•Scandals in countries with low PDI and high PDI,
consequences for actors of scandals.
•How are the new colleagues hired? (knowledge – low PDI,
family, friends – high PDI)
Russia
95
Mexico
81
Brasil
69
France
69
Belgium
65
Greece
60
Poland
58
Japan
54
Czech Rep.
50
Italy
50
USA
40
The Netherlands 38
Germany
35
Finland
33
Norway
31
Sweden
31
Ireland
28
Denmark
22
Israel
13
Austria
11
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Geert Hofstede
Individualism
• Perceiving reality in terms of “I”
• Independence of a human being from
organizations
• Loose relationships among individuals
• Everyone should have their own opinion
• Great importance of personal life (planning
visits)
• Culture driven by the notion of guilt
Education
• the influence of a family on individual
predisposing of a child so that it could quickly
become self-reliant – loose relationships among
individuals
• preparation for living in a society that consists of
other individuals
• certificates and diplomas give satisfaction with
oneself
• low-context communication
• Limited role of the state in economy
• Economy based on individual interests
• High gross domestic product (GDP) per
person
Collectivism
• Loyalty to members of a group
• Poor assertiveness, it is better to avoid the
painful truth, fear of confrontation
• High-context communication
• Culture driven by the notion of
embarrassment
• Opinions of an individual depend on the
group one belongs to
• One should avoid conflicts and strive to
preserve harmony
Education
• passivity of students during classes
• preparation for proper functioning in a
group
• a diploma gives social advance and
acceptance
USA
91
The Netherlands 80
Denmark
79
Italy
76
Belgium
75
Germany
71
France
71
Sweden
71
Ireland
70
Norway
69
Czech Rep.
68
Finland
63
Poland
58
Austria
55
Israel
54
Japan
46
Brasil
38
Greece
35
Mexico
30
Russia
30
Male cultures vs. Female
cultures
Geert Hofstede
• “Maleness” is a feature of societies in
which social roles relating to the sex are
clearly determined, i.e. men are expected
to be assertive, whereas women should be
modest, tender and to care about the
quality of life
* “Femininity” characterises these societies
in which social roles of both sexes
interpenetrate one another, i.e. both men
and women are expected to be modest,
tender and to care about the quality of life
• Different perception of “male” and “female”
professions in both cultures
Education
• struggle for success in male culture, huge
importance of being a top student
• female culture is lack of struggle for best
school reports
• differences in teaching staff from the
primary school to the university
Professional career
• M (Male) is driven by a perspective of a
brilliant professional career
• F (Female) is self-fulfilment and
developing the interests
• F “works to live”
• M “lives to work” – work is the motto of life
• M manager – quick decisions,
assertiveness, aggression
• F manager – intuition, good
Solving conflicts
• M - „Let the best win”
* F – negotiations and compromise matter
Japan
95
Poland
70
Italy
70
Ireland
68
Germany
66
USA
62
Czech Rep. 62
Austria
61
Belgium
54
Brasil
49
Israel
47
Russia
43
France
43
Finland
26
Denmark
21
The Netherlands 14
Norway
8
Sweden
5
Uncertainty Avoidance
Geert Hofstede
Uncertainty Avoidance UA
* The level of a sense of threat felt by
members of a given culture in the face of
new and uncertain situations
• High UAI is characterised by high
activeness, impulsiveness, impatience
• Low UAI – calmness, composure,
indifference
Uncertainty and risk
• Anxiety is not fear – it is striving to
normalize a situation
• High UAI – Different means dangerous
• Low UAI – Different means interesting
High UAI – no ambiguity!
• High UAI – organizational issues are more important
than strategic issues
• High UAI – a tendency to produce many legal articles
and regulations
• High UAI – high context of communication
Belgium
94
Japan
92
Russia
90
France
86
Israel
81
Czech Rep. 79
Brasil
76
Italy
75
Austria
70
Poland
71
Germany
70
USA
62
Finland
59
The Netherlands 53
Norway
50
Ireland
35
Sweden
29
Denmark
28