Understanding Cultures & People: The Hofstede Models

Geert Hofstede developed the dimensional cultural theory, which is a basic structure of cross-cultural communication. It explains the effects of various cultures, followed by society’s members in the co-relation between values and behavior.

Hofstede Cultural Model

1. Power Distance Index (PDI): This aspect talks about inequality and power factor. The lesser the power of members of the society, the more secondary ability they have in the community. If this index’s degree is higher, it shows that the hierarchy is established in society. The lower degree of the index indicates that the people question the authority and attempt to distribute equal power

2. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UA): The society’s tolerance or acceptance for ambiguity defines UA. In this index, people either embrace or prevent unexpected, unknown happenings. The communities with a higher degree on this index have stringent behavioral guidelines, codes of conduct, and laws and usually rely on only truth or the belief of the truth. A lower degree of UA shows full acceptance of various schools of thought and ideas. These societies have fewer rules and regulations and a more relaxed code of conduct in a comfortable environment.

Differences in status may occur within the hierarchical structure and?are dependent on age, gender, or family position. While these ranking disparities will still be visible, the great players will treat the?higher power distance culture with dignity.??Low power distance?societies such as Denmark with discrepancies are less relaxed

are distinguished by more involvement in decision-making and a higher degree of organizational or social class; the organizational hierarchies?are often ignored.

3. Individualism (IDV): The IDV index deals with integrating people in societies and organizations. Individualist cultures show a relative preference for the individual in contrast to the group. The more individualistic the culture is, the more lost ties a member has to their immediate family members. The more tightly integrated community, the more tightly the family binds, including the extended families and friends in a group. These groups give unconditional support and have unprecedented loyalty towards each other in times of out-of-group conflicts.

4. Masculinity (MAS): This dimension still recognizes disparity between female and male value systems. In feminine-centric societies, females share modest, humble, and caring views of inequality with men. In less feminine societies, women tend to be more emphatic, ardent, and competitive.

There is a higher power distance in the Arab, African, Asian, and Latin states, although there is a lower score for Germanic and Anglo. Regarding the measure of individualism, the Eastern and least-developed countries have a significant difference, whereas Western and industrialized countries have a considerable divide. Although Europe and North America are relatively egalitarian, the individualism index with high collectivist ideals has been small in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Latin America, Asia, and Eastern and Southern Europe hold the most substantial ratings for avoiding confusion. For Chinese, Nordic, and Anglo-Cultural nations, the ranking is smaller.

The nations of Anglo, Japan, and Europe, including Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary, have substantial masculinity. In East Asia, the long-term orientation is robust; in Western and Eastern Europe is mild, and in Latin America, and Africa is negligible. High indulgence scores come from Europe, Anglo, Africa, and Latin America, whereas Eastern Europe and East Asia remain limited.

Managing Foreign Workers?

Cross-cultural differences encourage the management of foreign employees. Countries with a lower degree of PDI will have a higher level of human inequality. A lower degree of PDI will give higher value to social inequality and provide happy citizens. People with a lesser degree of UA will embrace new cultures more efficiently and will be able to mingle with the crowd, ushering modern, peaceful, and happy society. Every person is worried about their family and they are well-being. The lesser the degree of IDV, the more satisfied and free the person will be as his family and in-group will be in his reach, freeing him from any worry. The more the society accepts the feminine gender, the lesser the gap between males and females, and the easier it is in the community.

The easier-going, relaxed, embracing, accepting, and open the culture of a society more are the chances that the individuals in the organization are happy and will contribute a good understanding towards their organization as a whole. Cross-border management creates significant complexity, as it forces multinational corporations to adapt their practices and approaches in every cultural environment in which they operate.

References?

Badraoul, S., Lalaouna, D., & Belarouci, S. (2014). Culture et Management: Le Model D’Hofstede En Question. Cross - Cultural Management Journal, Xvi(2) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2300664161?accountid=100141

Deresky, H. (2014).?International management: Managing across borders and cultures?(8th ed). Pearson.

Ghemawat, P., & Reiche, S. (n.d.). National Cultural Differences and Multinational Business. Retrieved July 08, 2020, from https://www.aacsb.edu/~/media/AACSB/Publications/CDs%20and%20DVDs/GLOBE/readings/national-cultural-differences-and-multinational-business.ashx, Global Note Series.?