Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions - Leadership Training from MindTools Understanding Workplace Values Around the World Learn how to be more sensitive to the needs of people in different cultures. We know that we are living in a global age. Technology has brought everyone much closer together. This is exciting, but it can also be frustrating and fraught with uncertainty. Building connections with people from around the world is just one dimension of cultural diversity. How can we understand cultural differences? Fortunately, psychologist Dr Geert Hofstede asked himself this question in the 1970s. With access to people working for the same organization in over 40 countries of the world, he collected cultural data and analyzed his findings. He scored each country using a scale of roughly 0 to 100 for each dimension. The Five Dimensions of Culture Armed with a large database of cultural statistics, Hofstede analyzed the results and found clear patterns of similarity and difference amid the responses along these five dimensions. The five dimensions are: 1. 2. 3.
What are Geert Hofstede's 5 Cultural Dimensions? In the 1980ies Geert Hofstede discovered 5 fundamental dimensions of national cultures that can be seen to illustrate different values in different national cultures. This discovery was made through utilizing factor analysis techniques on samples drawn from the multinational corporation IBM. The dimensions found by Geert Hofstede can be used to illustrate which values lie deeply embedded in people from different cultures. These values may have consequences for how people in different cultures behave, and how they will potentially behave in a work related context. The five values found by Geert Hofstede are: Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity vs. Power Distance In cultures with low power distance, people are likely to expect that power is distributed rather equally, and are furthermore also likely to accept that power is distributed to less powerful individuals. Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity vs. Individualism vs. Long vs. Long term orientation: Short term orientation:
Dimensions Power Distance Index (PDI) This dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The fundamental issue here is how a society handles inequalities among people. People in societies exhibiting a large degree of power distance accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In societies with low power distance, people strive to equalise the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power.an example of Power Distance by Geert Hofstede Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) The high side of this dimension, called individualism, can be defined as a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families. Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS) Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) Pragmatic versus Normative (PRA) Indulgence versus Restraint (IND)
Intercultural Communication Articles For fresh articles and content visit our blog! Below you will find access to a range of articles relating to cross cultural and intercultural communication. The articles touch upon a number of topics that will be of interest to a wide range of reader involved in intercultural communication such as international business personnel, HR staff, people working in public services and in many other areas where intercultural communication is an issue. Intercultural Training Articles > An Introduction to Intercultural Communication - a basic summary of the purpose of intercultural communication. > Cross Cultural Communication Consultants - A look at the role, skills and qualifications of cross cultural communication consultants. > Definition of Intercultural Communication - what does intercultural communication mean? > Cross Cultural Understanding - an examination of common cross cultural terms and their meanings. > Stereotypes: An Intercultural No-No - why stereotyping is dangerous.
Geert Hofstede | Dimensions of national Cultures Geert has operated in an international environment since 1965, and his curiosity as a social psychologist led him to the comparison of nations, first as a travelling international staff member of a multinational (IBM) and later as a visiting professor at an international business school in Switzerland. His 1980 book Culture's Consequences combined his personal experiences with the statistical analysis of two unique data bases. The first and largest comprised answers of matched employee samples from 40 different countries to the same attitude survey questions. The second consisted of answers to some of these same questions by his executive students who came from 15 countries and from a variety of companies and industries. Systematic differences between nations in these two data bases occurred in particular for questions dealing with values. The values that distinguished countries (rather than individuals) from each other grouped themselves statistically into four clusters.
India If we explore the Indian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Indian culture relative to other world cultures. Power distance This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. India scores high on this dimension, 77, indicating an appreciation for hierarchy and a top-down structure in society and organizations. Individualism The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. India, with a rather intermediate score of 48, is a society with both collectivistic and individualistic traits. Masculinity India scores 56 on this dimension and is thus considered a masculine society.
Cultural Differences Chapter 5 Imagine this scene - you are inspecting a house with the possibility of purchasing it and you open a bathroom door to see a woman sitting naked in a bathtub. How would you expect the surprised woman to react? We Were Having Pizza at the Time All cultures walk on the same side of the pavement as they drive on the road. You'd also be stunned when you go to shake hands to say goodbye to an Italian but, instead, you get a kiss on both cheeks. As I departed, the Italian man kissed me on both cheeks. As you talk with local Italians, they seem to stand in your space, continually grabbing you, talking over the top of you, yelling in fact, and sounding angry about everything. Take the Cultural Test How aware are you of cultural differences in body language? Now look at the following hand signals and see how many different meanings you can assign to each one. For each correct answer you got, allocate yourself one point. What did you score? Why We're All Becoming More American The Japanese 1.
Organisational Structure of Cognizant Technology Solutions Cognizant Technology Solutions (Cognizant) (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a U.S.-based multinational provider of business, technology and consulting services headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. Cognizant has been named to the 2010 Fortune 100 Fastest-Growing Companies List for the eighth consecutive year.[2] Cognizant has also been named to the Fortune 1000 and Forbes Global 2000 lists. It has consistently ranked among the fastest growing companies including the 2010 Business Week 50 list of the top-performing U.S. companies, the Business Week Hottest Tech Companies 2010, and the Forbes Fast Tech 2010 list of 25 Fastest Growing Technology Companies In America This description shows that the emancipation of an employee is not anchored on impulse alone. The organization, so as to implement this power, is compelled by legal regimes to discover just cause in terminating an employee.