Hofstede's Five Dimensions of Culture

Global Business Communication Determined by Five Variables

Dec 26, 2008

Human life is organized by cultural assumptions passed on from one generation to the next. Cultures form systems that can be understood by careful observers.

One well-known way of analyzing human culture is that of Dutch anthropologist, Geert Hofstede, who developed his theories of cross-cultural communication through interviews with international business persons (1).

According to Hofstede, each culture must deal with questions that can be resolved according to a series of dimensions, which results in a unique gestalt for each society, depending on the intensity of its tendency towards one or another end of each culture dimension spectrum.

The Five Dimensions

Individualism/Collectivism: the point here is whether people see themselves at a very deep level as part of a group, or as a single, independent actor. Hofstede emphasizes that the groups are “natural” ones, such as family or clan, not just any group that one happens across. Also, it is important to realize that the dimension does not indicate that some people “like” to be in groups. It is a question of human self-identity.

Uncertainty Avoidance: (Note that the dimensions are not given in any particular order, they work together to describe a culture.) In some cultures, people prefer to have everything spelled out in detail so there will be few, if any surprises. In cultures where Uncertainty Avoidance is low, people have more relaxed expectations and are not anxious when some factors of a situation are unknown.

Power Distance: hierarchy is a feature of most human life, but in some cultures, the relative gap between high and low is wider, making for a society in which people respect the powerful, and there is lower expectation of movement between classes, castes, or levels. In cultures where Power Distance is low, people tend to expect that those in power will have earned it, rather than simply gaining power by virtue of position.

Aggressiveness: within this system, there is a gender gap, and women’s values are said to be more similar across cultures. Women are said to value gentleness and consensus seeking, and in cultures with a low Aggressiveness dimension, men also share these values. However, other cultures have more distinctive values for men: competition, assertiveness and “looking out for Number One.” In such cultures, the values of women also move somewhat towards the Aggressiveness end of the spectrum, although not as much as men’s do.

Long Term/Short Term Orientation: long-term planning, thrift, and industriousness are valued in cultures with Long Term orientation, whereas living for the day, celebration, and concerns like “saving face” are more important in those with Short Term orientation. The Long Term end of the continuum is associated with what are sometimes called Confucian values, although cultures not historically connected with this influence can also have a Long Term orientation.

Useful Rules for Crossing Cultures

These five dimensions, taken together, can give important insights for someone wishing to enter a new culture for business, study, or other purposes. It is important to resist the temptation of stereotyping, because these dimensions are tendencies not static descriptions of people’s behavior. They can be taken to predict actions of groups, societies, or nations, but provide little help in predicting the behavior of individuals.

Hofstede’s Five Dimensions theory has been criticized on the grounds of being too static (2), or of being based on a weak theoretical foundation (3), but it is a well-known framework for cross-cultural dialogue. It will more than repay careful study, and international business persons and others will find it widely used (and misused) all over the world.

References:

1. Hofstede, Geert. Cultures’ Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001.

2. Holden, Nigel. Cross-cultural Management. A Knowledge Management Approach. Harlow: Prentice Hall – Financial Times, 2002.

3. Dahl, Stephan. “Intercultural Research, the Current State of Knowledge” in Middlesex University Discussion Series, 2004.

The copyright of the article Hofstede's Five Dimensions of Culture in Work/Study Abroad is owned by Nancy Longatan. Permission to republish Hofstede's Five Dimensions of Culture in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.