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International Project Management B2
Module – Communicating in an International Environment
Unit 8 High and Low Context Cultures
1
Geert Hofstede: Cultural Dimensions Geert Hofstede, a social psychologist from the Netherlands, is best known for his worldwide study of around 100.000 IBM employees in more than 70 countries, which was conducted between 1967 and 1971. The results were the basis for 5 cultural dimensions he defined to compare cultures in different areas. Later his work was continued by himself, his son and a team of researchers. An additional dimension was added in 2010. Up until today, his work is used by researchers in the fields of intercultural communication and business relations. Dimension of national culture
Power Distance This dimension describes how power is distributed in a society. In a society with a high score in the Power Distance index people value a hierarchical order in which every member has a clearly defined role that needs no further explanation. One example is China, a society in which roles are clearly defined and overall accepted. Countries that score low in this dimension typically demand that power is distributed equally. Should this not be the case and explanation is expected. Finland and Germany score comparatively low on this index
Individualism versus Collectivism This dimension describes whether a society sees a member as part of a larger group or an individual. Societies that score high on this index expect from their members to look out for themselves. Typically, these countries are defined by a loose social network. The USA score among the highest countries in this dimension. Countries that score low have an emphasis on the group rather than the individual and put a lot of emphasis on a tight social network. China provided on of the lowest scores in this dimension.
Masculinity versus Femininity This dimension reflects the preference of a society for areas such as achievement, material reward for success and assertiveness (masculinity) on the one hand and cooperation, caring for others and modesty on the other (femininity). A country, e.g. Japan, that scores high on the Masculinity index is considered to be highly competitive while a country that scores low, e.g. Chile, aims at a consensus.
International Project Management B2
Module – Communicating in an International Environment
Unit 8 High and Low Context Cultures
2
Uncertainty Avoidance
Countries that score high on this dimension feel a strong urge to control the future while countries with a low score accept the unknown and are typically more open to new ideas. In a society with high Uncertainty Avoidance rules and regulations play a major role. Often a reliance on experts and authorities can be found in the business world. According to Hofstede’s research China scores rather low on this index (30) while Germany (65) and Italy (75) almost score the same on the upper end of the index.
Long Term Orientation versus Short Term Orientation This dimension describes how a society deals with its past and how it sees the present and the future. A high score on this index indicates that a country is open to change and new ideas. Past traditions play less of a role compared to new ideas and approaches. Societies that score low are rooted in their past and value traditions. Often they are skeptical about new future trends. Norms play a vital role in everyday life. When comparing the German and American culture, Germany scores a lot higher (83) compared the USA (26). This can be explained with the American tendency to deeply analyze new information rather than to accept it and work with it. Also, Americans measure business success short-term rather than long-term.
Indulgence versus Restraint Children are socialized differently depending on their cultural background. This dimension reflects how desires and impulses in a society are handled. Indulgence is described as a situation in which a culture acts considerably weak with regards to desires and impulses. Cultures that score high on this index are known to enjoy life and tend to give in to urges. This can, for example, be found in Switzerland where people value their free time and are often optimistic. Cultures that score low on this index live towards certain norms and find it important to restrain themselves and needs are often suppressed. In a country like Poland (29) less emphasis is put on leisure time and in general people tend to be rather pessimistic.
International Project Management B2
Module – Communicating in an International Environment
Unit 8 High and Low Context Cultures
3
Examples
Source: https://www.geert-hofstede.com/germany.html
35
67 66 65
83
4033
63
26
59
38
57
80
20
66
30
87
24
PowerDistance
Individualism Masculinity UncertaintyAvoidance
Long TermOrientation
Indulgence
Germanyin comparison with Finland and China
Germany Finland China
Source: https://www.geert-hofstede.com/germany.html
35
67 66 65
83
4050
7670
75
61
30
77
4856
40
51
26
PowerDistance
Individualism Masculinity UncertaintyAvoidance
Long TermOrientation
Indulgence
Germanyin comparison with Italy and India
Germany Italy India
International Project Management B2
Module – Communicating in an International Environment
Unit 8 High and Low Context Cultures
4
Source: https://www.geert-hofstede.com/germany.html
35
67 66 65
83
4040
91
62
46
26
68
5446
95 92 88
42
PowerDistance
Individualism Masculinity UncertaintyAvoidance
Long TermOrientation
Indulgence
Germanyin comparison with United States and Japan
Germany United States Japan
Source: https://www.geert-hofstede.com/germany.html
35
67 66 65
83
40
69
38
49
76
44
5968
25
57
29
61
17
PowerDistance
Individualism Masculinity UncertaintyAvoidance
Long TermOrientation
Indulgence
Germanyin comparison with Brazil and Hong Kong
Germany Brazil Hong Kong
Source: https://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html