Hofstede Cultural Framework Power Distance Individualism vs. Collectivism Masculinity vs. Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Long Term Orientation

Power Distance “...the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.”

Power Distance at Work Hierarchy Centralization Salary range Participation Ideal Boss Privilege & status symbols

Individualism vs. Collectivism Individualist societies: ties are loose and everyone looks out for himself or herself Collectivist societies: people integrated into strong, cohesive groups; protection is exchanged for loyalty

Individualism / Collectivism at Work Employee-employer relationship Hiring and promotion decisions Managerial focus Task vs. relationship priority

Masculinity vs. Femininity Masculine societies: social gender roles are distinct (men focus on material success; women on quality of life) Feminine societies: social gender roles overlap (both quality of life)

Masculinity / Femininity at Work Centrality of work Ways of managing & decision making Fem: equality, solidarity, quality of work life Mas: equity, compete, performance Conflict resolution

Uncertainty Avoidance “…the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations.” NOT the same as risk avoidance Presence of rules

Uncertainty Avoidance at Work Necessity of rules Time orientation Precision & punctuality Interpretation of “What is different…” Appropriateness of emotional displays

Long term orientation Confucian Dynamism The ‘newest’ dimension three universal dimensions and two fourth dimensions Truth vs. Virtue: What one believes vs. What one does

Confucian Dynamism Short-term orientation Social pressure to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ small savings expect quick results concern with possessing Truth Long-term orientation Thrift: being sparing with resources large savings perseverance toward slow results concern with respecting the demands of Virtue

Idiosyncrasies of North American Management Theory Stress on Market Processes Stress on the Individual Stress on Managers rather than Workers