1. What is culture?
A system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people.
The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another (Hofestede, 2001).
Culture is acquired naturally early in life through interaction with others.

2. What is culture?
Values: Abstract ideas about what a society believes to be good, right, and desirable..
Norms are social rules and guidelines that prescribe the appropriate behavior in particular situations.
Folkways: the routines conventions of everyday life, but generally have little moral significance. E.g., dress, eating habits
Mores are more serious standards of behavior. It would be considered illegal or very inappropriate if mores are not followed.

3. Dimensions of national culture
Edward T. Hall: The “silent languages” of culture
Geert Hofstede: Indices of work-related values
based on the study of more than 100,000 IBM employees in more than forty countries

4. The silent language of culture
The language of time
The language of space
e.g., social distance
The language of material goods (to signal status and power)
The language of friendship
The language of agreement
High context and low context cultures

5. • High-context culture:
Low-context culture:
Culture which relies on written or spoken words for communication
• High-context culture:
Culture which relies on non-verbal behavior for communication (such as ‘silent language’ of time, space, …etc.)

6. High-context culture Low-context cultures Japanese Arab Greek Spanish
Italian
English
French
American
Scandinavian
German
German-Swiss
Low-context cultures

7. COUNTRIES AND REGIONS USED IN HOFSTEDE'S RESEARCH
ARA
Arab countries
JAM
Jamaica
(Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait,
JPN
Japan
Iraq, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E.)
KOR
South Korea
ARG
Argentina
MAL
Malaysia
AUL
Australia
MEX
Mexico
AUT
Austria
NET
Netherlands
BEL
Belgium
NOR
Norway
BRA
Brazil
NZL
New Zealand
CAN
Canada
PAK
Pakistan
CHL
Chile
PAN
Panama
COL
Colombia
PER
Peru
COS
Costa Rica
PHI
Philippines
DEN
Denmark
POR
Portugal
EAF
East Africa
SAF
South Africa
(Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia)
SAL
Salvador
EQA
Equador
SIN
Singapore
FIN
Finland
SPA
Spain
FRA
France
SWE
Sweden
GBR
Great Britain
SWI
Switzerland
GER
Germany
TAI
Taiwan
GRE
Greece
THA
Thailand
GUA
Guatemala
TUR
Turkey
HOK
Hong Kong
URU
Uruguay
IDO
Indonesia
USA
United States
IND
India
VEN
Venezuela
IRA
Iran
WAF
West Africa
IRE
Ireland
(Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone)
ISR
Israel
YUG
Yugoslavia
ITA
Italy
Source: Geert Hofstede, "The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories."
Journal of International Business Studies, Fall 1983, P. 79 Used with permission.

8. Hofstede dimensions of cultures
Individualism/collectivism
The extent to which the self or the group constitutes the center point of identification for the individual.
Organizations defend employees’ interests
Organizations as ‘family’
Practices that are based on teamwork.

9. Power distance
The extent to which hierarchical differences are accepted in society.
(do subordinates ask questions?, do subordinates wait for orders?)

10. Uncertainty avoidance
The extent to which uncertainty and ambiguity are tolerated.
High UA: more structuring of activities, more written rules, more specialists, standardization, less willing to take risk, younger people are suspect, a stronger need for consensus, greater concern with security in life

11. Masculinity/feminity
Masculinity (MAS) focuses on the degree the society reinforces, or does not reinforce, the traditional masculine work role model of male achievement, control, and power.
In a masculine society, the dominant values are assertiveness, the acquisition of money and material things, independence, ambition (you live to work).
In a feminine society, more focus is on the quality of life, interaction between people (you work to live).

12. Long term orientation (confucian Dynamism)
longer planning horizon, delay gratification
Indulgence versus Restraint (IVR)
Indulgence: relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. 
Restraint: a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.

13. * CHI
JAP *
Source: Hofstede, G.
organizational dynamics
1980 Summer.
THE POSITION OF THE 50 COUNTRIES ON THE POWER DISTANCE INDIVIDUALISM SCALES
+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　 ．　．　．+　．　．
+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．+　．　．　
Individualism Index
Power Distance Index
(4) Small Power Distance/ Collectivist
12．
14．
16．
18．
20．
22．
24．
26．
28．
30．
32．
34．
36．
38．
40．
42．
44．
46．
48．
50．
53．
55．
57．
59．
61．
63．
65．
67．
69．
71．
73．
75．
77．
79．
81．
83．
85．
87．
89．
91．
*AUT
FIN
NOR
*SWI
SWE*
DEN *
AUL*
USA
*NZL
CAN
NET*
SPA*
FRA*
BEL *
ITA
*SAF
(2) Large Power Distance/
Individualist
GRE*
*IRA
*BRA
ARG
TUR
PHI *
MEX *
*YUG
POR *
* HOK
* THA
* SIN
*PAK
TAI*
COL
* VEN
IND
CHL *
*GER
INA *
IRE*
GBR*
*ISR
LUX*
MAL *
PER *
POL *
MOR *
SKA
URU
* VIE
RUS *
(1) Large Power Distance/
Collectivist
(3) Small Power Distance/

14. THE POSITION OF THE 50 COUNTRIES ON UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE AND MASCULINITY SCALES
* CHI
*RUS
*FRA
Source: Hofstede, G.
organizational dynamics
1980 Summer.
+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+
+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+ ．　．　．　．　．　+
Uncertainty Avoidance Index
Masculinity Index
(4) Weak Uncertainty
Avoidance/Feminine
*AUT
FIN *
NOR
* GER
*SWE
*DEN
GBR *
USA*
*NZL
*CAN
* NET
(3) Strong Uncertainty
SPA*
*BEL
ITA
*SAF
*GRE
*IRA
BRA*
* ARG
JAP
TUR
* PHI
* MEX
*YUG
POR *
HOK *
THA
SIN
*PAK
TAI
* COL
VEN
IND 8．
11．
13．
19．
21．
24．
27．
29．
32．
35．
37．
40．
43．
45．
48．
51．
53．
56．
59．
61．
64．
67．
69．
72．
75．
77．
80．
83．
85．
88．
91．
93．
96．
99．
101．
104．
107．
109．
112．
(2) Strong Uncertainty
Avoidance/Masculine
(1) Weak Uncertainty
AUL*
SWI
ISR *
*IRE
CHL
PER
*URU
SKA *
* VIE
INA *
LUX
MAL *
MOR
POL *

15. Country scores on Confucian dynamism (long-term orientation)
Score rank
Country or region
LTO score 1
China
118 2
Hong Kong 96 3
Taiwan 87 4
Japan 80 5
South Korea 75 6
Brazil 65 7
India 61 8
Thailand 56 9
Singapore 48 10
Netherlands 44 11
Bangladesh 40 12
Sweden 33 13
Poland 32 14
Germany 31 15
Australia 16
New Zealand 30 17
United States 29 18
Great Britain 25 19
Zimbabwe 20
Canada 23 21
Philippines 22
Nigeria
Pakistan
Source: Chinese Cultural Connection. "Chinese values and the search for Culture-free dimensions of culture,
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology,

16. Competitive Countries Have an Eye on the Future
■Singapore
■Switzerland
■Netherlands
■Austria
■Malaysia
■South Africa
■Philippines
■India
■Indonesia
■Brazil
■Venezuela
■Russia
Argentina ■
■Poland
■Colombia
Turkey■
■Hungary
■Italy
■Greece
■China
■Mexico
■Slovenia
■Taiwan
Hong Kong ■
UK ■
Australia ■
■Japan
■Denmark
■United States
■Finland
Sweden
Canada
■Ireland
■Germany
■Israel
Portugal
■Spain
■Thailand
France ■
New Zealand■
■Korea
Competitiveness
Future Orientation
（cultural support for delayed gratification, planning, and investment）
Source for competitive rankings: the World Economic Forum

17. Criticisms of Hofstede

18. Other Layers of of culture
Ethnicity
Industry
Demographics
Ideology

19. Culture in management settings

20. Culture in management settings

21. People of different cultures often perceive and solve problems differently:
A survey with MBA students from Germany and France.