2.2 Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions

Hello. The purpose of this lecture is to present you with a framework to help understand inter

cultural

communication. This framework, called Hofstede's theory of

cultural

dimensions

, was introduced by Hofstede in his book "The Consequences of Culture" and has played an influential role in our understanding of intercultural communication. In the 1970s, Hofstede analyzed a large database of surveys of values ​​and related sentiments from people in more than 50 countries around the world who worked for the multinational corporation IBM. The data collected in the surveys allowed Hofstede to introduce what he calls four

dimensions

of national culture. According to him, a dimension is an aspect of a culture that can be measured in relation to other cultures.

In his subsequent research, Hofstede added two new dimensions. The current six dimensions are: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, pragmatic versus normative, and indulgence versus moderation. Well, let's look at each dimension individually as defined by Hofstede. Please note that I present them in no particular order. Let's first look at Hofstede's dimension: power distance. According to his theory, 'power distance' is the characteristic of a culture that defines the extent to which the least powerful people in a society accept power inequality and consider it normal. In other words, inequality exists within any culture, but the degree of tolerance varies from one culture to another.

This dimension expresses the degree to which the least powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The fundamental question here is how a society handles inequalities between people. Here are the differences between small power distance and large power distance provided by Hofstede. Next, let's take a look at the dimension called "uncertainty avoidance." According to Hofstede, this describes the degree to which people within a culture become nervous about situations that they perceive as unstructured, unclear, or unpredictable and that they therefore try to avoid by maintaining strict codes of conduct and a belief in absolute truths. .

According to Hofstede, avoiding uncertainty should not be considered the same as avoiding risks. This dimension considers a society's tolerance for ambiguity. It provides a framework for understanding how people may feel uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Below are the differences between weak uncertainty avoidance and strong uncertainty avoidance provided by Hofstede. Individualism versus collectivism looks at two elements. The first, called "individualism," suggests that individuals are expected to care only for themselves and their immediate families. The second, “collectivism,” suggests that individuals can expect family members or members of a particular group to care for them in exchange for unconditional loyalty.

A society's position on this dimension is reflected by whether people's self-image is defined in terms of "I" or "we." According to Hofstede, individualistic cultures assume that any person primarily looks after his own self-interest and the interest of his immediate family (husband, wife, and children). Collectivist cultures assume that any person, through his birth and possible subsequent events, belongs to one or more narrow "groups" from which he cannot separate himself. Here are the differences between individualism and collectivism provided by Hofstede. Masculinity versus femininity is related to the division of emotional roles between women and men. According to Hofstede, the "masculinity" side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success.

Society in general is more competitive. Its opposite, "femininity," represents a preference for cooperation, modesty, care for the weak, and quality of life. Society in general is more consensus-oriented. Here are the differences between masculinity and femininity provided by Hofstede. Indulgence versus moderation is related to gratification versus control of basic human desires related to the enjoyment of life. 'Indulgence' represents a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic, natural human impulses related to enjoying life and having fun. 'Restriction' represents a society that suppresses the gratification of needs and regulates it through strict social norms. Here are the differences between indulgence and moderation provided by Hofstede.

The pragmatic versus normative dimension describes how people in the past, as well as today, relate to the fact that many things happening around us cannot be explained. In societies with a "normative orientation", most people have a strong desire to explain as much as possible. People in such societies have a great concern for establishing absolute truth and a need for personal stability. They show great respect for social conventions and traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results. In societies with a "pragmatic orientation", most people do not need to explain everything, believing that it is impossible to fully understand the complexity of life.

The challenge is not to know the truth but to live a virtuous life. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that the truth depends largely on the situation, context, and time. They show the ability to accept contradictions, adapt according to circumstances, a strong propensity to save and invest, and frugality and perseverance in achieving results. To summarize this section, Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is a framework used to help distinguish and compare values ​​between different countries' cultures. This is a valuable framework for people such as international business managers or others involved in an international business environment, because it can help avoid or resolve potential communication barriers or misunderstandings.

It is not only useful for the business context; Researchers, policymakers, and educators have also used this framework as a starting point to help them understand differences between cultures.