Hofstede's Cultural Framework

Geert Hofstede, a Dutch social psychologist, developed a widely used platform that established the dimensions of culture. Read this chapter to better understand these dimensions and see how they can be applied to different countries and cultures.

Glossary

  • Immigration - Movement of people from their home country to other countries; will continue to grow worldwide.
  • Hofstede model of national culture - Project involving survey of over 88,000 employees in IBM subsidiaries from 72 countries.
  • Expatriate - Foreign employee who moves and works in another country for an extended period of time.
  • Power distance - Refers to the degree to which societies accept power differences and authority in society.
  • Individualism - Degree to which a society focuses on the relationship of the individual to the group.
  • Uncertainty avoidance - Refers to the degree to which people in a society are comfortable with uncertainty and unpredictable situations.
  • Masculinity - Degree to which a society emphasizes traditional masculine qualities, such as advancement and earnings.