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Hofstedes Five Dimensions
of Culture
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Introduction
Comprehensive study of how values in the
workplace are influenced by culture
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Power Distance (PD)
Degree of inequality that exists- and is
accepted- among people with and without
power
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Characteristics ofPD
High
Low
Centralised
Large gap in compensation and authority
Flatter organizations Supervisors and employees are almost equal
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Application
High PD country like Malasia (104), you
would send reports only to top management
and have closed door meetings where only a
select few, powerful leaders are in
attendance
The world avg is 56.5
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Individualism vs collectivism (IDV)
Refers to strength of ties people have to
others in a community
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Characteristics ofIDV
High
Low
Respect for privacy Enjoyment of challenges, and an expectation
of rewards for hard work
Emphasis on building skills and becoming
masters at something
Work for intrinsic awards
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Application
Malaysia has a score of 26. It is a collectivist
society. The world avg. is 45
People specialize in their field of work to
complete a task
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Masculinity vs feminity (MAS)
Refers to how much a society sticks with, and
values , traditional male and female roles
Masculine culture emphasis status derived
from wages and position; a feminine culture
emphasizes human relations and quality of
life
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Characteristics ofMAS
High
Low
Well defined distinction between mens work
and womens work
A woman can do anything a man can do
Powerful and successful women are admiredand respected
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Application
Malaysia has a highly masculine score of 50
whereas Sweden has the lowest score of 5
If you are to open a office, it would be
advisable to have a male CEO than a woman
In Sweden aim for a team that is balanced in
terms of skill and gender
World avg. is 51
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Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI)
Relates to degree of anxiety members feel
when in uncertain or unknown situations
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Characteristics ofUAI
High
Low
Very formal business conducted with lots of
rules and policies Need and expect structure
Differences are avoided
Informal business attitude
More concern with long term strategy thanbusiness on daily level
Accept change and risk
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Application
Malaysia has score of 36.
When discussing a project in Malaysia, it is
sufficient to present a limited number of
choices and information
World avg. is 65
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Characteristics ofLTO
High
Low
Strong work ethic High value placed on education and training
Hesitant to introduce changes
High creativity and mindset to introducechange
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Application
USA (29), UK (25) have low LTO scores
People in US and UK dont value tradition as
much as us and are willing to go ahead to
innovative and creative ideas.
World avg. is 48