Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture is a framework developed by Geert Hofstede that describes how the values in a society are influenced by culture. It consists of six dimensions that help to compare the cultural values of different countries:
- Power Distance Index (PDI): This dimension measures the degree to which less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. High power distance cultures accept hierarchical order, while low power distance cultures strive for equality and question authority.
- Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV): This dimension assesses whether people prefer to look after themselves and their immediate family (individualism) or expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for loyalty (collectivism).
- Masculinity vs. Femininity (MAS): This dimension explores the distribution of roles between genders. Masculine cultures emphasize competitiveness, assertiveness, and material success, while feminine cultures value cooperation, modesty, and quality of life.
- Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI): This measures the extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and create beliefs and institutions to avoid such uncertainty. High UAI cultures have strict rules and codes of behavior, while low UAI cultures are more relaxed and open to change.
- Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation (LTO): This dimension considers the extent to which a culture emphasizes future-oriented behaviors like persistence and thrift (long-term) versus past and present-oriented behaviors like respect for tradition and fulfilling social obligations (short-term).
- Indulgence vs. Restraint (IVR): This dimension relates to the degree to which a society allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human desires related to enjoying life and having fun (indulgence) versus a society that suppresses gratification and regulates it through strict social norms (restraint).
Hofstede’s model is widely used in cross-cultural communication, international business, and management to understand cultural differences and their impact on behavior.
