Cultural analysis: Six aspects of Hofstede and different countries

Cultural analysis: Six aspects of Hofstede and different countries

Question

Cultural aspects of Hofstede

You are expected to demonstrate a certain level of understanding that reflects the cultures and traditions of different countries in their business environment. At the end of the research and analysis process, you should create a report that presents a well-researched cultural analysis.

Answer

Hofstede identified six cultural dimensions that distinguish the corporate cultures of different countries of the world (Beugelsdijk, Kostova & Roth, 2017). He scores countries on these dimensions to find out how they have handled in certain situations. The six dimensions are power distance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and passion. According to Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory, which is based on the concept that individuals in a society are unequal and the extent to which these inequalities are accepted and practiced. This indicates that the higher the inequality score, the more likely the firm has a hierarchical organizational structure. The degree to which less powerful members of the organization accept an unequal distribution of power forms the basis of power distance.

This aspect can be defined as the interdependence of people in the community and their relationship with each other. The higher the score in this area, the more individualists there are and therefore weaker interpersonal relationships. High scores indicate that people in the country are more community-oriented and are more likely to receive positive collective or community feelings (Lo, Waters & Christensen, 2017).

This aspect defines the definition of success and the division of roles between men and women. In masculine societies, men are expected to work assertively and dominating while women are expected to accept and compromise. In feminine societies, the roles of men and women overlap and values ​​are given to humility and relationship building.

This aspect shows the extent to which members of society are able to take risks and deal with anxiety. Countries with higher uncertainty avoidance tend to prefer a predictable and controllable life rather than taking any risks. Countries with low scores are more likely to welcome innovation and risky business decisions.

This aspect indicates that people may prefer long-term or short-term goals depending on the culture of the countries. Countries that believe in short-term goals are likely to prioritize quick wins and results over long-term commitments that will deliver long-term results. Countries with a long-term orientation are often more pragmatic in nature and prioritize principles over interests (Beugelsdijk & Welzel, 2018).

Power distance

This sixth aspect describes the cultural behavior of a country in terms of accepting the satisfaction of its own people. Countries that score high in this dimension are likely to positively encourage enjoying life or spending time with pleasure, while the opposite is true for countries with low scores. These countries may have higher standards and value people’s behavior and conduct more than their own satisfaction.

Australia’s scores on the cultural aspects of Hofstede can be seen in the appendix. This shows that in Australian business culture, hierarchy is shaped by convenience rather than norm. In this culture, supervisors are easily accessible, and managers trust employees and their teams to apply their expertise to get the job done. Australia has a culture of individualism and therefore people must take care of themselves and their people. In a work culture, people are expected to be independent and proactive. In this type of work culture, promotions and hiring are based on merit.

Australia is a men’s country and so success is based on winning and making money. People in this culture take pride in their accomplishments and this influences hiring and promotions. Australia is in a state of uncertainty avoidance, indicating it carefully assesses situations before taking risky actions. Australia has a normative culture and therefore values ​​tradition and culture and places great importance on achieving short-term goals (Comparing Country – Hofstede Insights., 2020). Australia is a country of indulgence and so people appreciate opportunities to fulfill their urges and desires, enjoy their life and have fun. They like to have free time and spend money as they please. Details can be found in the appendix.

Canada’s scores show that they have a clear interdependence with everyone in the community and believe in egalitarianism. In Canadian work culture, there are fewer hierarchies and their use is quite similar to that in Australia. Canada also has an individualist culture and exhibits similar traits in terms of independence, autonomous behavior in the workplace, and merit-based promotion (Silva and Moreira, 2017). Canada has a culture of moderate masculinity and therefore they value caring about people and quality of life more than winning. They value work-life balance and seek happiness. The Canadian work culture accepts uncertainty and is therefore open to new ideas and innovations. Like Australia, Canada is a normative society and it respects tradition and tends to be short-term oriented (Country comparison – Hofstede Insights., 2020). The culture of this country is leisure, so people like to relax and want to fulfill their desires.

Individualism and collectivism

Scores are visible in the appendix. This country has an acceptance of power and people accept the organizational hierarchy as a matter of course. Employees must receive direct orders and superiors must exercise their authority (Nedelko & Brzozowski, Eds.2017). It is an individualist society and therefore people are expected to be able to take care of themselves. In organizations, promotions based on merit, contracts based on mutual interests and individual management are valued. It is a male society like Australia and therefore lives for work. They expect managers and leaders to be assertive and value performance above all else. They have a low level of uncertainty and therefore have a more relaxed organizational attitude. Work culture is flexible and people prefer independence (Country comparison – Hofstede Insights., 2020). They have a regulatory culture and like Australia and Canada, they value tradition and focus on quick results. This country also values ​​passion and tends to fulfill one’s wishes and preferences.

Scores are visible in the appendix. Britain strongly believes in minimizing the separation of powers and hierarchies. The work culture of this country does not discriminate between class and lineage. The UK is very individualistic so people are expected to be able to take care of themselves. They value privacy and make a unique contribution to society (Stoermer, Bader & Froese, 2016). They believe in self-improvement and are very self-centered. The UK work culture is highly motivated and success oriented as it is a male-dominated society. They have obvious ambitions and therefore live for their work. The UK tends to avoid low uncertainty, which shows that it is open to new proposals and ideas. They are willing to take risks to achieve greater success. They believe in fair play and chance while judging results. The country’s long-term or short-term direction is unknown and thus people are likely to set long- or short-term goals based on their personal philosophies (Country Comparison – Hofstede Insights., 2020). British culture too, like other countries, is very indulgent and therefore prioritizes leisure and the fulfillment of desires.

The above discussion indicates that four countries have positive and negative aspects based on corporate culture. It depends on the capacity, personal preferences of each person and his or her field of work that he can survive or not. All four countries exhibit a culture of individualism and altruism, and as a result, people who want to work in a flexible work culture in their spare time do better. Freelancing and working in creative industries are more likely to succeed. Most countries show a masculinity and power gap. Interestingly, the developing countries here show a tendency for greater power distance (Minkov, 2018). masculine

Hofstede’s focus on these countries suggests that people living in collectivist cultures will have a hard time working in countries like these and may experience culture shock. However, the flexibility these countries offer and their value in work make it easy for people to adapt (Skoumpooulou et al., 2018). People in leadership or management positions need to evaluate the countries they work in and create company policies that benefit them. A closer examination and analysis of the scores also shows that countries with more cultural diversity tend to value traditions and principles more such as Australia or Canada.

From the discussion, the following recommendations can be made for working in different cultures:

For countries with a high hierarchical gap, recognition of the leader’s status is necessary. For countries with low power distance, it is ideal to involve all those who will be affected in the decision-making process.

In a culture that values ​​individualism, acknowledging individual accomplishments, separating work and personal life, and encouraging debate and discussion is an ideal way of doing things.

In collectivist cultures, maintaining harmony is important and negative feedback and outright rejection should be avoided. The same is true for plants under high stress.

In a very masculine culture, setting goals and targets works best. People prefer to work longer and have clear gender roles.

In women’s cultures, flexibility and work-life balance, equal opportunity, and mixed roles are needed to work effectively. The same is true for countries with high levels of passion.

To avoid high uncertainty, clear goals, established cultures and norms must be accepted, and low uncertainty, less structure, and avoidance of fanfare is necessary.

Humility, patience, and compromise are necessary for countries with a long-term orientation while for countries on the contrary, flattery and sales skills are at their best.

References

Beugelsdijk, S., & Welzel, C. (2018). The Dimensions and Dynamics of National Culture: A Hofstede Synthesis with Inglehart. Journal of Transcultural Psychology, 49(10), 1469-1505.

Beugelsdijk, S., Kostova, T., & Roth, K. (2017). An overview of Hofstede-inspired national cultural research in international business since 2006. Journal of International Business Research, 48(1), 30-47.

Country comparison – Hofstede Insights. (2020). Accessed January 8, 2020, from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/australia,canada,south-africa,the-uk/

da Silva, PMF, & Moreira, A. (2017). National culture and its relationship to innovation and corruption. Dans Explores the Influence of Culture and Personal Values ​​in the Workplace (pp. 201-225). Global IGI.

Lo, K.D., Waters, R. D., & Christensen, N. (2017). Assess the applicability of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to the Facebook profiles and content of the Global Top 500 companies. Journal of Communication Management, 21(1), 51-67.

Minkov, M. (2018). Hofstede’s revision of the national cultural model: old evidence and new data from 56 countries. Strategic and Intercultural Management, 25(2), 231-256.

Nedelko, Z., & Brzozowski, M. (Ed.). (2017). Explore the influence of personal values ​​and workplace culture. Global IG.

Skoumpoloulou, D., Wong, A.K., Ng, P. M., & Lo, M.F. (2018). Factors influencing the acceptance of new technologies in the workplace: a UK-Hong Kong cross-case analysis.

Stoermer, S., Bader, A. K., & Froese, F.J. (2016). Cultural issues: The influence of national culture on the inclusive environment. Strategic and Intercultural Management, 23(2), 287-305.