Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Mujtaba, (2007) mentions that global managers need to pay attention to the work of Geert
Hofstede, as he studied values in many countries through his work with the IBM organization in
the early 1980’s. He found that countries could be profiled on at least four variables (his original
profile): individualism, power distance, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 1980).
The masculinity-femininity dimension has been renamed the “achievement versus nurturing
orientation” to be more politically correct. Hofstede (1993) also later added a fifth dimension,
long-term versus short-term orientation.
For the purpose of research and further study, the following are the commonly applied
definitions for the various dimensions as mentioned by Professor Hofstede (Mujtaba, 2007):
• Individualism. A dimension of culture that stands for a society in which the ties between
individuals are loose: Everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and immediate
family.
• Collectivism. A dimension of culture that stands for a society in which people from birth
onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout people’s
lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.
• Power Distance. The extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and
organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
• Uncertainty Avoidance. The extent to which members of a society feel threatened by
situations of uncertainty.