Geert Hofstede's Model of 6 Dimensions

All countries in the world share the same basic problems, but each national society has over time developed its own answers.

These can be seen as six different and separate dimensions of national cultures

1. Power Distance,   2. Individualism,   3. Masculine and Feminine,   4. Uncertainty Avoidance,        5. Long <-> Short-term Orientation,   6. Indulgence <-> Restraint

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

High power distance

In high power-distance cultures, the members accept some having more power and some having less power, and that this power distribution is natural and normal. Those with power are assumed to deserve it, and likewise those without power are assumed to be in their proper place.

Low power distance

In low power-distance cultures, the distribution of power is considered far more arbitrary and viewed as a result of luck, money, heritage, or other external variables. For a person to be seen as having power, something must justify their power.

Individualism

The role of the individual versus the role of the group. How people define themselves and their relationships with others.

Individualistic

societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him- or herself and his or her immediate family. They can pursue their own wants and needs free from concerns about meeting social expectations.

Collectivistic

societies in which people from birth onward are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout people’s lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. Personal wants and needs are secondary to the needs of the society at large.

Masculine and Feminine

Biological differences between males and females are the same the world over, but the social roles of men (masculine)and women (feminine) in society are only partly determined by the biological constraints.

Masculine

Emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success, women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.

Feminine

Emotional gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.

Uncertainty Avoidance

We do not know what will happen tomorrow. The future is uncertain, but we have to live with it anyway.

Uncertainty is a subjective experience, a feeling.

Uncertainty avoidance:

The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous (open to more than one interpretation/not clear) or unknown situations.

Weak uncertainty avoidance versus Strong uncertainty avoidance

Long  <->  Short-term Orientation

Long-term orientation

stands for the fostering of pragmatic virtues oriented toward future rewards, in particular, perseverance, thrift and adapting to changing circumstances.

Short-term orientation,

stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present, such as, national pride, respect for tradition, preservation of “face,” and fulfilling social obligations.

Indulgence <-> Restraint

Happiness, or subjective well-being is a universally cherished goal.

Indulgence:

a tendency to allow relatively free gratification of basic and natural human desires related to enjoying life and having fun. A perception that one can act as one pleases.

Restraint:

A conviction that such gratification needs to be curbed and regulated by strict social norms. A perception that one’s actions are restrained by various social norms and prohibitions and a feeling that enjoyment of leisurely activities, spending, and other similar types of indulgence are somewhat wrong.

For more Examples and Country Maps

see the "Read more on"

of each dimension above