Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Cultural Profile; Hofstede's 5 Dimensions

Powerful Essays
2020 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cultural Profile; Hofstede's 5 Dimensions
|
Argument
One of the main influences that shapes people's traits is culture. Culture can be seen as unwritten rules of how we do particular things different from one human group to another and therefore culture separates groups of people (Geert Hofstede). This applies to all kind of groups, such as national, but also organizational. In this assignment I will investigate to what extent the results of my personal cultural profile match the profile of my domestic culture (Dutch) using the 5 dimensions model (Hofstede, Hofstede and Minkov, 2010). Next to that I will discuss if the results of my cultural profile present me well, according to my opinion. After graduating, I would like to work in Spain, for a Spanish company, therefore I will also be using this assignment to investigate how my cultural profile matches the Spanish one. Characterizations of organizations are reflected in organizational processes, thus culture can also be seen in organizational processes. This is important for when I start working as a manager in Spain, because a different culture causes different policies and procedures, systems, planning and control, communication and decision-making processes (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003). The 5 dimensions will help me to find these differences between my own culture and the Spanish culture.
My cultural profile
When a business is operating in one than more country, the fundamental management tasks, such as planning and organizing, are the same for each country. However, managers will experience much more difficulties when performing management on an international scale, due to differences in the economic, political and sociocultural environment between countries (Daft, Kendrick and Vershinina, 2010).
Concerning the sociocultural environment, each nation has different "shared knowledge, beliefs, values, as well as the common modes of behaviour and ways of thinking among members of a society" (Daft et al., 2010, p. 137). A manager deals with people and in order to be successful internationally, a manager should realize that people come with a different background, provided by their culture (Hofstede, 1994). Many definitions of culture have appeared, however one of the most used definitions is the one developed by the cross-cultural expert, Geert Hofstede, who defines it as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another” (Hofstede, 1994, p. 1). To get a handle on local cultures a manager has to understand the differences in social values. This can be done by using the five dimensions of national value systems that influence organizational and employee working relationships (Daft et al., 2012).

Power distance “indicates the extent to which a society accepts the unequal distribution of power in institutions and organizations" (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003, p. 87). According to my cultural profile I score relatively high on this dimension (see figure 1), which would mean that I prefer to work in organizations where there are many levels of hierarchy and a high proportion of supervisory personnel and where the process of decision-making is centralized. Also a good relationship with my supervisor would be very important and I'm sfraid to express any disagreement with him. This is not in line with the Dutch culture, because the power distance is a lot lower in Dutch organizations and although the Spanish culture has a higher score on this dimension, it is still a lot lower than the score of my cultural profile (see figure 2). Spanish organizations are hierarchical and there is more respect for each other than in Dutch ones, for example, critique about ones manager is not tolerated and you don't start a discussion with your manager. So when working there as a manager I should be conscious of the fact that my employees don't provide me with negative feedback and search for little signals in order to discover the real problems.
In my opinion my real score on this dimension is more average, because although I appreciate a good relationship with my supervisor and I don't find it very important that he involves me in every decision, I'm not afraid to share my complaints or disagreements with him and I would like to work in an environment where is not a lot of hierarchy, but a wider span of control and equal rights.

Individualism “reflects the extent to which people prefer to take care of themselves and their immediate families, remaining emotionally independent from groups, organizations and other collectivities" (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003, p. 87). The results of my cultural profile show that I'm very individualistic (see figure 1). This would mean that I prefer individual decision making as a manager and that I should work in an organization were individual initiative and effort are more appreciated than consensus and cooperation. Also are sufficient time for my personal life and variety and adventure in my job very important. Finally, there is not much attention for good physical working conditions and employee security. The results of my cultural profile match very well with the Dutch culture, which is indeed very individualistic. Looking at Spain, it has an average score.(see figure 2). So in a Spanish organization teamwork is also not considered as something totally natural, but people are in fact more worried about losing face . Also they are very loyal to their family and their personal lives and work are more mixed with each other than in individualistic cultures, so the key to a good business relationship, is a good personal relationship.
I think the results of my cultural profile on this dimension represents me well, because I agree upon almost all the previous features that describe an individualistic culture. However I do think that there should be enough attention for good physical working conditions.
Uncertainty avoidance “refers to a society's discomfort with uncertainty, preferring predictability and stability" (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003, p. 87). Based on the results of my cultural profile, it can be stated that I score relatively low on this dimension (see figure 1). This would mean that I like to work in an organization where there is a low level of formalization evident in a small amount of written rules and procedures and that rules can be broken when it is in the interest of the firm, also there would not be a lot of specialization in defining functions and jobs and competition between colleagues is seen as a good thing. As a manager I would not avoid taking any risks. The score according to my cultural profile is quite similar to the one of the Dutch profile, however Spain scores higher on the uncertainty dimension (see figure 2). Spanish people like to have rules for everything and changes cause stress, but, at the same time, they avoid rules and laws that make life more complex. Confrontation is avoided as it causes great stress and scales up to the personal level very quickly (Geert-Hofstede/Spain). F or me as a manager this is important to know, because I'm used to working in situations where rules, changes and confrontations are not avoided just because they cause stress.
In my opinion the score of my cultural profile represents me well on this dimension, because the characteristics of a low uncertainty avoidance describe me well.

Masculinity/femininity" reveals the bias towards either 'masculine' values of assertiveness, competitiveness, and materialism, or towards 'feminine' values of nurturing, and the quality of life and relationships" (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003, p. 87). My score is very low (see figure 1), which means that I would be feminine, so I'm very concerned with nurturing social relationships and my role as a manager to safeguard employee well-being and to demonstrate concern for social responsibility. However, a change for advancement and promotion would not be so important. Just as me, the Dutch culture is also very feminine, but the Spanish culture is a little bit more masculine (see figure 2). I think that I'm indeed very feminine, because I appreciate a good social relationship with others and as a manager I would be concerned about my employees well-being. However, I find an opportunity for achievement and advancement in my job also important.

Long term/short term orientation is "The extent to which a society exhibits a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historic or short-term point of view" (De Mooij, 2010, p. 85). According to my results I have an average score on this dimension, just as the Dutch culture. Spain scores quite low on this dimension, thus is short-term oriented. Spanish people like to live in the moment, without a great concern about the future and people look for quick results without delays. Moreover, there is a need for clear structures and well defined rules to make life more relaxed, particularly, in the long term time
Discussion
According to Hofstede et al. (2010), an entire nations culture can be described by measuring five dimensions with only 18 questions. I think this amount of questions is quite low, and I wonder if they really capture each aspect of every dimension. Also, because the original data is already 40 years old, you might think that with the technical innovations and international trade, and therefore the globalization, different cultures have influenced one another and cultural integration has taken places. It might be that the core of any national culture is not so static after all, with the result that national cultures are more and more being mixed, which will maybe eventually create a 'global culture'. If this would be the case, the original data about all the national cultures will not representative anymore. However, after answering the 18 questions the results showed many resemblanches between my cultural profile and the cultural profile of my home country, so Hofstede's work is in fact very valuable. Also I think it is a good thing that Hofstede everytime tries to improve and expand his work, by adding new dimensions, using new findings.

Conclusion
Comparing the scores of my cultural profile and the Dutch profile, it can be concluded that these two cultural profiles match very well. Allthough my score on the power distance dimension is a lot higher than the score of the Dutch cultural on the same dimension, the scores of the remaining four dimensions are quite similar. Thus it has appeared that my domestic culture has indeed a lot of influence on my personal culture, when using Hofstede's 5 dimensions. It also showed that there are a many cultural differences between my culture and the Spanish culture, because it's more collectivistic, there is a higher uncertainty avoidance, it's more masculine and it's more short-term orientated. When combining the dimensions a lot about the Spanish procedures, systems, communication and decision-making processes can be stated , which is very usefull for when I start working for a company in Spain, because there are a lot of things which they do differently than what I'm used to, so it will be really hard for me and it will probably take a while for me to settle down as a manager and to adjust to their procedures and to get used to them. However, I still see it as a nice opportunity and challenge to eventually start working in Spain, because I'll learn a lot from it and it will improve my cultural intellegence.

Literature

- Daft, R.L., Kendrick, M., Vershinina, N., (2010). Management. Hampshire: Cengage learning, Inc.
- De Mooij, M., (2010). Global Marketing and Advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes. Thousands Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Geert Hofstede, visited on 17-02-2013 via http://www.geerthofstede.nl/
- Geert-Hofstede/Netherlands, visited on 17-02-2013 via http://geert-hofstede.com/netherlands.html
- Geert-Hofstede/Spain, visited on 19-02-2013 via http://geert-hofstede.com/spain.html
- Hofstede, G., (1994). The Business of International Business is Culture. International Business Review: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. l-14.
- Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J., Minkov, M., (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded. New York: McGraw-Hill,USA.
- Schneider, S.C., Barsoux, J., (2003). Managing Across Cultures. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Figures

(figure 1)

(Figure 2. Source: Geert-Hofstede/Netherlands)

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Culture is the attitudes, customs, values, and beliefs a human being has learned from generation to generation. In businesses, there are many employees with different cultural backgrounds. Even though Mexico and America are neighbors, their ways of living are completely different. If both culture are not understood, accepted and respected it can cause problems in an organization. Hofstede’s dimensions of culture identify four dimensions that study the differences of attitudes and values of employees to improve communication and be successful: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Beamish, P.W., Morrison, A., Inkpen, A., & Rosenzweig, P. M. (2003). International management: Text and cases (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Ppt Dq Research Paper

    • 2066 Words
    • 9 Pages

    ?Beamish, P.W., Morrison, A., Inkpen, A.,& Rosenzweig, P. (2003). International management: Text and cases. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw- Hill.…

    • 2066 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Managers, who readily accept that the cuisine, the literature, the music and the art of other countries run parallel to one another, must also learn to accept the art of management differs in other countries. The objective of this paper, principally, is to explain that culture is a powerful factor to be taken into account. Through culture companies can get comparative advantages and disadvantages if they do not want to see or anticipate the impact of culture in the organization. The following pages show how culture play an important role in the effectiveness of nations, companies, functions, and managers faced with…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The results of the study that Hofstede conducted over 30 years ago shows that no one management style works with every country. Every country or culture has it’s own style or process that works for them, but doesn’t always meet the needs of another country or culture. Hofstede warned against directly applying American-made management theories without adapting them first (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). He said there is no one best way to manage across cultures (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    Browaeys, Marie-Jo 'Elle. Cross-Cultural Management. by Marie-Joelle Browaeys, Roger Price. Upper Saddle River: Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2008.…

    • 4355 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Cross Management

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    3. CP Thomas, D.C. “How Culture Works,” Ch.4, Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts, 2008, Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Trompenaars research is based on 46000 managers from over 40 countries who answered questionnaires based on their experiences in many different cultures. Trompenaar and his colleague Charles Hampden-Turner (“The Seven Dimensions of Culture” 2012) created a model where national culture is determined by 7 dimensions. First an important dimension is the individualism –…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    As businesses grow to the point that they operate globally, it becomes important for the personnel within the company to understand the cultural differences between the home office and the overseas operations. Every region of the world has its unique cultural idiosyncrasies. These idiosyncrasies can prove to be challenging if a manager is not prepared to deal with the cultural differences in a respectful, appropriate way. Some of the specific ways that cultural differences can affect international business relations are group mechanics, employee behavior, and norms.…

    • 1408 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this paper I am going to discuss the case of Ms. Myers and her failed venture in managing a company in a foreign country. I am going to discuss the five dimensions of a culture and then compare them to Ms. Myers case. Finally, I will give my recommendations of what she should have done to become successful.…

    • 1736 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Armed with a large database of cultural statistics, Hofstede analyzed the results and found clear patterns of similarity and difference amid the responses along these five dimensions. Interestingly, his research was done on employees of IBM only, which allowed him to attribute the patterns to national differences in culture, largely eliminating the problem of differences in company culture.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    According to Armstrong (2012, p109), “…the dilemma facing all corporations is that of achieving a balance between international consistency and local autonomy.” How people perceive one another is determined by culture, culture can mislead how we observe the world. People use their own culture as a reference point to assess and evaluate others.…

    • 5131 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The text refers to the study of culture in the environment of organization. Especially how culturally different participant can make an constructive and efficient intercultural dialogue. At the beginning of the publication Geert Hofstede points attention to the example which shows how different cultural background influences our way of thinking and acting. Moreover, autor deals with the notion of culture and its connection to the mental programming. He describes culture in wider and narrower sense by stating that culture in wider sense deals with much more fundamental human processes than culture in narrower sense. According to him this culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes members of one group of people from another. Furthermore, Hofstede developes a term of mental programming by stating that a persons behaviour is only partially predetermined by their mental programs.…

    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mba Student

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages

    INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT: MANAGING ACROSS BORDERS AND CULTURES, SIXTH EDITION. H. Deresky. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall (2007), 512 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0136143260, ISBN10: 0136143261. List price: $180. Hardcover. The global business environment not only requires but also obligates businesses to develop proper management skills and abilities to plan, organize, lead, and control international businesses. International Management by Helen Deresky presents a very pragmatic yet theoretically grounded text. Deresky outlines the skills and abilities needed to address the demands, choices, and constraints that managers confront as they manage global competition. As the international environment changes, so must the thinking and strategies of managers. Deresky’s text methodically sets forth a description of the environments and the competencies that are needed to manage the description of the environments and the competencies that are needed to manage the challenges presented in the 21st century and beyond. This text offers a comprehensive outline of management issues as they relate to the culture, communication, organizational structure, and control systems of a business operating in cross-border situations. One of the key features of this text relates to the inclusion of many practical contemporary cases that show the real dimensions of businesses in the international context. Each chapter has a case attached to it. In addition, there are 12 comprehensive cases that delve into international management issues from a variety of perspectives.…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics