Hofstedes-five-dimensions-of-culture-

HofstadterFiveDimensionsofCultureThedifferentsocialcustoms,stylesofdress,attitudestowardstime,toleranceforconflict,etc.,areonlythetipoftheculturaliceberg.Underlying潜在的whatmightappeartobeidiosyncrasies特质个性inbehaviorareanumberoffundamentalvaluesthatshapethewaymembersofaculturethink,feel,andact.Weneedtoknowhowandwhypeoplefromdifferentbackgroundsbehaveastheydo,andweneedtohaveideasofhowwecanadapttoimprovingthequalityofourcommunicationwithinternationalbusinesspeople.Themostinfluencialcross-culturaltheoryisHofstede’sfivedimensionsofculture1.IndividualismIDV2.Powerdistanceindex指数PDI3.Masculinity男子气概MAS4.UncertaintyavoidanceindexUAI5.Long-termorientation方向LTO1.Individualismversus与对抗Collectivism集体主义Individualism(IDV)focusesonthedegreethesocietyreinforces加强individualorcollectiveachievementandinterpersonal人际关系relationships.1)AHighIndividualismrankingindicates表明thatindividualityandindividualrightsareparamount主要的至高无上的withinthesociety.Individualsinthesesocietiesmaytendtoformalargernumberoflooserrelationships.Membersinthiscultureareinclined倾向于toputtheirowninterestsandthoseoftheirimmediatefamilyaheadofsocialconcerns.Itsmembersareofferedagreatdealoffreedom,thebeliefbeingthatthisfreedommakesitpossibleforeachpersontoachievepersonalsuccess.2)ALowIndividualism(Collectivism)rankingtypifiessocietiesofamorecollectivistnaturewithclosetiesbetweenindividuals.Theseculturesreinforceextendedfamiliesandcollectiveswhereeveryonetakesresponsibilityforfellowmembersoftheirgroup.Itsmembersareexpectedtobelievethatthewelfareoftheorganizationisasimportantastheirown.Thiscollectivistculturehastightsocialframework框架结构inwhichmembersofagroupfeelprimaryloyalty忠诚towardoneanotherandthegrouptowhichtheybelong.Japan,likemostEastAsiancultures,ishighlycollective.Thisorientation方向isclearatcorporateeventswhereemployeesoftensingtheircompany’santhem,国歌whichishardtoimagineinindividualisticculturesliketheU.S.andCanada.Workersincollectivistculturesarelesslikelytostrive努力tobecomeorganizational“stars”,sincethatapproachwoulddishonorothermembersoftheteam.2.PowerDistancePowerDistanceIndex(PDI)focusesonthedegreeofequality,orinequality,betweenpeopleinthecountry'ssociety.1)AHighPowerDistancerankingindicatesthatinequalitiesofpowerandwealthhavebeenallowedtogrowwithinthesociety.Thetermreferstoattitudestowarddifferencesinauthority.Cultureswithhighpowerdistanceacceptthefactthatpowerisdistributedunequally,thatis,somemembershavegreaterresourcesandinfluencethanothers.Inthesecultures,differencesinorganizationalstatusandrankareclear-cut.Employeeshaveagreaterofrespectsforthoseinhighpositions.Thesesocietiesaremorelikelytofollowacaste(社会等级)systemthatdoesnotallowsignificantupwardmobility流动性ofitscitizens.Suchcountriesare:China,Philippines,Mexico,etc.2）ALowPowerDistancerankingindicatesthesocietyde-emphasizesthedifferencesbetweencitizen'spowerandwealth.Itdownplays淡化differencesinpower.Incountrieswithlowpowerdistance,supervisorsandmanagersmayhavepower,butitisnotflaunted(炫耀)oremphasized.Inthesesocietiesequalityandopportunityforeveryoneisstressed.Suchcountriesare:Israel,Denmark,theUSA,Austria,etc.3.MasculinityversusFemininity女性气质Masculinity(MAS)focusesonthedegreethesocietyreinforces,ordoesnotreinforce,thetraditionalmasculineworkrolemodelofmaleachievement,control,andpower.1)AHighMasculinityrankingindicatesthecountryexperiencesahighdegreeofgenderdifferentiation.Inthesecultures,malesdominateasignificantportionofthesocietyandpowerstructure,withfemalesbeingcontrolledbymaledomination.InAsiancountriesandMuslimcountries,womenmayfindtheyareomitted省略fromconversationoroverlookedinnegotiationsbecauseofdesignatedgender性别roles.Evenawomanoutranksaman,sheisnottreatedthatwaybythepeoplefromsuchculturalbackground.Theymaystillspeaktoandprefertonegotiate交涉withthemale,assumingthemaleishersuperior.上级2)ALowMasculinityrankingindicatesthecountryhasalowlevelofdifferentiationanddiscriminationbetweengenders.Inthesecultures,femalesaretreatedequallytomalesinallaspectsofthesociety.Societieswithsupposedly“masculine”valuesappreciateaggressiveness攻击性andassertiveness自信whilerespectingthegoalofmaterialacquisition.获得Themore“feminine”culturesvalueinterpersonalrelationships,putqualityoflifebeforematerialacquisitionandactivelyexpressconcernforthelessfortunate.Agovernmentthatpromotesacomprehensive全面的socialwelfaresystemrepresentsahighlyfemininesocietythatdemonstratesconcernforthedowntrodden(被压制的).Asgovernmentsmoveawayfromhighertaxesandwelfaresystemsitcouldbesaidthattheyareexhibiting表现出amoremasculineapproachtosocialresponsibilities.4.UncertaintyAvoidanceIndexUAIfocusesontheleveloftoleranceforuncertaintyandambiguity含糊模棱两可withinthesociety-i.e.unstructured非结构化situations.It’sameasureofhowacceptingacultureisalackofpredictability.1)AHighUncertaintyAvoidancerankingindicatesthecountryhasalowtoleranceforuncertaintyandambiguity.Thiscreatesarule-oriented确定的方位societythatinstitutes研究院学院建立laws,rules,regulations,andcontrolsinordertoreducetheamountofuncertainty.Forexample,Suchcultures(e.g.,Japan,Greece,andPortugal)areuncomfortablewithchange.Theyvaluet