Compare and Contrast 2 Countries Using Hofstede’s 6 dimensions
Abstract
There are an increasing number of expatriates in the work force of many companies across the globe. Companies have started becoming more glocal ( global + local). It is easy to find a Japanese company like Suzuki having off shore operations in India or an Indian company like Tata’s acquiring an international brand like Jaguar. This leads to a cross-cultural workforce. Understanding cultural nuances become imperative as it affects the functioning of any organization. Most of the cross cultural training that are imparted costs a lot, but may not result in the learning’s of such trainings becoming a part of the routine work operations or simply the training inputs do not become a part of the work styles of the organizations ( Feinberg, 2013). Cultural studies hence are important as understanding cultural sensitivities may be directly linked to work place productivity.
Keywords: Culture.
Dr.Gert Hofstede has done pioneering work in understanding of culture. One of his outstanding books is, “Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values” and “Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind”. Hofstede had originally developed five dimensions and latter updated with the sixth dimension on the basis of which cultures can be studied and compared against one another. How countries and cultures compare against one another on these 6 dimensions gives us a lot of incites in understanding the culture of a specific country. These six dimensions are as follows:-
Power Distance Index (PDI) – This index calculates inequalities amongst people. A higher PDI score indicates that a culture is hierarchical; the power flow is top to bottom. It focuses on how a culture responds to those in power and how it treats those who do not have it.
Individualism Vs Collectivism Index ( IDV) – This refers to the strength of the ties that people have with others in their community. A high IDV score may indicate people wanting to have privacy whereas a lower IDV score reflects people wanting to involve themselves in other peoples well being.
Masculinity Vs Femininity (MAS) – This index looks at how culture looks at the traditional role of men and women in a society. A country with a high MAS index score means that men and women will be working in gender defined roles whereas on the contrary a low MAS index score indicates that men and women are equally capable of doing anything.
Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) –This index tries to understand how well people will cope up with a situation whose out come is uncertain. Cultures that have a high UAI score mean that they need structure and rules to be comfortable. Cultures that have a low UAI score may mean that they take higher risks and accept change.
Long Term Orientation Vs Short Term Orientation (LTO) - This index tries to focus on how cultures value long standing traditions. A high LTO score indicates that people respect long standing traditions. Respect for elders is a common long standing tradition or education can get more importance. Cultures who have a low LTO score believe in equality. They are more creative and expressive.
Indulgence Vs Restraint (IND) – Indulgence stands for cultures that allow for free gratification of natural and basic human drives. Restraint happens to be characteristic of a society that believes in suppressing gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.
India has a high PDI score of 77 as compared to 40 for the United States. This is a clear indication of well defined cultural differences wherein the Indian culture looks at a top-down or hierarchical structures in organizations. In other words they may be, ‘boss dependant’. This is sharp contrast to the Unites States which scores less on this index. Hence, hierarchical structures or boss dependence may not be much.
The second marked differences between the two cultures is seen in the high IDV score for the United States which is 91 and almost double that of India at 48. This is a sharp contrast in the ’I’ versus the ‘We’ self image. The high score for the United States indicates a greater “I “trend where the focus is on self and the directly dependant family only. India score more on the ‘We’ kind of self image where the focus is a collectivist society that believes that groups will take care of them in exchange for loyalty.
The third marked difference comes in the high IND score for the United States which is 68 as against only a 28 for India. This is because India is still culture driven with a lot of social systems in place and where instant gratifications of bodily urges do not feature high; unless it has societal acceptance. Hence, the Restraint factor is high for Indians. The United States is an example of an evolved culture where the individuals are seen as mature individuals who can decide for themselves regarding instant gratification of bodily needs as against restraint.
The LTO score is comparatively high for India at 51 versus 26 for the United States. This score tries to associate the past with the present and the future. In the Indian context, the concept of karma is considered to be the link between the past and the future. Secondly, the most ancient religion that is followed in India is Hinduism. The impact on culture is that it becomes highly pragmatic and issues like punctuality may not be considered highly. There is also a general comfort associated with following the path of destiny rather than creating or forging ones path. This is a marked cultural difference as compared to the United States.
On the UAI and the MAS indices, both the Indian and the US culture are almost similar with a 40:46 score and a 56:62 score both favoring the United States slightly. The UAI score of 40 for India indicates a greater degree of, ‘acceptance’ and at the same time it is also considered to be a very ‘patient’ culture that is not demanding. The Indian culture is characterized more by ‘followers’ who fit in to a specific role rather than ‘drivers’
Both India and the United States are masculine societies with a hunger for power and success. An ancient culture like India and a comparatively modern one like the U.S. seem to be similar in expressions related to masculinity.
References
Feinberg E.G. (2013). Cross Cultural Competence Training Effectiveness: The Impact of Training Transfer and Predictors of Transfer. (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). University of Maryland. College Park.
Hofstede G, Hofstede G.J., Minkov M. (2010), Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. McGraw Hill. U.S.A.
Hofstede G. Cultural Dimensions. https://www.geert-hofstede.com/cultural-dimensions.html. Accessed on 10th August, 2016.
Hofstede G. Country Comparison. https://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html.Accessed on 10th August, 2016.
Mind Tools Editorial Team. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions: Understanding Different Countries. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm. Accessed on 10th August, 2016.
