Seven Dimensions of Culture

The Hofstede Center, led by social psychologist Gerard Hendrik Hofstede, has published an online resource that allows you to analyze the cultural dimensions of a specific country. Simply select a country from the drop-down box to view a bar graph of the country’s scores in each dimension. Visit the link below to use the country comparison tool.

The Hofstede Centre Country Comparison

The cultural dimensions measured by Hofstede are as follows:

  • Power/Distance (“the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – among people with and without power”)
  • Individualism (“the strength of the ties people have to others within the community”)
  • Masculinity (“how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles”)
  • Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (“the degree of anxiety that society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations”)
  • Long Term Orientation (“how much society values long-standing – as opposed to short-term – traditions and values”)
  • Pragmatism (“how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future”)
  • Indulgence (“the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses”)

Sources: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions; The Hofstede Centre Country Comparison

 

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