Thursday, August 13, 2009

Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions

Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions

This site allows you to compare your country with another in five "cultural dimensions." This concept is valuable in examining the cultural issues surrounding terrorism and increasing transnational crime trends. I don't know how reliable it is, but it is an interesting model.

Brief excerpts of the cultural dimensions:

"Power Distance Index (PDI) that is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally...."

"Individualism (IDV) on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups..."

"Masculinity (MAS) versus its opposite, femininity, refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found."

"Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) deals with a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to man's search for Truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations..."

"Long-Term Orientation (LTO) versus short-term orientation: this fifth dimension was found in a study among students in 23 countries around the world, using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars..."

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