Hofstede has developed one of the most popular models of the cultural differences among the nations; the author of the theory has offered four major dimensions.
The first dimension pertains to determining of the extent to which the emphasis of the social group is put on collectivism or individualism. Depending on this indicator, the special HR program should be developed - in individualized societies- career growth should be used as the core motivating factor (‘the best employee’), while in collectivist societies - the achievements of the group of people should be put first – ‘the best division’; ‘the best company’ etc.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The second dimension is the power distance (it pertains to the distribution of power within the social group) in the case of the unequal distribution of power, the HR program should be grounded on the hierarchy of the society, while in the case of distribution of the power among the individuals, the core emphasis should, be put on the self-responsibility of the employees.
Avoidance of uncertainty is the third dimension. In the case when there is a need of certainty in all issues and aspects, the allocation of responsibility should take its place in accordance with the norms and regulations, set within the organization; in the opposite type of society, the employees may be motivated for making decisions, accepting risks and being creative - as the success of the company depends on their ability of making prompt and effective decisions, while referring to the current state of affairs and urgent aspects of work.
The extent, to which the ‘feminine ‘or ‘masculine’ traits are displayed by a particular society, is the fourth dimension, offered by Hofstede. The theorist has defined the masculine society as the one, which is “more aggressive, assertive, and focused on achievements” (Mello, 2014), while the core emphasis on feminine society is put on “interpersonal relationships and sensitivity toward the welfare and well-being of others” (Mello, 2014). Thus, the HR strategies should take into account and be adjusted to these aspects of accepted behavior in order to be effective and match the expectations of the employees and society in general.
In the case of dealing with the different culture, which is opposite on each of the dimensions, the management of the entity should take into account the fact that there is a need of adjusting to the needs of the business partner and accept their norms and behaviors. For instance, the representative of the collectivist society should provide the second party (individualists) with an option of self-realization, while accepting some particular offer; only such motivation has the potential of attracting the second party;
In the case of power distance, the clear hierarchy of power as well as allocation of responsibilities should be represented to the partner from the country with the high power distance (such as France or Greece) – in order to make the offer clear and acceptable.
The representatives of the countries with the high rate of uncertainty avoidance should be provided with the possibility of considering risk before accepting some offer, while all the aspects of collaboration should be integrated into the agreement in detail.
The work between the representatives of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ cultures should be based on mutual understanding of acceptable and non- acceptable norms and behaviors in each society. Only in such case, it is possible to reach an agreement and set the fruitful collaboration (Piepenburg, 2011).
References
Mello, J. A. (2014) Global Human Resource Management. Cengage Learning
Piepenburg, K. (2011) Critical analysis of Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions: To what extent are his findings reliable, valid and applicable to organisations in the 21st century? GRIN Verlag
