Overview
This lecture compares Hofstede’s and the GLOBE Project’s cultural taxonomies, focusing on the GLOBE study’s nine cultural dimensions and their relevance in understanding societal and organizational cultures.
Comparing Hofstede and GLOBE
- Both Hofstede and GLOBE use scales to compare cultural values across countries.
- Hofstede's research involved IBM employees; GLOBE surveyed 17,000 middle managers from 62 countries.
- Hofstede identifies 6 cultural dimensions; GLOBE expands this to 9.
- GLOBE differentiates between “practices” (what is) and “values” (what should be).
- GLOBE also groups countries into 10 culture clusters for comparison.
The Nine GLOBE Cultural Dimensions
- Uncertainty Avoidance: Comfort with ambiguity; high—Sweden/Germany, low—Russia/Guatemala; US is mid-range.
- Power Distance: Acceptance of unequal power; high—Nigeria/Thailand, low—Denmark/Netherlands; US leans lower.
- Future Orientation: Emphasis on planning and investing in the future; high—Singapore/Austria, low—Russia/Poland; US is high.
- Institutional Collectivism: Degree to which organizations prioritize group over individual; high—Sweden/Japan, low—Italy/Argentina; US is mid-low.
- In-Group Collectivism: Loyalty and pride within families/close groups; high—Philippines/India, low—Sweden/Netherlands; US is low.
- Assertiveness: Directness and competitiveness; high—Albania/Germany/USA, low—Sweden/Japan.
- Gender Egalitarianism: Equality of men and women; high—Hungary/Russia, low—Kuwait/Egypt; US has a gap between values and practice.
- Humane Orientation: Value placed on fairness and kindness; high—Zambia/Philippines, low—Germany/France; US is moderate.
- Performance Orientation: Focus on achievement and innovation; high—Singapore/New Zealand/USA, low—Greece/Russia.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Hofstede’s Dimensions — Six major aspects of national culture identified in Hofstede’s research.
- GLOBE Project — Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness, a study identifying nine cultural dimensions.
- Uncertainty Avoidance — Tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty.
- Power Distance — Acceptance of unequal power distribution.
- Future Orientation — Planning and investing for the future.
- Institutional Collectivism — Organizational prioritization of collective goals.
- In-Group Collectivism — Emotional loyalty to family/close groups.
- Assertiveness — Degree of directness and competitiveness.
- Gender Egalitarianism — Equality between genders in opportunities/status.
- Humane Orientation — Value on fairness, altruism, and kindness.
- Performance Orientation — Emphasis on achievement and innovation.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the GLOBE Project’s nine cultural dimensions and compare them to Hofstede’s six.
- Reflect on your own cultural background using these dimensions.
- Prepare for potential exam questions on cultural dimension definitions and country rankings.