The Business Anthropologist, Prof. Geert Hofstede, undertook one of the greatest international research in the 70es, from which he derived four dimensions of national character. Later a 5th dimension was defined to describe the Confucian dynamism. Those cultural dimensions had been reviewed and validated in several research paper by peers. With the appearance of new global studies and research network programmes, Hofstede's dimensions correlated in many ways with the new foundings. Together with the Hungarian researcher Michail Minkov, Hofstede reworked the 5th dimension and added a 6th one. (2010)

Today's Hofstede Model consists of 6 cultural dimensions:

"PDI - Power Distance Index" 

This is the extent to which the less powerful members of society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. 

The higher the value the greater the distance between subordinates and superiors. In cultures with a high PDI score, employees tend to be afraid to expresss disagreement with their managers. They do not expect to be participating in the decision making. Employees are appreciated by their loyal execution of the task given. Close supervision is common, and often seen as management attention. ("if my manager does not supervise me closely, it could mean that me and my taks are not important enough.")

In cultures scoring low in PDI, communication is broader and access to information even not directly related to one's task is easier. Employees are expecting to be consulted before a decision is taking place and to be invited to participate in the decision making. Delegation usually means to transfer rights to increase the room to manoeuvre of the acting person. Supervision is only accepted during agreed checkpoints. Performance criteria and privileges need to be clearly defined and argued.  

"UAI - Uncertainty Avoidance Index" 

The score relates the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations.  

A high UAI score indicate that the society encourages measures to regulate and plan actions in order to rule out ambiguity and avoid situations of uncertainty. In those cultures, order, standards, experts with proven records are seen as trustbuilding factors. Deviations - even those with good intentions - are threatening. 

In Cultures scoring low in UAI, deviation or new approaches are rather embraced with calm and curiosity. Members of those cultures are encouraged to experiment and test. People who are relaxed in their job and comfortably deal with chaos are appreciated as professional. 

"IDV - Individualism" versus Collectivism

It is about the place and the importance of the individual - freedom and choices - within the society.

Cultures which score high in IDV are called individualist societies. Ties between their members are rather loose. Freedom and choice are highly promoted values. As is privacy. By consequence, relationships beyond the immediate family, are chosen - and more and less formally contracted. Job life and family usually are held separate. Obligation expire with the ending of the relationship.  

Cultures with low IDV scores are called collectivist societies. Here the birth determines to a great extent whom th e individual is belonging to and to whom he or she should demonstrate absolute loyalty and respect. In exchange to that moral obligation, the individual is guaranteed a place and protection. Members who talk and act in discordance with their group are seen as egoist and endangerer of the collective well. 

"IVR - Indulgence Versus Restraint"

This dimension describes the tendency within a society to allow gratification of human desires and impulses related to enoying life and having fun.  

In cultures scoring high in IVR, showing indulgence is current value. People share the perception of being in control of their life and a sort of "Don't-worry-be-happy-" Optimism. Leisure is important. Being friendly and smiling is almost a must to be accepted. 

On the other side, in more restraint cultures, pessimism or having some cynical outlook are very much in common, for it is often believed that what happens to us is somehow out of your own control. Exuberance is rather suspect. Especially in serious settings like work and study. Smiling Professors or Presidents might be seen as ominous or even naive. Emotionalism might easily interpreted as Sentimentalism. 

"MAS - Masculinity" versus "Feminity"

Not to confound with Male versus Female behaviour of individuals. Although we have to admit that some patterns come very close. Basically it is the question what kind of stimuli the members of the society should go for: What is perceived as "good" motivators or motivations? What is rather reprehensible?  Should men and women play different roles?

A Society which scores high in MAS could be called Masculine Culture. Men and women are expected to behave differently: A man should be tough, determined, action and career driven. Power, money and winning are promoted motivators. A woman ideally should be tender, modest and caring. Men are in search of being a hero, and women are in search of that heros. Life and career is often seen as a battle, hence confrontation and competition is daily bread. The language is full of war or sport analogies, superlatives are easily used. 

A society which scores low in MAS, could be called a feminin culture. Here the role expectations of men and women tend to overlap. Sensitivity, modesty and the search of quality of life are accepted motivators for both men and women. It is fine to wait for being invited to act. Tenderness, caring and sympathy with the loser are widely spread. Confrontation usually is seen as aggression. Diverging opinions should be tackled with delicacy, displaying tolerance and understanding. 

"LTO wvs - Longterm Orientation" versus Shortterm Orientation

In the 80s developed and researched together with Michael Bond through the Chinese Value Survey, Hofstede named this dimension "Confucian Dynamism" first, then Longterm Orientation.
In the beginning of the new century, 2000, new research based on the regularly updated World Value Survey (WVS) lead Prof. Geert Hofstede to adjust this dimension. Since many lecturers and trainers still use the former Hofstede/Bond dimension, we added the WVS to the LTO to mark the difference. 

A society scoring high in LTO-WVS rewards thrift, austerity, hard work and the quest for long lasting values and accomplishments. Organisations project their developement for many years or even generations. Strengthening market position and sustainable customer relationship are seen as more important, than short term results. At the same time, principles and guidelines can be revisited and adapted to the changing context in order to keep the longterm aspiration. We call this behaviour Value-based pragmatism. 

A society which scores low in LTO-WVS is seen as short term oriented. As a member, one is encouraged to go for immediate results and quick hits. If the situation changes, the objectives changes, too. Spending and consumption are believed to keep the economy (and the society) running. The quest for Truthfulness and the faith in traditional principles and (religious) orders are seen as the beacon in a short term oriented culture. To be considered a good member of the society one has to show that one duly follows those principles and norms.