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Hofstede's Six Dimensions of Organizational Culture

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    PROFESSOR: Hofstede's
    six dimensions
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    of organizational culture.
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    At the end of the '60s, Geert
    Hofstede developed a culture
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    dimension model with more than
    110,000 employees from IBM based
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    on a factor analysis, which
    initially consisted of four main
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    dimensions.
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    And Hofstede subsequently
    added two dimensions.
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    The six dimensions
    are always to be taken
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    in the form of alternatives.
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    The six cultural dimensions are
    power distance, individualism
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    and collectivism, masculinity
    and femininity, uncertainty
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    avoidance, long-term or
    short-term orientation,
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    and the last dimension is
    indulgence versus restraint.
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    We will consider each
    individual cultural dimension
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    by using an example
    in the following.
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    Hofstede describes the cultural
    dimension of power distance
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    as a subjectively
    perceived willingness
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    to accept an unequal
    distribution of power
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    in an organization.
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    There is often a high power gap
    between the various hierarchy
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    levels in very
    conservative structures.
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    Accordingly, management
    makes decisions,
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    and the result is
    passed on down.
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    It is also necessary to
    maintain all communication
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    channels, and thus also the
    specified power structures.
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    In start-up companies, or
    companies with modern management
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    methods, there is often a
    culture of flat hierarchies
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    and open communication
    between staff and management.
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    The power distance is a
    theoretical action and a reason
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    for potential applicants from
    generation Y and generation Z
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    to choose one or
    the other employer.
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    The second cultural
    dimension describes
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    the collectivist or
    individualistic characteristics
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    of an organization.
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    In other words, the performance
    and self-realization
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    of the individual are in
    the sense of organization
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    above the feeling of we.
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    I do what I do to reach
    my performance limits
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    and develop personally, or
    as the collectivist idea
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    in the foreground.
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    For example, the us feeling.
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    I do what I do to contribute
    to the overall performance,
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    support the team's goal.
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    In Asian or Latin American
    companies in particular,
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    the collectivist idea
    is very pronounced.
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    While in commission-dependent
    sales organizations,
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    individualism is
    in the forefront.
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    The third cultural
    dimension describes
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    masculinity or femininity.
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    It represents stereotypical
    values and behavioral norms that
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    are typically male or female.
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    However, you have to
    note that it is not
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    about the actual frequency
    distribution of the sexes,
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    but about typically male
    behaviors such as domination
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    and competition.
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    However, this behavior
    is not only found in men.
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    It is also found in women.
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    Femininity is displayed
    through values
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    such as caring, cooperation,
    and modesty from importance,
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    which can be traits
    found in men as well.
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    The fourth dimension is the
    uncertainty of avoidance.
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    This is about the
    openness to new things,
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    or the opposite,
    i.e., fear of change.
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    Suppose one culture recognizes
    opportunities in changes
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    and takes risks in return.
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    In that case, other cultures
    persist in their status quo
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    and reject the fear or
    uncertainty of change processes
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    or only go along in
    a very weakened form.
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    The fifth dimension
    is the dimension
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    of the long- or
    short-term directions.
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    The landing or
    short-term orientation
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    indicates how long the planning
    horizon is in a society.
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    Standards and values
    that go hand in hand
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    with long-term orientation are
    frugality and perseverance.
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    However, values that point
    to a short-term organization
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    are selfishness and flexibility.
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    Finally, the sixth and final
    cultural dimension, indulgence
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    and restraint.
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    This dimension is
    still relatively new
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    and describes the potential
    achievement of happiness
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    through the perception of
    self-control for oneself
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    and one's life in contrast to
    an externally determined way
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    of living one's life.
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    Transferred to companies, you
    can call yourself the freedom
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    to develop in the free
    economy as it suits you
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    depending on the ability
    to discipline yourself.
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    While as a civil servant
    at the post office,
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    for example, you have to adhere
    to a rigorous career path.
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    You can only change it slightly.
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    These were the six dimensions
    of organizational culture
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    by Geert Hofstede.
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    We hope you enjoyed
    this presentation.
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Title:
Hofstede's Six Dimensions of Organizational Culture
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Video Language:
English
Duration:
04:08

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