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Country comparison tool
Select one or several countries/regions in the menu below to see the values for the 6 dimensions.
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With a very high score of 90, Albania is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Albania’s low score of 27 indicates that it is a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
By receiving a very high score of 80 in this dimension, it is clear that Albania can be considered a “Decisive” society. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. They are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and these offer a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
Albania, with a high score of 70, has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation. Decisions are taken after careful analysis of all available information.
With a score of 56, Albania is pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The very low score of 15 indicates that Albanian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are, or should be, Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a score of 80, Algeria scores high on this dimension, which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
At a low score of 29, Algeria is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
Algeria’s low score of 35 characterises it as a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. It is important to make sure that everyone is included. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the well-being of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
Scoring 70 in this dimension, Algeria demonstrates a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. These societies do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize or reduce the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The low score of 25, indicates that Algeria has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 32 in this dimension shows that Algeria has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
A high score of 83 on this dimension indicates that Angola is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Angola’s very low score of 18 means that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With a very low score of 20 on this dimension, Angola is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Angola has a relatively high score of 60 on this dimension so there is a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Angolan culture can be characterized as normative due to its very low score of 15 on this scale. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Angola is an Indulgent country; this is evident from the very high score of 83 it received on this dimension. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
At a score of 49 Argentina sits on the low end of PDI rankings of – and thus far from the much higher values that characterizes all other Latin American countries (leaving aside Costa Rica). The sources of Argentina´s low score on this dimension is rooted in the migration waves that reached the Rio de la Plata around the turn of the last century. Around 1900, approximately 6.5 M. European immigrants entered Argentina. At about that time over 30 % of its inhabitants (and every second in Buenos Aires) had been born abroad.
In this society status should be underlined. Appearance is very important: the (dark) attire or sober tailleur, the valuable watch, an expensive hotel, these elements allow inferring about power and facilitating the entrée.
With a score of 51, Argentina sits in the middle rankings. As a consequence of the aforementioned migration waves and the early emergence of wide middle classes, Argentina is, by far, the most Individualist of all Latin countries. However, many collectivistic traits prevail: the opinion of and obligations towards the (extended) family or in-group, for example, still count. This notwithstanding, more modern, Individualist traits can also be found, particularly in large urban conglomerates. There, the employer-employee link is rather calculative and there is a strict division between private and work life.
Argentina scores 56 on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, reflecting the presence of slightly more Decisive than Consensus elements. Among the former, it is important to note a strong achievement orientation and assertiveness, the Decisive behavior of female managers and politicians, and the equally strong ego needs. The need to excel and stand out has been noted by many experts. According to Carmo and Yanakiew, former Brazilian chancellor da Silveira admonished his young team members that during negotiations, you have to fear if there is only one Argentine. If there are two, the best practice is to be patient and relax. They are all so brilliant that one will destroy the other.
At 86 Argentina scores very high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. The individual’s need to obey these laws, however, is weak. Corruption is widespread, the black market sizeable and, in general, you´ll see a deep split between the “pays réel” and the “pays légal”.
To compound the issue, in these societies, if rules cannot be kept, additional rules are dictated. According to recent Nobel Prize winner Vargas Llosa, “A logical consequence of such abundance is that each legal disposition has another that corrects, denies or mitigates it. That means, in other words, that those who are immersed in such a sea of juridical contradictions like transgressing the law, or that – perhaps even more demoralizing – within such a structure, any abuse or transgression may find a legal loophole that redeems or justifies it.”
Argentina, with a low score of 29, is shown to have a very normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Argentina’s high score of 62 in the dimension means that it is a country that falls under the category of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a very high score of 85, Armenia is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a very low score of 17, Armenia is clearly a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 50, Armenia has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 88, Armenia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a score of 38, Armenia exhibits a normative culture. In societies like this, people have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 25 in this dimension shows that Armenia has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Australia scores low on this dimension (38). Within Australian organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
Australia, with a score of 73 on this dimension, is a highly Individualist culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
Australia scores 61 on Motivation toward Achievement and Success and is considered a “Decisive” society. Behavior in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. Australians are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
Australia scores a very intermediate 51 on this dimension.
Australia scores 56 on this dimension and therefore has a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
With a high score of 71, Australia is an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Austria scores very low on this dimension (score of 11) which means that the following characterises the Austrian style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked. Communication is direct and participative.
Austria, with a score of 77 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
At 79, Austria scores high on Motivation toward Achievement and Success. In countries scoring high on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive, and the emphasis is on equity, competition, and performance. Conflicts are resolved by fighting them out. A clear example of this dimension is seen around election time, with ferocious, no-holds-barred battles between candidates.
Austria scores 70 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation. Decisions are taken after careful analysis of all available information. The usage of academic titles as part of people’s names is a reflection of Austria’s high score on the Uncertainty Avoidance Index.
The Austrians score 47, this does not indicate a strong preference in either direction.
Austria is an Indulgent country with a high score of 63. People in societies classified by a high score on Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a very high score of 85, Azerbaijan is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a low score of 28, Azerbaijan is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 50, Azerbaijan has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 88, Azerbaijan scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a relatively high score of 59, Azerbaijan exhibits a more pragmatic than normative culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, and thriftiness and perseverance in achieving results.
The low score of 22 in this dimension shows that Azerbaijan has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Bangladesh scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Bangladesh, with a score of 5 is considered a highly collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Bangladesh scores 55 on this dimension and can be considered a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition, and performance. Conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Bangladesh scores 60 on this dimension and thus has an high score. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Bangladesh has an intermediate score of 38 and is shown to have a very normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Bangladesh has a very low Indulgence score of 20. This makes it a Restrained country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a very high score of 95, Belarus is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
With an Individualism score of 48, Belarus does not show a strong preference in either direction.
Belarus’s low score of 20 characterises it as a Consensus society. In cultures scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People in such societies value equality, solidarity, and quality in their work lives. It is important to make sure that everyone is included. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the well-being of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
At 95, Belarus scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
With a score of 53, though Belarusian culture does not show a strong preference in either direction.
Belarus’s very low score of 15 indicates a culture characterised by great Restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are, or should be, restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a score of 65, Belgium scores high on the scale of the PDI. It is therefore a society in which inequalities are accepted. Hierarchy is needed if not existential; the superiors may have privileges and are often inaccessible. The power is centralized in Belgium. It might in the near future not be centralized in Brussels anymore but the Walloons and Flemish will each have their own point of centralized power from where administration, transports, business etc. are managed. In management, the attitude towards managers is more formal and on family name basis (at least, in the first contact, the information flow is hierarchical. The way information is controlled is even associated with power, therefore unequally distributed. Control is normal, and even expected, but considered as formal and not key for efficiency.
At 81 Belgium scores very high on the Individualism index. This means that the Belgians favor individual and private opinions, taking care of themselves and their immediate family rather than belonging to a group. In the work environment, work relationships are contract based, the focus is on the task, and autonomy is favored. Management is the management of individuals and the recognition of one‘s work is expected. People can voice their opinion, but towards power holders, a less direct style is preferred than amongst peers. The Belgian culture (together with the French culture) houses a “contradiction”: although highly Individualist, the Belgians need a hierarchy. This combination (high score on Power Distance and high score on Individualism) creates a specific “tension” in this culture, which makes the relationship so delicate but intense and fruitful once you manage it. Therefore, the manager is advised to establish a second “level” of communication, having personal contact with everybody in the structure, allowing to give the impression that “everybody is important” in the organization, although unequal.
With 54 on average, Belgium has an intermediate score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Balancing in the middle of this dimension, contradictions can be found. A confrontational, win-lose negotiating style (typical of the US and Anglo countries) will not be very effective in Belgium. This could mean that the decision process may be slower, as each point of view is considered so that consensus can be achieved. Belgians strive towards reaching a compromise, winning a discussion is generally less important than achieving mutual agreement.
A deeper look into the difference between the Northern part of the country (Flemish) and the Southern part (French) shows a difference in the value for Motivation towards Achievement and Success. The Flemish is at 43, and the French at 60. This certainly explains partly the difficulties the two communities experience. The need for the Flemish to “close the circle” and “stay between natives” is a necessity to establish consensus, typical for a more Consensus culture. The cultural priority for the French-speaking part is the opposite: to be part of a “global Latin culture” typically made of “universal values”.
At 94 Belgium has one of the highest scores on the UAI Index. Their history of frequently being ruled by others partly explains this score. Certainty is often reached through academic work and concepts that can respond for the need of detail, context, and background. Teachings and trainings are more deductive. In management structure, rules and security are welcome and if lacking, it creates stress. Therefore planning is favoured, some level of expertise welcome, when change policies on the other hand are considered stressful. Both communities North [&] South share this score on the dimension, which makes it very painful when negotiating a new set of rules, called a Constitution!
With a very high score of 61, Belgium scores as a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Belgium scores 57 on this dimension, which marks it as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
A very high score of 94 on this dimension indicates that Bhutan definitely has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Bhutan has an intermediate score of 52 on this dimension. A score in the middle like this does not indicate a strong preference for either end of the scale.
With a score of 32 on this dimension, Bhutan is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
With a very low score of 28, Bhutan is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
No score for Bhutan is currently available for this dimension.
No score for Bhutan is currently available for this dimension.
At a score of 78, Bolivia scores high on this dimension, which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
Bolivia has a very low score of 23, indicating that it is a highly collectivistic society. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
At 42, Bolivia scores relatively low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, thus a moderately Consensus society. This means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
At 87, Bolivia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The low score of 21, indicates that Bolivia has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With an intermediate score of 46, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Bolivia.
With a very high score of 90, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a score of 40, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) getting preferential treatment. Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) tends to be low. Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal relationships prevail over tasks and company.
With an intermediate score of 48, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 87, Bosnia and Herzegovina scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s low score of 36 indicates that its culture is normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results. Bosnia's low score is likely influenced by the Yugoslav war in the 90s as wars tend to make societies more short-term oriented.
With an intermediate score of 44, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With a score of 69, Brazil reflects a society that believes hierarchy should be respected and inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. In Brazil it is important to show respect to the elderly (and children take care for their elderly parents). In companies there is one boss who takes complete responsibility. Status symbols of power are very important in order to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that could be shown.
Brazil has a score of 36 which means that in this country people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive groups (especially represented by the extended family; including uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins) which continues protecting its members in exchange for loyalty. This is an important aspect in the working environment too, where for instance an older and powerful member of a family is expected to “help” a younger nephew to be hired for a job in his own company. In business it is important to build up trustworthy and long-lasting relationships: a meeting usually starts with general conversations to get to know each other before doing business. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so people will often speak profusely and write elaborately.
Brazil scores 49, a very intermediate score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, not showing a clear cultural preference
At 76 Brazil scores high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. The individual’s need to obey these laws, however, is weak. If rules however cannot be kept, additional rules are dictated. In Brazil, as in all high Uncertainty Avoidance societies, bureaucracy, laws and rules are very important to make the world a safer place to live in. Brazilians need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, chatting with colleagues, enjoying a long meal or dancing with guests and friends. Due to their high score in this dimension Brazilians are very passionate and demonstrative people: emotions are easily shown in their body language.
At 28, Brazil scores as a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Brazil’s high score of 59 marks it as an Indulgent society. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Bulgaria scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Bulgaria does not show a preference in either direction.
Bulgaria scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
Bulgaria scores 85 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a score of 51, Bulgaria does not show a strong preference in either direction.
Bulgaria has a very low score of 16 in this dimension, making it a strongly Restrained culture. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Burkina Faso scores 70 on this dimension, which shows that it has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A very low score of 15 signifies that Burkina Faso is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
An intermediate score of 50 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success means that no dominant cultural value is suggested for Burkina Faso.
With an intermediate score of 55, no inclination for UAI can be chosen for Burkina Faso.
The low score of 27 suggests that Burkina Faso, therefore, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Burkina Faso has a very low score (18) on this dimension; this indicates it has a culture characterised by Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are, or should be, Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a score of 39 on this dimension, Canadian culture is marked by interdependence among its inhabitants and there is value placed on egalitarianism. This is also reflected by the lack of overt status and/or class distinctions in society. Typical of other cultures with a low score on this dimension, hierarchy in Canadian organisations is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. It is customary for managers and staff members to consult one another and to share information freely. With respect to communication, Canadians value a straightforward exchange of information.
Canada scores 72 on this dimension (its highest dimension score) and can be characterized as an Individualist culture. Similar to its American neighbor to the south, this translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. Similarly, in the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
Canada scores 52 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and can be characterized as a moderately “Decisive” society. While Canadians strive to attain high standards of performance in both work and play (sports), the overall cultural tone is more subdued with respect to achievement, success and winning, when compared to the US. Similarly, Canadians also tend to have a work-life balance and are likely to take time to enjoy personal pursuits, family gatherings and life in general. This is not to say that Canadians are not hard workers. As a general rule, Canadians strive to attain high standards of performance in all endeavors.
The Canadian score on this dimension is 48 and Canadian culture is more “uncertainty accepting.” This is indicative of the easy acceptance of new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or consumer products. Canadians are also tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. At the same time, Canadian culture is not rules-oriented and Canadians tend to be less emotionally expressive than cultures scoring higher on this dimension.
Canada scores 54 in this dimension, making it a slightly pragmatic society. has a relatively Pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results..
The high score of 68 in this dimension means that Canadian culture is classified as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a high score of 75 in this dimension, Cape Verde is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Cape Verde’s very low score of 20 means that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Because of its very low score (15), Cape Verde is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Scoring only 40 in this dimension, Cape Verde is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
Cape Verde has one of the lowest scores (12) on this dimension, relative to other countries. It, therefore, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A very high score of 83 indicates that Cape Verde is an Indulgent country. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Though Chile scores lower on Power Distance than most other Latin American countries, at 63 it still occupies an intermediate to high position on this dimension. Remnants of Chile´s authoritarian past linger on in diverse fields. Organisational arrangements show taller pyramids and low degrees of delegation. Status symbols are used to underline power differences. A hierarchical social structure and rather rigid social classes are present; common cafeterias are rare, privileges for the power holders common.
Chile scores 49 on this dimension, not indicationg a strong preference in either direction.
Though difficult to detect, evidence reveals the Consensus character of Chilean society with its score of 28 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Far from being arrogant, both Chilean men and women show modest behaviour or attitude. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People need to feel a sense of “belonging” within a social group; they place value on warm interpersonal links and tacitly search for the approval of their group. Consequently, they tend to be supportive team members and managers strive for consensus. People value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
At 86 Chile scores high on Uncertainty Avoidance – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. Contrary to general practice in other Latin American countries, Chile shows rather low corruption indices. In line with its high Uncertainty Avoidance score and to some extent also fostered by its authoritarian past, you´ll find great dependence on experts, the authorities, particularly among non-managerial employees.
With a very low score of 12, Chile is said to have a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A high score of 68 in this dimension means that Chile has a relatively Indulgent orientation. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
At 80 China sits in the higher rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power abuse by superiors. Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in general optimistic about people’s capacity for leadership and initiative. People should not have aspirations beyond their rank.
At a score of 43 China is a collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) getting preferential treatment. Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) is low. Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal relationships prevail over tasks and company.
With a score of 66, China is a society with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will sacrifice family and leisure priorities to work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Leisure time is not so important. The migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in order to obtain better work and pay in the cities. Another example is that Chinese students care very much about their exam scores and ranking, as these are the main criteria to achieve success or not.
At 30 China has a low score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Truth may be relative though in the immediate social circles there is concern for Truth with a capital T and rules (but not necessarily laws) abound. None the less, adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life. The Chinese are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. Chinese are adaptable and entrepreneurial. At the time of writing the majority (70% -80%) of Chinese businesses tend to be small to medium sized and family owned.
China scores 77 in this dimension, which means that it is a very pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
China is a Restrained society as can be seen in its low score of 24 in this dimension. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
At 67 Colombia scores high on the scale of the PDI, so it is a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, so a union leader will have a lot of concentrated power compared to his union management team, and they in turn will have more power than other union members. A similar phenomenon will be observed among business leaders and among the highest positions in government.
At a score of 29, Colombia lies amongst the most collectivistic cultures in the world.
Since Colombians are highly collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group and aligning yourself with that group’s opinion is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have their strong identities tied to class distinctions. Loyalty to such groups is paramount and often it is through “cooperative” groups that people obtain privileges and benefits which are not to be found in other cultures. At the same time, conflict is avoided, to maintain group harmony and to save face.
Relationships are more important than attending to the task at hand, and when a group of people holds an opinion on an issue, they will be joined by all who feel part of that group. Colombians will often go out of their way to help you if they feel there is enough attention given to developing a relationship, or if they perceive an “in-group” connection of some sort, however thin. However, those perceived as “outsiders” can easily be excluded or considered “enemies”. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so public speeches and written documents are usually extensive and elaborate.
At 64 Colombia is a society with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Colombians are competitive and status-oriented, yet collectivistic rather than individualistic. This means that competition is directed towards members of other groups (or social classes), not towards those who are perceived as members of your own in-group.
People seek membership in groups which give them status and rewards linked to performance, but they often sacrifice leisure against work, as long as this is supported by group membership and by power holders.
At 80 Colombia has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they are seeking mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. Emotions are openly expressed; there are (extensive) rules for everything and social conservatism enjoys quite a following. This is also reflected in religion, which is respected, followed by many and conservative. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends on the in-group’s opinion, on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members and it depends, ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules. In work terms this results in detailed planning that may not necessarily be followed in practice.
The combination of high UAI with the scores on the previous dimensions means that it is difficult to change the status quo, unless a figure of authority is able to amass a large group of people and lead them towards change.
With a very low score of 6, Colombian culture is classified as normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Scoring a very high 83 in this dimension, Colombia is shown to be an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
As one of the only countries in the Latin America, Costa Rica, with a score of 35, scores the lowest on this dimension in the region. To the surprise of many, especially in Latin America, where many countries have had military rule, Costa Rica abolished their army in 1948. Their president, Oscar Arias (1986-90, 2006-10), received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his effort to end civil wars in Central America. Costa Ricans, the “Ticos”, are famous for their good human rights record. As they are very much focused on equality and consensus there is a less distance between blue-collar and white-collar workers.
Costa Rica, with a score of 15 is like all the other Latin American countries, a collectivistic society. In collectivistic countries, trust, loyalty, personal relations, and networking are essential. Family, and especially mothers, are very sacred in Costa Rica. To get straight to the point is regarded as rude and no hard selling is being done. Helping somebody out of a difficult situation will never be forgotten. As relationships matter very much, a lot of time is spent on building trust.
Not only does Costa Rica stand out on Power Distance, with a score of 21 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, it is considered the society with the lowest score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success in Latin America, and few countries in the world score more. Ticos are very afraid of any kind of personal criticism (together with their collectivistic values). There is a very high acceptance for women in business. Suffrage for women was introduced in 1948 and half of the country’s university students are female.
At 86, Costa Rica scores high on Uncertainty Avoidance. In countries exhibiting a high score of Uncertainty Avoidance, formality and a strong emotional need for structure and rules is important, even if it’s not always working or followed. Bureaucracy is very time consuming in Costa Rica, documentation, need for stamps and written instructions are important. As the Ticos are rather conservative, they do not always embrace strange and different ideas. Despite the very warm weather, a clear and full dress code is followed. As a contradiction to the high Uncertainty Avoidance, “Tico time” means a very flexible attitude to timekeeping.
There is currently no score for Costa Rica on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Costa Rica on this dimension.
Croatia scores high on this dimension (score of 73) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Croatia, with a score of 42 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Croatia scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
Croatia scores 80 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a high score of 40, Croatian culture is said to be relatively normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Croatia’s low score of 33 in this dimension marks it as a Restrained country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
>The Czech Republic has a relatively high score on this dimension (57). This means it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
The Czech Republic, with a score of 70 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals
The Czech Republic scores 57 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance, and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
The Czech Republic scores 74 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a score of 51, Czech does not show a strong preference in either direction.
The low score of 29 means that Czechs are generally not Indulgent. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a score of 18 points, Denmark is at the very low end of this dimension compared to other countries. This matches perfectly with what many foreigners in Denmark express: Danes do not lead, they coach and employee autonomy is required. In fact, Denmark ranks highest amongst the EU27 countries in terms of employee autonomy. With a very egalitarian mind-set the Danes believe in independency, equal rights, accessible superiors and that management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Respect among the Danes is something, which you earn by proving your hands-on expertise. Workplaces have a very informal atmosphere with direct and involving communication and works on a first name basis. Employees expect to be consulted.
Denmark, with a very high score of 89 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. It is relatively easy to start doing business with the Danes. Small talk is kept at a minimum and you do not need to create relationships first. Danes are also known for using a very direct form of communication.
Denmark scores 16 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is therefore considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, it is important to keep the life/work balance and you make sure that all are included. An effective manager is supportive to his/her people, and decision making is achieved through involvement. Managers strive for consensus and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation and Danes are known for their long discussions until consensus has been reached. Incentives such as free time and flexible work hours and place are favoured.
With a score of 23 Denmark scores low on this dimension. This means that that Danes do not need a lot of structure and predictability in their work life. Plans can change overnight, new things pop up and the Danes are fine with it. It is a natural part of their work life. Curiosity is natural and is encouraged from a very young age. This combination of a highly Individualist and curious nation is also the driving force for Denmark’s reputation within innovation and design. What is different is attractive! This also emerges throughout the society in both its humour, heavy consumerism for new and innovative products and the fast highly creative industries it thrives in – advertising, marketing, financial engineering.
At the workplace, the low score on Uncertainty Avoidance is also reflected in the fact that the Danes tell you if you are in doubt or do not know something. It is ok to say “I do not know” and the Danes are comfortable in ambiguous situations in the workplace.
A score of 59 indicates that Danish culture is shown to be relatively pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Denmark has a high score of 70 in this dimension, meaning that Denmark is an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a score of 65, the Dominican Republic is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
The Dominican Republic, with a low score of 38, is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
The relatively high score of 65 indicates that in the Dominican Republic, there is a “Decisive” society. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. They are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and these offer a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
With a low score (45) in this dimension, the Dominican Republic has a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of uncertainty avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
A very low score of 11 means that the Dominican Republic, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The Dominican Republic receives an intermediate score of 54 in this dimension.
At 78 Ecuador sits in the higher rankings of PDI – i.e . a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, and often linked to race and social class. People of European extraction often feel themselves as “superior” to those of local Indian extraction, and this is largely accepted by society as a whole. The military, as power holders, are also considered an elite group per se. They play an important role in political life. No political leader in Ecuador will get very far without their support. “Coups d’etat” have been frequent throughout Ecuador’s history, reflecting this aspect.
At a score of 24 Ecuador lies amongst the collectivistic cultures in the world. Since Ecuadorians are highly collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have their strong identities tied to race and class distinctions. Conflict is avoided, to maintain group harmony and to save face. Struggles for power among different political factions, though frequent, seldom have become very violent.
Relationships are prioritized over tasks and groups can quickly enlarge their numbers. This may even result in a task being completed quickly through cooperative effort, or it may be abandoned (if that is the opinion of the group). Of course, this is also linked to PDI, so power holders determine the outcome. Ecuadorians can show a lot of solidarity towards members of their in-groups. Those perceived as “outsiders” can easily be excluded or considered as “enemies”; foreigners can easily be found in that position unless they cultivate relationships and gain access to in-groups. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so people will often speak profusely and write elaborately.
At 63, Ecuador scores high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. This contradicts the stereotype that Latin Americans avoid hard work. Ecuadorians are competitive and status-oriented, though Collectivistic rather than Individualistic. This means that competition is directed towards members of other groups (or social classes) rather than towards the members of your own in-group. People seek membership in groups which give them status and rewards linked to performance, but they often sacrifice leisure against work. It is difficult to “let go” of work and often this only happens through binge drinking, a common practice among the working classes.
At 67 Ecuador has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they make use of several mechanisms seeking to avoid ambiguity. Emotions are openly expressed; legislation is extensive and detailed; social conservatism prevails. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules, and on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members.
Religion and superstition have large followings, the tradition of each group is very respected by their members, though they may not necessarily respect another group’s tradition. The combination of high UAI and PDI, combined with Collectivism, results in that the status quo will only change when a figure of authority (such as the military) lead them towards change amassing a large group of followers.
A low score of 24 means that the Ecuadorian has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Ecuador in this dimension.
Egypt scores high on this dimension (score of 100) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Egypt, with a score of 13 is considered a very collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Egypt scores 55 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, reflecting the presence of slightly more Decisive than Consensus elements, making it more success-oriented and driven.
Egypt scores 55 on this dimension and thus has a slight preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Egypt’s score of 22 indicates that its culture is normative. People in such societies have a concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very low score of 0, Egypt is shown to be a very Restrained country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
At 66 El Salvador occupies an intermediate to high position on this dimension. Remnants of El Salvador´s authoritarian past linger on in diverse fields. Organisational arrangements show taller pyramids and low degrees of delegation. Status symbols are used to underline power differences, though less than in the past.
At 19 El Salvador scores low on this dimension, in line with most other Latin American countries. In collectivistic countries, trust, loyalty, personal relations, and networking are essential. Family is very sacred in El Salvador. To get straight to the point is regarded as rude. Helping somebody out of a difficult situation will never be forgotten. As relationships matter very much, a lot of time is spent on building trust. The communication style is indirect.
At a score of 40, EL Salvador is a country with low Motivation towards Achievement and Success. It means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. The El Salvadorians do not boast about their achievements. Instead, they enhance their character through hard work and diligence and show their competitiveness by letting the results speak for themselves.
At 94 El Salvador scores very high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. Bureaucracy is very time consuming in El Salvador, documentation, need for stamps and written instructions are important. They are rather conservative, they do not always embrace strange and different ideas. Despite the very warm weather, a clear and full dress code is followed.
El Salvador’s low score of 20 means that its culture is very normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
El Salvador has a very high score at 89, this indicates that Salvadoran culture is Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Estonia scores low on this dimension (40), which suggests that the Estonians do not readily obey and respect people in authoritarian positions based merely on their rank and status as power-holders. Instead, Estonians welcome managers that give them the opportunity to state their opinions and express disagreement, as well as to be included in the decision-making process. Estonia has recently passed the transition state, which means however that the older generation and state organisations often demonstrate high PDI tendencies. The older Soviet ways of thinking and relating to the world still remain and the boss-subordinate relationship among Estonians is sometimes more hierarchical than the score suggests.
Estonia is an Individualist country with a score of 62. Among Estonians, there is a solid conviction about personal responsibility and everybody’s achievement and contribution to be self-fulfilled. Most Estonians believe that everyone should be allowed to do his/her own thing, reach new heights, or even dig their graves. Work situations are driven more by a task orientation than by a relationship orientation, which is to say that for Estonians, work relations serve a functional purpose. Achievement is reflected directly on the person responsible. Given the loosely knit social framework of Individualist countries where progress in life does not depend on how well connected you are, transparency and honesty rather than harmony and loyalty are virtues. For this reason, Estonians tend to be direct communicators. They usually say what they mean and mean what they say and there is limited time for small talk.
At a score of 30, Estonia is low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. It means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. The Estonians do not boast about their achievements. Instead, they enhance their character through hard work and diligence and show their competitiveness by letting the results speak for themselves. As opposed to some countries with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success where conversation overlap is common and people compete for the word, Estonians prefer to take turns out of fairness and consideration of the other person’s time. Passive silence and listening are very much part of the communication style. Although Estonians communicate in a direct way, they do tend to shy away from conflicts. They are reluctant to raise problems for this reason and are quick to take constructive criticism personally. Many of the companies in Estonia are run and staffed by people of a younger generation, who favour an informal, democratic, and consultative management style. Thus, decisions are ideally made by gaining support through participation.
With a score of 60, Estonia thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a very high score of 71, Estonian culture is shown to be highly pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Estonia’s very low score of 16 indicates that its culture is very Restrained in nature. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Ethiopia scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Ethiopia, with a score of 7 is considered a very collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Ethopia scores 65 on this dimension and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance, and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Ethiopia received an intermediate score of 55 on this dimension.
A very low score of 14 means that Ethiopia has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With an intermediate score of 46, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Ethiopia.
A high score of 78 indicates that Fiji has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
An incredibly low score of 14 means that Fiji is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Fiji received an intermediate score of 46 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, not showing a clear cultural preference.
With a relatively low score of 48, Fiji has a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
There is currently no score available for Fiji on this dimension.
There is currently no score available for Fiji on this dimension.
Finland scores low on this dimension (score of 33) which means that the following characterises the Finnish style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
Finland, with a score of 75 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
A high score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner/best in the field - a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.
Finland scores 26 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Finland scores 59 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Finland scores 63 in this dimension, making it pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The relatively high score of 57 indicates that Finland is an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a score of 68, France scores fairly high on Power Distance. Children are raised to be emotionally dependent, to a degree, on their parents. This dependency will be transferred to teachers and later on to superiors. It is, therefore, a society in which a fair degree of inequality is accepted. Power is not only centralised in companies and government, but also geographically. Just look at the road grid in France; most highways lead to Paris.
Many comparative studies have shown that French companies have normally one or two hierarchical levels more than comparable companies in Germany and the UK. Superiors have privileges and are often inaccessible. CEO’s of big companies are called Mr. PDG, which is a more prestigious abbreviation than CEO, meaning President Director General. These PDGs have frequently attended the most prestigious universities called “grandes écoles”, big schools.
France, with a score of 74, is shown to be an individualist society. Parents make their children emotionally independent about the groups to which they belong. This means that one is only supposed to take care of oneself and one’s family.
The French combination of a high score on Power Distance and a high score on Individualism is rather unique. We only find the same combination in Belgium and, to some degree, in Spain and northern Italy.
This combination is not unique, but it also creates a contradiction, so to speak. Only so to speak, because scores in the model don’t influence anything. They just give a structured reflection of reality. This combination manifests itself in France in the following ways:
It is claimed that one reason why the French are less obese than people in other EU countries is that parents still have more sway over children than in other EU countries. Whether this is true or not is not known by us. All the same, what is true is that the family has still more emotional glue than in other Individualist cultures. This is a reflection of the high score on Power Distance with its stronger respect for the elderly. Subordinates normally pay formal respect and show deference to their boss, but behind his/her back they may do the opposite of what they promised to do, as they may think that they know better, yet are not able to express so. Another reflection of high Power Distance contrary to formal obedience is the total rejection of those in power as there is no way to change by evolution but only by strikes, revolts, and revolution. Employers and trade unions don’t talk together as they look at each other as almost belonging to a separate species. The need to make a strong distinction between work and private life is even stronger in France than in the US, even though the US scores higher on Individualism. This is a reflection of the fact that employees more quickly feel put under pressure than in the US because of their emotional dependence on what the boss says and does. In cultures that score high on Power Distance and Collectivism, the “normal” combination, such dependence is welcomed. At least, if the power holders act as benevolent fathers. The French prefer to be dependent on the central government, an impersonal power center that cannot so easily invade their private life. What is human, but more pronounced in France, is the need for strong leadership in times of crisis. Despite that, when the crisis is resolved the president should make space for much weaker leadership. Many French need to become a “patron”, whether as mayor of a small village or as the chairman of the bridge club. Customer service is poor in the eyes of all those Anglo-Saxons who believe that the customer is king. Not so in France. The French are self-motivated to be the best in their trade. They, therefore, expect respect for what they do, after which they are very much willing to serve you well.
With a score of 43, France in this dimension is relatively a Consensus society. At face value this may be indicated by its famous welfare system (securité sociale), the 35-hour working week, five weeks of holidays per year and its focus on the quality of life. French culture in terms of the model has, however, another unique characteristic. Comparatively, the upper class scores embody a culture with low Motivation towards Achievement and Success, while the working class scores reflect a Decisive culture. This characteristic has not been found in any other country. This difference may be reflected by the following:
Top managers earn on average less than one would expect given the high score on Power Distance. Married couples of high society could go public with a lover without negative consequences, at least certainly in the past. The scandal in the US about Clinton and Lewinsky has never been understood in France. In addition, “crime passionel”, i.e. crimes of passion, have always been sentenced very leniently in comparison to other murder trials.
At 86, French culture scores high on Uncertainty Avoidance. This is clearly evident in the following:
The French don’t like surprises. Structure and planning are required. Before meetings and negotiations they like to receive all necessary information. As a consequence, the French are good in developing complex technologies and systems in a stable environment, such as in the case of nuclear power plants, rapid trains and the aviation industry. There is also a need for emotional safety valves as a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance and the combination of high Power Distance and high Individualism strengthen each other, so to speak. The French, for example, are very talkative and “engueuler”, giving someone the sharp edge of one’s tongue happens often. There is a strong need for laws, rules and regulations to structure life. This, however, doesn’t mean that most Frenchmen will try to follow all these rules, the same as in other Latin countries. Given the high score on Power Distance, which means that power holders have privileges, power holders don’t necessarily feel obliged to follow all those rules which are meant to control the people in the street. At the same time, commonners try to relate to power holders so that they can also claim the exception to the rule.
France scores 60 in this dimension, making it pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
France scores somewhat in the middle (48) where it concerns Indulgence versus Restraint. This, in combination with a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance, implies that the French are less relaxed and enjoy life less often than is commonly assumed. Indeed, France scores not all that high on the happiness indices.
At 65, Georgia demonstrates a slight tendency to the higher side of PDI and thus, a hierarchical society. This means that members of the society to a large extent accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society.
Georgia, with a low score of 15, is a collectivist culture. These are characterized by an early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 55, Georgia has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others. However, there is no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 85, Georgia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a low score of 24, Georgia culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 32 in this dimension shows that Georgia has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Highly decentralised and supported by a strong middle class, Germany is not surprisingly among the lower power distant countries (score 35). Co-determination rights are comparatively extensive and have to be taken into account by the management. A direct and participative communication and meeting style is common, control is disliked and leadership is challenged to show expertise and best accepted when it’s based on it.
The German society is a truly Individualist one (79). Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are most common. There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. This is defined by the contract between the employer and the employee. Communication is among the most direct in the world following the ideal to be “honest, even if it hurts” – and by this giving the counterpart a fair chance to learn from mistakes.
With a score of 66 Germany is considered a Decisive society. Performance is highly valued and early required as the school system separates children into different types of schools at the age of ten. People rather “live in order to work” and draw a lot of self-esteem from their tasks. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches, and technical devices.
Germany is among the uncertainty avoidant countries (65); the score is on the high end, so there is a slight preference for Uncertainty Avoidance. In line with the philosophical heritage of Kant, Hegel and Fichte there is a strong preference for deductive rather than inductive approaches, be it in thinking, presenting or planning: the systematic overview has to be given in order to proceed. This is also reflected by the law system. Details are equally important to create certainty that a certain topic or project is well-thought-out. In combination with their low Power Distance, where the certainty for own decisions is not covered by the larger responsibility of the boss, Germans prefer to compensate for their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on expertise.
Germany’s score of 57 indicates that it is a pragmatic country. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The low score of 40 on this dimension indicates that the German culture is Restrained in nature. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Ghana scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Ghana, with a very low score of 9 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Ghana scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Ghana scores 65 on this dimension. This is an score expresses a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Ghana has an incredibly low score of 1 in this dimension. A score this low indicates a very strong preference for a normative way of thinking. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
On this dimension, Ghana has a high score of 72. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
At 60 Greece has an intermediate score, but it indicates a slight tendency to the higher side of PDI – i.e. a society that believes hierarchy should be respected and inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. In Greece it is important to show respect to the elderly (and children take care for their elderly parents). In companies there is one boss who takes complete responsibility. One should never forget that in the mind of a Greek all other cultures in the Western world inherited something from the ancient Greek culture. Status symbols of power are very important in order to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that could be shown.
At a score of 59 Greece is an Individualist country. Among Greeks, there is a solid conviction about personal responsibility and everybody’s achievement and contribution to be self-fulfilled. Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are common. And at the same time extended families, with many children and close ties to all other family members are a part of society as well. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. Communication is direct and expressive.
Scoring 57, Greece has a medium ranking as a society with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Men consider it a personal honour to take care of their family. In Collectivistic and Decisive cultures, the success of a member of a family gives social value to the whole in-group; when meeting a new person a foreigner should not be surprised by Greeks speaking of the important and successful people they know in town. Aristoteles Onassis, the Greek tycoon, well known all over the world, was and still is an example of a successful Greek whose status symbols speak of the excellent achievements in a Decisive society.
At 100 Greece has the highest score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation Greeks are not at all comfortable in ambiguous situations: the unforeseen is always there ready to “lay an ambush”. The “sword of Damocles”, impending over the head of all of us, can illustrate this anxious and stressing feeling about life. In Greece, as in all high Uncertainty Avoidance societies, bureaucracy, laws and rules are very important to make the world a safer place to live in. Greeks need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, chatting with colleagues, enjoying a long meal or dancing with guests and friends. Due to their high score in this dimension Greeks are very passionate and demonstrative people: emotions are easily shown in their body language. The Greek myth about the “birth” of the world tells us a lot about high Uncertainty Avoidance: at the very beginning there was only Chaos but then Cronos (Time) came in to organize life and make it easier to manage.
Greece has an intermediate score of 51 on this dimension. A score in the middle like this does not indicate a strong preference for either end of the scale.
Greece has an intermediate score of 50 on this dimension, so no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established.
At 95 Guatemala sits in the highest rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, so a union leader will have a lot of concentrated power compared to his union management team, and they in turn will have more power than other union members. A similar phenomenon will be observed among business leaders and among the highest positions in government. The leader typically holds a considerable amount of concentrated power.
At a score of 36 Guatemala has a collectivistic culture. Since Guatemalans are collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group and aligning yourself with that group’s opinion is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have strong identities. Communication is indirect and the harmony of the group has to be maintained, open conflicts are avoided. The relationship has a moral base and this always has priority over task fulfillment. Time must be invested initially to establish a relationship of trust. Nepotism may be found more often. Feedback is always indirect, also in the business environment.
Guatemala scores 37 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. This means that the softer aspects of culture such as levelling with others, consensus, sympathy for the underdog are valued and encouraged. Conflicts are avoided in private and work life and consensus at the end is important. Leisure time is important for Guatemalans, it is the time when the whole family, clan and friends come together to enjoy life. Status is shown, but this comes more out of the high PDI.
At 98 Guatemala has a very high score on Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that as a nation they are seeking mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. In order to minimize anxiety, people make use of a lot of rituals. Emotions are openly expressed; there are (extensive) rules for everything and social conservatism enjoys quite a following. This is also reflected in religion, which is respected, followed by many and conservative. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends on the in-group’s opinion, on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members and it depends, ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules. In work terms this results in detailed planning that may not necessarily be followed in practice.
Guatemala has a low score of 25 in this dimension. This score indicates a strong preference for a normative way of thinking. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Guatemala on this dimension.
Honduras, with a high score of 80, is shown to have a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
In this dimension, Honduras has a very low score of 20 which shows that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
A low score of 40 indicates that Honduras can be considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
This dimension, Uncertainty Avoidance, has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings anxiety with it, and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.
Honduras’ low score of 50 on this dimension means that it is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
At this time there are no results for Honduras on this dimension.
At this time there are no results for Honduras on this dimension.
At 68 Hong Kong has a high score on PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power abuse by superiors. Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in general optimistic about people’s capacity for leadership and initiative.
At a score of 50 Hong Kong does not indicate a strong preference to either end of the scale.
At 57 Hong Kong is somewhat a Decisive society - success oriented and driven. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many will spend many hours at work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Another example is that students care very much about their exam scores and ranking as this is the main criteria to achieve success or not.
At 29 Hong Kong has a very low score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life. The people in Hong Kong are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. They are adaptable and entrepreneurial.
The high score of 93 shows that Hong Kong's culture is pragmatic. In societies with a strong pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Hong Kong’s score on this dimension is very low at 17, this indicated that it is more Restrained. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Hungary scores low on this dimension (score of 46) which means that the following characterises the Hungarian style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
Hungary, with a score of 71 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
Hungary scores 88 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries with high scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Hungary scores 82 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Hungary is shown to be a relatively normative country with a score of 45 on this dimension. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Hungary has a low score of 31 on this dimension. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a very low score of 30, it is clear that in Iceland hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
Iceland’s very high score of 83 in this dimension indicates that it is a highly Individualist culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
With an extremely low score of 10, Iceland is considered a definitively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Iceland’s low score of 50 shows that it is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
With a score of 57, Iceland, therefore, a score of 57 indicates that it is a relatively pragmatic country. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Icelandic culture scores 67 in this dimension, meaning that it is an Indulgent country. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
India scores high on this dimension, 77, indicating an appreciation for hierarchy and a top-down structure in society and organizations. If one were to encapsulate the Indian attitude, one could use the following words and phrases : dependent on the boss or the power holder for direction, acceptance of un-equal rights between the power-privileged and those who are lesser down in the pecking order, immediate superiors accessible but one layer above less so, paternalistic leader, management directs, gives reason / meaning to ones work life and rewards in exchange for loyalty from employees. Real Power is centralized even though it may not appear to be and managers count on the obedience of their team members. Employees expect to be directed clearly as to their functions and what is expected of them. Control is familiar, even a psychological security, and attitude towards managers are formal even if one is on first name basis. Communication is top down and directive in its style and often feedback which is negative is never offered up the ladder.
India, with a rather low score of 24, is a society with both collectivistic and Individualist traits. The collectivist side means that there is a high preference for belonging to a larger social framework in which individuals are expected to act for the greater good of one’s defined in-group(s). In such situations, the actions of the individual are influenced by various concepts such as the opinion of one’s family, extended family, neighbors, work group, and other such wider social networks that one has some affiliation toward. For a collectivist, to be rejected by one’s peers or to be thought lowly of by one’s extended and immediate in-groups, leaves him or her rudderless and with a sense of intense emptiness. The employer/employee relationship is one of the expectations based on expectations – Loyalty by the employee and almost familial protection by the Employer. Hiring and promotion decisions are often made based on relationships which are the key to everything in a Collectivist society.
The Individualist aspect of Indian society is seen as a result of its dominant religion/philosophy – Hinduism. The Hindus believe in a cycle of death and rebirth, with the manner of each rebirth being dependent upon how the individual lived the preceding life. People are, therefore, individually responsible for the way they lead their lives and the impact it will have upon their rebirth. This focus on individualism interacts with the otherwise collectivist tendencies of Indian society which leads to its intermediate score on this dimension.
India scores 56 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Decisive society. India is actually very Decisive in terms of visual display of success and power. The designer brand label, the flash and ostentation that goes with advertising one’s success, is widely practiced. However, India is also a spiritual country with millions of deities and various religious philosophies. It is also an ancient country with one of the longest surviving cultures which gives it ample lessons in the value of humility and abstinence. This often reigns in people from indulging in Decisive displays to the extent that they might be naturally inclined to. In more Decisive countries the focus is on success and achievements, validated by material gains. Work is the center of one’s life and visible symbols of success in the workplace are very important.
India scores 40 on this dimension and thus has a medium low preference for avoiding uncertainty. In India, there is acceptance of imperfection; nothing has to be perfect nor has to go exactly as planned. India is traditionally a patient country where tolerance for the unexpected is high ; even welcomed as a break from monotony. People generally do not feel driven and compelled to take action-initiatives and comfortably settle into established rolls and routines without questioning. Rules are often in place just to be circumvented and one relies on innovative methods to “bypass the system”. A word used often is “adjust” and means a wide range of things, from turning a blind eye to rules being flouted to finding a unique and inventive solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem. It is this attitude that is both the cause of misery as well as the most empowering aspect of the country. There is a saying that “nothing is impossible” in India, so long as one knows how to “adjust”.
With an intermediate score of 51 in this dimension, a dominant preference in Indian culture cannot be determined. In India, the concept of “karma” dominates religious and philosophical thought. Time is not linear, and thus is not as important as to western societies which typically score low on this dimension. Countries like India have a great tolerance for religious views from all over the world. Hinduism is often considered a philosophy more than even a religion; an amalgamation of ideas, views, practices, and esoteric beliefs. In India, there is an acceptance that there are many truths and often depends on the seeker. Societies that have a high score on pragmatism typically forgive a lack of punctuality, a changing game plan based on changing reality, and general comfort with discovering the fated path as one goes along rather than playing to an exact plan.
India receives a low score of 26 in this dimension, meaning that it is a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Indonesia scores high on this dimension (score of 78) which means that the following characterises the Indonesian style: Being dependent on hierarchy, unequal rights between power holders and non power holders, superiors in-accessible, leaders are directive, management controls and delegates. Power is centralized and managers count on the obedience of their team members. Employees expect to be told what to do and when. Control is expected and managers are respected for their position. Communication is indirect and negative feedback hidden. High Power Distance also means that Indonesian co-workers would expect to be clearly directed by the boss or manager – it is the classic Guru-Student kind of dynamic that applies to Indonesia. Westerners may be considerably surprised with the visible, socially acceptable, wide and unequal disparity between the rich and poor .
Indonesia, with a super low score of 5 is a Collectivist society. This means there is a high preference for a strongly defined social framework in which individuals are expected to conform to the ideals of the society and the in-groups to which they belong. One place this is visible is in the aspect of the Family in the role of relationships. For example, In Indonesia, if one wishes to marry, it is important to meet a woman’s family because the family is so important to her. If a man wants to be taken seriously by a woman, he has to visit the latter’s family and introduce himself formally to the parents of the girl. It is inappropriate to court a woman and formalize the relationship without informing the parents of the girl first. Another example of the collectivist culture of Indonesia is in the equation between child and parent
Indonesian children are committed to their parents, as are the parents committed to them all their growing lives. They desire to make their parents’ life easier. There is a desire to take care of parents and give them support in their old age. An Asian saying that is accepted in Indonesia, “ You can get another wife or husband but not another mother or father” This family loyalty is also apparent in the fact that Indonesian families keep elders (such as grandparents) at home instead of sending them to any institution. In Individualist societies the focus is on the nuclear family only.
Indonesia scores (46) on this dimension and is thus considered a society with low Motivation towards Achievement and Success. While not entirely like most North European countries who are very low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and thus considered Consensus, Indonesia is less Decisive than some other Asian countries like Japan, China and India. In Indonesia, status and visible symbols of success are important but it is not always material gain that brings motivation. Often it is the position that a person holds which is more important to them because of an Indonesian concept called “gengsi” – loosely translated to be, “outward appearances”. It is important that the “gengsi” be strongly maintained thereby projecting a different outward appearance aimed at impressing and creating the aura of status.
In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement. In contrast, countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success (that do not score too low on the scale to be called Consensus countries), display the traits of Decisive societies but to a lesser degree.
Indonesia scores (48) on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. This means that there is a strong preference in Indonesia toward the Javanese culture of separation of internal self from external self. When a person is upset, it is habitual for the Indonesian not to show negative emotion or anger externally. They will keep smiling and be polite, no matter how angry they are inside. This also means that maintaining work place and relationship harmony is very important in Indonesia, and no one wishes to be the transmitter of bad or negative news or feedback. Another aspect of this dimension can be seen in Conflict resolution. Direct Communication as a method of conflict resolution is often seen to be a threatening situation and one that the Indonesian is uncomfortable in. A tried and tested, successful method of conflict diffusion or resolution is to take the more familiar route of using a third party intermediary, which has many benefits. It permits the exchange of views without loss of face as well as since one of the main manifestations of Indonesia’s Uncertainty Avoidance is to maintain the appearance of harmony in the workplace; an intermediary removes the uncertainty associated with a confrontation.
Perhaps one very key phrase in Indonesia that describes how this works is “Asal Bapak Senang” (Keep the Boss Happy). The reason is multifold; but if you extrapolate to UAI dimension you can see that keeping the boss happy means you will be rewarded and if you are rewarded you have no economic or status uncertainty as you will keep being a valuable member of the company.
Indonesia, a score of 29 indicates it has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 38 in this dimension shows that Indonesia has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Iran receives an intermediate score of 58 on this dimension so it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Iran, with a score of 23 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Iran scores 43 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
Iran scores 59 on this dimension, and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Iran, with a low score of 30 indicates that it has a strongly normative cultural orientation. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 40 in this dimension means that Iran has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Iraq scores high on this dimension (score of 97) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Iraq, with a score of 25 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With an intermediate score of 53, Iraq has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
Iraq scores 96 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Iraq’s low score of 11 reveals that it has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The very low score of 23 in this dimension means that Iraqi society is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
At 28 Ireland sits in the much lower rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. Within Irish organisations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
At a score of 58 Ireland has a relatively Individualist culture. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
At 68, Ireland is high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. The Irish are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
At 35 Ireland has a low score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Ideas are important, being imaginative is appreciated. Irish businesses embrace creativity and are always looking for new ways to approach problems. Making a point with practical facts is more appreciated than the use of too much technical language.
With a score of 51 on this dimension, Ireland does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
With a high score of 65, it is clear that Irish culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a score of 13 points Israel is at the very low end of this dimension compared to other countries. With an egalitarian mindset the Israelis believe in independency, equal rights, accessible superiors and that management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Respect among the Israelis is something, which you earn by proving your hands-on expertise. Workplaces have an informal atmosphere with direct and involving communication and on a first name basis. Employees expect to be consulted.
The Israeli society is a blend of Individualist and collectivistic cultures (56). Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are common. And at the same time extended families, with many children and close ties to all other family members are a part of society as well. There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. Communication is direct and expressive.
With a score of 47, Israel is neither a clear Decisive nor Consensus society. Some elements point at more Decisive features. Performance is highly valued. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches, and technical devices.
Israel is among the stronger uncertainty avoidant countries (81). In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, security is an important element in individual motivation. Cultures with a high score on this dimension are often very expressive. Something the Israelis clearly show while talking with their hands, gesticulating and vocal aggressiveness.
With a score of 47 on this dimension, Israel does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
There is currently no score for Israel on this dimension.
With a score of 50, Northern Italy tends to prefer equality and a decentralisation of power and decision-making. Control and formal supervision is generally disliked among the younger generation, who demonstrate a preference for teamwork and an open management style. Bear in mind that the high score on Individualism accentuates the aversion of being controlled and told what to do.
In Southern Italy all the consequences of PDI are often high, quite the opposite of Northern Italy.
At a score of 53, Italy, as a whole, does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale. Yet, a regional divide can be observed: the Northern and Central parts of Italy have an individualistic culture, especially in the big and rich cities where people can feel alone even in the middle of a big and busy crowd.
For Italians, having their ideas and objectives in life is very motivating and the route to happiness is through personal fulfilment. Southern Italy is on the collectivistic side of the scale: the family network and the group one belongs to are important social aspects, and rituals such as weddings or Sunday lunches with the family are occasions that one can’t miss. People going from Southern Italy to the North say that they feel cold not only because of the different climate but also because of the less “warm” approach in relationships.
With a score of 70, Italy is a Decisive society – highly success oriented and driven. Children are taught from an early age that competition is good and to be a winner is important in one’s life. Italians show their success by acquiring status symbols such as a beautiful car, a big house, a yacht and travels to exotic countries. As the working environment is the place where every Italian can reach his/her success, competition among colleagues for making a career can be very strong.
At 75 Italy has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation Italians are not comfortable in ambiguous situations. Formality in Italian society is important and the Italian penal and civil code are complicated with clauses, codicils etc. What is surprising for the foreigner is the apparent contradiction between all the existing norms and procedures and the fact that Italians don’t always comply with them. But in a bureaucratic country one learns very soon which the important ones are and which are not, in order to survive the red tape. In work terms high Uncertainty Avoidance results in large amounts of detailed planning. The low Uncertainty Avoidance approach (where the planning process can be flexible to changing environment) can be very stressful for Italians.
In Italy the combination of high Masculinity and high Uncertainty Avoidance makes life very difficult and stressful. To release some of the tension that is built up during the day Italians need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, enjoying a long meal or frequent coffee breaks. Due to their high score in this dimension Italians are very passionate people: emotions are so powerfully that individuals cannot keep them inside and must express them to others, especially with the use of body language.
Italy, a score of 39 on this dimension shows that Italian culture is a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A low score of 30 indicates that Italian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Jamaica scores low on this dimension (score of 45) which means that the following characterises the Jamaican style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative
Jamaica, with a score of 39 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Jamaica scores 68 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Decisive society. In Decisive countries, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Jamaica scores 13 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
There is currently no score for Jamaica on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Jamaica on this dimension.
At an intermediate score of 54, Japan is a borderline hierarchical society. Yes, Japanese are always conscious of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly. However, it is not as hierarchical as most of the other Asian cultures. Some foreigners experience Japan as extremely hierarchical because of their business experience of painstakingly slow decision making process: all the decisions must be confirmed by each hierarchical layer and finally by the top management in Tokyo. Paradoxically, the exact example of their slow decision making process shows that in Japanese society there is no one top guy who can take decision like in more hierarchical societies. Another example of not so high Power Distance is that Japan has always been a meritocratic society. There is a strong notion in the Japanese education system that everybody is born equal and anyone can get ahead and become anything if he (yes, it is still he) works hard enough.
Japan scores 62 on the Individualism dimension. Japanese society shows the characteristics of an individualistic society. Japanese society does not have an extended family system like China and Korea. Japan has been a paternalistic society and the family name and asset was inherited from the father to the eldest son. The younger siblings had to leave home and make their living with their core families. Japanese are famous for their loyalty to their companies, which people have chosen for themselves, which is an Individualist thing to do. You could say that the Japanese in-group is situational. Japanese are more private and reserved than most other Asians.
At 95, Japan is one of the most Decisive societies in the world. However, in combination with their mild collectivism, you do not see assertive and competitive individual behaviors which we often associate with a Decisive culture. What you see is severe competition between groups. From a very young age at kindergartens, children learn to compete on sports day for their groups (traditionally red team against white team).
In corporate Japan, you see that employees are most motivated when they are fighting in a winning team against their competitors. What you also see as an expression of Decisiveness in Japan is the drive for excellence and perfection in their material production (monodukuri) and in material services (hotels and restaurants) and presentation (gift wrapping and food presentation) in every aspect of life. Notorious Japanese workaholism is another expression of their Decisiveness. It is still hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their Decisive norm of hard and long working hours.
At 92 Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries on earth. This is often attributed to the fact that Japan is constantly threatened by natural disasters from earthquakes, tsunamis (this is a Japanese word used internationally), typhoons to volcano eruptions. Under these circumstances Japanese learned to prepare themselves for any uncertain situation. This goes not only for the emergency plan and precautions for sudden natural disasters but also for every other aspects of society. You could say that in Japan anything you do is prescribed for maximum predictability. From cradle to grave, life is highly ritualized and you have a lot of ceremonies. For example, there is opening and closing ceremonies of every school year which are conducted almost exactly the same way everywhere in Japan. At weddings, funerals and other important social events, what people wear and how people should behave are prescribed in great detail in etiquette books. School teachers and public servants are reluctant to do things without precedence. In corporate Japan, a lot of time and effort is put into feasibility studies and all the risk factors must be worked out before any project can start. Managers ask for all the detailed facts and figures before taking any decision. This high need for Uncertainty Avoidance is one of the reasons why changes are so difficult to realize in Japan.
At 100 Japan scores the most Long Term Orientation oriented societies. Japanese see their life as a very short moment in the long history of mankind. From this perspective, some kind of fatalism is not strange to the Japanese. You do your best in your lifetime and that is all that you can do. The notion of the one and only almighty God is not familiar to the Japanese. People live their lives guided by virtues and practical good examples. In corporate Japan, you see long-term orientation in the constantly high rate of investment in R[&]D even in economically difficult times, higher own capital rate, priority to steady growth of market share rather than to a quarterly profit, and so on. They all serve the durability of the companies. The idea behind it is that the companies are not here to make money every quarter for the shareholders but to serve the stakeholders and society at large for many generations to come (e.g. Matsuhista).
Japan, with a low score of 42, is shown to have a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a high score of 70, Jordan has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Jordan’s low score of 20 on this dimension means that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Jordan has a moderately low score of 45, meaning that it is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
In this dimension Jordan receives an intermediate score of 65, and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
The very low score of 20 indicates that Jordan is expected to have a strongly normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Jordan’s relatively low score of 43 indicates that its culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are, or should be, Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a very high score of 88, Kazakhstan is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
Kazakhstan’s very low score of 20, indicates that it is a highly collectivistic society. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 50, Kazakhstan has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 88, Kazakhstan scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
With a very high score of 85, Kazakhstani culture is shown to be highly pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The low score of 22 in this dimension shows that Kazakhstan has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Kenya’s relatively high score of 70 means that it has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
With a very low score of 4 on this dimension, Kenya is certainly a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Kenyan culture measures high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. With a score of 60, Kenya, therefore, is considered a “Decisive” society. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. They are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and these offer a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
The intermediate score of 50 indicates that Kenya has no clear preference in this dimension.
The very low score of 11 indicates that Kenya is expected to have a strongly normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score available for Kenya on this dimension.
Kuwait scores high on this dimension (score of 90) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Kuwait, with a score of 28 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Kuwait scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Kuwait scores 80 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
The low score of 31 indicates that Kuwait is expected to have a normative culture. People in such societies have a concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Kuwait on this dimension.
With a low score on this dimension (44), Latvians show tendencies to prefer equality and a decentralisation of power and decision-making. Control and formal supervision is generally disliked among the younger generation, who demonstrate a preference for teamwork and an open management style. However, similar to the other Baltic States, there is a sense of loyalty and deference towards authority and status among the older generation, who has experienced Russian and Soviet dominance. It is important to note that Latvia showed a preference for teamwork even during the Communist era, where work units commonly met to discuss ideas and create plans. The scepticism towards power-holders is due to the fact that those ideas and plans rarely resulted in implementation. Bear in mind that the high score on Individualism accentuates the aversion of being controlled and told what to do.
Latvia is an Individualist country with a high score of 70, and it is important to remember that Latvia remained Individualist during the Soviet occupation. The ideal of a nuclear family has always been strong and close family members are usually regularly in touch while respecting each other’s space. Children are taught to take responsibility for their own actions and are considered young adults at an early age. The country has seen an increase in individualism since independence in 1990, due to an increase in national wealth as represented by less dependency on traditional agriculture, more modern technology, more urban living, more social mobility, a better educational system, and a larger middle-class. Today the new generation of workers is more focused on their own performance rather than that of the groups. Although there is a hesitancy to open up and speak one’s mind, Latvians speak plainly without any exaggeration or understatement; this too represents individualism. They are tolerant in that they do not care too much about what other people do as long as it does not annoy them; what you do and how you live your life is your business.
As a Consensus country with a score of 9 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, Latvians have a tendency to feel awkward about giving and receiving praise, arguing that they could have done better or really have not achieved anything worthy of note. As such, they are modest, keep a low profile, and usually communicate with a soft and diplomatic voice in order not to offend anyone. Conflicts for Latvians are usually threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone, which is also indicative of a Consensus culture. Although the Latvians are considered a relatively reserved culture, they are tolerant towards the culture of other nations. This is partly due to their long experience of mixing with other nationalities.
With a score of 63, Latvia has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Latvia’s high score of 69 indicates that its culture is pragmatic in nature. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
With a very low score of 13, it can be seen that Latvian culture is one clearly marked by Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Lebanon scores high on this dimension (score of 62) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Lebanon, with a score of 27 is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With a score of 48, Lebanon scores average on this dimension. It is neither a clear Decisive nor Consensus society
Lebanon scores 57 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
The score of 47 on this dimension shows that Lebanese culture is relatively normative. People in such societies have a concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The score for this dimension is 10 which means that the culture of Lebanon is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
With a very high score of 100, Libya is a clearly hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
The very low score of 17 on this dimension means that Libya is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With a score of 66, Libya is a Decisive society – success-oriented and driven.
The high score of 67 correlates with Libya’s high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a low score of 22, Libya, therefore, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
At a high score of 74, Libya is shown to be an indulgent country. People in indulgent societies have a tendency towards optimism.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
With a low score on this dimension (42), Lithuanians show tendencies to prefer equality and a decentralisation of power and decision-making. Control and formal supervision is generally disliked among the younger generation, who demonstrate a preference for teamwork and an open management style. However, similar to the other Baltic States, there is a sense of loyalty and deference towards authority and status among the older generation, who has experienced Russian and Soviet dominance. It is important to note that Lithuania showed a preference for teamwork even during the Communist era, where work units commonly met to discuss ideas and create plans. The scepticism towards power-holders is due to the fact that those ideas and plans rarely resulted in implementation. Bear in mind that the high score on Individualism accentuates the aversion of being controlled and told what to do.
Lithuania is an Individualist country with a score of 55, and it is important to remember that Lithuania remained Individualist during the Soviet occupation. The ideal of a nuclear family has always been strong and close family members are usually regularly in touch while respecting each other’s space. Children are taught to take responsibility for their actions and are considered young adults at an early age. The country has seen an increase in individualism since independence in 1990, due to an increase in national wealth as represented by less dependency on traditional agriculture, more modern technology, more urban living, more social mobility, a better educational system, and a larger middle-class. Today the new generation of workers is more focused on their performance rather than that of the groups. Although there is a hesitancy to open up and speak one’s mind, Lithuanians speak plainly without any exaggeration or understatement; this too represents individualism. They are tolerant in that they do not care too much about what other people do as long as it does not annoy them; what you do and how you live your life is your business.
As a Consensus country with a score of 19 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, Lithuanians have a tendency to feel awkward about giving and receiving praise, arguing that they could have done better or really have not achieved anything worthy of note. As such, they are modest, keep a low profile, and usually communicate with a soft and diplomatic voice in order not to offend anyone. Conflicts for Lithuanians are usually threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone, which is also indicative of a Consensus culture. Although the Lithuanians are considered a relatively reserved culture, they are tolerant towards the culture of other nations. This is partly due to their long experience of mixing with other nationalities.
With a score of 65 on this dimension there is an emphasis on Uncertainty Avoidance. Lithuanians have a built-in worry about the world around them, which society provides legitimate outlets for. In the work environments of countries with a low Uncertainty Avoidance, one can be a good manager without having precise answers to most questions that subordinates may raise about their work. Among Lithuanians it is the other way around; a manager is a manager, because he knows everything and is able to lead. This takes the uncertainty away and also explains why qualifications and formal titles should be included on business cards. Other signs of high Uncertainty Avoidance among Lithuanians are a reluctance to taking risks, bureaucracy and a emotional reliability on rules and regulations, which may not be followed but reduce uncertainty.
With a score of 49 on this dimension, Lithuania does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
With a very low score of 16, Lithuanian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
At 40, Luxembourg sits in the lower rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. Interestingly this may not appears at first, but is a well established fact within the Luxembourgers. Actually, history shows that the people living in Luxemb0urg are very respectful to authorities, hierarchies, and have always shown attachment to structure. It is an apparent contradiction which make the5-D Model so interesting, by revealing the reality behind the image.
Luxembourgers respect hierarchy like the German do: everybody does his job, at the right place, and that‘s it! If changes must be implemented, no need to make revolution, but communication and “common sense” will prevail. A good example of this in recent history is the way Luxembourger freed themselves from the Dutch Orange Nassau, in comparison to the Belgium. Both countries have been “given” to the Dutch King by the Vienna Treaty in 1815. Belgium “started a revolution” in 1830, Luxemburg negotiated gently in 1862.
At a score of 60 Luxembourger must be seen as “reasonably Individualist”. Not as much as all his neighbors who all show higher scores. Private property, family, and money are real values and will be protected by society. People look after themselves and their immediate family, but – the score shows it clearly – all that is within “reasonable limits”. Social caring, medical help, “village atmosphere” will guarantee welfare for everybody.
At 50, Luxembourg has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others. Decisive at work – where the best will win, but Consensus in social affairs, like caring for others and having a great sense of community.
At 70 Luxembourg has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they are quiet reluctant to test unknown territories. Security is a key word in Luxembourg: there is not one activity which is not depending on some sort of security control from authorities; from banker’s money to safety exits in a restaurant. It makes the live in Luxembourg very safe, but some would argue a bit boring. New ideas, new methods, new management techniques must first be proven to work in other countries in order to be accepted in Luxembourg.
Historically more “farmers” than “traders” the inhabitants kept that good old “common sense” made of cautiousness which has proven to be profitable for a country who managed not to be at war since the Napoleonic time!
With a high score of 64, the culture of Luxembourg is clearly pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Luxembourg’s score of 56 in this dimension means that it has a culture of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish
With a high score of 70, it is evident that Malawian culture has resulted in a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
The disposition towards a collectivistic society in Malawi is supported by its low score of 30 in this dimension. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Malawi’s low score (40) on Motivation towards Achievement and Success meant that it is relatively considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
An intermediate score of 50 in this dimension means that Malawi has no clear cultural preference for UAI.
There is currently no score available for Malawi on this dimension.
There is currently no score available for Malawi on this dimension.
Malaysia scores very high on this dimension (score of 100) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat. Challenges to the leadership are not well-received.
Malaysia, with a score of 27 is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the “member” group, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. Such a society fosters strong relationships, where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivistic societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face. Employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), and hiring and promotion take account of the employee’s in-group. Management is the management of groups.
With an intermediate score of 50, a preference for Motivation towards Achievement and Success cannot be determined for Malaysia.
Malaysia scores 36 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work, they should be abolished or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake. Precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
The score of 47 in this dimension means that Malaysia has a relatively normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Malaysia’s high score of 57 indicates that the culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Malta scores high on this dimension (score of 56) which means that it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Malta, with a score of 59 is an Individualist society. This means there is a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
Malta scores 47 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, as this is an intermediate score, no clear cultural tendency is shown.
Malta scores 96 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With an intermediate score of 47, a cultural tendency cannot be determined for this dimension.
The high score of 66 shows that Malta’s culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
At a score of 81, Mexico is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Mexico, with a score of 34 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Mexico scores 69 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Mexico scores 82 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
The relatively low score of 23 means that the Mexican culture is normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very high score of 97, Mexican culture has a definite tendency toward Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a very high score of 90, Moldova is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a low score of 27, Moldova is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
At 39, Moldova scores relatively low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a moderately Consensus society. This means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
At 95, Moldova scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
Moldova’s high score of 71 indicates that its culture is pragmatic in nature. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, and thriftiness and perseverance in achieving results.
Moldova’s very low score of 19 indicates a culture characterised by great Restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are, or should be, restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a very high score of 88, Montenegro is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a low score of 27, Montenegro is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 48, Montenegro has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 90, Montenegro scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
Montenegro’s score of 40 indicates that its culture is relatively normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Montenegro’s very low score of 20 indicates a culture characterised by great Restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are, or should be, restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
At a score of 70, Morocco is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Morocco, with a score of 24 is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Morocco gets an intermediate score of 53 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Consequently, there is no clearly dominant cultural value.
Morocco scores 68 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a low score of 25, Moroccan culture is clearly normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Morocco’s low score on this dimension (25) indicates that is has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Mozambique’s very high score of 85 indicates that it is a strongly hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
With a very low score of 15, Mozambique is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
A relatively low score of 38 means that Mozambique is considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
With a low score of 44, Mozambique is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
An extremely low score of 11 on this dimension means, therefore, that Mozambique has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Mozambique is an Indulgent country. This is attested to by its very high score of 80 in this dimenstion. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a slightly high score of 65, Namibia is a relatively hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A low score of 30 in this dimension means that Namibia is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Namibia scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
The intermediate score of 45 does not indicate that Namibia has a preference on this dimension.
A low score (35) in this dimension means that Namibia is, therefore, a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Namibia in this dimension.
With a slightly high score of 65, Nepal is a relatively hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A low score of 30 in this dimension means that Nepal is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Nepal, with a score of 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, is considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Scoring only 40 in this dimension, Nepal has a medium low preference for avoiding uncertainty. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. Aggression and emotions are not shown much in these societies. This means that stress cannot be released in activity; it has to be internalized. In these societies rules are more flexible, superegos are weaker, and the world is pictured as basically benevolent. People are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food .
There is currently no score for Nepal in this dimension.
There is currently no score for Nepal in this dimension.
The Netherlands scores low on this dimension (score of 38) which means that the following characterises the Dutch style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
The Netherlands, with the highest score of 100 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
The Netherlands scores 14 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is therefore considered a Consensus society. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, it is important to keep the work-life balance and make sure that all are included. An effective manager is supportive to their people, and decision making is achieved through involvement. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation and the Dutch are known for their long discussions until consensus has been reached.
The Netherlands scores 53 on this dimension and thus exhibits a slight preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
The Netherlands receives a high score of 67 in this dimension, which means that it has a pragmatic nature. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
With a high score of 68, the culture of the Netherlands is clearly one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
New Zealand scores very low on this dimension (22). Within organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
New Zealand, with a score of 69 on this dimension, is an Individualist culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
New Zealand scores 58 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is considered a “Decisive” society. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. New Zealanders are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level, and the goal is to win.
New Zealand scores an intermediate 49 on this dimension. This score does not show a preference.
With a score of 55 in this dimension, New Zealand has a relatively pragmatic nature. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
New Zealand’s relatively high score of 75 indicates that its culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Nigeria scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Nigeria, with a score of 0, the lowest score in the database, is a highly collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Nigeria scores 60 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Nigeria receives an intermediate score of 55 on this dimension, which does not show a clear preference.
Nigeria scores very low (8) on this dimension, meaning that Nigerian culture is very normative instead of pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very high score of 84, Nigerian culture is said to be one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a very high score of 90, North Macedonia is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a score of 40, North Macedonia is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 45, North Macedonia has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 87, North Macedonia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a score of 35, North Macedonia exhibits a relatively normative instead of pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 35 in this dimension shows that North Macedonia has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Norway scores low on this dimension (31) which means that the following characterises the Norwegians style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct, participative and consensus orientated.
Norway with a very high score of 81 is certainly an Individualist society. This means that the “Self” is important and individual, personal opinions are valued and expressed. Communication is explicit. At the same time, the right to privacy is important and respected. There are clear lines between work and private life. Job mobility is higher and one thinks in terms of individual careers. The employer-employee relationship is based on a contract and leaders focus on the management of individuals. Feedback is direct and nepotism is not encouraged.
Norway scores 8 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus described as the second most Consensus society (after the Swedes). This means that the softer aspects of culture are valued and encouraged, such as levelling with others, consensus, “independent” cooperation and sympathy for the underdog. Taking care of the environment is important. Trying to be better than others is neither socially nor materially rewarded. Societal solidarity in life is important; work to live and DO your best. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Interaction through dialogue and “growing insight” is valued and self development along these terms is encouraged. Focus is on well-being; status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Norway scores 50 and thus does not indicate a preference on this dimension.
With a relatively low score of 55, Norway has a relatively pragmatic nature. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results
Norway has an intermediate, therefore inconclusive, score of 55 in this dimension.
With an intermediate score of 55, it is not possible to determine a preference for Pakistan in this dimension.
Pakistan, with a very low score of 5, is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Pakistan scores 50 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. As this is exactly an intermediate score, it cannot be said if Pakistan has a preference for high Motivation towards Achievement and Success or low Motivation towards Achievement and Success.
Pakistan scores 70 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a score of 19, the culture of Pakistan is strongly a normative-oriented one. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Pakistan, with an extremely low score of 0 on this dimension, can be said to be a very Restrained society. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
At a very high score of 95, Panama is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Panama, with a score of 11, is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Panama scores 44 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown.
Panama scores 86 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
There is currently no score for Panama on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Panama on this dimension.
With a score of 70, Paraguay scores high on this dimension, which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
Paraguay has a very low score of 12, which indicates that it is a highly collectivistic society. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
At 40, Paraguay scores relatively low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a moderately Consensus society. This means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation
With 85, Paraguay scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
With 20, Paraguay scores very low in this dimension. A score this low indicates a strongly normative cultural orientation. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
At a relatively high score of 56, Paraguayan culture is more indulgent than restrained. People in indulgent societies generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires regarding enjoying life and having fun. They have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time and spend money as they wish.
There is ample evidence for Peru´s high PDI score of 67 at organisational level. In general, it is possible to find rather tall, centralised structural arrangements. By the same token, there are larger proportions of supervisory personnel and wage differentials.
Some observers trace back Peru´s PDI score to the tightly structured and centralized Inca empire; others point out that it has been fostered by colonial and authoritarian governments as well as the church. However, subordinates still perceive superiors as difficult to access and do not trust them. Superiors consider subordinates as being of a different kind and ask for respect – particularly if the latter are of black or indigenous origin.
With a value of 20 Peru shows a very collectivistic score, in line with most other Latin American countries. Among other consequences, it is interesting to highlight that in general people here find large companies attractive and that, particularly among blue-collar workers, the involvement with the company is moral – and not calculative. Managers endorse more traditional points of view and only slowly start supporting employee initiative and group activity. In general, they aspire to conformity and prefer having security over having autonomy in their position.
At 42, Peru is rather a Consensus society. This trait has been the source of many cultural clashes and misunderstandings. For expatriates, locals were aloof or downright lazy. The actual reasons, however, were the locals' weaker achievement motivation, their preference for human contacts and family over recognition or wealth, and the marginal role awarded to work by large sectors of the population.
At 87 Peru scores high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. The individual’s need to obey these laws, however, is weak. Corruption is widespread, the black market sizeable and, in general, you´ll see a deep split between the “pays réel” and the “pays légal”.
To make things worse, in these socienties, if rules cannot be kept, additional rules are dictated. According to Peruvian Nobel prize winner Vargas Llosa, “A logical consequence of such abundance is that each legal disposition has another that corrects, denies or mitigates it. That means, in other words, that those who are immersed in such a sea of juridical contradictions live transgressing the law, or that – perhaps even more demoralizing – within such a structure, any abuse or transgression may find a legal loophole that redeems or justifies it.
With a very low score of 5, Peruvian culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Peru has an intermediate score of 46 on this dimension.
At a score of 94, The Philippines is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
The Philippines, with a very low score of 17, is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
The Philippines scores 64 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
The Philippines scores 44 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
At a score of 46 indicates that the Philippines are relatively normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a low score of 42, the culture of the Philippines is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
At a score of 68, Poland is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Poland, with a score of 47, does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
Poland scores 64 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Decisive society. In countries with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Poland scores 93 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Poland, a score of 49 in this dimension means that it does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
With a low score of 29, Polish culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score on this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Portugal’s score on this dimension (63) reflects that hierarchical distance is accepted and those holding the most powerful positions are admitted to have privileges for their position. Management controls, i.e. the boss requires information from his subordinates and these expect their boss to control them. A lack of interest towards a subordinate would mean this one is not relevant in the Organization. At the same time, this would make the employee feel unmotivated. Negative feedback is very distressed so for the employee it is more than difficult to provide his boss with negative information. The boss needs to be conscious of this difficulty and search for little signals in order to discover the real problems and avoid becoming relevant.
Portugal, with a score of 59 has a moderate score in Individualism. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
Portugal scores 31 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is a country where the key word is Consensus. So polarization is not well considered or excessive competitiveness appreciated. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, like Portugal, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
If there is a dimension that defines Portugal very clearly, it is Uncertainty Avoidance. Portugal scores 99 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
A score of 42 shows that Portuguese culture prefers normative thought over pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A relatively low score of 33 indicates that Portugal has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a score of 68, Puerto Rico is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Puerto Rico, with a score of 43, is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
An intermediate score of 56 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success indicates that Puerto Rico is a “Decisive” society with “Consensus” tendencies. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. They are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and these offer a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
With a low score (38) in this dimension, Puerto Rico has a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of uncertainty avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
A low score of 27 means that Puerto Rico has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very high score of 90, Puerto Rican culture has a definite tendency toward Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Qatar scores high on this dimension (aggregate score of 93), which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat. Power is centralized, and managers count on the obedience of their team members in return for protection from the power holders. The manager/boss is expected (and often the only authorized party) to make decisions. Titles and proximity to the Royal family play an important role and it helps the Qatari people place their colleagues or counterparts in the hierarchy, allowing them to give appropriate respect to superiors.
Qatar scores low on this dimension (aggregate score of 18). With a score of 18, Qatar is certainly a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Qatar shows a moderately Decisive score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success (aggregate score of 55). Qatar’s score on this dimension indicates a tendency towards a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Qatar scores high on this dimension (aggregate score of 80) This scores for Uncertainty Avoidance dimension, is indicative of a high preference to avoid unpredictability. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. In these cultures, there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
A low score of 14 means that Qatar has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score available for Qatar on this dimensions.
Romania scores high on this dimension (score of 90) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Romania, with a score of 46 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Romania scores 42 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scorin low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown.
Romania scores 90 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Romania has a score of 32 on this dimension, it means that Romania has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very low score of 20, Romanian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Russia, scoring 93, is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. This is underlined by the fact that the largest country in the world is extremely centralized: 2/3 of all foreign investments go into Moscow where also 80% of all financial potential is concentrated. The huge discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols. Behaviour has to reflect and represent the status roles in all areas of business interactions: be it visits, negotiations or cooperation; the approach should be top-down and provide clear mandates for any task.
If Russians plan to go out with their friends they would say “We with friends” instead of “I and my friends”, if they talk about brothers and sisters it may well be cousins, so a score of 46 even finds its manifestations in the language. Family, friends, and not seldom the neighborhood are extremely important to get along with everyday life’s challenges. Relationships are crucial in obtaining information, getting introduced, or successful negotiations. They need to be personal, authentic, and trustful before they can focus on tasks and build on a careful to-recipient, rather implicit communication style.
Russia’s relatively low score of 36 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success may be surprising with regard to its preference for status symbols, but these are in Russia related to the high Power Distance. At second glance, one can see that Russians at workplace as well as when meeting a stranger rather understate their personal achievements, contributions or capacities. They talk modestly about themselves, and scientists, researchers or doctors are most often expected to live on a very modest standard of living. Dominant behaviour might be accepted when it comes from the boss but is not appreciated among peers.
Scoring 95 Russians feel very much threatened by ambiguous situations, as well as they have established one of the most complex bureaucracies in the world. Presentations are either not prepared, e.g. when negotiations are being started and the focus is on the relationship building, or extremely detailed and well prepared. Also detailed planning and briefing is very common. Russians prefer to have context and background information. As long as Russians interact with people considered to be strangers they appear very formal and distant. At the same time formality is used as a sign of respect.
With a score of 58, Russia is a country with a pragmatic mindset. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, and a strong propensity to save and invest. thriftiness and perseverance in achieving results.
The Restrained nature of Russian culture is easily visible through its very low score of 20 on this dimension. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
São Tomé and Príncipe scores high on this dimension (75), which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
São Tomé and Príncipe, with a relatively low score of 37, tends towards a collectivist culture. These are characterized by an early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
São Tomé and Príncipe’s low score (24) on Motivation towards Achievement and Success characterises it as a Consensus society. In cultures scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. It is important to make sure that everyone is included. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the well-being of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
Scoring 70 in this dimension, São Tomé and Príncipe demonstrates a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. These societies do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize or reduce the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The low score of 32, indicates that São Tomé and Príncipe have a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
São Tomé and Príncipe’s relatively low score of 41 indicates that its culture tends toward Restraint rather than Indulgence. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. Their actions are restrained by social norms and they feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Saudi Arabia scores high on this dimension (score of 72) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Saudi Arabia, with a score of 48 is considered a slightly collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Saudi Arabia scores 43 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society.
Saudi Arabia scores 64 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
The normative nature of Saudi Arabian society can be seen in its low score of 27 on this dimension. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Saudi Arabia, with a low score of 14 on this dimension, can be said to be a Restrained society. In contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
With a high score of 70, Senegal is a relatively hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A low score of 25 in this dimension means that Senegal is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Senegal, with a score of 45 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success is considered a Consensus society. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
The intermediate score of 55 indicates that Senegal no clear preference for avoiding uncertainty.
A low score (25) in this dimension means that Senegal is, therefore, a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Senegal in this dimension.
Serbia scores high on this dimension (score of 86) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Serbia, with a score of 42 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Serbia scores 43 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown.
Serbia scores 92 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
A score of 37 on this dimension means that in Serbian the culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A low score of 28 on this dimension indicates that Serbian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Sierra Leone scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Sierra Leone, with a score of 20 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Sierra Leone, at a score of 40, scores low on Motivation for Achievement and Success. In such countries, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Sierra Leone scores 50 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
There is currently no score for Sierra Leone on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Sierra Leone on this dimension.
Singapore scores high on this dimension (score of 74). With a Confucian background (the Chinese) they normally have a syncretic approach to religion, which is also the dominant approach in Singapore. One of the key principles of Confucian teaching is the stability of society, which is based on unequal relationships between people. Confucius distinguished five basic relationships: ruler-subject; father-son; older brother-younger brother; husband-wife; and senior friend-junior friend. These relationships are based on mutual and complementary obligations. Here we can see the high PDI as a consequence.
Power is centralized and managers rely on their bosses and on rules. Employees expect to be told what to do. Control is expected and attitude towards managers is formal. Communication is indirect and the information flow is selective. We can see the high PDI also in the government’s defined five “shared values”: 1) Nation before community and society above self.
Singapore, with a score of 43 is a collectivistic society. This means that the “We” is important, people belong to in-groups (families, clans, or organizations) who look after each other in exchange for loyalty. Here we can also see the second key principle of Confucian teaching: The family is the prototype of all social organizations. A person is not primarily an individual; rather, he or she is a member of a family. Children should learn to restrain themselves, to overcome their individuality to maintain harmony in the family. Harmony is found when everybody saves face in the sense of dignity, self-respect, and prestige. Social relations should be conducted in such a way that everybody’s face is saved. Paying respect to someone is called giving face.
Communication is indirect and the harmony of the group has to be maintained, open conflicts are avoided. A “yes” doesn’t necessarily mean “yes”; politeness takes precedence over honest feedback. The relationship has a moral basis and this always has priority over task fulfilment. The face of others has to be respected and especially as a manager calmness and respectability are very important.
Singapore scores 48 and falls into the “middle” of the scale. However, it is more on the Consensus side. This means that the softer aspects of culture such as levelling with others, consensus, and sympathy for the underdog are valued and encouraged. Modesty and humility are seen as very important; thus showing that one knows it all and has come to educate the counterparts is not liked. Conflicts are avoided in private and work life, and consensus at the end is important. During discussions, being cautious is important, as not being too persistent.
We can also see the attributes of a Consensus society reflect on the five “shared values” defined by the Singaporean government.
#3) Community support and respect for the individual.
Singapore scores 8 on this dimension and thus scores very low on this dimension. In Singapore people abide to many rules not because they have need for structure but because of high PDI. Singaporeans call their society a “Fine country. You’ll get a fine for everything”.
Singapore scores 67, this score reflected in Singapore which shows cultural qualities supporting long-term investment such as perseverance, sustained efforts, slow results, thrift; being sparse with resources, ordering relationships by status, and having a sense of shame (see also again the Confucian teaching). Singapore has also become one of the five dragons with immense economic success.
Whereas Westerners have been looking for the truth, Singaporeans are emphasizing virtue and the way you do things. They are always keeping their options open as there are many ways to skin a cat. Westerners believe that if A is right, B must be wrong, whereas people from East and Southeast Asian countries see that both A and B combined produce something superior. This mindset allows for a more pragmatic approach to business.
Is it not possible to determine a preference on this dimension because of Singapore’s intermediate score of 46.
With a score of 100 points Slovakia is at the highest end of this dimension compared to other countries. Remember that it is possible to score more than 100 points as Slovakia was not a part of the original survey. In societies scoring high on Power Distance it is perfectly accepted that some people have more power than others. It is accepted and expected that these people also use their power. Not in a negative way but to create clarity and structure for people around them. The Ideal boss can therefore be compared with a “good father” who supervises you, is highly visible and tells you what to do. Hierarchical organizations are normal. A key issue for foreigners to understand is that in spite of the very high score on PDI, a manager still has to prove him or herself in order to make people respect and accept decisions from above or the (foreign) headquarter. Visibility and showing results is key.
Slovakia, with a score of 57, is a relatively Individualist society. This means there is a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals..
At a score of 100 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, Slovakia is a strongly Decisive society. It is important to be regarded as successful and to reach your goals. Status is an important aspect of this society, and of course, the ability to show your status. Status symbols like cars, impressive houses, clothes etc. play a big role. People work hard to achieve a high living standard and to be able to “show their achievements”. Long working hours and dedication to work are needed in order to achieve this.
With an intermediate score of 51 on this dimension, Slovakia shows no clear preference.
With a score of 53, it shows that Slovakia has a relatively pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, and a strong propensity to save and invest. thriftiness and perseverance in achieving results.
A low score of 28 on this dimension means that Slovakia has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Slovenia scores high on this dimension (score of 71) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Slovenia, with a score of 81 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals.
Slovenia scores 19 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown.
Slovenia scores 88 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With an intermediate score of 50 on this dimension, no clear preference can be determined for Slovenia.
Slovenia receives an intermediate score of 48 on this dimension, thus no preference is indicated.
South Africa scores 49 on this dimension which means that people to a larger extent accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
South Africa, with a score of 23 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
South Africa scores 63 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is categorised as a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
South Africa scores 49 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
A low score of 18 on this dimension means that in South Africa the culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a high score of 63 it is clear that South Africa has a culture of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
NOTE: The scores here are for the white population of South Africa. The majority of the population is Black African, and their scores may be very different from those presented above.
At an intermediate score of 60, South Korea is a slightly hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
At a score of 58 South Korea has a relatively Individualist culture. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
South Korea scores 39 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
At 85 South Korea is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries in the world. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
South Korea scores 86, making it a pragmatic, long-term orientation culture. Societies with this orientation show an ability to adapt traditions to a modern context i.e. pragmatism, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, perseverance in achieving results, and an overriding concern for respecting the demands of Virtue. The countries of South East Asia and the Far East are typically found at the long-term end of this dimension.
With a low score of 29, South Korean society is shown to be one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Spain’s score on this dimension (57) is a high score, which means that Spain has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Spain, with a score of 67 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals. This has made Spaniards quite easy to relate with certain cultures -mainly non-European- whereas other cultures can be perceived as aggressive and blunt. On the other hand, teamwork is considered something natural, employees tend to work in this way with no need for strong motivation from Management.
Spain scores 42 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is a country where the key word is consensus. Polarization is neither well considered nor excessive competitiveness appreciated. Spanish children are educated in search of harmony, refusing to take sides or stand out. There is a concern for weak or needy people that generate a natural current of sympathy. Regarding management, managers like to consult their subordinates to know their opinions and, according to it, make their decisions. In politics, it is desirable to have the participation of all minorities in an effort to avoid the dominant presence of just one winning party. In this society, it is the country opposite to ‘the winner takes it all’.
If there is a dimension that defines Spain very clearly, it is Uncertainty Avoidance, as is reflected in a high score of 86. Spain is considered the second noisiest country in the world. People like to have rules for everything, changes cause stress, but, at the same time, they are obliged to avoid rules and laws that, in fact, make life more complex. Confrontation is avoided as it causes great stress and scales up to the personal level very quickly. There is great concern for changing, ambiguous and undefined situations. Thus, for example, in a very recent survey 75% of Spanish young people wanted to work in civil service (i.e. a job for life, no concerns about the future) whereas in the USA only 17% of young people would like it.
Despite an intermediate score of 47, Spain is a normative country. Spanish people like to live in the moment, without a great concern about the future. Spain is the country that has given the meaning of ‘fiesta’ to the world. In Spain, people look for quick results without delays. Moreover, there is a need for clear structures and well-defined rules prevailing against more pragmatic and relaxed approaches to life, particularly, in the long term time.
With a low score of 44, Spain is not an Indulgent society. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
With a slightly high score of 80, Sri Lanka is a relatively hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A low score of 35 in this dimension means that Sri Lanka is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Sri Lanka, with a very low score of 10, is considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
The relatively intermediate score of 45 indicates that Sri Lanka does not indicate a strong preference.
With an intermediate score of 45, Sri Lanka does not indicate a strong preference in this dimension.
There is currently no score for Sri Lanka in this dimension.
Suriname scores high on this dimension (score of 85) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Suriname, with an intermediate score of 47 is considered a slightly collectivistic society. This is manifested in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Suriname scores 37 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown.
Suriname scores 92 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
There is currently no score for Suriname on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Suriname on this dimension.
Sweden scores low on this dimension (score of 31) which means that the following characterises the Swedish style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
Sweden, with a score of 87 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals.
Sweden scores 5 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is therefore regarded as a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, it is important to keep the work-life balance, and ensure that all are included. An effective manager is supportive to their people, and decision making is achieved through involvement. Managers strive for consensus and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation, and Swedes are known for their long discussions until a consensus has been reached. Incentives such as free time and flexible work hours and place are favoured. The whole culture is based around ‘lagom’, which means something like not too much, not too little, not too noticeable, everything in moderation. Lagom ensures that everybody has enough and nobody goes without. Lagom is enforced in society by “Jante Law” which should keep people “in place” at all times. It is a fictional law and a Scandinavian concept which counsels people not to boast or try to lift themselves above others.
Sweden scores 29 on this dimension and thus has a very low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
With an intermediate score of 53 Sweden is seen to not express a clear preference on this dimension.
A high score of 78 in this dimension indicates that Swedish culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
At 34, Switzerland sits in the lower rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. This means that the following characterizes the German Swiss style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
On this dimension, there is a vast difference with the French speaking part of Switzerland, which scores higher in PDI (very similar to France), which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat. Challenges to the leadership are not well-received.
Both German and French-speaking Switzerland score relatively high on this dimension, giving Switzerland a score of 79, and it is therefore considered an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals.
Switzerland scores 70 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, with both rankings for German speaking and the French speaking Swiss, thus indicating a Decisive society, albeit with the impact more noticeable in the German speaking part of the society. In countries with high scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive, and the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance. Conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Switzerland scores 58 in UAI, perhaps reflecting the difference between the French and German parts. French speaking Switzerland has a strong preference for avoiding uncertainty while German speaking Switzerland scores lower. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation. Decisions are taken after careful analysis of all available information.
With a high score of 42, Swiss culture is relatively a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Switzerland scores high in this dimension, its score of 66 indicates that the culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
With a high score of 80, Syria is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A low score of 35 in this dimension means that Syria is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Syria, with an intermediate score of 52, does not have a clearly dominant preference on Motivation towards Achievement and Success.
With an high score of 60 in this dimension, Syria has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
A low score (30) in this dimension means that Syria is, therefore, a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Syria in this dimension.
Taiwan has an relatively high score of 58 on this dimension which indicates that it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Taiwan, with a score of 40 is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the “member” group, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. Such a society fosters strong relationships, where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivistic societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face. Employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), and hiring and promotion take account of the employee’s in-group. Management is the management of groups.
Taiwan scores 45 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, a lower intermediate and is thus considered a slightly Consensus society. In Consensus countries, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Taiwan scores 69 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Taiwan scores 87, making it a pragmatic, long-term orientation culture. Societies with this orientation show an ability to adapt traditions to a modern context i.e. pragmatism, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, perseverance in achieving results, and an overriding concern for respecting the demands of Virtue. The countries of South East Asia and the Far East are typically found at the long-term end of this dimension.
Taiwan has a very intermediate score of 49 which does not indicate the dominant preference on this dimension.
Tanzania scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Tanzania, with a score of 25 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Tanzania scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Tanzania scores 50 on this dimension and thus no preference is indicated.
Tanzania scores 34 on this dimension, making it a normative, short-term-oriented culture. Societies with this orientation generally exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save, impatience for achieving quick results, and a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth i.e. normative.
With a low score of 38, Tanzanian culture is one characterized by Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Thailand scores 64 on PDI index, slightly lower than the average Asian countries (71). It is a society in which inequalities are accepted; a strict chain of command and protocol are observed. Each rank has its privileges and employees show loyalty, respect and deference for their superiors in return for protection and guidance. This may lead to paternalistic management. Thus, the attitude towards managers are more formal, the information flow is hierarchical and controlled.
With a score of 19 Thailand is a highly collectivist country. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’ (a family, extended family, or extended relationships). Loyalty to the in-group in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. To preserve the in-group, Thai are not confrontational and in their communication a “Yes” may not mean an acceptance or agreement. An offense leads to loss of face and Thai are very sensitive not to feel shamed in front of their group. Personal relationship is key to conducting business and it takes time to build such relations thus patience is necessary as well as not openly discussing business on first occasions.
Thailand scores 34 on this dimension and is thus considered a Consensus society. Thailand has the lowest ranking on 'Motivation for Achievement and Success' among the average Asian countries of 53 and the World average of 50. This lower level indicates a society with less assertiveness and competitiveness compared to one where these values are considered more important and significant. This situation also reinforces more traditional male and female roles within the population.
Thailand scores an intermediate 64 on this dimension, but it slightly indicating a preference for avoiding uncertainty.
In order to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high Uncertainty Avoidance characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. Change has to be seen for the greater good of the in group.
Thailand scores 67 in this dimension, which means that it is a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
With an intermediate score of 45, a preference on this dimension cannot be determined for Thailand.
Trinidad and Tobago scores relatively low on this dimension (score of 47) which means that the following characterises the style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative
Trinidad and Tobago, with a score of 25 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Trinidad and Tobago scores 58 on this dimension and is thus identified as a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Trinidad and Tobago scores an intermediate score of 55 on this dimension.
Trinidad and Tobago have a very low score of 17 on this dimension, making it a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very high score of 80, the culture of Trinidad and Tobago is characterized as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Tunisia scores high on this dimension (70), which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
Tunisia, with a low score of 27, tends to be a collectivist culture. These are characterized by an early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
At 40, Tunisia scores relatively low on Motivation for Achievement and Success. This means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
Scoring 75 in this dimension, Tunisia demonstrates a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. These societies do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize or reduce the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The normative nature of the Tunisian society can be seen in its low score of 24 on this dimension. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score available for the Tunisia on this dimension.
Turkey scores high on this dimension (score of 66) which means that the following characterises the Turkish style: Dependent, hierarchical, superiors often inaccessible and the ideal boss is a father figure. Power is centralized and managers rely on their bosses and on rules. Employees expect to be told what to do. Control is expected and attitude towards managers is formal. Communication is indirect and the information flow is selective. The same structure can be observed in the family unit, where the father is a kind of patriarch to whom others submit.
Turkey, with a score of 46 is a collectivistic society. This means that the “We” is important, people belong to in-groups (families, clans, or organizations) who look after each other in exchange for loyalty. Communication is indirect and the harmony of the group has to be maintained, open conflicts are avoided. The relationship has a moral base and this always has priority over task fulfillment. Time must be invested initially to establish a relationship of trust. Nepotism may be found more often. Feedback is always indirect, also in the business environment.
Turkey scores 45 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and lies on the Consensus side of the scale. This means that the softer aspects of culture, such as levelling with others, consensus and sympathy for the underdog are valued and encouraged. Conflicts are avoided in private and work life and consensus at the end is important. Leisure time is important for Turks, it is the time when the whole family, clan and friends come together to enjoy life. Status is shown, but this comes more out of the high PDI.
Turkey scores 85 on this dimension and thus there is a huge need for laws and rules. In order to minimize anxiety, people make use of a lot of rituals. For foreigners they might seem religious, with the many references to “Allah”, but often they are just traditional social patterns, used in specific situations to ease tension.
The normative nature of Turkish society can be seen in its low score of 35 on this dimension. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With an intermediate score of 49, a characteristic corresponding to this dimension cannot be determined for Turkey.
Ukraine, scoring 92, is a country where power holders are very distant in society. Being the largest country entirely within Europe and being for almost a century part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine developed as a very centralized country. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols. Behavior has to reflect and represent the status roles in all areas of business interactions: be it visits, negotiations or cooperation; the approach should be top-down and provide clear mandates for any task.
Ukraine scores 55 on this dimension, it is a relatively Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals.
Ukraine’s relatively low score of 25 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success may be surprising with regard to its preference for status symbols. However, these are in Ukraine related to the high Power Distance. At second glance, one can see that Ukrainians at workplace as well as when meeting a stranger rather understate their personal achievements, contributions or capacities. They talk modestly about themselves, and professionals such as scientists, researchers or doctors are often expected to live on a very modest standard of living. Dominant behaviour might be accepted when it comes from the boss, but is not appreciated among peers.
Scoring 95 Ukrainians feel very much threatened by ambiguous situations. Presentations are either not prepared, e.g. when negotiations are being started and the focus is on the relationship building, or extremely detailed and well prepared. Also detailed planning and briefing is very common. Ukrainians prefer to have context and background information. As long as Ukrainians interact with people considered to be strangers they appear very formal and distant. At the same time formality is used as a sign of respect.
Ukraine scores 51 in this dimension, a dominant preference in Ukrainian culture cannot be determined.
The Restrained nature of Ukrainian culture is easily visible through its very low score of 14 on this dimension. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
The United Arab Emirates scores high on this dimension (score of 74) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
The United Arab Emirates, with a score of 36 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With a score of 52, the Arab Emirates score average on Motivation toward Achievement and Success. Thus, society does not have a clearly dominant preference on this dimension.
Arab Emirates scores 66 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
The normative nature of the Emirati society can be seen in its low score of 22 on this dimension. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The United Arab Emirates, with a low score of 22 on this dimension, can be said to be a Restrained society. In contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
At 35 Britain sits in the lower rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. Interestingly is that research shows PD index lower amongst the higher class in Britain than amongst the working classes. The PDI score at first seems incongruent with the well established and historical British class system and its exposes one of the inherent tensions in the British culture – between the importance of birth rank on the one hand and a deep seated belief that where you are born should not limit how far you can travel in life. A sense of fair play drives a belief that people should be treated in some way as equals.
At a score of 76 the UK is an Individualist society. The British are highly Individualist and private people. Children are taught from an early age to think for themselves and to find out what their unique purpose in life is and how they uniquely can contribute to society. The route to happiness is through personal fulfillment. As the affluence of Britain has increased throughout the last decade, with wealth also ‘spreading North’, a much-discussed phenomenon is a rise of what has been seen as rampant consumerism and a strengthening of the ‘ME’ culture.
At 66, Britain is a Decisive society – highly success oriented and driven. A key point of confusion for the foreigner lies in the apparent contradiction between the British culture of modesty and understatement, which is at odds with the underlying success driven value system in the culture. Critical to understanding the British is being able to ‘’read between the lines’’ What is said is not always what is meant. In comparison to Consensus cultures, such as the Scandinavian countries, people in the UK live in order to work and have a clear performance ambition.
At 35 the UK has a low score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they are quite happy to wake up not knowing what the day brings and they are happy to ‘make it up as they go along’ changing plans as new information comes to light. As a low UAI country the British are comfortable in ambiguous situations – the term ‘muddling through’ is a very British way of expressing this. There are generally not too many rules in British society, but those that are there are adhered to (the most famous of which of of course the British love of queuing which has also to do with the values of fair play).
In work terms this results in planning that is not detail oriented – the end goal will be clear (due to high MAS) but the detail of how we get there will be light and the actual process fluid and flexible to emerging and changing environment. Planning horizons will also be shorter. Most importantly the combination of a highly Individualist and curious nation is a high level of creativity and strong need for innovation. What is different is attractive! This emerges throughout the society in both its humour, heavy consumerism for new and innovative products and the fast highly creative industries it thrives in – advertising, marketing, financial engineering.
With a score of 60 in this dimension, making Britain a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, and a strong propensity to save and invest. thriftiness and perseverance in achieving results.
A high score of 69 indicates that the British culture is one that is classified as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
The United States score low on this dimension (40) which underscores the American premise of “liberty and justice for all.” This is also evidenced by the focus on equal rights in all aspects of American society and government. Within American organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
A score of 60 indicates that the US is an individualistic culture. It reflects itself in the American premise of “liberty and justice for all”, which is evidenced by an explicit emphasis on equal rights in all aspects of American society and government. Within American organizations, superiors are accessible, and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted, and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct, and participative to a degree. The society is loosely knit in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families only and should not rely (too much) on authorities for support. There is also a high degree of geographical mobility in the United States. Americans are the best joiners in the world; however, it is often difficult to develop deep friendships. Americans are accustomed to doing business or interacting with people they don’t know well. Consequently, Americans are not shy about approaching their prospective counterparts to obtain or seek information. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, we see that hiring, promotion, and decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
It is noteworthy that American culture is the melting pot of different cultures, with Caucasians scoring more individualistic than other ethnic groups.
The score of the US on Motivation for Achievement and Success is high at 62, and this can be seen in the typical American behavioural patterns. This can be explained by the combination with Individualism. In other words, Americans, so to speak, all show their Motivation for Achievement and Success individually. The British, however, have the same culture in this respect. The question, therefore, should be: is the same drive not normally to be seen on the surface? This difference is a reflection of the higher score of the US on Uncertainty Avoidance than of the UK. In other words, in both societies, we find the same drive, but Americans show it up-front, whereas the British will take you by surprise.
This American combination reflects itself in the following:
Behavior in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. As a result, Americans will tend to display and talk freely about their “successes” and achievements in life. Being successful per se is not a great motivator in American society, but being able to show one’s success. Many American assessment systems are based on precise target setting, by which American employees can show how well a job they did. There exists a “can-do” mentality which creates a lot of dynamism in the society, as it is believed that there is always the possibility to do things in a better way. Typically, Americans “live to work” so that they can obtain monetary rewards and, as a consequence, attain higher status based on how good one can be. Many white collar workers will move to a more fancy neighbourhood after each and every substantial promotion. It is believed that a certain degree of conflict will bring out the best in people, as it is the goal to be “the winner”. As a consequence, we see a lot of polarization and court cases. This mentality nowadays undermines the American premise of “liberty and justice for all.” Rising inequality is endangering democracy, because a widening gap among the classes may slowly push Power Distance up and Individualism down.
The US scores below average, with a low score of 46, on the Uncertainty Avoidance dimension. . As a consequence, the perceived context in which Americans find themselves will impact their behaviour more than if the culture would have either scored higher or lower. Thus, this cultural pattern reflects itself as follows:
There is a fair degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices or food. Americans tend to be more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. At the same time, Americans do not require a lot of rules and are less emotionally expressive than higher-scoring cultures. At the same time, 9/11 has created a lot of fear in the American society culminating in the efforts of government to monitor everybody through the NSA and other security organisations
The United States scores 50 on this dimension, which shows that there is no dominant preference.
On the one hand, Americans are prone to analyse new information to check whether it is true. This should not be confused with the fact that Americans are very practical, reflected by the “can-do” mentality. American businesses measure their performance on a short-term basis, with profit and loss statements being issued every quarter, driving individuals to strive for quick results within the workplace.
The United States scores as an Indulgent (68) society on the sixth dimension. This, in combination with a normative score, is reflected by the following contradictory attitudes and behaviour:
Work hard and play hard. The States has waged a war against drugs and is still very busy in doing so, yet drug addiction in the States is higher than in many other wealthy countries. It is a prudish society yet even some well-known televangelists appear to be immoral.
At 61, Uruguay demonstrates a slight tendency to the higher side of PDI and thus, a hierarchical society. This means that members of the society to a large extent accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society.
Uruguay, with a score of 60, tends towards an individualistic culture. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals. This has made Spaniards quite easy to relate with certain cultures -mainly non-European- whereas other cultures can be perceived as aggressive and blunt. On the other hand, teamwork is considered as something natural, employees tend to work in this way with no need for strong motivation from Management. Relationships are crucial in obtaining information, getting introduced, or successful negotiations. They need to be personal, authentic, and trustful before they can focus on tasks and build on a careful to-recipient, rather implicit communication style.
At 38, Uruguay scores relatively low on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, categorizing it as a moderately Consensus society. This means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
At 98, Uruguay scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The low score of 28, indicates that Uruguay has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With an intermediate score of 53, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Uruguay.
At 81 Venezuela sits in the higher rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, so a union leader will have a lot of concentrated power compared to his union management team, and they in turn will have more power than other union members. A similar phenomenon will be observed among business leaders and among the highest positions in government. This is regardless of political orientation (right-wing or left-wing) and holds true for parties which are in power or playing an opposition role in Congress. The President typically holds a considerable amount of concentrated power and this has been true for decades and even centuries. The main leader, even when democratically elected, tends to stay in power for a long period, exceeding a single mandate, and will try to avoid relinquishing power.
At a score of 26 Venezuela is amongst the lowest Individualist scores; in other words, it lies amongst the most collectivistic cultures in the world, such as Ecuador, Panama, and Guatemala. Since Venezuelans are highly collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group and aligning yourself with that group’s opinion is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have their strong identities tied to class distinctions. Loyalty to such groups is paramount and often it is through “corporative” groups that people obtain privileges and benefits which are not to be found in other cultures. At the same time, conflict is avoided, to maintain group harmony and to save face. There have been many struggles for power among different political factions and between unions and employers, but seldom have such conflicts become as violent as what has been observed in other countries in Latin America.
Relationships are more important than attending to the task at hand, and when a group of people holds an opinion on an issue, they will be joined by all who feel part of that group. This may result in the task being completed quickly through cooperative effort, or it may result in the task being abandoned (if that is the opinion of the initial group articulating an opinion). Of course, this is also linked to PDI, so power holders can more easily get a group formed around them, rather than people who are perceived as having less power.
Venezuelans will often go out of their way to help you if they feel there is enough attention given to developing a relationship, or if they perceive an “in-group” connection of some sort, however thin. However, those perceived as “outsiders” can easily be excluded or considered “enemies”. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so public speeches and written documents are usually extensive and elaborate.
At 73, Venezuela scores high on Motivation for Achievement and Success. This contradicts the stereotype that Latin Americans avoid hard work. Venezuela is the most performance-oriented country in Latin America. Venezuelans are competitive and status-oriented, yet Collectivistic rather than Individualistic. This means that competition is directed towards members of other groups (or social classes), not towards those who are perceived as members of your own in-group. People seek membership in groups which give them status and rewards linked to performance, but they often sacrifice leisure against work as long as this is supported by group membership and by power holders.
At 76 Venezuela has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they are seeking mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. Emotions are openly expressed; there are (extensive) rules for everything and social conservatism enjoys quite a following. This is also reflected in religion, which is respected, followed by many and conservative. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends on the in-group’s opinion, on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members and it depends, ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules.
In work terms this results in detailed planning that may not necessarily be followed in practice.
The combination of high UAI with the scores on the previous four dimensions means that it is difficult to change the status quo, unless a figure of authority is able to amass a large group of people and lead them towards change.
With a very low score of 0, the culture of Venezuela is decidely normative in nature. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Venezuela has the highest score possible (100) in this dimension. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Vietnam scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat. Challenges to the leadership are not well-received.
Vietnam, with a score of 30 is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the “member” group, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. Such a society fosters strong relationships, where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivistic societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face. Employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), and hiring and promotion take account of the employee’s in-group. Management is the management of groups.
Vietnam scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Vietnam scores 30 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
Vietnam, with a score of 47, has a moderate score in Long-Term Orientation, suggesting a balanced approach between traditional values and a willingness to adapt to modern influences. There is an appreciation for both long-standing cultural practices and the need for progress and innovation.
A low score of 35 on this dimension indicates that the culture of Vietnam is characterised as Restrained. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Zambia scores at an intermediate level on this dimension (score of 60), which means that a it has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Zambia, with a score of 35 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Zambia scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Zambia scores an intermediate 50 on this dimension, and thus no preference can be predicted.
A low score of 30 on the scale means that Zambian culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The relatively low score of 42 on this dimension indicates that the culture of Zambia can be classified as one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Mongolia scores 37 on this dimension, making it a collectivistic society where there is a tradition of caring for immediate social groups over the well-being of society as a whole. Mongolians express a strong family and regional orientation, which views outsiders with mistrust. They have adopted certain social practices as part of a nomadic lifestyle where cooperation is essential for survival. On the other hand, Mongolians like to show their ability to manage their own way and take credit for their accomplishments. This could also explain the predominance of small business owners, even for those working in salaried positions, as it aligns with their desire to be self-sufficient.
Mongolia scores 50 on this dimension, thus displaying an intermediate position despite the East-Asian tendency toward long-term orientation. In Mongolia, there is a growing level of personal debt and the use of resources now, as they might not be available in the future. Mongolians tend to prefer tangible assets and things that make them appear successful.
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal - it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people's self-image is defined in terms of "I" or "We". In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to 'in groups' that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.
A high score (Decisive) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field - a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life. A low score (Consensus-oriented) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A Consensus-oriented society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (Decisive) or liking what you do (Consensus-oriented).
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.
This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals differently. Normative societies. which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become "human". This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called "Indulgence" and relatively strong control is called "Restraint". Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.
If we explore the Albanian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Albanian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very high score of 90, Albania is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Albania’s low score of 27 indicates that it is a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
By receiving a very high score of 80 in this dimension, it is clear that Albania can be considered a “Decisive” society. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. They are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and these offer a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
Albania, with a high score of 70, has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation. Decisions are taken after careful analysis of all available information.
With a score of 56, Albania is pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The very low score of 15 indicates that Albanian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are, or should be, Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Algerian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Algerian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 80, Algeria scores high on this dimension, which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
At a low score of 29, Algeria is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
Algeria’s low score of 35 characterises it as a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. It is important to make sure that everyone is included. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the well-being of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
Scoring 70 in this dimension, Algeria demonstrates a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. These societies do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize or reduce the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The low score of 25, indicates that Algeria has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 32 in this dimension shows that Algeria has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Angolan culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Angolan culture relative to other world cultures.
A high score of 83 on this dimension indicates that Angola is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Angola’s very low score of 18 means that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With a very low score of 20 on this dimension, Angola is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Angola has a relatively high score of 60 on this dimension so there is a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Angolan culture can be characterized as normative due to its very low score of 15 on this scale. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Angola is an Indulgent country; this is evident from the very high score of 83 it received on this dimension. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Argentinian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Argentinian culture relative to other world cultures.
At a score of 49 Argentina sits on the low end of PDI rankings of – and thus far from the much higher values that characterizes all other Latin American countries (leaving aside Costa Rica). The sources of Argentina´s low score on this dimension is rooted in the migration waves that reached the Rio de la Plata around the turn of the last century. Around 1900, approximately 6.5 M. European immigrants entered Argentina. At about that time over 30 % of its inhabitants (and every second in Buenos Aires) had been born abroad.
In this society status should be underlined. Appearance is very important: the (dark) attire or sober tailleur, the valuable watch, an expensive hotel, these elements allow inferring about power and facilitating the entrée.
With a score of 51, Argentina sits in the middle rankings. As a consequence of the aforementioned migration waves and the early emergence of wide middle classes, Argentina is, by far, the most Individualist of all Latin countries. However, many collectivistic traits prevail: the opinion of and obligations towards the (extended) family or in-group, for example, still count. This notwithstanding, more modern, Individualist traits can also be found, particularly in large urban conglomerates. There, the employer-employee link is rather calculative and there is a strict division between private and work life.
Argentina scores 56 on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, reflecting the presence of slightly more Decisive than Consensus elements. Among the former, it is important to note a strong achievement orientation and assertiveness, the Decisive behavior of female managers and politicians, and the equally strong ego needs. The need to excel and stand out has been noted by many experts. According to Carmo and Yanakiew, former Brazilian chancellor da Silveira admonished his young team members that during negotiations, you have to fear if there is only one Argentine. If there are two, the best practice is to be patient and relax. They are all so brilliant that one will destroy the other.
At 86 Argentina scores very high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. The individual’s need to obey these laws, however, is weak. Corruption is widespread, the black market sizeable and, in general, you´ll see a deep split between the “pays réel” and the “pays légal”.
To compound the issue, in these societies, if rules cannot be kept, additional rules are dictated. According to recent Nobel Prize winner Vargas Llosa, “A logical consequence of such abundance is that each legal disposition has another that corrects, denies or mitigates it. That means, in other words, that those who are immersed in such a sea of juridical contradictions like transgressing the law, or that – perhaps even more demoralizing – within such a structure, any abuse or transgression may find a legal loophole that redeems or justifies it.”
Argentina, with a low score of 29, is shown to have a very normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Argentina’s high score of 62 in the dimension means that it is a country that falls under the category of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Armenian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Armenian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very high score of 85, Armenia is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a very low score of 17, Armenia is clearly a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 50, Armenia has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 88, Armenia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a score of 38, Armenia exhibits a normative culture. In societies like this, people have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 25 in this dimension shows that Armenia has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Australian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Australian culture relative to other world cultures.
Australia scores low on this dimension (38). Within Australian organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
Australia, with a score of 73 on this dimension, is a highly Individualist culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
Australia scores 61 on Motivation toward Achievement and Success and is considered a “Decisive” society. Behavior in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. Australians are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
Australia scores a very intermediate 51 on this dimension.
Australia scores 56 on this dimension and therefore has a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
With a high score of 71, Australia is an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Austrian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Austrian culture relative to other world cultures.
Austria scores very low on this dimension (score of 11) which means that the following characterises the Austrian style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked. Communication is direct and participative.
Austria, with a score of 77 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
At 79, Austria scores high on Motivation toward Achievement and Success. In countries scoring high on Motivation toward Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive, and the emphasis is on equity, competition, and performance. Conflicts are resolved by fighting them out. A clear example of this dimension is seen around election time, with ferocious, no-holds-barred battles between candidates.
Austria scores 70 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation. Decisions are taken after careful analysis of all available information. The usage of academic titles as part of people’s names is a reflection of Austria’s high score on the Uncertainty Avoidance Index.
The Austrians score 47, this does not indicate a strong preference in either direction.
Austria is an Indulgent country with a high score of 63. People in societies classified by a high score on Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Azerbaijani culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Azerbaijani culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very high score of 85, Azerbaijan is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a low score of 28, Azerbaijan is a collectivist culture. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. These societies foster strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 50, Azerbaijan has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 88, Azerbaijan scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a relatively high score of 59, Azerbaijan exhibits a more pragmatic than normative culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on the situation, context, and time. They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, and thriftiness and perseverance in achieving results.
The low score of 22 in this dimension shows that Azerbaijan has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Bangladeshi culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Bangladeshi culture relative to other world cultures.
Bangladesh scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Bangladesh, with a score of 5 is considered a highly collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Bangladesh scores 55 on this dimension and can be considered a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition, and performance. Conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Bangladesh scores 60 on this dimension and thus has an high score. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Bangladesh has an intermediate score of 38 and is shown to have a very normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Bangladesh has a very low Indulgence score of 20. This makes it a Restrained country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Belarusian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Belarusian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very high score of 95, Belarus is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
With an Individualism score of 48, Belarus does not show a strong preference in either direction.
Belarus’s low score of 20 characterises it as a Consensus society. In cultures scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People in such societies value equality, solidarity, and quality in their work lives. It is important to make sure that everyone is included. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the well-being of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
At 95, Belarus scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
With a score of 53, though Belarusian culture does not show a strong preference in either direction.
Belarus’s very low score of 15 indicates a culture characterised by great Restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are, or should be, restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Belgian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Belgian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 65, Belgium scores high on the scale of the PDI. It is therefore a society in which inequalities are accepted. Hierarchy is needed if not existential; the superiors may have privileges and are often inaccessible. The power is centralized in Belgium. It might in the near future not be centralized in Brussels anymore but the Walloons and Flemish will each have their own point of centralized power from where administration, transports, business etc. are managed. In management, the attitude towards managers is more formal and on family name basis (at least, in the first contact, the information flow is hierarchical. The way information is controlled is even associated with power, therefore unequally distributed. Control is normal, and even expected, but considered as formal and not key for efficiency.
At 81 Belgium scores very high on the Individualism index. This means that the Belgians favor individual and private opinions, taking care of themselves and their immediate family rather than belonging to a group. In the work environment, work relationships are contract based, the focus is on the task, and autonomy is favored. Management is the management of individuals and the recognition of one‘s work is expected. People can voice their opinion, but towards power holders, a less direct style is preferred than amongst peers. The Belgian culture (together with the French culture) houses a “contradiction”: although highly Individualist, the Belgians need a hierarchy. This combination (high score on Power Distance and high score on Individualism) creates a specific “tension” in this culture, which makes the relationship so delicate but intense and fruitful once you manage it. Therefore, the manager is advised to establish a second “level” of communication, having personal contact with everybody in the structure, allowing to give the impression that “everybody is important” in the organization, although unequal.
With 54 on average, Belgium has an intermediate score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Balancing in the middle of this dimension, contradictions can be found. A confrontational, win-lose negotiating style (typical of the US and Anglo countries) will not be very effective in Belgium. This could mean that the decision process may be slower, as each point of view is considered so that consensus can be achieved. Belgians strive towards reaching a compromise, winning a discussion is generally less important than achieving mutual agreement.
A deeper look into the difference between the Northern part of the country (Flemish) and the Southern part (French) shows a difference in the value for Motivation towards Achievement and Success. The Flemish is at 43, and the French at 60. This certainly explains partly the difficulties the two communities experience. The need for the Flemish to “close the circle” and “stay between natives” is a necessity to establish consensus, typical for a more Consensus culture. The cultural priority for the French-speaking part is the opposite: to be part of a “global Latin culture” typically made of “universal values”.
At 94 Belgium has one of the highest scores on the UAI Index. Their history of frequently being ruled by others partly explains this score. Certainty is often reached through academic work and concepts that can respond for the need of detail, context, and background. Teachings and trainings are more deductive. In management structure, rules and security are welcome and if lacking, it creates stress. Therefore planning is favoured, some level of expertise welcome, when change policies on the other hand are considered stressful. Both communities North [&] South share this score on the dimension, which makes it very painful when negotiating a new set of rules, called a Constitution!
With a very high score of 61, Belgium scores as a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Belgium scores 57 on this dimension, which marks it as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Bhutani culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Bhutani culture relative to other world cultures.
A very high score of 94 on this dimension indicates that Bhutan definitely has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Bhutan has an intermediate score of 52 on this dimension. A score in the middle like this does not indicate a strong preference for either end of the scale.
With a score of 32 on this dimension, Bhutan is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
With a very low score of 28, Bhutan is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
No score for Bhutan is currently available for this dimension.
No score for Bhutan is currently available for this dimension.
If we explore the Bolivian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Bolivian culture relative to other world cultures.
At a score of 78, Bolivia scores high on this dimension, which means that members of the society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. Status symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that should be shown.
Bolivia has a very low score of 23, indicating that it is a highly collectivistic society. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
At 42, Bolivia scores relatively low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, thus a moderately Consensus society. This means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. People in such societies value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts can be threatening because they endanger the wellbeing of everyone; they are resolved by compromise and negotiation.
At 87, Bolivia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
The low score of 21, indicates that Bolivia has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With an intermediate score of 46, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Bolivia.
If we explore the Bosnia and Herzegovina`s culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina`s culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very high score of 90, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
At a score of 40, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) getting preferential treatment. Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) tends to be low. Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal relationships prevail over tasks and company.
With an intermediate score of 48, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 87, Bosnia and Herzegovina scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s low score of 36 indicates that its culture is normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results. Bosnia's low score is likely influenced by the Yugoslav war in the 90s as wars tend to make societies more short-term oriented.
With an intermediate score of 44, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
If we explore the Brazilian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Brazilian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 69, Brazil reflects a society that believes hierarchy should be respected and inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. In Brazil it is important to show respect to the elderly (and children take care for their elderly parents). In companies there is one boss who takes complete responsibility. Status symbols of power are very important in order to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that could be shown.
Brazil has a score of 36 which means that in this country people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive groups (especially represented by the extended family; including uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins) which continues protecting its members in exchange for loyalty. This is an important aspect in the working environment too, where for instance an older and powerful member of a family is expected to “help” a younger nephew to be hired for a job in his own company. In business it is important to build up trustworthy and long-lasting relationships: a meeting usually starts with general conversations to get to know each other before doing business. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so people will often speak profusely and write elaborately.
Brazil scores 49, a very intermediate score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, not showing a clear cultural preference
At 76 Brazil scores high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. The individual’s need to obey these laws, however, is weak. If rules however cannot be kept, additional rules are dictated. In Brazil, as in all high Uncertainty Avoidance societies, bureaucracy, laws and rules are very important to make the world a safer place to live in. Brazilians need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, chatting with colleagues, enjoying a long meal or dancing with guests and friends. Due to their high score in this dimension Brazilians are very passionate and demonstrative people: emotions are easily shown in their body language.
At 28, Brazil scores as a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Brazil’s high score of 59 marks it as an Indulgent society. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Bulgarian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Bulgarian culture relative to other world cultures.
Bulgaria scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Bulgaria does not show a preference in either direction.
Bulgaria scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
Bulgaria scores 85 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a score of 51, Bulgaria does not show a strong preference in either direction.
Bulgaria has a very low score of 16 in this dimension, making it a strongly Restrained culture. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Burkinabe culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Burkinabe culture relative to other world cultures.
Burkina Faso scores 70 on this dimension, which shows that it has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
A very low score of 15 signifies that Burkina Faso is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
An intermediate score of 50 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success means that no dominant cultural value is suggested for Burkina Faso.
With an intermediate score of 55, no inclination for UAI can be chosen for Burkina Faso.
The low score of 27 suggests that Burkina Faso, therefore, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Burkina Faso has a very low score (18) on this dimension; this indicates it has a culture characterised by Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are, or should be, Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Canadian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Canadian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 39 on this dimension, Canadian culture is marked by interdependence among its inhabitants and there is value placed on egalitarianism. This is also reflected by the lack of overt status and/or class distinctions in society. Typical of other cultures with a low score on this dimension, hierarchy in Canadian organisations is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. It is customary for managers and staff members to consult one another and to share information freely. With respect to communication, Canadians value a straightforward exchange of information.
Canada scores 72 on this dimension (its highest dimension score) and can be characterized as an Individualist culture. Similar to its American neighbor to the south, this translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. Similarly, in the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
Canada scores 52 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and can be characterized as a moderately “Decisive” society. While Canadians strive to attain high standards of performance in both work and play (sports), the overall cultural tone is more subdued with respect to achievement, success and winning, when compared to the US. Similarly, Canadians also tend to have a work-life balance and are likely to take time to enjoy personal pursuits, family gatherings and life in general. This is not to say that Canadians are not hard workers. As a general rule, Canadians strive to attain high standards of performance in all endeavors.
The Canadian score on this dimension is 48 and Canadian culture is more “uncertainty accepting.” This is indicative of the easy acceptance of new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or consumer products. Canadians are also tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. At the same time, Canadian culture is not rules-oriented and Canadians tend to be less emotionally expressive than cultures scoring higher on this dimension.
Canada scores 54 in this dimension, making it a slightly pragmatic society. has a relatively Pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results..
The high score of 68 in this dimension means that Canadian culture is classified as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Cape Verdean culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Cape Verdean culture relative to other world cultures.
With a high score of 75 in this dimension, Cape Verde is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Cape Verde’s very low score of 20 means that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Because of its very low score (15), Cape Verde is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Scoring only 40 in this dimension, Cape Verde is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
Cape Verde has one of the lowest scores (12) on this dimension, relative to other countries. It, therefore, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A very high score of 83 indicates that Cape Verde is an Indulgent country. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Chilean culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Chilean culture relative to other world cultures.
Though Chile scores lower on Power Distance than most other Latin American countries, at 63 it still occupies an intermediate to high position on this dimension. Remnants of Chile´s authoritarian past linger on in diverse fields. Organisational arrangements show taller pyramids and low degrees of delegation. Status symbols are used to underline power differences. A hierarchical social structure and rather rigid social classes are present; common cafeterias are rare, privileges for the power holders common.
Chile scores 49 on this dimension, not indicationg a strong preference in either direction.
Though difficult to detect, evidence reveals the Consensus character of Chilean society with its score of 28 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Far from being arrogant, both Chilean men and women show modest behaviour or attitude. In countries with low scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. People need to feel a sense of “belonging” within a social group; they place value on warm interpersonal links and tacitly search for the approval of their group. Consequently, they tend to be supportive team members and managers strive for consensus. People value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
At 86 Chile scores high on Uncertainty Avoidance – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. Contrary to general practice in other Latin American countries, Chile shows rather low corruption indices. In line with its high Uncertainty Avoidance score and to some extent also fostered by its authoritarian past, you´ll find great dependence on experts, the authorities, particularly among non-managerial employees.
With a very low score of 12, Chile is said to have a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A high score of 68 in this dimension means that Chile has a relatively Indulgent orientation. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Chinese culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Chinese culture relative to other world cultures.
At 80 China sits in the higher rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power abuse by superiors. Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in general optimistic about people’s capacity for leadership and initiative. People should not have aspirations beyond their rank.
At a score of 43 China is a collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) getting preferential treatment. Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) is low. Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal relationships prevail over tasks and company.
With a score of 66, China is a society with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will sacrifice family and leisure priorities to work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Leisure time is not so important. The migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in order to obtain better work and pay in the cities. Another example is that Chinese students care very much about their exam scores and ranking, as these are the main criteria to achieve success or not.
At 30 China has a low score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Truth may be relative though in the immediate social circles there is concern for Truth with a capital T and rules (but not necessarily laws) abound. None the less, adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life. The Chinese are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. Chinese are adaptable and entrepreneurial. At the time of writing the majority (70% -80%) of Chinese businesses tend to be small to medium sized and family owned.
China scores 77 in this dimension, which means that it is a very pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
China is a Restrained society as can be seen in its low score of 24 in this dimension. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Colombian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Colombian culture relative to other world cultures.
At 67 Colombia scores high on the scale of the PDI, so it is a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, so a union leader will have a lot of concentrated power compared to his union management team, and they in turn will have more power than other union members. A similar phenomenon will be observed among business leaders and among the highest positions in government.
At a score of 29, Colombia lies amongst the most collectivistic cultures in the world.
Since Colombians are highly collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group and aligning yourself with that group’s opinion is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have their strong identities tied to class distinctions. Loyalty to such groups is paramount and often it is through “cooperative” groups that people obtain privileges and benefits which are not to be found in other cultures. At the same time, conflict is avoided, to maintain group harmony and to save face.
Relationships are more important than attending to the task at hand, and when a group of people holds an opinion on an issue, they will be joined by all who feel part of that group. Colombians will often go out of their way to help you if they feel there is enough attention given to developing a relationship, or if they perceive an “in-group” connection of some sort, however thin. However, those perceived as “outsiders” can easily be excluded or considered “enemies”. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so public speeches and written documents are usually extensive and elaborate.
At 64 Colombia is a society with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Colombians are competitive and status-oriented, yet collectivistic rather than individualistic. This means that competition is directed towards members of other groups (or social classes), not towards those who are perceived as members of your own in-group.
People seek membership in groups which give them status and rewards linked to performance, but they often sacrifice leisure against work, as long as this is supported by group membership and by power holders.
At 80 Colombia has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they are seeking mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. Emotions are openly expressed; there are (extensive) rules for everything and social conservatism enjoys quite a following. This is also reflected in religion, which is respected, followed by many and conservative. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends on the in-group’s opinion, on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members and it depends, ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules. In work terms this results in detailed planning that may not necessarily be followed in practice.
The combination of high UAI with the scores on the previous dimensions means that it is difficult to change the status quo, unless a figure of authority is able to amass a large group of people and lead them towards change.
With a very low score of 6, Colombian culture is classified as normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Scoring a very high 83 in this dimension, Colombia is shown to be an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Costa Rican culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Costa Rican culture relative to other world cultures.
As one of the only countries in the Latin America, Costa Rica, with a score of 35, scores the lowest on this dimension in the region. To the surprise of many, especially in Latin America, where many countries have had military rule, Costa Rica abolished their army in 1948. Their president, Oscar Arias (1986-90, 2006-10), received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his effort to end civil wars in Central America. Costa Ricans, the “Ticos”, are famous for their good human rights record. As they are very much focused on equality and consensus there is a less distance between blue-collar and white-collar workers.
Costa Rica, with a score of 15 is like all the other Latin American countries, a collectivistic society. In collectivistic countries, trust, loyalty, personal relations, and networking are essential. Family, and especially mothers, are very sacred in Costa Rica. To get straight to the point is regarded as rude and no hard selling is being done. Helping somebody out of a difficult situation will never be forgotten. As relationships matter very much, a lot of time is spent on building trust.
Not only does Costa Rica stand out on Power Distance, with a score of 21 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, it is considered the society with the lowest score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success in Latin America, and few countries in the world score more. Ticos are very afraid of any kind of personal criticism (together with their collectivistic values). There is a very high acceptance for women in business. Suffrage for women was introduced in 1948 and half of the country’s university students are female.
At 86, Costa Rica scores high on Uncertainty Avoidance. In countries exhibiting a high score of Uncertainty Avoidance, formality and a strong emotional need for structure and rules is important, even if it’s not always working or followed. Bureaucracy is very time consuming in Costa Rica, documentation, need for stamps and written instructions are important. As the Ticos are rather conservative, they do not always embrace strange and different ideas. Despite the very warm weather, a clear and full dress code is followed. As a contradiction to the high Uncertainty Avoidance, “Tico time” means a very flexible attitude to timekeeping.
There is currently no score for Costa Rica on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Costa Rica on this dimension.
If we explore the Croatian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Croatian culture relative to other world cultures.
Croatia scores high on this dimension (score of 73) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Croatia, with a score of 42 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Croatia scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
Croatia scores 80 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a high score of 40, Croatian culture is said to be relatively normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Croatia’s low score of 33 in this dimension marks it as a Restrained country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
>If we explore the Czech culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Czech culture relative to other world cultures.
The Czech Republic has a relatively high score on this dimension (57). This means it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
The Czech Republic, with a score of 70 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring, and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, management is the management of individuals
The Czech Republic scores 57 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance, and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
The Czech Republic scores 74 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a score of 51, Czech does not show a strong preference in either direction.
The low score of 29 means that Czechs are generally not Indulgent. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Danish culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Danish culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 18 points, Denmark is at the very low end of this dimension compared to other countries. This matches perfectly with what many foreigners in Denmark express: Danes do not lead, they coach and employee autonomy is required. In fact, Denmark ranks highest amongst the EU27 countries in terms of employee autonomy. With a very egalitarian mind-set the Danes believe in independency, equal rights, accessible superiors and that management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Respect among the Danes is something, which you earn by proving your hands-on expertise. Workplaces have a very informal atmosphere with direct and involving communication and works on a first name basis. Employees expect to be consulted.
Denmark, with a very high score of 89 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. It is relatively easy to start doing business with the Danes. Small talk is kept at a minimum and you do not need to create relationships first. Danes are also known for using a very direct form of communication.
Denmark scores 16 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is therefore considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, it is important to keep the life/work balance and you make sure that all are included. An effective manager is supportive to his/her people, and decision making is achieved through involvement. Managers strive for consensus and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation and Danes are known for their long discussions until consensus has been reached. Incentives such as free time and flexible work hours and place are favoured.
With a score of 23 Denmark scores low on this dimension. This means that that Danes do not need a lot of structure and predictability in their work life. Plans can change overnight, new things pop up and the Danes are fine with it. It is a natural part of their work life. Curiosity is natural and is encouraged from a very young age. This combination of a highly Individualist and curious nation is also the driving force for Denmark’s reputation within innovation and design. What is different is attractive! This also emerges throughout the society in both its humour, heavy consumerism for new and innovative products and the fast highly creative industries it thrives in – advertising, marketing, financial engineering.
At the workplace, the low score on Uncertainty Avoidance is also reflected in the fact that the Danes tell you if you are in doubt or do not know something. It is ok to say “I do not know” and the Danes are comfortable in ambiguous situations in the workplace.
A score of 59 indicates that Danish culture is shown to be relatively pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Denmark has a high score of 70 in this dimension, meaning that Denmark is an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Dominican culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Dominican culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 65, the Dominican Republic is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
The Dominican Republic, with a low score of 38, is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
The relatively high score of 65 indicates that in the Dominican Republic, there is a “Decisive” society. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. They are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and these offer a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
With a low score (45) in this dimension, the Dominican Republic has a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of uncertainty avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
A very low score of 11 means that the Dominican Republic, has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The Dominican Republic receives an intermediate score of 54 in this dimension.
If we explore the Ecuadorian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Ecuadorian culture relative to other world cultures.
At 78 Ecuador sits in the higher rankings of PDI – i.e . a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, and often linked to race and social class. People of European extraction often feel themselves as “superior” to those of local Indian extraction, and this is largely accepted by society as a whole. The military, as power holders, are also considered an elite group per se. They play an important role in political life. No political leader in Ecuador will get very far without their support. “Coups d’etat” have been frequent throughout Ecuador’s history, reflecting this aspect.
At a score of 24 Ecuador lies amongst the collectivistic cultures in the world. Since Ecuadorians are highly collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have their strong identities tied to race and class distinctions. Conflict is avoided, to maintain group harmony and to save face. Struggles for power among different political factions, though frequent, seldom have become very violent.
Relationships are prioritized over tasks and groups can quickly enlarge their numbers. This may even result in a task being completed quickly through cooperative effort, or it may be abandoned (if that is the opinion of the group). Of course, this is also linked to PDI, so power holders determine the outcome. Ecuadorians can show a lot of solidarity towards members of their in-groups. Those perceived as “outsiders” can easily be excluded or considered as “enemies”; foreigners can easily be found in that position unless they cultivate relationships and gain access to in-groups. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so people will often speak profusely and write elaborately.
At 63, Ecuador scores high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. This contradicts the stereotype that Latin Americans avoid hard work. Ecuadorians are competitive and status-oriented, though Collectivistic rather than Individualistic. This means that competition is directed towards members of other groups (or social classes) rather than towards the members of your own in-group. People seek membership in groups which give them status and rewards linked to performance, but they often sacrifice leisure against work. It is difficult to “let go” of work and often this only happens through binge drinking, a common practice among the working classes.
At 67 Ecuador has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they make use of several mechanisms seeking to avoid ambiguity. Emotions are openly expressed; legislation is extensive and detailed; social conservatism prevails. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules, and on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members.
Religion and superstition have large followings, the tradition of each group is very respected by their members, though they may not necessarily respect another group’s tradition. The combination of high UAI and PDI, combined with Collectivism, results in that the status quo will only change when a figure of authority (such as the military) lead them towards change amassing a large group of followers.
A low score of 24 means that the Ecuadorian has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Ecuador in this dimension.
If we explore the Egyptian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Egyptian culture relative to other world cultures.
Egypt scores high on this dimension (score of 100) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Egypt, with a score of 13 is considered a very collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Egypt scores 55 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, reflecting the presence of slightly more Decisive than Consensus elements, making it more success-oriented and driven.
Egypt scores 55 on this dimension and thus has a slight preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Egypt’s score of 22 indicates that its culture is normative. People in such societies have a concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With a very low score of 0, Egypt is shown to be a very Restrained country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
If we explore the Salvadoran culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Salvadoran culture relative to other world cultures.
At 66 El Salvador occupies an intermediate to high position on this dimension. Remnants of El Salvador´s authoritarian past linger on in diverse fields. Organisational arrangements show taller pyramids and low degrees of delegation. Status symbols are used to underline power differences, though less than in the past.
At 19 El Salvador scores low on this dimension, in line with most other Latin American countries. In collectivistic countries, trust, loyalty, personal relations, and networking are essential. Family is very sacred in El Salvador. To get straight to the point is regarded as rude. Helping somebody out of a difficult situation will never be forgotten. As relationships matter very much, a lot of time is spent on building trust. The communication style is indirect.
At a score of 40, EL Salvador is a country with low Motivation towards Achievement and Success. It means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. The El Salvadorians do not boast about their achievements. Instead, they enhance their character through hard work and diligence and show their competitiveness by letting the results speak for themselves.
At 94 El Salvador scores very high on UAI – and so do the majority of Latin American countries that belonged to the Spanish kingdom. These societies show a strong need for rules and elaborate legal systems in order to structure life. Bureaucracy is very time consuming in El Salvador, documentation, need for stamps and written instructions are important. They are rather conservative, they do not always embrace strange and different ideas. Despite the very warm weather, a clear and full dress code is followed.
El Salvador’s low score of 20 means that its culture is very normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
El Salvador has a very high score at 89, this indicates that Salvadoran culture is Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Estonian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Estonian culture relative to other world cultures.
Estonia scores low on this dimension (40), which suggests that the Estonians do not readily obey and respect people in authoritarian positions based merely on their rank and status as power-holders. Instead, Estonians welcome managers that give them the opportunity to state their opinions and express disagreement, as well as to be included in the decision-making process. Estonia has recently passed the transition state, which means however that the older generation and state organisations often demonstrate high PDI tendencies. The older Soviet ways of thinking and relating to the world still remain and the boss-subordinate relationship among Estonians is sometimes more hierarchical than the score suggests.
Estonia is an Individualist country with a score of 62. Among Estonians, there is a solid conviction about personal responsibility and everybody’s achievement and contribution to be self-fulfilled. Most Estonians believe that everyone should be allowed to do his/her own thing, reach new heights, or even dig their graves. Work situations are driven more by a task orientation than by a relationship orientation, which is to say that for Estonians, work relations serve a functional purpose. Achievement is reflected directly on the person responsible. Given the loosely knit social framework of Individualist countries where progress in life does not depend on how well connected you are, transparency and honesty rather than harmony and loyalty are virtues. For this reason, Estonians tend to be direct communicators. They usually say what they mean and mean what they say and there is limited time for small talk.
At a score of 30, Estonia is low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. It means that society is driven by a certain amount of modesty and fairness. The Estonians do not boast about their achievements. Instead, they enhance their character through hard work and diligence and show their competitiveness by letting the results speak for themselves. As opposed to some countries with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success where conversation overlap is common and people compete for the word, Estonians prefer to take turns out of fairness and consideration of the other person’s time. Passive silence and listening are very much part of the communication style. Although Estonians communicate in a direct way, they do tend to shy away from conflicts. They are reluctant to raise problems for this reason and are quick to take constructive criticism personally. Many of the companies in Estonia are run and staffed by people of a younger generation, who favour an informal, democratic, and consultative management style. Thus, decisions are ideally made by gaining support through participation.
With a score of 60, Estonia thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
With a very high score of 71, Estonian culture is shown to be highly pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Estonia’s very low score of 16 indicates that its culture is very Restrained in nature. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Ethiopian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Ethiopian culture relative to other world cultures.
Ethiopia scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Ethiopia, with a score of 7 is considered a very collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Ethopia scores 65 on this dimension and is thus a Decisive society. In countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance, and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Ethiopia received an intermediate score of 55 on this dimension.
A very low score of 14 means that Ethiopia has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
With an intermediate score of 46, no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established for Ethiopia.
If we explore the Fijian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Fijian culture relative to other world cultures.
A high score of 78 indicates that Fiji has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
An incredibly low score of 14 means that Fiji is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘ group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Fiji received an intermediate score of 46 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, not showing a clear cultural preference.
With a relatively low score of 48, Fiji has a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
There is currently no score available for Fiji on this dimension.
There is currently no score available for Fiji on this dimension.
If we explore the Finnish culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Finnish culture relative to other world cultures.
Finland scores low on this dimension (score of 33) which means that the following characterises the Finnish style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
Finland, with a score of 75 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
A high score on Motivation towards Achievement and Success indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner/best in the field - a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.
Finland scores 26 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Finland scores 59 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Finland scores 63 in this dimension, making it pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The relatively high score of 57 indicates that Finland is an Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the French culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of French culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 68, France scores fairly high on Power Distance. Children are raised to be emotionally dependent, to a degree, on their parents. This dependency will be transferred to teachers and later on to superiors. It is, therefore, a society in which a fair degree of inequality is accepted. Power is not only centralised in companies and government, but also geographically. Just look at the road grid in France; most highways lead to Paris.
Many comparative studies have shown that French companies have normally one or two hierarchical levels more than comparable companies in Germany and the UK. Superiors have privileges and are often inaccessible. CEO’s of big companies are called Mr. PDG, which is a more prestigious abbreviation than CEO, meaning President Director General. These PDGs have frequently attended the most prestigious universities called “grandes écoles”, big schools.
France, with a score of 74, is shown to be an individualist society. Parents make their children emotionally independent about the groups to which they belong. This means that one is only supposed to take care of oneself and one’s family.
The French combination of a high score on Power Distance and a high score on Individualism is rather unique. We only find the same combination in Belgium and, to some degree, in Spain and northern Italy.
This combination is not unique, but it also creates a contradiction, so to speak. Only so to speak, because scores in the model don’t influence anything. They just give a structured reflection of reality. This combination manifests itself in France in the following ways:
It is claimed that one reason why the French are less obese than people in other EU countries is that parents still have more sway over children than in other EU countries. Whether this is true or not is not known by us. All the same, what is true is that the family has still more emotional glue than in other Individualist cultures. This is a reflection of the high score on Power Distance with its stronger respect for the elderly. Subordinates normally pay formal respect and show deference to their boss, but behind his/her back they may do the opposite of what they promised to do, as they may think that they know better, yet are not able to express so. Another reflection of high Power Distance contrary to formal obedience is the total rejection of those in power as there is no way to change by evolution but only by strikes, revolts, and revolution. Employers and trade unions don’t talk together as they look at each other as almost belonging to a separate species. The need to make a strong distinction between work and private life is even stronger in France than in the US, even though the US scores higher on Individualism. This is a reflection of the fact that employees more quickly feel put under pressure than in the US because of their emotional dependence on what the boss says and does. In cultures that score high on Power Distance and Collectivism, the “normal” combination, such dependence is welcomed. At least, if the power holders act as benevolent fathers. The French prefer to be dependent on the central government, an impersonal power center that cannot so easily invade their private life. What is human, but more pronounced in France, is the need for strong leadership in times of crisis. Despite that, when the crisis is resolved the president should make space for much weaker leadership. Many French need to become a “patron”, whether as mayor of a small village or as the chairman of the bridge club. Customer service is poor in the eyes of all those Anglo-Saxons who believe that the customer is king. Not so in France. The French are self-motivated to be the best in their trade. They, therefore, expect respect for what they do, after which they are very much willing to serve you well.
With a score of 43, France in this dimension is relatively a Consensus society. At face value this may be indicated by its famous welfare system (securité sociale), the 35-hour working week, five weeks of holidays per year and its focus on the quality of life. French culture in terms of the model has, however, another unique characteristic. Comparatively, the upper class scores embody a culture with low Motivation towards Achievement and Success, while the working class scores reflect a Decisive culture. This characteristic has not been found in any other country. This difference may be reflected by the following:
Top managers earn on average less than one would expect given the high score on Power Distance. Married couples of high society could go public with a lover without negative consequences, at least certainly in the past. The scandal in the US about Clinton and Lewinsky has never been understood in France. In addition, “crime passionel”, i.e. crimes of passion, have always been sentenced very leniently in comparison to other murder trials.
At 86, French culture scores high on Uncertainty Avoidance. This is clearly evident in the following:
The French don’t like surprises. Structure and planning are required. Before meetings and negotiations they like to receive all necessary information. As a consequence, the French are good in developing complex technologies and systems in a stable environment, such as in the case of nuclear power plants, rapid trains and the aviation industry. There is also a need for emotional safety valves as a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance and the combination of high Power Distance and high Individualism strengthen each other, so to speak. The French, for example, are very talkative and “engueuler”, giving someone the sharp edge of one’s tongue happens often. There is a strong need for laws, rules and regulations to structure life. This, however, doesn’t mean that most Frenchmen will try to follow all these rules, the same as in other Latin countries. Given the high score on Power Distance, which means that power holders have privileges, power holders don’t necessarily feel obliged to follow all those rules which are meant to control the people in the street. At the same time, commonners try to relate to power holders so that they can also claim the exception to the rule.
France scores 60 in this dimension, making it pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
France scores somewhat in the middle (48) where it concerns Indulgence versus Restraint. This, in combination with a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance, implies that the French are less relaxed and enjoy life less often than is commonly assumed. Indeed, France scores not all that high on the happiness indices.
If we explore the Georgian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Georgian culture relative to other world cultures.
At 65, Georgia demonstrates a slight tendency to the higher side of PDI and thus, a hierarchical society. This means that members of the society to a large extent accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society.
Georgia, with a low score of 15, is a collectivist culture. These are characterized by an early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 55, Georgia has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others. However, there is no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 85, Georgia scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
At a low score of 24, Georgia culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing an absolute truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 32 in this dimension shows that Georgia has a culture of restraint. Restrained societies have a tendency toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, they do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the German culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of German culture relative to other world cultures.
Highly decentralised and supported by a strong middle class, Germany is not surprisingly among the lower power distant countries (score 35). Co-determination rights are comparatively extensive and have to be taken into account by the management. A direct and participative communication and meeting style is common, control is disliked and leadership is challenged to show expertise and best accepted when it’s based on it.
The German society is a truly Individualist one (79). Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are most common. There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. This is defined by the contract between the employer and the employee. Communication is among the most direct in the world following the ideal to be “honest, even if it hurts” – and by this giving the counterpart a fair chance to learn from mistakes.
With a score of 66 Germany is considered a Decisive society. Performance is highly valued and early required as the school system separates children into different types of schools at the age of ten. People rather “live in order to work” and draw a lot of self-esteem from their tasks. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches, and technical devices.
Germany is among the uncertainty avoidant countries (65); the score is on the high end, so there is a slight preference for Uncertainty Avoidance. In line with the philosophical heritage of Kant, Hegel and Fichte there is a strong preference for deductive rather than inductive approaches, be it in thinking, presenting or planning: the systematic overview has to be given in order to proceed. This is also reflected by the law system. Details are equally important to create certainty that a certain topic or project is well-thought-out. In combination with their low Power Distance, where the certainty for own decisions is not covered by the larger responsibility of the boss, Germans prefer to compensate for their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on expertise.
Germany’s score of 57 indicates that it is a pragmatic country. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
The low score of 40 on this dimension indicates that the German culture is Restrained in nature. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Ghanaian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Ghanaian culture relative to other world cultures.
Ghana scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Ghana, with a very low score of 9 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Ghana scores 40 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Ghana scores 65 on this dimension. This is an score expresses a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Ghana has an incredibly low score of 1 in this dimension. A score this low indicates a very strong preference for a normative way of thinking. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
On this dimension, Ghana has a high score of 72. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Greek culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Greek culture relative to other world cultures.
At 60 Greece has an intermediate score, but it indicates a slight tendency to the higher side of PDI – i.e. a society that believes hierarchy should be respected and inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. In Greece it is important to show respect to the elderly (and children take care for their elderly parents). In companies there is one boss who takes complete responsibility. One should never forget that in the mind of a Greek all other cultures in the Western world inherited something from the ancient Greek culture. Status symbols of power are very important in order to indicate social position and “communicate” the respect that could be shown.
At a score of 59 Greece is an Individualist country. Among Greeks, there is a solid conviction about personal responsibility and everybody’s achievement and contribution to be self-fulfilled. Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are common. And at the same time extended families, with many children and close ties to all other family members are a part of society as well. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. Communication is direct and expressive.
Scoring 57, Greece has a medium ranking as a society with high Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Men consider it a personal honour to take care of their family. In Collectivistic and Decisive cultures, the success of a member of a family gives social value to the whole in-group; when meeting a new person a foreigner should not be surprised by Greeks speaking of the important and successful people they know in town. Aristoteles Onassis, the Greek tycoon, well known all over the world, was and still is an example of a successful Greek whose status symbols speak of the excellent achievements in a Decisive society.
At 100 Greece has the highest score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation Greeks are not at all comfortable in ambiguous situations: the unforeseen is always there ready to “lay an ambush”. The “sword of Damocles”, impending over the head of all of us, can illustrate this anxious and stressing feeling about life. In Greece, as in all high Uncertainty Avoidance societies, bureaucracy, laws and rules are very important to make the world a safer place to live in. Greeks need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, chatting with colleagues, enjoying a long meal or dancing with guests and friends. Due to their high score in this dimension Greeks are very passionate and demonstrative people: emotions are easily shown in their body language. The Greek myth about the “birth” of the world tells us a lot about high Uncertainty Avoidance: at the very beginning there was only Chaos but then Cronos (Time) came in to organize life and make it easier to manage.
Greece has an intermediate score of 51 on this dimension. A score in the middle like this does not indicate a strong preference for either end of the scale.
Greece has an intermediate score of 50 on this dimension, so no clear preference between Indulgence and Restraint can be established.
If we explore the Guatemalan culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Guatemalan culture relative to other world cultures.
At 95 Guatemala sits in the highest rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are simply a fact of life. This inequality is accepted in all layers of society, so a union leader will have a lot of concentrated power compared to his union management team, and they in turn will have more power than other union members. A similar phenomenon will be observed among business leaders and among the highest positions in government. The leader typically holds a considerable amount of concentrated power.
At a score of 36 Guatemala has a collectivistic culture. Since Guatemalans are collectivistic people, belonging to an in-group and aligning yourself with that group’s opinion is very important. Combined with the high scores in PDI, this means that groups often have strong identities. Communication is indirect and the harmony of the group has to be maintained, open conflicts are avoided. The relationship has a moral base and this always has priority over task fulfillment. Time must be invested initially to establish a relationship of trust. Nepotism may be found more often. Feedback is always indirect, also in the business environment.
Guatemala scores 37 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. This means that the softer aspects of culture such as levelling with others, consensus, sympathy for the underdog are valued and encouraged. Conflicts are avoided in private and work life and consensus at the end is important. Leisure time is important for Guatemalans, it is the time when the whole family, clan and friends come together to enjoy life. Status is shown, but this comes more out of the high PDI.
At 98 Guatemala has a very high score on Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that as a nation they are seeking mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. In order to minimize anxiety, people make use of a lot of rituals. Emotions are openly expressed; there are (extensive) rules for everything and social conservatism enjoys quite a following. This is also reflected in religion, which is respected, followed by many and conservative. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends on the in-group’s opinion, on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members and it depends, ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules. In work terms this results in detailed planning that may not necessarily be followed in practice.
Guatemala has a low score of 25 in this dimension. This score indicates a strong preference for a normative way of thinking. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
There is currently no score for Guatemala on this dimension.
If we explore the Honduran culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Honduran culture relative to other world cultures.
Honduras, with a high score of 80, is shown to have a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
In this dimension, Honduras has a very low score of 20 which shows that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
A low score of 40 indicates that Honduras can be considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
This dimension, Uncertainty Avoidance, has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings anxiety with it, and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.
Honduras’ low score of 50 on this dimension means that it is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
At this time there are no results for Honduras on this dimension.
At this time there are no results for Honduras on this dimension.
If we explore the Hong Kong culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Hong Kong culture relative to other world cultures.
At 68 Hong Kong has a high score on PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power abuse by superiors. Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in general optimistic about people’s capacity for leadership and initiative.
At a score of 50 Hong Kong does not indicate a strong preference to either end of the scale.
At 57 Hong Kong is somewhat a Decisive society - success oriented and driven. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many will spend many hours at work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Another example is that students care very much about their exam scores and ranking as this is the main criteria to achieve success or not.
At 29 Hong Kong has a very low score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life. The people in Hong Kong are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. They are adaptable and entrepreneurial.
The high score of 93 shows that Hong Kong's culture is pragmatic. In societies with a strong pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Hong Kong’s score on this dimension is very low at 17, this indicated that it is more Restrained. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Hungarian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Hungarian culture relative to other world cultures.
Hungary scores low on this dimension (score of 46) which means that the following characterises the Hungarian style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative.
Hungary, with a score of 71 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. In Individualist societies offense causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merit only, and management is the management of individuals.
Hungary scores 88 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus a Decisive society. In countries with high scores on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Hungary scores 82 on this dimension and thus has a preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Hungary is shown to be a relatively normative country with a score of 45 on this dimension. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Hungary has a low score of 31 on this dimension. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Icelandic culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Icelandic culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very low score of 30, it is clear that in Iceland hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
Iceland’s very high score of 83 in this dimension indicates that it is a highly Individualist culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
With an extremely low score of 10, Iceland is considered a definitively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised.
Iceland’s low score of 50 shows that it is a fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food.
With a score of 57, Iceland, therefore, a score of 57 indicates that it is a relatively pragmatic country. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Icelandic culture scores 67 in this dimension, meaning that it is an Indulgent country. People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Indian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Indian culture relative to other world cultures.
India scores high on this dimension, 77, indicating an appreciation for hierarchy and a top-down structure in society and organizations. If one were to encapsulate the Indian attitude, one could use the following words and phrases : dependent on the boss or the power holder for direction, acceptance of un-equal rights between the power-privileged and those who are lesser down in the pecking order, immediate superiors accessible but one layer above less so, paternalistic leader, management directs, gives reason / meaning to ones work life and rewards in exchange for loyalty from employees. Real Power is centralized even though it may not appear to be and managers count on the obedience of their team members. Employees expect to be directed clearly as to their functions and what is expected of them. Control is familiar, even a psychological security, and attitude towards managers are formal even if one is on first name basis. Communication is top down and directive in its style and often feedback which is negative is never offered up the ladder.
India, with a rather low score of 24, is a society with both collectivistic and Individualist traits. The collectivist side means that there is a high preference for belonging to a larger social framework in which individuals are expected to act for the greater good of one’s defined in-group(s). In such situations, the actions of the individual are influenced by various concepts such as the opinion of one’s family, extended family, neighbors, work group, and other such wider social networks that one has some affiliation toward. For a collectivist, to be rejected by one’s peers or to be thought lowly of by one’s extended and immediate in-groups, leaves him or her rudderless and with a sense of intense emptiness. The employer/employee relationship is one of the expectations based on expectations – Loyalty by the employee and almost familial protection by the Employer. Hiring and promotion decisions are often made based on relationships which are the key to everything in a Collectivist society.
The Individualist aspect of Indian society is seen as a result of its dominant religion/philosophy – Hinduism. The Hindus believe in a cycle of death and rebirth, with the manner of each rebirth being dependent upon how the individual lived the preceding life. People are, therefore, individually responsible for the way they lead their lives and the impact it will have upon their rebirth. This focus on individualism interacts with the otherwise collectivist tendencies of Indian society which leads to its intermediate score on this dimension.
India scores 56 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Decisive society. India is actually very Decisive in terms of visual display of success and power. The designer brand label, the flash and ostentation that goes with advertising one’s success, is widely practiced. However, India is also a spiritual country with millions of deities and various religious philosophies. It is also an ancient country with one of the longest surviving cultures which gives it ample lessons in the value of humility and abstinence. This often reigns in people from indulging in Decisive displays to the extent that they might be naturally inclined to. In more Decisive countries the focus is on success and achievements, validated by material gains. Work is the center of one’s life and visible symbols of success in the workplace are very important.
India scores 40 on this dimension and thus has a medium low preference for avoiding uncertainty. In India, there is acceptance of imperfection; nothing has to be perfect nor has to go exactly as planned. India is traditionally a patient country where tolerance for the unexpected is high ; even welcomed as a break from monotony. People generally do not feel driven and compelled to take action-initiatives and comfortably settle into established rolls and routines without questioning. Rules are often in place just to be circumvented and one relies on innovative methods to “bypass the system”. A word used often is “adjust” and means a wide range of things, from turning a blind eye to rules being flouted to finding a unique and inventive solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem. It is this attitude that is both the cause of misery as well as the most empowering aspect of the country. There is a saying that “nothing is impossible” in India, so long as one knows how to “adjust”.
With an intermediate score of 51 in this dimension, a dominant preference in Indian culture cannot be determined. In India, the concept of “karma” dominates religious and philosophical thought. Time is not linear, and thus is not as important as to western societies which typically score low on this dimension. Countries like India have a great tolerance for religious views from all over the world. Hinduism is often considered a philosophy more than even a religion; an amalgamation of ideas, views, practices, and esoteric beliefs. In India, there is an acceptance that there are many truths and often depends on the seeker. Societies that have a high score on pragmatism typically forgive a lack of punctuality, a changing game plan based on changing reality, and general comfort with discovering the fated path as one goes along rather than playing to an exact plan.
India receives a low score of 26 in this dimension, meaning that it is a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Indonesian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Indonesian culture relative to other world cultures.
Indonesia scores high on this dimension (score of 78) which means that the following characterises the Indonesian style: Being dependent on hierarchy, unequal rights between power holders and non power holders, superiors in-accessible, leaders are directive, management controls and delegates. Power is centralized and managers count on the obedience of their team members. Employees expect to be told what to do and when. Control is expected and managers are respected for their position. Communication is indirect and negative feedback hidden. High Power Distance also means that Indonesian co-workers would expect to be clearly directed by the boss or manager – it is the classic Guru-Student kind of dynamic that applies to Indonesia. Westerners may be considerably surprised with the visible, socially acceptable, wide and unequal disparity between the rich and poor .
Indonesia, with a super low score of 5 is a Collectivist society. This means there is a high preference for a strongly defined social framework in which individuals are expected to conform to the ideals of the society and the in-groups to which they belong. One place this is visible is in the aspect of the Family in the role of relationships. For example, In Indonesia, if one wishes to marry, it is important to meet a woman’s family because the family is so important to her. If a man wants to be taken seriously by a woman, he has to visit the latter’s family and introduce himself formally to the parents of the girl. It is inappropriate to court a woman and formalize the relationship without informing the parents of the girl first. Another example of the collectivist culture of Indonesia is in the equation between child and parent
Indonesian children are committed to their parents, as are the parents committed to them all their growing lives. They desire to make their parents’ life easier. There is a desire to take care of parents and give them support in their old age. An Asian saying that is accepted in Indonesia, “ You can get another wife or husband but not another mother or father” This family loyalty is also apparent in the fact that Indonesian families keep elders (such as grandparents) at home instead of sending them to any institution. In Individualist societies the focus is on the nuclear family only.
Indonesia scores (46) on this dimension and is thus considered a society with low Motivation towards Achievement and Success. While not entirely like most North European countries who are very low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and thus considered Consensus, Indonesia is less Decisive than some other Asian countries like Japan, China and India. In Indonesia, status and visible symbols of success are important but it is not always material gain that brings motivation. Often it is the position that a person holds which is more important to them because of an Indonesian concept called “gengsi” – loosely translated to be, “outward appearances”. It is important that the “gengsi” be strongly maintained thereby projecting a different outward appearance aimed at impressing and creating the aura of status.
In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown. An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement. In contrast, countries scoring high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success (that do not score too low on the scale to be called Consensus countries), display the traits of Decisive societies but to a lesser degree.
Indonesia scores (48) on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. This means that there is a strong preference in Indonesia toward the Javanese culture of separation of internal self from external self. When a person is upset, it is habitual for the Indonesian not to show negative emotion or anger externally. They will keep smiling and be polite, no matter how angry they are inside. This also means that maintaining work place and relationship harmony is very important in Indonesia, and no one wishes to be the transmitter of bad or negative news or feedback. Another aspect of this dimension can be seen in Conflict resolution. Direct Communication as a method of conflict resolution is often seen to be a threatening situation and one that the Indonesian is uncomfortable in. A tried and tested, successful method of conflict diffusion or resolution is to take the more familiar route of using a third party intermediary, which has many benefits. It permits the exchange of views without loss of face as well as since one of the main manifestations of Indonesia’s Uncertainty Avoidance is to maintain the appearance of harmony in the workplace; an intermediary removes the uncertainty associated with a confrontation.
Perhaps one very key phrase in Indonesia that describes how this works is “Asal Bapak Senang” (Keep the Boss Happy). The reason is multifold; but if you extrapolate to UAI dimension you can see that keeping the boss happy means you will be rewarded and if you are rewarded you have no economic or status uncertainty as you will keep being a valuable member of the company.
Indonesia, a score of 29 indicates it has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 38 in this dimension shows that Indonesia has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Iranian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Iranian culture relative to other world cultures.
Iran receives an intermediate score of 58 on this dimension so it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Iran, with a score of 23 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Iran scores 43 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
Iran scores 59 on this dimension, and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
Iran, with a low score of 30 indicates that it has a strongly normative cultural orientation. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The low score of 40 in this dimension means that Iran has a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Iraqi culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Iraqi culture relative to other world cultures.
Iraq scores high on this dimension (score of 97) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Iraq, with a score of 25 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’ be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
With an intermediate score of 53, Iraq has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
Iraq scores 96 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Iraq’s low score of 11 reveals that it has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
The very low score of 23 in this dimension means that Iraqi society is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
Source of 6D data of this country: Almutairi, S., Heller, M., & Yen, D. (2020). Reclaiming the heterogeneity of the Arab states. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.
If we explore the Irish culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Irish culture relative to other world cultures.
At 28 Ireland sits in the much lower rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. Within Irish organisations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.
At a score of 58 Ireland has a relatively Individualist culture. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring, and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.
At 68, Ireland is high on Motivation towards Achievement and Success. Behaviour in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. The Irish are proud of their successes and achievements in life, and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
At 35 Ireland has a low score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Ideas are important, being imaginative is appreciated. Irish businesses embrace creativity and are always looking for new ways to approach problems. Making a point with practical facts is more appreciated than the use of too much technical language.
With a score of 51 on this dimension, Ireland does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
With a high score of 65, it is clear that Irish culture is one of Indulgence. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
If we explore the Israeli culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Israeli culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 13 points Israel is at the very low end of this dimension compared to other countries. With an egalitarian mindset the Israelis believe in independency, equal rights, accessible superiors and that management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Respect among the Israelis is something, which you earn by proving your hands-on expertise. Workplaces have an informal atmosphere with direct and involving communication and on a first name basis. Employees expect to be consulted.
The Israeli society is a blend of Individualist and collectivistic cultures (56). Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are common. And at the same time extended families, with many children and close ties to all other family members are a part of society as well. There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. Communication is direct and expressive.
With a score of 47, Israel is neither a clear Decisive nor Consensus society. Some elements point at more Decisive features. Performance is highly valued. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches, and technical devices.
Israel is among the stronger uncertainty avoidant countries (81). In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, security is an important element in individual motivation. Cultures with a high score on this dimension are often very expressive. Something the Israelis clearly show while talking with their hands, gesticulating and vocal aggressiveness.
With a score of 47 on this dimension, Israel does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale.
There is currently no score for Israel on this dimension.
If we explore the Italian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Italian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a score of 50, Northern Italy tends to prefer equality and a decentralisation of power and decision-making. Control and formal supervision is generally disliked among the younger generation, who demonstrate a preference for teamwork and an open management style. Bear in mind that the high score on Individualism accentuates the aversion of being controlled and told what to do.
In Southern Italy all the consequences of PDI are often high, quite the opposite of Northern Italy.
At a score of 53, Italy, as a whole, does not have a strong preference for either end of the scale. Yet, a regional divide can be observed: the Northern and Central parts of Italy have an individualistic culture, especially in the big and rich cities where people can feel alone even in the middle of a big and busy crowd.
For Italians, having their ideas and objectives in life is very motivating and the route to happiness is through personal fulfilment. Southern Italy is on the collectivistic side of the scale: the family network and the group one belongs to are important social aspects, and rituals such as weddings or Sunday lunches with the family are occasions that one can’t miss. People going from Southern Italy to the North say that they feel cold not only because of the different climate but also because of the less “warm” approach in relationships.
With a score of 70, Italy is a Decisive society – highly success oriented and driven. Children are taught from an early age that competition is good and to be a winner is important in one’s life. Italians show their success by acquiring status symbols such as a beautiful car, a big house, a yacht and travels to exotic countries. As the working environment is the place where every Italian can reach his/her success, competition among colleagues for making a career can be very strong.
At 75 Italy has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation Italians are not comfortable in ambiguous situations. Formality in Italian society is important and the Italian penal and civil code are complicated with clauses, codicils etc. What is surprising for the foreigner is the apparent contradiction between all the existing norms and procedures and the fact that Italians don’t always comply with them. But in a bureaucratic country one learns very soon which the important ones are and which are not, in order to survive the red tape. In work terms high Uncertainty Avoidance results in large amounts of detailed planning. The low Uncertainty Avoidance approach (where the planning process can be flexible to changing environment) can be very stressful for Italians.
In Italy the combination of high Masculinity and high Uncertainty Avoidance makes life very difficult and stressful. To release some of the tension that is built up during the day Italians need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, enjoying a long meal or frequent coffee breaks. Due to their high score in this dimension Italians are very passionate people: emotions are so powerfully that individuals cannot keep them inside and must express them to others, especially with the use of body language.
Italy, a score of 39 on this dimension shows that Italian culture is a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
A low score of 30 indicates that Italian culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Jamaican culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Jamaican culture relative to other world cultures.
Jamaica scores low on this dimension (score of 45) which means that the following characterises the Jamaican style: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative
Jamaica, with a score of 39 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Jamaica scores 68 on Motivation towards Achievement and Success and is thus considered a Decisive society. In Decisive countries, people “live in order to work”, and managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
Jamaica scores 13 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
There is currently no score for Jamaica on this dimension.
There is currently no score for Jamaica on this dimension.
If we explore the Japanese culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Japanese culture relative to other world cultures.
At an intermediate score of 54, Japan is a borderline hierarchical society. Yes, Japanese are always conscious of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly. However, it is not as hierarchical as most of the other Asian cultures. Some foreigners experience Japan as extremely hierarchical because of their business experience of painstakingly slow decision making process: all the decisions must be confirmed by each hierarchical layer and finally by the top management in Tokyo. Paradoxically, the exact example of their slow decision making process shows that in Japanese society there is no one top guy who can take decision like in more hierarchical societies. Another example of not so high Power Distance is that Japan has always been a meritocratic society. There is a strong notion in the Japanese education system that everybody is born equal and anyone can get ahead and become anything if he (yes, it is still he) works hard enough.
Japan scores 62 on the Individualism dimension. Japanese society shows the characteristics of an individualistic society. Japanese society does not have an extended family system like China and Korea. Japan has been a paternalistic society and the family name and asset was inherited from the father to the eldest son. The younger siblings had to leave home and make their living with their core families. Japanese are famous for their loyalty to their companies, which people have chosen for themselves, which is an Individualist thing to do. You could say that the Japanese in-group is situational. Japanese are more private and reserved than most other Asians.
At 95, Japan is one of the most Decisive societies in the world. However, in combination with their mild collectivism, you do not see assertive and competitive individual behaviors which we often associate with a Decisive culture. What you see is severe competition between groups. From a very young age at kindergartens, children learn to compete on sports day for their groups (traditionally red team against white team).
In corporate Japan, you see that employees are most motivated when they are fighting in a winning team against their competitors. What you also see as an expression of Decisiveness in Japan is the drive for excellence and perfection in their material production (monodukuri) and in material services (hotels and restaurants) and presentation (gift wrapping and food presentation) in every aspect of life. Notorious Japanese workaholism is another expression of their Decisiveness. It is still hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their Decisive norm of hard and long working hours.
At 92 Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries on earth. This is often attributed to the fact that Japan is constantly threatened by natural disasters from earthquakes, tsunamis (this is a Japanese word used internationally), typhoons to volcano eruptions. Under these circumstances Japanese learned to prepare themselves for any uncertain situation. This goes not only for the emergency plan and precautions for sudden natural disasters but also for every other aspects of society. You could say that in Japan anything you do is prescribed for maximum predictability. From cradle to grave, life is highly ritualized and you have a lot of ceremonies. For example, there is opening and closing ceremonies of every school year which are conducted almost exactly the same way everywhere in Japan. At weddings, funerals and other important social events, what people wear and how people should behave are prescribed in great detail in etiquette books. School teachers and public servants are reluctant to do things without precedence. In corporate Japan, a lot of time and effort is put into feasibility studies and all the risk factors must be worked out before any project can start. Managers ask for all the detailed facts and figures before taking any decision. This high need for Uncertainty Avoidance is one of the reasons why changes are so difficult to realize in Japan.
At 100 Japan scores the most Long Term Orientation oriented societies. Japanese see their life as a very short moment in the long history of mankind. From this perspective, some kind of fatalism is not strange to the Japanese. You do your best in your lifetime and that is all that you can do. The notion of the one and only almighty God is not familiar to the Japanese. People live their lives guided by virtues and practical good examples. In corporate Japan, you see long-term orientation in the constantly high rate of investment in R[&]D even in economically difficult times, higher own capital rate, priority to steady growth of market share rather than to a quarterly profit, and so on. They all serve the durability of the companies. The idea behind it is that the companies are not here to make money every quarter for the shareholders but to serve the stakeholders and society at large for many generations to come (e.g. Matsuhista).
Japan, with a low score of 42, is shown to have a culture of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Jordanian culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Jordanian culture relative to other world cultures.
With a high score of 70, Jordan has a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Jordan’s low score of 20 on this dimension means that it is considered a collectivistic society. This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offense leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, and management is the management of groups.
Jordan has a moderately low score of 45, meaning that it is thus considered a Consensus society. In countries scoring low on Motivation towards Achievement and Success, the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their work lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, and status is not shown or emphasised.
In this dimension Jordan receives an intermediate score of 65, and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work), time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted and security is an important element in individual motivation.
The very low score of 20 indicates that Jordan is expected to have a strongly normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Jordan’s relatively low score of 43 indicates that its culture is one of Restraint. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are, or should be, Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
If we explore the Kazakhstani culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Kazakhstani culture relative to other world cultures.
With a very high score of 88, Kazakhstan is a nation where power holders are very distant in society. People in this society accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, and the different distribution of power justifies the fact that power holders have more benefits than the less powerful in society. The discrepancy between the less and the more powerful people leads to a great importance of status symbols.
Kazakhstan’s very low score of 20, indicates that it is a highly collectivistic society. This is evident in the early integration and close, long-term commitment to a strong, cohesive ‘in-group’. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for and protects fellow members of their group. Loyalty is paramount and overrides most other societal rules. In these societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face.
With an intermediate score of 50, Kazakhstan has a bit of both worlds: high Motivation towards Achievement and Success for certain parts and low Motivation towards Achievement and Success for others, but no clearly dominant cultural value.
At 88, Kazakhstan scores very high on Uncertainty Avoidance, demonstrating that as a nation they see mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. People do not readily accept change and are very risk adverse. They maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. To minimize the level of uncertainty, there is an emotional need for strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations.
With a very high score of 85, Kazakhstani culture is shown to be highly pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context, and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.