Hofstedes Culture Work Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hofstedes Culture Work - Case Study eventThis obliviousness to the existence of culture and the shared basic assumptions that unites a cultural group often leads to members of that group go confused or irritated when situations arise which are alien to their set of norms and expectations.Hofstede has conducted a study in which he researched some employees of Germanys E.ON in Spain. However, Hofstedes E.ON questionnaire was not designed for cultural comparisons but for organisational development. Employees gave self-report responses to about 160 items which Hofstede analysed with dexterity he compared scores not for individuals but between countries, which he called an ecological analysis. He reported and analysed tetrad dimensions of culture individuality versus Collectivism Individualism - a gustatory sensation for a loosely knit sociable framework in society, in which individuals are supposed to take care of themselves and immediate familys only as opposed to Collectivism - a preference for a tightly knit social framework...Masculinity versus muliebrity Masculinity - a preference for achievement, heroism, assertivene... iduals are supposed to take care of themselves and immediate familys only as opposed to Collectivism - a preference for a tightly knit social framework...Masculinity versus womanhood Masculinity - a preference for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material success as opposed to Femininity - a preference for relationships, modesty, caring for the weak, and the quality of lifeUncertainty Avoidance the degree to which members of society feel uncomfortable with disbelief and ambiguity (Hofstede, 1983, 1991)Hofstede has do unusual efforts to elaborate the conceptual nature of his dimensions. Such extensions have also been made by others such as Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997). There is already considerable research concentrating on these dimensions, especially regarding individualism-and collectivism.Individualism versus Collec tivismOur sense of identity is often dependent, to a large degree, on our sense of belonging to and linkup with a particular group - be it family, caste, clan, tribe or class. However, in individualistic countries, much to a greater extent emphasis is placed on the realisation of the individual. Independence is greatly valued and social bonds between pot turn tail to be relatively loose and flexible. This is particularly evident in the decision-making process as decisions tend to be made by individuals in positions of authority rather than by a committee or group.On the other hand, collectivistic countries are primarily oriented towards common goals and objectives and more value is placed on group interests. In collectivistic countries, employees often expect the organisation to protect their interests by counseling of providing them with professional development, benefits and long term security within the organisation.Needless to say