Geert Hofstede, a Dutch psychologist, was hired by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in the 1960s and 1970s to examine the values and concerns of their employees around the world. While performing this task, Hofstede intentionally explored values related to individualism to understand and compare various cultures. By observing significant differences between cultures, Hofstede was able to formulate the cultural dimensions theory in an attempt to understand cultural trends between cultures, incorporate cultural contexts, and compare individual’s ways of thinking socially. Personally the attempt to quantify culture through various dimensions intrigues me, as I believe that it may be possible. However, I believe that Hofstadter’s current model lacks the proper controls necessary to account for the complex nature of culture.
Hofstede’s model has widely been used in the past two decades to explore meaningful differences between cultures. This culture-based model was established based on data collected from 117,000 IBM employees in 20 different languages within 53 countries and regions. The survey instruments were divided into 4 subsections of questions that were relevant to work satisfaction, personal goals and beliefs, and perceptions. Using this data, Hofstede was able to create a fundamental blueprint of four basic dimensions in which employees of different backgrounds could be meaningfully compared. However, like most pioneer models, the model of cultural-dimensions has inherent methodological flaws as it fails to account for extraneous variables and assumes that occupational and national cultures are not independent of each other.
A central assumption of Hofstede’s model is the notion that the cultural diff...
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...erm Hispanic is erroneously used when describing the inhabitants of South America. Historically, areas that were conquered by the Spaniards were part of a region called Hispania. Modern countries that can trace their history back to the Spanish Empire are considered to be Hispanic, and include Mexico, Central America, and regions in South America where Spanish is the primary language. An exception to this rule would be considered Brazil, which was colonized by Portugal. In contrast, the term Latino has a similar meaning to Hispanic, but includes South American countries where Romance languages are widely spoken. This distinction between Latino and Hispanic individuals is crucial as it displays a cultural difference within South America. To group these two cultural identities as interchangeable terms completely undermines the rich cultural heritage of these people.
Today, the Hispanic population has grown tremendously over the years. We have watched the Hispanics community growth rate grow faster than any other racial and ethnic group in the nation. The Hispanic culture and community has populated all around the United States, introducing new traditions and customs. I was traveling to different to city in the States, I notice the wide spread growth of Hispanic communities, For Instance in Miami the Cuban and El Salvadoran culture is heavy populate in the area. In New York the Puerto Rican culture is dominating through out the several boroughs. I have come around town and Hispanics are known for their good food, which tends to have more diverse people try new cultural customs. Hispanic or Latino Americans are a group of people made up of distinct characteristics. Hispanics or Latinos are defined as a people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish speaking cultures.
Clara E. Rodriguez wrote an essay titled, "What It Means To Be Latino". On this essay she explains the difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino, elaborating on how the term "Hispanic" was created by the U.S. census in 1970, to use it as a general term to describe all of the people who came from, or, had parents who came from a Spanish speaking country. Then she states that the term "Latino", is a term considered to be more neutral and racially inclusive by many people of this population, although she made a good point of view, it still failed to describe the more complexity on the meaning of the term Latino.
Geert Hofstede, Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Second Edition, Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications, 2001
Latino is the preferred term as one that is self-applied, as compared to Hispanic, which is a term
When someone say’s “hispanic,” what definition comes to mind? Hispanics are not one nationality, nor one culture. Instead, Hispanics are greatly diverse people. Our language and cultural origins are Spanish and Latin American, regardless of race and color. Hispanics can be European, Indian, or of African descent, or any combination of the three. The culture could be linked to Mexico, the Caribbean countries, Central America, South America and Spain. Hispanics were once considered a rarity in the United States, now we are found throughout the country.
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
The term Hispanic is used to describe Spanish speaking natives. Spanish is one of the fastest expanding languages in the world and accounts for 21 different countries as their official language. About half of Hispanics originate in Mexico, and there is a lot diversity within the 21 Hispanics countries, therefore even their own traditions and heritages will be specific to them. It is also important to remember that most Hispanics do not like to be referred to as Hispanic but instead from where they reside; for example, Mexican American and Puerto Rican. Hispanics are very family oriented and they consider the oldest male to be the figure of authority, although when it comes to important decisions, the whole family contributes. Other important
The Latino and Hispanic culture has many differences that truly make it unique. This culture is compiled of people living in the United States but have lineage from Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and El Salvador, and other Latin American countries (Sue & Sue, 2007). The terms Hispanic and Latino tend to be used interchangeably in the United States for people with origins in Spanish-speaking or Portuguese-speaking countries, like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Contrary to many beliefs, Hispanic is not a race, but an ethnicity. Hispanic is a term created by the U.S. federal government in the early 1970s in an attempt to provide a common denominator to a large, but diverse, population with connection to the Spanish language or culture from a Spanish-speaking country ( U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). It is imperative to be mindful of the distinctive differences that exist within the sub-groups and between the different groups. Similarly, to the African American culture it is important to know the history of the culture.
Geert Hofstede performed the most lauded research on The Dimensions of Culture theory. His findings and the model that he created were outlined in his 1980 book “Cultures Consequences.” The work was met with both acclaim and disregard from fellow academics. Hofstede’s work is generally quoted and cited without any hesitation even today and his model is still widely used the main guideline for dealing with human resources from a cultural perspective.
...ave their own company culture or own point of view which others may not understand, therefore, there will be some difference in the result. Moreover, respondents had different tasks and goals, which may have affected the study variables. Although analyses showed no significant effects for country and sector, future research may use a more focused setting to replicate the findings. The study can included the cultural fair test in order to eliminate the discrimination of different culture. Third, the disadvantages of rating scales are that the evaluator may rank based on their perception. Sometime although those who interpret the result use objective methods, the evaluators may rate the subject based on their opinions or prejudices without basing them on fact. Therefore, researchers can try to use other methods instead of using scale such as in-person interview.
Basically, Hofstede’s cultural dimension is divided into five dimensions along which national culture could be described: power distance (PDI), individualism-collectivism (IDV), masculinity-femininity (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and long-term orientation versus short-term normative orientation (LTO).
Hofstede ,G. (1980). Hofstede’s Culture’s Consequences- International Differences in Work Related Values. Cross- Cultural Research & Methodology, 5, 18-21.
Hofstede has identified five different cultural dimensions. These dimensions include power-distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance and lastly long term orientation. According to Hofstede, power distance is the first dimension which translates to how all individuals in a society aren't equal and there is a decent amount of inequality when it comes to the division of power. The second dimension involves the theme of individualism which translates to the degree of interdependence as well as how we identify ourselves in terms of "I" or "We". Additionally, Hofstede states that in individualist societies we tend to look only after ourselves and our blood family, however, in collectivistic societies individuals identify themselves as part of groups and take care of each other in exchange for loyalty. The third dimension would be masculinity/ femininity. A high score would translate to a masculine culture which demonstrates a culture driven by competition, achievement and success. On the other hand, a low score which demonstrates a feminine culture shows that the dominant traits involves caring for others and quality of life. The fourth dimension involves uncertainty avoidance which translates to how a society deals with not knowing how the future is going to turn out. This amount of vagueness brings about anxiety and different cultures deal with this issue differently. The fifth and final cultural dimension according to Hofstede is long term orientat...
According to Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter (2011) “motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining a goal” (p. 267). Organizations are always looking for new ways to motivate employees. In a global economy it is important to understand that cultural differences can impact how an organization can motivate its employees. Geert Hofstede (as cited in Sledge, Miles, & Coppage, 2008) believed there are five dimensions of culture. These five dimensions are power distance, individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, and Confucian dynamism (p. 1670). This paper will discuss each dimension of culture and how they could effect employee motivation.
According to Professor Geert Hofstede, dimensionalizing a culture requires a complex analysis of a multitude of categories including differing nations, regions, ethnic groups, religions, organizations, and genders. Hofstede defines culture as "the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another". Throughout his many years of contribution as a social scientist, he has conducted arguably the most comprehensive study of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture, leading to the establishment of the Six Dimensions of National Culture. From this research model, the dimensions of Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty