Individualist vs Collectivist Cultures

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Culture Dimensions
Cultural dimensions are developed by the Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede. The framework aims for a better understanding of cultures and the values and behavior of its members. The theory is based on large surveys within IBM in the 1970s and studies how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. Hofstede found clear patterns of similarity with people from the same country and differences between different countries which can be arranged in following dimensions:

Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV)
This refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. People in individualist cultures focus primarily on themselves and their direct relatives. Membership in groups is optional an is not seen as essential to one's identity or success. People in collectivist cultures represent a preference for a tightly-knit framework of group memberships. The sense of oneself comes from membership and role in a group, such as one's family, tribe or team. Group members are relatively close but distant toward non-group members. This dimension reflects whether people’s self-image is defined primarily in terms of ‘I’ or ‘We’.

Power Distance Index (PDI)
This dimension expresses the accepted and expected distribution of power. In cultures with low power distance, people expect to take part in the process of decision-making. The decisions of leaders are more democratic and power and responsibility is shared among people. Decisions of the boss can be questioned and discussed. Cultures with high power distance accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place that needs no further justification. People accept centralized decisions of their leaders and tend not to question or discus...

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...es most people have great respect for social conventions and traditions as a absolute truth and a strong desire to seek for personal stability and quick social rewards. With pragmatic orientation, people accept that it is impossible to understand the full complexity of life and seek more for virtues but absolute truth. In pragmatic societies people accept contradictions, adapt according to the circumstances and have a turn to save and invest and have persistence when achieving results.

Indulgence versus Restraint (IVR)
This dimension describes the pursuit for happiness and hedonistic behaviors. Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of desires and human needs related and allows to enjoy life and having fun in a hedonistic manner. Restraint stands for societies where gratifications are regulated by status and strict social norms.

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