Issue 2 2009 > Intercultural Tips
Intercultural Tips
Cultural Dimensions in China
"Dimensions of Culture" is a widely accepted industry tool that is used to measure cultural differences. One of the commonly used dimensions is Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions, where cultural data was initially collected from IBM employees from 70 countries, then further enhanced with data from commercial airline pilots and students in 23 countries, civil service managers in 14 countries, "up-market" consumers in 15 countries and "elites" in 19 countries.
The contributions from all this research data validated earlier findings and helped Hofstede to develop a model that identifies four primary "Dimensions of Culture" to assist in differentiating cultures. A fifth dimension was added after conducting an additional international study developed with Chinese employees and managers, and was applied to 23 countries. The cultural dimensions are Power Distance - PDI, Individualism - IDV, Masculinity - MAS, Uncertainty Avoidance - UAI and Long-Term Orientation - LTO.
Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions: China vs. World Average
Power Distance Index PDI (China 80 vs. World Average 56.5)
To read about how these principles are applied in China, please click here.
To visit Crown's intercultural website, Global Passport®, please click here.