Podcasting: Culture

Geert Hofstede (1928–2020) was a Dutch social psychologist best known for his pioneering work in cross-cultural psychology and organizational behavior. His most influential contribution was the development of the Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Theory, a framework for understanding how values in the workplace are influenced by culture.

Country comparison graphs allows you to pick any set of countries, and display any set of dimensions of culture in 2-D, plus colour shades for a third dimension.

Edward T. Hall (1914–2009) was an American anthropologist and a foundational figure in the field of intercultural communication. His work focused on how people from different cultures perceive and use space, time, and context in communication.

• Do you think Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are still relevant in today’s globalized world? Why or why not?
• Hofstede warned against reifying cultural dimensions. What are the risks of treating these dimensions as fixed traits of national identity?
• How might Edward Hall’s concept of “context” help explain misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication that Hofstede’s dimensions cannot?
• Hall emphasized the importance of non-verbal communication (e.g., space, time, context). How might this be overlooked in Hofstede’s more abstract, data-driven model?

Country comparison bar charts allows you to pick any set of countries, and display and compare all dimensions in a bar chart. You can pick countries from the search bar, or you can select them from the globe.

Cultural Dimensions Theory: Initially, Hofstede proposed four dimensions of culture:

1. Power Distance
2. Individualism vs. Collectivism
3. Uncertainty Avoidance
4. Masculinity vs. Femininity

Later, two more dimensions were added:

        5. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation

6. Indulgence vs. Restraint

• Hall coined this term to describe how people use personal space in communication.
• He identified four spatial zones: intimate, personal, social, and public, which vary across cultures.