This dimension expresses the attitude of the culture towards equality or inequality based on power, position and authority. Power Distance is formally defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
In a culture with a large power distance, for example, the boss talks and the employees listen. In a culture with a small power distance, employees are delegated a lot more control and voice in decision-making:
This dimension describes the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members and with whether people's self-image is defined in terms of "I" or "We". In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. People are expected to think freely and go their own way. In Collectivist societies people belong to 'in groups' that take care of them in exchange for loyalty. People are expected to hold similar opinions and values as other group members
This dimension is also known as masculine (tough) or feminine (tender) or 'motivation towards achievement and success'.
Core values in a tender culture are caring for others and modesty. Work and family roles are not thought of as male and female roles. Quality of life is thought to be more important than achieving success. In the workplace, this translates into an environment where people work together and value LIFE in the work-life balance.
Core values in a tough culture are success and ambition. Work and family roles may be distinctly 'male' or 'female'. Employees are expected to be assertive, competitive and are judged on performance. In this culture, people may emphasise WORK in the work-life balance.
In a culture where people avoid uncertainty, there tend to be many rules. People like a straight answer, rather than many different interpretations.
In other cultures, uncertainty is seen as a positive element and people talk about being flexible and adaptable as positive characteristics.
Avoidance of uncertainty can be used to explain cultural attitudes towards punctuality, teacher-student relationships and even the number of nurses and doctors in a country.
This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals differently. Normative societies, which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become "human".
This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised.
Relatively weak control is called "Indulgence" and relatively strong control is called "Restraint".