The Six Cultural Dimensions

This dimension expresses a culture’s attitude towards equality or inequality based on power, position and authority. It is formally defined as the extent to which less powerful members of institutions and organisations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

In a culture with large power distance, the boss talks and employees listen. In a culture with small power distance, employees are delegated more control and have a stronger voice in decision-making.

This dimension describes the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members and whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “we”.

In individualist societies, people are expected to look after themselves and their direct family, think freely and choose their own path. In collectivist societies, people belong to groups that care for them in exchange for loyalty, with shared opinions and values encouraged.

This dimension is also described as masculine or feminine culture, or as “motivation towards achievement and success”.

Core values in a tender culture are caring and modesty. Quality of life and cooperation are emphasised. In a tough culture, success and ambition are central; employees are expected to be assertive, competitive and judged on performance.

In cultures that avoid uncertainty, there tend to be many rules and a preference for straight answers over multiple interpretations. In other cultures, uncertainty may be viewed positively, with flexibility and adaptability highly valued.

Uncertainty avoidance helps explain attitudes towards punctuality, teacher–student relationships and even the number of nurses and doctors within a country.

Every society must maintain links with its past while dealing with present and future challenges. Societies prioritise these goals differently.

Normative societies tend to maintain time-honoured traditions and view change with suspicion. More pragmatic cultures encourage thrift and modern education as ways to prepare for the future.

This dimension concerns the degree to which people control desires and impulses based on how they were raised and socialised.

Relatively weak control is described as indulgence, while relatively strong control is described as restraint.