National Culture Dr Lucy Rattrie National Cultures in IB A system of deeply founded values, attitudes and behaviours of the members of a society (Leung et al, 2005). A kind of mental programming, or patterns of thought, feeling and action that each person acquires in childhood, and then applied throughout life (Hofstede, 2001). Various classifications e.g. Schwartz (1992, 1999), the World Values Survey and Inglehart (1997) and more recently the GLOBE study (House et al., 2004; Chhokar, Brodbeck, & House, 2008) – see reading for further info. National Cultures in IB Collective programming of the mind and manifests itself not only in values, but in more superficial ways: symbols, heroes, rituals. Hofstede (2005) 2 minute activity – In pairs, think of reasons why it’s beneficial for understanding cultures in IB. National Cultures in IB Institutions can not be understood without considering culture, and understanding culture presumes insights into institutions (Hofstede, 2005) Common culture applies to societies, not to nations… yet… people refer to ‘typically American’, ‘typically German’, ‘typically Japanese’ behavior (Hofstede, 2005) Consider context, skills, behaviours, communications, authority, how people think, feel, behave, live and work. 2 minute activity – In pairs, think of rituals or habits that are typically American. 6-D cultural typology is the most often used. Initial study of 116,000 IBM employees who worked in 72 countries (n=53). Hofstede’s work reveals underlying dimensions of culture: • Power Distance Index (PDI) • Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) • Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV) • Masculinity vs. Femininity (MAS) • *Long-term vs. short-term orientation (LTO) • *Indulgence vs. restraint (IND) – a new dimension Hofstede’s cultural dimensions Hofstede Dimensions Power Distance (PD) • Degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. • The fundamental issue here is how a society handles inequalities among people. Individualism/Collectivism (Ind/Col) • Degree to which there is as a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families vs. • A tightly-knit framework where individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular ingroup to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. Masculinity/ Femininity • Masculinity represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success. Society at large is more competitive. • Its opposite, Femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented. Uncertainty Avoidance • The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known e.g. .

1. National Culture
Dr Lucy Rattrie
National Cultures in IB
A system of deeply founded values, attitudes and behaviours of
the members of a society (Leung
et al, 2005).
A kind of mental programming, or patterns of thought, feeling
and action that each person
acquires in childhood, and then applied throughout life
(Hofstede, 2001).
Various classifications e.g. Schwartz (1992, 1999), the World
Values Survey and Inglehart (1997)
and more recently the GLOBE study (House et al., 2004;
Chhokar, Brodbeck, & House, 2008) – see
reading for further info.
National Cultures in IB
Collective programming of
the mind and manifests itself
not only in values, but in
more superficial ways:

2. symbols, heroes, rituals.
Hofstede (2005)
2 minute activity –
In pairs, think of reasons why it’s beneficial for
understanding cultures in IB.
National Cultures in IB
Institutions can not be understood without considering
culture, and understanding culture presumes insights
into institutions (Hofstede, 2005)
Common culture applies to societies, not to nations…
yet… people refer to ‘typically American’, ‘typically
German’, ‘typically Japanese’ behavior (Hofstede, 2005)
Consider context, skills, behaviours, communications,
authority, how people think, feel, behave, live and work.
2 minute activity –
In pairs, think of rituals or habits that are typically American.
6-D cultural typology is the most often used.
Initial study of 116,000 IBM employees who worked in 72

3. countries (n=53).
Hofstede’s work reveals underlying dimensions of culture:
• Power Distance Index (PDI)
• Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)
• Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV)
• Masculinity vs. Femininity (MAS)
• *Long-term vs. short-term orientation (LTO)
• *Indulgence vs. restraint (IND) – a new dimension
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
Hofstede Dimensions
Power Distance (PD)
• Degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept
and
expect that power is distributed unequally.
• The fundamental issue here is how a society handles
inequalities
among people.
Individualism/Collectivism (Ind/Col)
• Degree to which there is as a preference for a loosely-knit
social
framework in which individuals are expected to take care of
only
themselves and their immediate families vs.
• A tightly-knit framework where individuals can expect their
relatives

4. or members of a particular ingroup to look after them in
exchange
for unquestioning loyalty.
Masculinity/ Femininity
• Masculinity represents a preference in society for
achievement,
heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success.
Society at
large is more competitive.
• Its opposite, Femininity, stands for a preference for
cooperation,
modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at
large is
more consensus-oriented.
Uncertainty Avoidance
• The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way
that a
society deals with the fact that the future can never be known
e.g.
uncertainty.
• Should we try to control the future or just let it happen?
Hofstede Dimensions
Long-term vs. short-term orientation (pragmatism)
• Extent a society maintains links to the past while dealing with

5. challenges of the present and future.
• LTO (high scoring), prepare for the future being pragmatic.
• STO (low scoring), maintain time-honoured traditions.
Indulgence/Restraint
• Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free
gratification
of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and
having
fun.
• Restraint stands for a society that suppresses gratification of
needs
and regulates it by means of strict social norms.
Hofstede Dimensions
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/
Mapping culture for countries
Guidance on culture for countries
China – Blue
Greece – Purple
UK - Green
Comparing cultures – a tool for IB
• Company bias, with a large MNC having a corporate culture

6. • Time of data collection and analysis (1980s)
• Non-exhaustive, just some cultural dimensions identified
• Partial geographic coverage - Western bias (values western
business
ideals)
• Business culture, not values culture
• Attitudinal rather than behavioral measures, with no
connection
between employee attitudes and employee behaviors.
• National level data generalized into individual behaviour.
Take 5:
• Is there anything about this you would be careful with, when
using it
in IHRM?
• What do you think could be a criticism?
Hofstede Dimensions – be aware of criticism!
Answer the Q:
How do you think national culture influences international
business?
Culture in today’s IB world
Any questions?
[email protected]

7. Strength Finder Assessment- Rubric Available for Assignment
The goal of this assignment is for students to display competent
knowledge of their strengths and how to apply those strengths
in the workplace. The StrengthsFinder 2.0, is a highly
customized Strengths Insights, which will help you understand
how each of your top five strengths impacts daily interactions
and career trajectory. For example, even though you and a
friend may both have the same strength in your top five, the
way this theme is manifested will not be the same. Therefore,
each of you would receive entirely different, personalized
descriptions of how that theme operates in your life. These new
Strengths Insights describe what makes you stand out when
compared to the millions of people who were studied.
Your writing assignment must include the below items:
· Refer to page 31 in your assignment book for instructions on
how to complete the assessment. You will find your unique
access code at the back of the textbook. Must include an
introduction to your top 5 strengths and define each one
separately, make sure to use APA format, do not plagiarize!
· As you are writing address the below questions:
· Whether you agree or disagree with the online assessment
findings, and why?
· How will you employ the “ideas for action” in your own
professional development and personal reflection?
· How do the strengths help with building a professional brand?
Utilize branding guide questions to help? (Located in
blackboard)
· Conclusion- Why are identifying strengths important? Reflect
on the overall outcome of the strengths, and substantively align
these strengths to future goals.
· The paper must be written in APA format:
· Font size 12
· Times New Roman
· Double spaced

8. · One inch margins
· Include title page
· Must be between 2 pages;
· Include a PDF Copy of your assessment or the 5 strengths
identified. Upload it into blackboard with your written
assignment