DHAKA CITY COLLEGE

ASSIGNMENT ON
Cultural 6 Dimension Model of
Bangladesh & Germany

Submitted to:
Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Mahfuz
Associate Professor
Department of Marketing
Jagannath University, Dhaka
Submitted by:
Md. Junayed Saad Rahman
Id. No.: MBA - 1423
Batch: 14th;
Major: Marketing
Session: 2016 - 2017
Dhaka City College

Date of Submission:
/09/2019
NATIONAL CULTURE
Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how
values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He defines culture as “the
collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or
category of people from others”.

“National Culture cannot be changed, but you should understand and

respect it.” - Geert Hofstede

The six dimensions of national culture are based on extensive research done by
Professor Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede, Michael Minkov and their research
teams.

The application of this research is used worldwide in both academic and professional
management settings.

DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL CULTURE:

The Hofstede model of national culture consists of six dimensions. The cultural
dimensions represent independent preferences for one state of affairs over another
that distinguish countries (rather than individuals) from each other.

The country scores on the dimensions are relative, in that we are all human and
simultaneously we are all unique. In other words, culture can only be used
meaningfully by comparison. The model consists of the following dimensions:

POWER DISTANCE INDEX (PDI)

This dimension expresses the 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.

People in societies exhibiting a large degree of Power Distance accept a hierarchical

order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In
societies with low Power Distance, people strive to equalise the distribution of power
and demand justification for inequalities of power.

INDIVIDUALISM VERSUS COLLECTIVISM (IDV)

The high side of this dimension, called Individualism, can be defined as a preference
for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of
only themselves and their immediate families.

Its opposite, Collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit framework in

society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular
ingroup to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. A society’s
position on this dimension is reflected in whether people’s self-image is defined in
terms of “I” or “we.”
MASCULINITY VERSUS FEMININITY (MAS)
The Masculinity side of this dimension 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.

In the business context Masculinity versus Femininity is sometimes also related to as

“tough versus tender” cultures.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE INDEX (UAI)

The Uncertainty Avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which the members of
a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue
here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should
we try to control the future or just let it happen?

Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour, and are
intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more
relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION VERSUS SHORT TERM NORMATIVE

ORIENTATION (LTO)
Every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the
challenges of the present and the future. Societies prioritize these two existential
goals differently.

Societies who 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.

In the business context, this dimension is referred to as “(short-term) normative

versus (long-term) pragmatic” (PRA). In the academic environment, the terminology
Monumentalism versus Flexhumility is sometimes also used.

INDULGENCE VERSUS RESTRAINT (IVR)

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.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how
values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He analysed a large database of
employee value scores collected within IBM between 1967 and 1973.

The data covered more than 70 countries, from which Hofstede first used the 40
countries with the largest groups of respondents and afterwards extended the analysis
to 50 countries and 3 regions.

Subsequent studies validating the earlier results include such respondent groups as
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.

In the 2010 edition of the book, “Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind”,
scores on the dimensions are listed for 76 countries, partly based on replications and
extensions of the IBM study on different international populations and by different
scholars.

WHAT ABOUT BANGLADESH?

If we explore the Bangladesh culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a
good overview of the deep drivers of its culture relative to other world cultures.

POWER DISTANCE
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it
expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power
Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions
and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed
unequally.

Bangladesh scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people
accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no
further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent
inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and
the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat

INDIVIDUALISM
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence
a society maintains among its members. It has to do 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. In Collectivist
societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.
Bangladesh, with a score of 20 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest
in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended
family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and
over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong
relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group.
In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee
relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion
decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is the management
of groups.

MASCULINITY
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven
by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner /
best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout
organizational life.

A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society
are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of
life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The
fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine)
or liking what you do (Feminine).

Bangladesh scores 55 on this dimension and can be considered a a Masculine society.

In Masculine countries people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be
decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and
conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.

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: should we try to control the future
or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have
learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members
of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created
beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty
Avoidance.

Bangladesh scores 60 on this dimension and thus has an high score. Countries
exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour
and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an
emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people
have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm,
innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
LONG TERM ORIENTATION
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
prioritize 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.

Bangladesh has an intermediate score at 47, this does not indicate a strong preference
in either direction.

INDULGENCE
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”. Cultures can,
therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

Bangladesh has a very low Indulgence score of 20. This makes it a Restrained
country. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism
and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not
put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires.
People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by
social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
WHAT ABOUT GERMANY?
If we explore the German culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get
a good overview of the deep drivers of German culture relative to other world
cultures.

POWER DISTANCE
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it
expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power
Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions
and organization within a country expect and accept that power is distributed
unequally.

Highly decentralized and supported by a strong middle class, Germany is not

surprisingly among the lower power distant countries (score 35). Co-determination
rights are comparatively extensive and have to be taken into account by the
management. A direct and participative communication and meeting style is
common, control is disliked and leadership is challenged to show expertise and best
accepted when it’s based on it.

INDIVIDUALISM
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence
a society maintains among its members. It has to do 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. In Collectivist
societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.

The German society is a truly Individualist one (67). Small families with a focus on
the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are most common.
There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based on personal
preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. This is defined
by the contract between the employer and the employee. Communication is among
the most direct in the world following the ideal to be “honest, even if it hurts” – and
by this giving the counterpart a fair chance to learn from mistakes.

MASCULINITY
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven
by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner /
best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout
organizational life.

A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society
are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of
life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable.

The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best
(Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).
With a score of 66 Germany is considered a Masculine society. Performance is
highly valued and early required as the school system separates children into
different types of schools at the age of ten. People rather “live in order to work” and
draw a lot of self-esteem from their tasks. Managers are expected to be decisive and
assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches and technical devices.

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: should we try to control the future
or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures
have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the
members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and
have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score
on Uncertainty Avoidance.

Germany is among the uncertainty avoidant countries (65); the score is on the high
end, so there is a slight preference for Uncertainty Avoidance. In line with the
philosophical heritage of Kant, Hegel and Fichte there is a strong preference for
deductive rather than inductive approaches, be it in thinking, presenting or planning:
the systematic overview has to be given in order to proceed. This is also reflected by
the law system. Details are equally important to create certainty that a certain topic
or project is well-thought-out. In combination with their low Power Distance, where
the certainty for own decisions is not covered by the larger responsibility of the boss,
Germans prefer to compensate for their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on
expertise.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION

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.

Germany’s high score of 83 indicates that it is a pragmatic country. In societies with

a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation,
context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed
conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in
achieving results.
INDULGENCE
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”. Cultures can,
therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

The low score of 40 on this dimension indicates that the German culture is
Restrained in nature. Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to
cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies
do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their
desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are
Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.