Dimensions of Culture is a widely accepted industry tool that is used to measure cultural differences.

One of the commonly used dimensions is Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions, where cultural data was initially collected from IBM employees from 70 countries, then further enhanced with data from commercial airline pilots and students in 23 countries, civil service managers in 14 counties, up-market consumers in 15 countries and elites in 19 countries. The contributions from all this research data validated earlier findings and helped Hofstede to develop a model that identifies four primary Dimensions of Culture to assist in differentiating cultures. A fifth dimension was added after conducting an additional international study developed with Chinese employees and managers, and was applied to 23 countries. 1. Power Distance - PDI 2. Individualism - IDV 3. Masculinity - MAS 4. Uncertainty Avoidance - UAI 5. Long-Term Orientation LTO While these dimensions, particularly the first three, are widely accepted in the intercultural training industry, its important to remember Dimensions show tendencies of the countrys culture as a whole and do not consider regional subcultures e.g., differences between East & West Coasts in the U.S. or Northern & Southern France, which may have substantial differences. Dimensions are to be used as a guide in understanding the difference in culture between countries and are not set in stone. As always, there are exceptions to the rule. Below are more detailed descriptions of their intents. Power DistancePDI PDI refers to the degree of inequality that existsand is acceptedespecially by the less powerful members of a group, organization, institution or society. High PDI - society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand their place in the system; concern is more for hierarchy and a reluctance or fear to speak up. In a high PDI workplace, employees perceive managers as less approachable, communication flows downward and respect upward. Low PDI - power is shared and well dispersed and people view themselves as equals. In a low PDI workplace, employees perceive managers as peers and are more willing to share ideas. IndividualismIDV IDV refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. High IDV - loose connection with people, little sharing or responsibility. Tendency to use the I form more frequently, sometimes perceived as arrogant, self-centered. In a high IDV workplace, employees feel empowered to make their own decisions. Low IDV - strong group cohesion, harmony is key. Tendency to use the WE form more frequently, sometimes perceived as indecisive, weak will, not assertive, not aggressive, hierarchical. In a low IDV workplace, employees tend to refer decisions back to their managers. MasculinityMAS MAS refers to an indication of the esteem in which the traditional masculine work role model of achievement, control and power is held. High MAS - In a MAS workplace, there is a high level of male dominance and less gender equality. Low MAS - In a low MAS workplace, there is greater equality between males and females and an appreciation of feminine values such as compromise, etc. Uncertainty Avoidance IndexUAI UAI refers to the cultures tolerance for ambiguity, unstructured situations and unplanned events. High UAI - people with high UAI work well within a structured environment, under strict laws, rules and guidelines. In a high UAI workplace, employees perform at their best with clear directives and follow standards and procedures. Low UAI - people with low UAI can tolerate uncertainty and welcome freedom of opinions, try to have as few rules as possible. In a low UAI workplace, employees tend to go with the flow, are more flexible and do not require instructions and rules to perform well. Long-Term OrientationLTO

LTO refers to the degree to which the society upholds traditional values. High or low dimensions predispose countries to resist or accept change. High LTO - In a high LTO workplace, the society is entrenched in traditions of yore, which often means that long term commitments and hard work as a plan for future rewards outweigh the need for rapid change. Low LTO - In a low LTO workplace, a society change can occur faster since long term traditions do not impede them. The Seven Dimensions of Culture were identified by management consultants Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, and the model was published in their 1997 book, "Riding the Waves of Culture." Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner developed the model after spending 10 years researching the preferences and values of people in dozens of cultures around the world. As part of this, they sent questionnaires to more than 46,000 managers in 40 countries. They found that people from different cultures aren't just randomly different from one another; they differ in very specific, even predictable, ways. This is because each culture has its own way of thinking, its own values and beliefs, and different preferences placed on a variety of different factors. They concluded that what distinguishes people from one culture compared with another is where these preferences fall on each of the following seven dimensions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Universalism versus particularism. (Rules Versus Relationships) Individualism versus communitarianism. (The Individual Versus The Group) Specific versus diffuse. (How Far People Get Involved) Neutral versus emotional. (How People Express Emotions) Achievement versus ascription. (How People View Status) Sequential time versus synchronous time. (How People Manage Time) Internal direction versus outer direction. (How People Relate to Their Environment)

Universalism versus particularism. (Rules Versus Relationships) Characteristics Strategies Universalism People place a high importance on laws, rules, values, and obligations. They try to deal fairly with people based on these rules, but rules come before relationships.

Help people understand how their work ties into their values and beliefs. Provide clear instructions, processes, and procedures. Keep promises and be consistent. Give people time to make decisions. Use an objective process to make decisions yourself, and explain your decisions if others are involved. Give people autonomy to make their own decisions. Respect others' needs when you make decisions. Be flexible in how you make decisions. Take time to build relationships and get to know people so that you can better understand their needs. Highlight important rules and policies that need to be followed.

Particularism

People believe that each circumstance, and each relationship, dictates the rules that they live by. Their response to a situation may change, based on what's happening in the moment, and who's involved.

Typical universalist cultures include the U.S., Canada, the U.K, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland. Typical particularistic cultures include Russia, Latin-America, and China.

Individualism versus communitarianism. (The Individual Versus The Group) Characteristics Individualism People believe in personal freedom and achievement. They believe that you make your own decisions, and that you must take care of yourself. Strategies

Communitarianism People believe that the group is more important than the individual. The group provides help and safety, in exchange for loyalty. The group always comes before the individual.

Praise and reward individual performance. Give people autonomy to make their own decisions and to use their initiative. Link people's needs with those of the group or organization. Allow people to be creative and to learn from their mistakes. Praise and reward group performance. Don't praise individuals publically. Allow people to involve others in decision making. Avoid showing favoritism.

Typical individualist cultures include the U.S., Canada, the U.K, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland. Typical communitarian cultures include countries in Latin-America, Africa, and Japan. Specific versus diffuse. (How Far People Get Involved) Characteristics Strategies Specific People keep work and personal lives separate. As a result, they believe that relationships don't have much of an impact on work objectives, and, although good relationships are important, they believe that people can work together without having a good relationship. People see an overlap between their work and personal life. They believe that good relationships are vital to meeting business objectives, and that their relationships with others will be the same, whether they are at work or meeting socially. People spend time outside work hours with colleagues and clients.

Be direct and to the point. Focus on people's objectives before you focus on strengthening relationships. Provide clear instructions, processes, and procedures. Allow people to keep their work and home lives separate. Focus on building a good relationship before you focus on business objectives. Find out as much as you can about the people that you work with and the organizations that you do business with. Be prepared to discuss business on social occasions, and to have personal discussions at work. Try to avoid turning down invitations to social functions.

Diffuse

Typical specific cultures include the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands. Typical diffuse cultures include Argentina, Spain, Russia, India, and China.

Neutral versus emotional. (How People Express Emotions) Characteristics Strategies Neutral People make a great effort to Manage your emotions effectively. control their emotions. Reason Watch that your body language doesn't influences their actions far convey negative emotions. more than their feelings. People "Stick to the point" in meetings and don't reveal what they're interactions. thinking or how they're feeling. Watch people's reactions carefully, as they may be reluctant to show their true emotions. Emotional People want to find ways to Open up to people to build trust and express their emotions, even rapport. spontaneously, at work. In Use emotion to communicate your these cultures, it's welcome and objectives. accepted to show emotion. Learn to manage conflict effectively, before it becomes personal. Use positive body language. Have a positive attitude. Typical neutral cultures include the U.K., Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, and Germany. Typical emotional cultures include Poland, Italy, France, Spain, and countries in Latin-America. Achievement versus ascription. (How People View Status) Characteristics Strategies Achievement People believe that you are what you do, and they base your worth accordingly. These cultures value performance, no matter who you are. People believe that you should be valued for who you are. Power, title, and position matter in these cultures, and these roles define behavior.

Reward and recognize good performance appropriately. Use titles only when relevant. Be a good role model.

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Use titles, especially when these clarify people's status in an organization. Show respect to people in authority, especially when challenging decisions. Don't "show up" people in authority. Don't let your authority prevent you from performing well in your role. Typical achievement cultures include the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Scandinavia. Typical ascription cultures include France, Italy, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. Sequential time versus synchronous time. (How People Manage Time) Characteristics Strategies Sequential Time People like events to happen in order. They place a high value on punctuality, planning (and sticking to your plans), and staying on schedule. In this culture, "time is money," and people don't appreciate it when their schedule is thrown off.

Focus on one activity or project at a time. Be punctual. Keep to deadlines. Set clear deadlines.

Synchronous Time

Be flexible in how you approach work. Allow people to be flexible on tasks and projects, where possible. Highlight the importance of punctuality and deadlines if these are key to meeting objectives. Typical sequential-time cultures include China, Russia, and Mexico. Typical synchronous-time cultures include Japan, Canada, Norway, the U.K., and the U.S.

People see the past, present, and future as interwoven periods. They often work on several projects at once, and view plans and commitments as flexible.

Internal direction versus outer direction. (How People Relate to Their Environment) Characteristics Strategies Internal Direction (This also known as having an internal locus of control.) People believe that they can control nature or their environment to achieve goals. This includes how they work with teams and within organizations.

Outer Direction (This also known as having an external locus of control.)

People believe that nature, or their environment, controls them; they must work with their environment to achieve goals. At work or in relationships, they focus their actions on others, and they avoid conflict where possible. People often need reassurance that they're doing a good job.

Allow people to develop their skills and take control of their learning. Set clear objectives that people agree with. Be open about conflict and disagreement, and allow people to engage in constructive conflict. Provide people with the right resources to do their jobs effectively. Give people direction and regular feedback, so that they know how their actions are affecting their environment. Reassure people that they're doing a good job. Manage conflict quickly and quietly. Do whatever you can to boost people's confidence. Balance negative and positive feedback. Encourage people to take responsibility for their work.

Typical internal-direction cultures include Israel, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. Typical outer-direction cultures include China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.