Cross-Cultural Model Comparison
Hofstede
1. Power Distance Index
 How does a society handle
inequalities among its people.
 People in societies with large degree
of power distance accept hierarchical
order: everyone has a place.
 People in societies with low power
distance strive to equalize the
distribution of power and demand
justification.
2. Individualism versus collectivism
 Individualism is defined as a
preference for loosely-knit social
framework in which individuals are
expect to take care of only
themselves and immediate family.
 Collectivism represents a preference
for a tightly-knit framework where
individuals expect their relatives or
members of their group to look after
them in exchange for loyalty.
3. Masculinity versus femininity
 Masculinity represents a preference
for achievement, heroism,
assertiveness and material rewards
for success.
 Femininity stands for a preference
for cooperation, modesty, caring for
the week and quality of life.
 Tough versus tender is another way
to put it.
4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index
 Expresses the degree to which the
members of society feel
uncomfortable with uncertainty and
ambiguity.
 How a society deals with the fact
that future can never be known: do
they try to control future or let it
happen?
 Countries who exhibit strong belief
in controlling future maintain rigid
Lewis
7. Linear Active (Blue for cool, factual and
decisive planner)
 Task oriented, highly organized
planners.
 They complete one thing at a time
and work in a linear way.
 They prefer direct discussion, sticking
to facts and figures from reliable,
written sources.
 They talk and listen in equal
proportions. They communicate for
information.
 Truthful, not afraid to confront and
choose logic over emotions.
 Conceal feelings and like privacy
 They do not have a strong inclination
to use connections, take shortcuts or
sway people through gifts and
hospitality.
 They are law-abiding and honorable
 Punctual, good quality and reliable.
 They do not have a strong inclination
to use connections, take short cuts or
sway people through gifts and
hospitality.
8. Multi-Active (red for warm, emotional,
loquacious, and impulsive)
 Talkative and impulsive
 They are multi-taskers
 They try to speak and listen at the
same time, tend to be very animated.
 They interrupt often and do not like
silence.
 Relationships and connections are
very important.
 They prefer to communicate face-to-
face.
 Less respect for rules and regulations,
tend to gossip more.
 They have less respect for authority
and want a strong boss and
protection.
 codes of belief and behavior, and are
intolerant of unorthodox behavior
and ideas.
 Countries who exhibit week belief in
controlling the future maintain a
more relaxed attitude in which
practice counts more than
principles.
5. Long term orientation versus Short term
normative orientation
 Societies who prefer to maintain
time-honored traditions and norms
while viewing societal change with
suspicion score low on this.
 Societies that score high take a more
pragmatic approach and encourage
thrift and efforts in modern
education as ways to prepare for the
future and they score high.
6. Indulgence versus restraint
 Indulgent societies allow relatively
free gratification of basic and natural
human drives related to enjoying life
and having fun.
 Societies that have restraint suppress
gratification of needs and regulates it
by means of strict social norms.
 They are often late.
 They are flexible and change plans
often.
 Tend to be emotional and family
oriented.
 They entertain and give gifts.
9. Reactive (yellow for courteous,
accommodating, compromiser and good
listener)
 They rarely initiate action or
discussion, prefer to listen and react.
 They do not like misunderstandings
and tend to ask many questions.
 They shy away from confrontation.
 Introvert and great at non-verbal
communication.
 Monologue versus dialogue
 They enjoy silence and use it to their
advantage by thinking.
 They use impersonal verbs to take
away blame from anyone. Impersonal,
vague conversation.
 Lack of eye contact
 They do not waste time.
 They are seldom aggressive and rarely
aspire leadership.
