How to Effect Cultural Change in the Organization -

To manage cultural difference effectively, it is important for managers to consider the various
aspects of corporate culture. These aspects are called dimensions of culture.
Organizations use various models to understand and analyze the dimensions of
corporate culture. Two commonly used models are Hofstede’s five dimensions of
culture and Trompenaar’s seven dimensions of culture.

Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture: This model was developed by Dr. Geert Hofstede. The
five dimensions are:

1.     Power
Distance: It refers to the degree of
inequality exists in a particular country and is accepted by people.

2.     Individualism
and collectivism: Individualism refers
to the tendency of individuals to give high importance to personal achievement.
On the other hand, collectivism refers to the tendency of people to treat
themselves as a part of a group.

3.     Masculinity/feminity:
There is a division of roles between
genders in a society. In masculine society values like achievement, power and
materialism are given priorities. On the other hand, in feminine society values
such as compromise, life quality, and friendship have more importance.

4.     Uncertainty
avoidance: Uncertainly avoidance
depicts the degree of tolerance towards uncertainly and ambiguity in a society.

5.     Long-term
orientation: This refers to the
extent people are willing to value long-term traditions. The places where
long-term orientation is high people adopt those practices and values that
prevail in the future too.

Trompenaar’s seven dimensions of culture: A Dutch theorist Trompenaar along with his partner
Hampden-Turner developed this model to analyze cultural dimensions. The seven
dimensions are:

1.     Universalism
versus particularism: In universal
culture society high regards is given to rules, laws and regulations. On the
other hand, where particularism is high, people believe in forming social
relations and have no concern for rules.

2.     Individualism
versus communitarianism: Societies
that show high individualistic culture provide freedom to people and are
empowered to make decisions and are the promoters of creativity. However in a
communitarianism culture, people like to be in groups and subordinates
individuals goals and common good.

3.     Specific
versus diffuse: In specific culture,
personal and professional lives are separated. People believe in attaining
their objectives and follow specified rules and on other hand people in diffuse
culture like to form bonds in their professional lives too.

4.     Neutral
versus emotional: In neutral culture,
people find it difficult to express themselves and limit their interactions. In
emotional culture people have high regard for emotions and are willing to
express their feelings.

5.     Achievement
versus ascription: In achievement
oriented countries, people focus on achieving goals and reward good
performance. However in ascription-oriented culture, people have high concern
for position and title.

6.     Sequential
time versus synchronous time: In
sequential time culture, high regard is given to events that are planned in a
sequence. On the other hand, in synchronous time culture, people focus on
flexibility and do not lay emphasis on sequential events.

7.     Internal direction
versus outer direction: People in
internally directed control cultures focus on self-control as well as on
controlling the environment. However in outer direction culture, people believe
in being controlled by the environment.