Dimensions of National Culture, Hofstede InsightsSocial psychologist 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.” The application of this research is used worldwide in both academic and professional management settings. ♦ Use the
Country Comparision tool. NOTE: This is a commercial consulting website based on Hofstede's work. Not all information is freely accessible. (
See the MLA Citation Help page on this guide for a citation example using the Country Comparison tool.)
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.
