Hofstede Six Dimensions Of Culture Analysis

China and America in Hofstede’s Six Dimensions of Culture China and the United States of America are two of the largest business powerhouses in the world. Although both are very successful in business ventures, each country has very different cultures that influence the way they work and the way they work with one another. Using Hofstede’s Six Dimensions of Culture, it is easy to see what the cultural similarities and differences between China and the United States are and how this brings different dynamics to the workplace.
Power Distance Dimension “Power Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally” (Geert Hofstede, n.d.). China has a very high ranking score in this dimension with a score of …show more content…
Traditional practices and beliefs are very important to the American culture. Although the United States is open to new ideas, they receive them with more caution and do their research before conforming to them completely.
Indulgence
Indulgence is not a large part of Chinese society, and this is reflected with a score of 24. Leisure time and indulging in recreational activities is not of high importance in Chinese culture. “Restraint (zhi) is a highly desirable trait in Chinese culture” (Tseng, 2013). Work and success is far more important than leisure and time off work in China. It defines your value and who you are as a person. America scores a 68 within this dimension meaning they are considered an indulgent country as opposed to restrained. Americans have the “work hard, play hard” mentality, meaning that one deserves to play as much as they work. While both success and leisure time are important to Americans, they do not feel you should have to sacrifice one for the other. In a sense, the more a person “plays”, spends, and does reflects how hard one works.