What is Hofstede’s Framework?

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory is a framework for cross-cultural communications. The framework seeks to demonstrate the effects of a society’s culture on the values of members of the culture and their behavior. 

The theory proposes six dimensions through which cultural values can be analyzed:

• Individualistic vs Collectivistic
• High vs Low Power Distance (strength of social hierarchy)
• High vs Low Uncertainty Avoidance
• Masculinity-Femininity (Task Orientation vs Person Orientation)
• Long-Term vs Short-Term Orientation
• Indulgence vs Self-Restraint

Researchers assess individual cultures on each dimension on a scale of 1-100. This allows for comparison of cultures based upon the individual dimensional scores.