For Catherine Owens

Running head: HOFSTEDE’S DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE 0

Hofstede’s dimensions of culture

Name:

Institution:

Hofstede’s dimensions of culture

Geert Hofstede developed a cross-cultural communication theory known as the “Hofstede’s Value dimension” that had five distinct dimensions: power distance (PDI), individualism v collectivism (IDV), masculinity v feminism (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and Long-term v short- term orientation (LTO) (Hofstede, 2017). These dimensions in his theory were all developed while he was in the Netherlands.

Hofstede’s Dimension of Culture: Greece (Hofstede, 2015)

Power Distance: Score 60	Reliant Tiered Manager is had to approach Formal language is maintained with management
Individualism: Score 35	Collectivistic society Group mindset that can be influenced Allegiance is a vital aspect Informal communication is present Respect is maintained for the elderly
Masculinity: Score 57	Medium masculine culture Success is a social value Driven to perform
Uncertainty avoidance: Score 100	Strong adherence to the law Formulaic Religious people
Long term Orientation: Score 45	Balanced objectives

Communication (Greece, 2017)

Language: 99% Greek; 1% French and English

Nonverbal: Shaking hands and maintaining eye contact, meetings should be attended with appropriate gifts and being 30 minutes late is regarded punctual

Business Etiquette (Greece, 2017)

Eye contact while speaking symbolizing sincerity
Nepotism is not viewed negatively
Relationships have to be built but must take time
If quiet and withdrawn maybe offensive words may have been used
Do not be pretentious
Under no circumstance should a Greek individual be questioned in public

It is clear that they have the eagerness to work by having a masculine culture. Moreover, their collectivist nature spreads some opportunities as they help each other to search for employment. Therefore, when it comes to opportunities, the majority of the population is of working age. However, due to their lack of a short and long-term strategy to their financial instability the country possess the risk of having an economic failure. This would mean that majority of businesses will have to close down or move to other countries resulting in increased unemployment, inflation and depreciation of the currency.

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (2017). The World Factbook. Cia.gov. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html

Greece. (2017). Greece - Language, Culture and Doing Business Etiquette. Commisceo-global.com. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/greece-guide

Hofstede, G. (2017). Greece. Geert-hofstede.com. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://geert-hofstede.com/greece.html