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Comparing countries: the Hofstede Model
Analysing the cultural difference between Brazil, Germany and the US, according to the Hofstede Insights' Country Comparison tool
The Hofstede Insights’ Country Comparison tool — shared on Twitter — got me thinking a lot. I brought up some of those thoughts here, with some contextualization about the model and quick comparisons between some countries.
What is the Hofstede Model?
Geert Hofstede (1928-2020) was a dutch psychologist and researcher of cross-cultural organizations. He developed the Hofstede Model, a framework used to compare and study cultural differences between countries and their interaction — especially in business settings.
While the tool used in this article relies on the theory, and there are a good amount of other sources praising it, there is data that can prove the technique is outdated and should be reviewed. This article on it is fascinating. My newsletter does not focus on complete academic certainty, so take all data carefully.
The company behind the tool
According to their website, Hofstede Insights is a company from Finland with offices in 11 countries. They have a background in consulting, software technology and academia — the first phrase in their “about us” page points to their scientific focus:
Anchored in rigorous academic theory, we can reflect on over 35 years in business and the thousands of companies we have helped to become truly global.
The company Hofstede Insights is named after the researcher. Still, it doesn’t clarify on their website if they are directly affiliated with him — the only citation is vague and doesn’t imply the professor's participation in their organization.
[…] we are instrumental in continuously building on the work of Prof. Geert Hofstede
That said, I’ll analyze the findings of their tool with a perspective of fun and curiosity, not academic rigidity.
How does the tool work?
The Country Comparison Tool is simple: you pick some countries you want to compare, and it gives you a chart with six properties on the X-axis. Each has its meaning, explained throughout the tool's textual information. From the website:
Power Distance:
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal — it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. 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.
Individualism
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.
Masculinity
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field — a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.
Uncertainty Avoidance
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.
Long Term Orientation
This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals differently. Normative societies. which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
Indulgence
One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become “human”. This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called “Indulgence” and relatively strong control is called “Restraint”. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.
Brazil
Of course, my first search would be for my own country. I recommend you follow this link and read through the website for the best context in my analysis.
In my view, the chart hits the spot when we look at the higher numbers — Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Indulgence. We are very used to power inequality, living daily with the rich getting richer and ordinary people starving. It appears that we need a higher power to dictate the rules — even though we will bend them to our will most of the time.
These rules, though, do not interrupt our positive view in life and good humour — Brazilian propaganda is filled with optimistic phrases like “I am Brazilian and I never give up” or the famed clown candidate Tiririca’s campaign motto “it can’t become worse than it is” (spoilers: it could).
Another point that caught my attention is low individualism. We are a community-driven people, extending our families beyond the father-mother-sibling triad. The poorer Brazilians are used to living — sometimes in the same space — with their not-so-immediate family, caring for each of them and counting on them in times of need. I’ve seen my share of people letting their personal goals die when faced with decisions weighed by family.
On the other hand, those that do not possess this familiar configuration create their own through friends and colleagues. I see relative ease in making new friends and meeting new people in Brazil — especially in spaces encouraging that behaviour, like bars that fill public squares with tables, loud music and dancing.
Living amongst tragedy after tragedy, having gone through a lengthy dictatorship, returning economic crisis, and a never-ending wave of crime and corruption, it’s ironic Brazilians are known as both happy and resilient.
I’ve heard, in my career, Brazilians are great employees because they “make it happen”. We chest any ball down and run for the goal, regardless of pressure — a mandatory football analogy in an article about Brazil.
Germany and Brazil
I didn’t have enough cultural experience to analyze Germany alone, so I used the tool to compare both countries. Brazil is blue, and Germany is purple.
The analysis below results from reading the website information and sprinkling my little personal observations made during this brief time I’ve been in this country. It’s not meant as a definitive description — I’d love to see it challenged by native Germans.
Germany is used to “access”. I use this term frequently when comparing it with Brazil, and this chart helps my point. While Brazil is used to power inequality, it appears that Germany gives value to accessible leaders — in a way that anyone, regardless of level, can challenge their leaders and their work. Political growth is based on skill and expertise, more than just political currency. Also, “access” means people can plan and dream: consumer goods are achievable — and saving money can lead to acquiring more expensive things. In Brazil, some prices are so prohibitive that we give up before starting.
This is also shown in the high number in the Individualism indicator. This is an “each person for themselves” country, prizing individual accomplishments and material gain. The German school system separates good students from bad ones — a class system — really early; when a kid is 10, they already know if they aim for college or a “lesser” job. Even being used to inequality, Brazilians fight daily against segregation in education, with the Quota system, fair prices in college exams, and other actions, so the German way looks unfair and outdated — especially for a country importing so many talents.
One thing I disagree profoundly with is the Long Term Orientation. According to the website, German tradition is easily adaptable — which is the opposite of what I see living here; they struggle with digitalisation, still rely on paper for everything, and are very bureaucratic. So far, they seem very traditional and close to their past — something vital to them as a way not to repeat it.
The last point I notice is the Masculinity indicator, which helps me understand why people are so fond of showing off their cars, technology items and assets — especially in Munich, a city known for its “posh” status.
Us and the US
I added the US (green) to the chart above, but I won’t analyse it deeply.
The high Individualism sheds light on how they cry for freedom — but put the individual over the rest. When faced with communal goals, they shiver — the word “communism” gives some instant heart attacks.
The low Long Term Orientation value reflects their fixation on their truths — what is good and evil is already set in stone and should not be re-evaluated.
Conclusion
This analysis brings me closer to understanding why it is so important not to mix the cultural expectations of different people. It is crucial to know that we, Brazilians, cannot compare our goals to the Germans or the North Americans — and our guidelines should be different when thinking about success.
My journey in Germany has only begun. I work in a multicultural company, and I’m learning to always consider this before any argument or discussion; our cultures are different, and many assumptions need to be undone — especially on core values, like what’s right or wrong, acceptable or shunned upon.
Even if the Hofstede Method is outdated, it shines a light on topics that matter — I hope to make this analysis less superficial by continuing to gather data and information as I spend my days in this (too cold) country.