Culture's consequences : international differences in work-related values

Author:Geert Hofstede

Summary:"This important book is based on a monumental study of the sales subsidiaries of a major multinational corporation which operates in 39 countries in the world. Since, in all countries, the respondents do the same work ... and since the formal organization structure is the same everywhere, the important differences found in work attitudes and values can be ascribed to cultural differences among the countries. The author found four major dimensions for classifying cultures across the world: (i) power distance ... (ii) uncertainty avoidance ... (iii) individualism ... (iv) masculinity. ... The author also proposes some interesting theories to explain how cultures come to be as they are, which combine climate, economic development and historical process."--The Good Book Guide for Business "One of the most significant comparative organizational studies to date."--Industrial and Labor Relations Review "Important scientific books may be classified according to two types. ... The second type includes those books which people like to have close at hand and consult for reference. There is little doubt that this book belongs to the second category."--Journal of Management Studies "What the author has done has been to analyze questionnaire results obtained in some 40 different countries, applied to employees of a large multinational American company, and to use the results for extracting dimensions along which to compare these different cultures, and then to evaluate and discuss the resulting groupings. ... The book is full of interesting and important findings. ... It should certainly be studied by anyone in the field."--New Society