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Geert Hofstede™ Cultural DimensionsThe highest ranking Geert Hofstede Dimension for Switzerland is Masculinity (MAS) at a value of 70. This compares to the World average of 50, and the European average of 59 (see European chart below).
The high Masculinity Index (MAS) indicates a higher polarization between the values of Swiss men and women. The implication is strong gender differentiation in which the male population is competitive and assertive relative to the female population. However, this relationship does foster greater assertiveness in the female population as well, relative to countries with low MAS Indexes, like the Norway with an MAS Index value of 8, the Netherlands with 14, or Denmark with 16.
The second highest Hofstede Dimension for Switzerland is Individualism (IDV) at 68. Comparing this to the World average value of 43, and the European value of 61 indicates the Swiss population is individualistic in nature versus collectivist.
This high IDV index value indicates that the Swiss population has a more independent nature where the people tend to take care of themselves and their close family, but tend not to 'meddle' in the matters of others.
Switzerland's lowest Hofstede Dimension is Power Distance (PDI) at 34. Again, comparing this to the World value of 55 and the European value of 45 indicates that the Swiss population has a relatively equal distribution of power across the population's societal structure. That is, there is an expectation by the general population that power and control of the society shall be more equally distributed among all the members of the society.
The third highest Hofstede Dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) at 58, compared to the average European value of 74 and the average World value of 64.
Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) reflects the society’s level of tolerance for uncertainty. If a population has a high UAI index, it will institute strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations in order to reduce uncertainty within the population.
However, if the country has a low UAI value, as Switzerland does, the population is more accepting of unique and unusual situations and ideas, with greater tolerance of divergent points of view. The society will tend to have fewer rules and regulations relative to high UAI index countries.
An additional reflection of a culture with low Uncertainty Avoidance is a population with less emotion, which may appear as apathy, and a more introspective nature.
PDI=45 IDV=61 MAS=59 UAI=74
Power Distance Index (PDI) that is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a society's level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Power and inequality, of course, are extremely fundamental facts of any society and anybody with some international experience will be aware that 'all societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others'.
Individualism (IDV) on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are inte-grated into groups. On the individualist side we find societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him/herself and his/her immediate family. On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. The word 'collectivism' in this sense has no political meaning: it refers to the group, not to the state. Again, the issue addressed by this dimension is an extremely fundamental one, regarding all societies in the world.
Masculinity (MAS) versus its opposite, femininity, refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. The IBM studies revealed that (a) women's values differ less among societies than men's values; (b) men's values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from women's values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to women's values on the other. The assertive pole has been called 'masculine' and the modest, caring pole 'feminine'. The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring values as the men; in the masculine countries they are somewhat assertive and competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries show a gap between men's values and women's values.
Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) deals with a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to man's search for Truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; 'there can only be one Truth and we have it'. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. The opposite type, uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. People within these cultures are more phlegmatic and contemplative, and not expected by their environment to express emotions.
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