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Hofstede's research is based on the information of 40 countries, of which he identified the different dimensions on which culture differs. The five dimensions model is widely used in many domains of human social life, and particularly in the field of business. In international marketing it is very useful because it defines national values not only in business context but in general. In each of the five dimensions Hofstede tells us how managers balance and handle different attributes introduced in different cultural systems. The five dimensions consist of:
¢ Individualism versus collectivism (IDV)
¢ Power Distance (PDI)
¢ Masculinity versus femininity (MAS)
¢ Uncertainty avoidance (UAI)
¢ Long-term versus short-term orientation (LTO)
Power Distance (PDI) concerns the degree to which power is distributed and expected in an organization or other culture. The dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The problem here is how the society sees and handles the inequalities among people. Power distance, which most of the time measured at a national level, must also be measured at a individual level as well. I say this because when you look at a country as a whole the country may exhibit high power distance, but the distribution of individuals within the country typically follows a normal curve.
In larger countries, those who are given these rights and powers are then looked at to represent and preside over the remaining population. This concept is similar to regular bodies of government around the world. People in this system are inclined to agree with decisions made by those given with authority knowing the inequality this may bring. The small power distance countries which are societies