Hr Issues Handled by Japanese Organizations Based on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
HR Issues Handled By Japanese Organizations Based On Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
There are several different challenges for Human Resource Management teams in organizations throughout the world. The HR strategies of these various organizations are very dependent on the culture of the country in which the organization resides. Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions is a great way to distinguish between the traditional HR aspects of organizations in different parts of the world. Although both the United States and Japan have very successful companies, there are differences in the way these organizations handle HR issues.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions takes into account different policies and procedures regarding Human Resource Management. The five main components of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions include individualism versus collectivism, power distance, avoidance of uncertainty, masculinity, and long-term versus short-term orientation (Ivancevich, 2010). These five dimensions form the core strategies behind Human Resource Management in their respected companies in different areas of the world. Individualistic societies tend to put more importance on individual goals and performance, while collective societies put more emphasis on group work. Power distance describes the amount of acceptance of inequality among a large group of people. Cultures which have a high avoidance of uncertainty wish to know what the future holds through a structured environment, and are not in favor of unpredictable situations. Masculinity assumes that men take control in an assertive and competitive way, and females take a role of modesty and nurture (Ivancevich, 2010). Lastly, long-term orientation assumes that a culture takes into account the future when making decisions. This is quite different than short-term orientation which emphasizes instant results when coming to a conclusion. The long-term versus short term dimension was originally added to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
There are several different challenges for Human Resource Management teams in organizations throughout the world. The HR strategies of these various organizations are very dependent on the culture of the country in which the organization resides. Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions is a great way to distinguish between the traditional HR aspects of organizations in different parts of the world. Although both the United States and Japan have very successful companies, there are differences in the way these organizations handle HR issues.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions takes into account different policies and procedures regarding Human Resource Management. The five main components of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions include individualism versus collectivism, power distance, avoidance of uncertainty, masculinity, and long-term versus short-term orientation (Ivancevich, 2010). These five dimensions form the core strategies behind Human Resource Management in their respected companies in different areas of the world. Individualistic societies tend to put more importance on individual goals and performance, while collective societies put more emphasis on group work. Power distance describes the amount of acceptance of inequality among a large group of people. Cultures which have a high avoidance of uncertainty wish to know what the future holds through a structured environment, and are not in favor of unpredictable situations. Masculinity assumes that men take control in an assertive and competitive way, and females take a role of modesty and nurture (Ivancevich, 2010). Lastly, long-term orientation assumes that a culture takes into account the future when making decisions. This is quite different than short-term orientation which emphasizes instant results when coming to a conclusion. The long-term versus short term dimension was originally added to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
References: Ivancevich, John M. (2010) Human Resource Management (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Hofstede, G. (2011) Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions. Retrieved January 20, 2012, from: www.geert-hofstede.com Bestor, T. and Hardacre, H. (2004). Contemporary Japan: Culture & Society. Asian Topics on Asia for Educators. Retrieved from: afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/common/all.htm