As mentioned earlier, Sony is a Japanese company with its operations all around the world. The company started its operations in 1946, taking this into account we can easily assume that Sony has a strong connection with its national values and incorporates a culture that is derived from these values. We will now use the five dimensions developed by Hofstede in order to assess its national culture.
Power Distance
The power distance value of Japan as calculated by Hofstede (2001) is 54, which is comparatively towards the higher end of the scale thus making the national culture of Japan supporting centralization and hierarchical structure In their organizations. (Hofstede, 2001, p.
87)
Uncertainty Avoidance
Based on the values determined by Hofstede (2001), the UAI index value of Japan is 92 which is a very high value and makes us belief that the size of organizations in Japan is comparatively big and the people working in them are more task-oriented. (Hofstede, 2001, p. 151)
Individualism and Collectivism
After going through the research of Hofstede (2001), we found out that the IDV value of Japan is 46 which is slightly towards the lower end of the scale and makes the Japanese culture promoting collectivism in their organizations. (Hofstede, 2001, p. 215)
Masculinity and Femininity
The MAS index value of Japan is 95, which is at the extreme higher end of the scale and makes the Japanese culture and ideal place for men to work. (Hofstede, 2001, p. 286)
Long vs. Short-Term Orientation
Hofstede (2001) calculated the LTO value of Japan and found out to be 80 which is also a high value, thus making the Japanese organizations oriented towards achieving long-term goals.
(Hofstede, 2001, p. 356)
Power Distance Index (PDI) 54
Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) 92
Individual Index Value (IDV) 46
Masculinity Index Value (MAS) 95
Long-term orientation Index Value (LTO) 80
Table 5.3: National Culture Dimensions Values for