El nivell cultural de les nacions.. Geert Hofstede

Geert Hofstede http://geert-hofstede.com conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture.

“Culture is the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others”

Dimensions of National Culture
The values that distinguished countries from each other could be grouped statistically into four clusters.

Power Distance (PDI):	The degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Low power distance, people strive to equalise the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power. A large degree of power distance accept a hierarchical order without no further justification.
Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV):	this dimension is reflected in whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “we.” Low values: individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only.  High Values: Collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.
Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS):	The masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material reward for success. Society at large is more competitive. Its opposite, femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented.
Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI):	the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. Should we try to control the future or just let it happen?   Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles. strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas.
Long-Term Orientation (LTO):	Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth. They are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results. In societies with a long-term orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
Indulgence versus Restraint (IVR):	Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.

    
Applications of National Culture
Some examples of cases where the Hofstede Model on national culture can be applied.
Leadership
A major challenge in developing intercultural management competence is the fact that there is no "one way" to lead. ”Culture” can provide us with many answers on how and why people behave differently around the globe.
One explanation it surely provides is that people have very different views on "What is a good boss", or on ”how teams should be led”.