Geert Hofstede and Differentiated Cultures and Power Distance

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The Hofstede model is a framework that describes the effects a society’s culture can have on the values of its members, and how those values will relate to their behavior. It goes ahead to illustrate this using a structure derived from factor analysis. Geert Hofstede isolated four dimensions that influence differentiated cultures. First, there is Power Distance which focuses on how a society deals with the fact that people are unequal in physical and intellectual capabilities. then there is Individualism Versus Collectivism which shows the relationship between the individual and his or her fellows. Uncertainty Avoidance is another feature which measures the extent to which different cultures socialize their members into accepting ambiguous situations and tolerating ambiguity. Finally, Masculinity Versus Femininity looks at the relationship between gender and work roles. In marketing especially internationally, it is significant that a company takes into consideration the cultural aspects of the country and the impact it is likely to have on the performance of its product. With the global market becoming increasingly competitive, good brand marketing is very important, so as to ensure survival of the company. This is because there is a close connection between culture and competitive advantage as shown by the Hofstede study. It is on this background that The Azure Sky Tea Company needs to establish which of the features of The Hofstede model will be the main determinants of their products performance in the target market. Classifications of countries for possible location of The Azure Sky Tea’s offices can be made based on The Hofstede features. The first classifications can be based on uncertainty and avoidance. In countries with... ... middle of paper ... ...vertisements and promotions should also be made to increase awareness of the product to the people. They should also target a specific group or area where they know their product will flourish. Another risk the company is likely to face is did they target the right people. This is a very crucial aspect that can make or break the company. The best way to mitigate this is for the company to develop a detailed picture of your target audience, determine what each one is looking for and how you can add value to them. The company will also be faced with the issue of whether it is able to keep up with the new locations’ marketing trends and strategies and if it has the necessary tools. The company can mitigate this by investing some time into reading about the latest developments in the industry and also seeing which component of their marketing can use some strengthening.

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