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Hofstede Dimensions of France, Germany, and Switzerland
According to Geert Hofstede, “Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group from another (Waisfisz, 2015).” This study presents the cultural differences of three countries; France, Germany, and Switzerland. The study will present the historical backgrounds of these countries that will show their cultural differences. Moreover, the dominant Hofstede dimensions of all three countries are also discussed. Geert Hofstede proposed the Hofstede Cultural dimensions theory; it is a framework that is used to comprehend the cultural differences across the different countries and to present that how the businesses can run their operations in different cultures. The dimensions of this theory include; “Power-Distance (high vs. low), Individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity, Uncertainty-Avoidance (high vs. low) (Favaretto, 2016).” The significance of three cultural artifacts from these countries is also presented in this study. The first main point of this presentation is to present the Historical backgrounds, Hofstede dimensions, and Cultural artifacts of France. The second main point is to present the Historical backgrounds, Hofstede dimensions, and Cultural artifacts of Germany. And the third main point is to present the Historical backgrounds, Hofstede dimensions, and Cultural artifacts of Switzerland.
Historical Background, Hofstede Dimensions, and Cultural Artifacts of France
Historical Background
Celtic and Gallo-Roman cultures greatly influence the historical background of France. The French culture was formed inspired by Celtic and Gallo-Roman culture. It was also influenced by Franks that was a German tribe. France was considered as the Western area for the Germans, and they called it Rhineland. Later it was known as Gaul after the entrance of French people and retreatment by Romans. France is a place full of Art. Art can be seen in almost every place in Paris and other big cities of France. In the 17th century, France was considered the center for high culture.
Moreover, the major historical event in the history of France is the French Revolution. The French people overthrew the monarchy and took over control over the government. The main drivers of that revolution include the economic crises and weak leaders. The revolution came to an end in 1799 (Palmer, 2016).
Hofstede Dimensions
The different Hofstede dimensions are used to understand the cultural differences of France. France’s Hofstede dimensions score is as follows; 68 for Power Distance, 71 for Individualism, 43 for Masculinity, 86 for Uncertainty avoidance, 63 for Long term orientation, and 48 for indulgence. The three most dominant Hofstede dimensions for France are; Uncertainty avoidance, Individualism, and Power distance (Hofstede Insights, 2021).
Uncertainty Avoidance
Uncertainty avoidance is defined as how the different members of a culture feel threatened by the ambiguous and uncertain future situations and start to develop beliefs to avoid these situations. There is a high score of Uncertainty avoidance 86 in France culture. French system does not like uncertain events, and proper structuring and planning are required. The people like to conduct meetings and involve themselves in negotiations to collect all the required data or information. Therefore, the French people work hard to develop complex technologies to deal with uncertain events. There is also a high requirement of emotional safety valves as the score is high in uncertainty avoidance, but the score is also high in Individualism and power distance. A proper structure of laws and rules is required in French to deal with ambiguous situations.
Individualism
Individualism is defined as the degree of interdependence among the people of a nation. There is a high score of 71 in Individualism for France. Therefore, France is known as an individualistic society. The people are emotionally independent with regards to different groups to which these people belong. The French people prefer to stay dependent on the central government. The French people are somehow more emotionally attached to families than other individualistic countries. The businessmen in France are self-motivated and do their best in trade.
Power Distance
Power distance can be defined as the extent to which the organization members who are less powerful in a country expect or accept that the power is not distributed equally. There is a score of 68 in Power distance for France culture. To some extent, the children are dependent on the families. The power in France is not centralized to the companies and government. The power is distributed geographically. There are one or two hierarchical levels in the management of companies working in France.
Cultural Artifact
The study of cultural artifacts is important to learn more about the specific region’s culture and people (Sullivan, 2015). The important cultural artifacts of France are as follows;
Marianne
Marianne is an essential republican symbol, and it represents the values of the French citizens related to the Republic. These values are liberty, equality, and fraternity. It holds a place of honor in many important places in France. Marianne is a beautiful young maiden. The sculpture is often lean on fasces that show the symbol of authority. She wears a red cap in color; it is a Phrygian cap and is also known as a liberty cap. She is also ornate with a tricolor cockade. The cockade represents the symbol of freedom (Cherneski, 2019).
Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular cultural icons of France. Paris is also famous for having Eiffel Tower in it. Eiffel Tower is a tower made up of open-lattice wrought iron. The Eiffel Tower represents the unique character of the city Paris. It has remained a powerful and distinctive symbol of Paris city (Roddewig, 2020).
The Thinker
The Thinker or the French Le Penseur is a cultural icon of France. It is a sculpture of a pensive nude male. It was made by one of the most renowned French artists, Auguste Rodin. He leans forward, and he has his elbow on his knee. His hand is supporting his chin. It is made up of bronze, and it represents the creative mind at work. The sculpture is in a sitting position, but he is not resting (Zelazko, 2021).
Historical Background, Hofstede Dimensions, and Cultural Artifacts of Germany
Historical Background
Germany is an ancient entity, and before the name Germany, the country was known as Germania. It was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The German Empire was found in 1871. The Kingdom of Germany was formed from the eastern remains of the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century. Moreover, the culture of Germany was formed by both religious and secular bodies. Germany is known for its rich cultural history. The country has put it at the forefront of politics, European thoughts, and arts for 1000 years (Stollberg-Rilinger, 2018). The culture of Germany is made up of Christian values, including literature, art, and philosophy. The different festivals in Germany are celebrated to celebrate Germany’s culture, travel, food, and history.
Hofstede Dimensions
The different Hofstede dimensions are used to understand the cultural differences of Germany. The Hofstede dimensions score for France is as follows; 35 for Power Distance, 67 for Individualism, 66 for Masculinity, 65 for Uncertainty avoidance, 83 for Long term orientation, and 40 for indulgence. The three most dominant Hofstede dimensions for Germany are long-term orientation, Individualism, and Masculinity (Hofstede Insights, 2021).
Long term orientation
The long-term orientation can be defined that how every society has to maintain the links with the past time during the dealings with the future challenges. The high score of Germany for long-term orientation shows that Germany is a practical country. There is pragmatic orientation being used by the German people. They believe that trust depends on the situation, context, and time.
Individualism
Individualism is defined as the degree of interdependence among the people of a nation. The score of German culture is 67 for Individualism. The people believe in self-actualization. The loyalty of the people is based on the personal preferences of the people. The German people also show loyalty to other people based on the sense of duty and responsibility performed by these people. The people remain honest in their communication while dealing with other people and businesses.
Masculinity
The Masculinity vs. Feminine is a dimension that shows what motivates the people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or becoming a (Feminine) and doing what you like to do. The score is 66 for the culture of Germany in the masculinity dimension. The German people live to work, and they work for their self-esteem. The German managers are more decisive and self-confident. The German people show their personality by showing their expensive cars and other devices. It shows their high status of living.
Cultural Artifacts
The study of cultural artifacts is important to learn more about the specific region’s culture and people (Sullivan, 2015). The important cultural artifacts of Germany are as follows;
Hermannsdenkmal
The monument Hermannsdenkmal is located in Detmold, Germany. It is a colossal metal statue that was built in the 19th century. The statue was built to remember the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The status is also located in the dense forest in Teutoburg. There are numerous holiday resorts near this location, and the people come to see the monument to remember the Battle of Teutoburg Forest (Miller, 2017).
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is the most popular Berlin landmark. It is known as the symbol of Berlin and German division during the Cold war. But now, it has become a symbol of peace and harmony. The firework is done at this Gate to celebrate New Year’s Eve. It is known as a significant cultural icon in Germany (Ayyash, 2013).
Berlin Victory Column
It is a monument in Berlin that was built to remember the Prussian victory in the Franco-German war. It is a paradigm of triumph. The Berlin Victory Column marks the success of Prussian’s defeat in 1864 (Cornish, 2010).
Historical Background, Hofstede Dimensions, and Cultural Artifacts of Switzerland
Historical Background
The historical background of Switzerland is tied to the Alpine culture. The country was formed in 1291. The country came under Roman Rule in the 1st century, and Helvetti inhabited it before the Roman ruling. The country has remained the province of the Roman Empire until the 4th century. It emerged as the country in 1291. Switzerland is known in the world due to its beautiful landscapes, villages, and mountains. It has a long tradition of freedom. There is a diverse culture in Switzerland; the people can find a variety of European cultures in Switzerland. Moreover, it is also known as a multilingual country because the people here can speak French, Italian, German, and Romansh. The different dialects are also spoken in different regions of Switzerland (Church, 2013).
Hofstede Dimensions
The different Hofstede dimensions are used to understand the cultural differences of Switzerland. The Hofstede dimensions score for France is as follows; 34 for Power Distance, 68 for Individualism, 70 for Masculinity, 58 for Uncertainty avoidance, 74 for Long term orientation, and 66 for indulgence. The three most dominant Hofstede dimensions for Switzerland are long-term orientation, Masculinity, and Individualism (Hofstede Insights, 2021).
Long term orientation
The long-term orientation can be defined that how every society has to maintain the links with the past time during the dealings with the future challenges. The high score of 74 in long-term orientation shows that the culture of Switzerland is highly pragmatic. In practical societies, people believe that the truth depends on context, given situation, and time. There is a strong propensity among Swiss people.
Masculinity
The Masculinity vs. Feminine is a dimension that shows what motivates the people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or becoming a (Feminine) and doing what you like to do. There is a high score of 70 in Masculinity in the culture of Switzerland. The culture of Switzerland is highly success-oriented and driven for success. The managers are more decisive, and the Swiss people live to work. They give importance to equity, competition, and performance.
Individualism
Individualism is defined as the degree of interdependence among the people of a nation. The score of 68 is high in Individualism for Switzerland culture. Therefore, the Switzerland society is also known as the individualistic society. The individuals can take care of themselves. The offense can cause guilt, and there can be a loss to the self-esteem of the people. The people prefer to follow the merit only for any hiring and selection method either for job or education.
Cultural Artifacts
The study of cultural artifacts is important to learn more about the specific region’s culture and people (Sullivan, 2015). The important cultural artifacts of Switzerland are as follows;
Lion monument
The line monument or the Lion of Lucerne is a monument that is located in Switzerland. It is also considered the dying lion. It was built in remembrance of the massacre. That massacre occurred during the French revolution. The monument was built to honor the men for their bravery and lost their lives in ambush (Noorata, 2013).
Chillon Castle
The Chillon Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe. It is an island castle and a part of Switzerland culture. It represents the several centuries of different types of constructions and renovations. It is the most visited historic monument in Switzerland. The castle is present for around 1000 years (Peak Transfer, 2017).
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery present in the village of Einsiedeln. This abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits. It is considered the most decorative building in Switzerland. The monastery complex, the music collection, and the abbey library preserve the cultural heritage in the Einsiedeln Abbey (Blennow, 2019).
Conclusion
In conclusion, all three countries have distinct characteristics. There are different historical backgrounds, dominant Hofstede dimensions, and cultural artifacts of France, Germany, and Switzerland. The dominant Hofstede dimensions for France culture are Uncertainty avoidance, Individualism, and power distance. The dominant Hofstede dimensions for German culture are Long term orientation, Individualism, and Masculinity. The dominant Hofstede dimensions for Switzerland are Long term orientation, Masculinity, and Individualism. I found all the countries different from each other. But all these countries have the same dimension of being individualistic countries. Mostly, the developed countries are more individualistic and have self-esteem. After doing this research, I have gained more interest in studying different countries’ different cultures and knowing more about the world. It has also inspired me to plan and visit these countries. I would like to visit France and Switzerland. I would like to see the cultural heritage in France as it has more cultural-related items. And I also wanted to visit Switzerland due to its beautiful location and beautiful landscape. It is one of the world’s famous tourist places, and many people come to visit Switzerland annually. After researching Switzerland, I am more interested in visiting the country and seeing all the beauty and cultural heritage to save the moments in my memories.
References
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