The Hofstede Model: Norway VS Colombia

 

Decades ago, Geert Hofstede created a model that shows the effects of culture in the workplace. Today the Hofstede model is used for academic researches and proffesional management settings. 

In this post I´m going to compare my chosen country, Norway, and Colombia using this model, and analize how similar or different they are.

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In this bar chart, we can the percentage of each country in every dimesion of the Hofstede Model. The blue bar represents Colombia, and the purple one, Norway.

Power Distance.

In this categorie Colombia has a bigger percentage and Norway doesn´t even has the half of Colombia´s percentage. This means, Colombians accept inequity and power differences, they encourage bureaucracy and respect for ranks and authority. On the other hand, Norwegians strive to equalise the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power.

Individualism.

In this dimension, the percentage are really far from each other. Colombia has a lower percentage of individualism, which means that in this country there is a bigger importance placed on the goals and the well-being of the group. Opposite, we find Norway, a country where people is expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate family.

Masculinity

This trait represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material rewards for success, and as we can see, Colombia is a masculine country. On the contrary, there´s Norway, a country that stands for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak, and quality of life.

Uncertainty avoidance

In this category, Colombia has a big percentage and Norway stays just in the middles. This means Colombia maintains rigid codes of belief and behaviour, and is intolerant of unothodox ideas. Norway might have some of these characteristics, but, Norwegiand can also be more relaxed and openminded to the unknow.

Long term orientation

In this dimension Colombia has a low percentage, which means that Colombians prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms, and reach for quick results. In contrast, Norwegians encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

Indulgence

Surprinsingly, in this trait both countries have a high percentage, which means that they allow free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and havinf fun.

In conclusion, these countries are not similar in lots of ways, they behave different and persue different things. But at the end, both societies like to enjoy life and have fun. 

-Daniela Pacheco