Hofstede's cultural dimensions and Mormonism
Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:58 pm
A quick primer on Hofstede's five cultural dimensions:
There's some ambiguity about the Masculinity dimension - I've heard another version that describes it as competition vs quality of life values.
It's kind of interesting to analyze the church using these cultural dimensions, and then compare it with various nations.
1. Power/Distance (PD): HIGH
Clearly the church would get a very high score here. In both culture and doctrine, the church is about deference to authority. Authority cannot be openly questioned without risk of expulsion from the group. The group also accepts unequal distributions of power - until 1978, blacks were banned from meaningful leadership positions - women have always been barred from meaningful (priesthood) leadership positions.
2. Individualism (IDV): LOW
A very low score here. Despite the "I'm a Mormon Campaign," too much individualism, even in trivial areas such as dress/hairstyle, is very much frowned upon in the LDS church. Communities tend to be close-knit and interdependent. Members take responsibility for the well-being of other members
3. Masculinity (MAS): HIGH
The church obviously gets a very high score here, with its rigid, traditional gender roles enshrined in doctrine and preached from the pulpit every six months.
4. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (UAI): HIGH
Mormons are uncomfortable with uncertainty. They take comfort in the feeling that they have answers to big "life questions" that no one else does. Mormons thrive when give plenty of rules and strict order, and most definitely seek a collective truth rather than individual truths.
5. Long term orientation (LTO), vs. short term orientation: HIGH
High value for tradition and conservative values, low value for creative expression and novel ideas. In the early church this would have been reversed.
I can't ascribe numerical values, but the church seems to be pretty extreme on most of these, whether extremely high or extremely low. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that HIGH = 110/120 and LOW=10/120.
LDS Church:
PDI: 110
IDV: 10
MAS: 110
UAI: 110
LTO: 110
Okay, so let's compare with some of the world powers:
http://geert-hofstede.com/united-states.html
USA:
PDI: 40
IDV: 91
MAS: 62
UAI: 46
LTO: 29
Not at all like the church. Maybe Church members are so enthusiastically American because it gives them a break from the collectivist, conformist, rigid church culture?
Sweden:
PDI: 31
IDV: 71
MAS: 5
UAI: 29
LTO: 20
Even more dissimilar to the church. Close to polar opposite.
China:
PDI: 80
IDV: 20
MAS: 66
UAI: 30
LTO: 118
Closer to the church, but dissimilar in uncertainty avoidance.
Saudi Arabia:
PDI: 95
IDV: 25
MAS: 60
UAI: 80
LTO: no data
Quite similar to the church.
Iraq:
PDI: 95
IDV: 30
MAS: 70
UAI: 85
LTO: 30
Again, quite similar to the church, except for long-term orientation.
Power distance index (PDI): This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – among people with and without power. A high PD score indicates that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand "their place" in the system. Low PD means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals.
Individualism (IDV) vs. collectivism: This refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. A high IDV score indicates a loose connection with people. In countries with a high IDV score there is a lack of interpersonal connection and little sharing of responsibility, beyond family and perhaps a few close friends. A society with a low IDV score would have strong group cohesion, and there would be a large amount of loyalty and respect for members of the group. The group itself is also larger and people take more responsibility for each other's well being.
Masculinity (MAS), vs. femininity: This refers to how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. High MAS scores are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be assertive and to be strong. If women work outside the home, they have separate professions from men. Low MAS scores do not reverse the gender roles. In a low MAS society, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. Men are allowed to be sensitive and women can work hard for professional success.
Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI): This relates to the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations. High UAI-scoring nations try to avoid ambiguous situations whenever possible. They are governed by rules and order and they seek a collective "truth". Low UAI scores indicate the society enjoys novel events and values differences. There are very few rules and people are encouraged to discover their own truth.
Long term orientation (LTO), vs. short term orientation: This refers to how much society values long-standing – as opposed to short term – traditions and values. This is the fifth dimension that Hofstede added in the 1990s after finding that Asian countries with a strong link to Confucian philosophy acted differently from western cultures. In countries with a high LTO score, delivering on social obligations and avoiding "loss of face" are considered very important.
There's some ambiguity about the Masculinity dimension - I've heard another version that describes it as competition vs quality of life values.
It's kind of interesting to analyze the church using these cultural dimensions, and then compare it with various nations.
1. Power/Distance (PD): HIGH
Clearly the church would get a very high score here. In both culture and doctrine, the church is about deference to authority. Authority cannot be openly questioned without risk of expulsion from the group. The group also accepts unequal distributions of power - until 1978, blacks were banned from meaningful leadership positions - women have always been barred from meaningful (priesthood) leadership positions.
2. Individualism (IDV): LOW
A very low score here. Despite the "I'm a Mormon Campaign," too much individualism, even in trivial areas such as dress/hairstyle, is very much frowned upon in the LDS church. Communities tend to be close-knit and interdependent. Members take responsibility for the well-being of other members
3. Masculinity (MAS): HIGH
The church obviously gets a very high score here, with its rigid, traditional gender roles enshrined in doctrine and preached from the pulpit every six months.
4. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (UAI): HIGH
Mormons are uncomfortable with uncertainty. They take comfort in the feeling that they have answers to big "life questions" that no one else does. Mormons thrive when give plenty of rules and strict order, and most definitely seek a collective truth rather than individual truths.
5. Long term orientation (LTO), vs. short term orientation: HIGH
High value for tradition and conservative values, low value for creative expression and novel ideas. In the early church this would have been reversed.
I can't ascribe numerical values, but the church seems to be pretty extreme on most of these, whether extremely high or extremely low. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that HIGH = 110/120 and LOW=10/120.
LDS Church:
PDI: 110
IDV: 10
MAS: 110
UAI: 110
LTO: 110
Okay, so let's compare with some of the world powers:
http://geert-hofstede.com/united-states.html
USA:
PDI: 40
IDV: 91
MAS: 62
UAI: 46
LTO: 29
Not at all like the church. Maybe Church members are so enthusiastically American because it gives them a break from the collectivist, conformist, rigid church culture?
Sweden:
PDI: 31
IDV: 71
MAS: 5
UAI: 29
LTO: 20
Even more dissimilar to the church. Close to polar opposite.
China:
PDI: 80
IDV: 20
MAS: 66
UAI: 30
LTO: 118
Closer to the church, but dissimilar in uncertainty avoidance.
Saudi Arabia:
PDI: 95
IDV: 25
MAS: 60
UAI: 80
LTO: no data
Quite similar to the church.
Iraq:
PDI: 95
IDV: 30
MAS: 70
UAI: 85
LTO: 30
Again, quite similar to the church, except for long-term orientation.