Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions

This is the Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions graph between the United States and Japan. In the Power Distance Index, the graph shows that Japan has a much higher acceptance of inequality than the United States. I believe this is because of their honor-based culture and the dominance of man over woman in their culture.

Another area of the graph with blatantly obvious differences is found in the long term orientation index. The United States achieved a score of 30 which means that their focus is on getting business plans rolling quickly and focusing on short-term goals. However, the Japanese scored an 80 in the long-term orientation index which means that they are comfortable with being visionaries for the future. Even though these two countries are take very different approaches in their planning strategies, it is evident that these countries successful business structures are a result of finding the type of planning orientation that works best for them.

Japanese culture emphasizes the group as a whole over the individual. This is a strict contrast of the American approach to society. The IDV portion of the graph shows the clear difference between the two countries.