Steps to Classify Your Culture

Step One

1. Identify your cultural background (most often this is based on your nationality).
• What if your culture is not represented on the Hofstede Insights website? If your culture is not represented, please identify a country in the region that you feel has a similar culture to yours and base your classifications on this. You can then say if you agree or disagree with these classifications in Column B on the chart. Make sure to note 1) what your culture is, and 2) what culture you used for the classifications. Email Kristen if you have any questions.

• Frequently nationality is a simple choice for culture, for example choosing ‘Canadian’ if you are Canadian. However, sometimes students would prefer to use other cultures such as French-Canadian, or Indigenous. If you prefer to use a culture other than simple nationality, please email Kristen to discuss.

 

2. Using the provided WORKBOOK, fill out the Theory Classification chart.
• COLUMN A – Classification of Your Culture: Use the Hofstede Insights website to classify your country’s culture for each of the theories on the chart. You must do additional research for High and Low Context classification.

o Make sure to WRITE out the classification in words and do not just put the number here. For example, what does 66 on Power Distance mean? High or Low PD? Show that you understand what the number means. 

o IMPORTANT NOTE: If the Hofstede website doesn’t not provide a classification for all of these theories for
your culture, please say how you think your culture WOULD be classified and why. Make sure to say this is
based on your opinion and not on the Hofstede classifications.

• COLUMN B – Do you think this classification is correct? Why, or why not? Provide examples to support your
agreement or disagreement: This is not about whether you agree with how things in your culture are done, but whether you think your culture has been correctly classified.
1. Pick two theories from the list below:
1. Power Distance
2. Individualism/Collectivism
3. Achievement/Nurture (Masculinity/Femininity)
4. Uncertainty Avoidance
5. Long/Short Term Orientation
6. Indulgence vs. Restraint
7. High vs. Low Context Communication

 

2. Define the theories in your own words with references. A quotation will not be accepted. This must be in your own words.
• For a full definition, please make sure you define both sides of the theory (for example, if you are using the theory of Power
Distance, define both High and Low Power Distance).
• Please ONLY choose a theory if you AGREE with how your culture is classified on that theory.

Using the same two theories you defined in STEP TWO, apply these theories by giving original examples from your own life that exemplify the theories and how your culture is classified. Minimum expectation is 100 words per theory – no maximum.
o You could choose to write about a time when you experienced a situation that you can now understand was a
difference between your classification (e.g. high power distance) and the opposite (low power distance).
o Alternatively, you could choose to pick an aspect of your own life that exemplifies why you are classified that way (e.g. something that illustrates yes you are from a high power distance culture) and then say what the opposite would be—what would someone from a low power distance culture do/experience in the same situation?
o Make sure your example reflects your culture’s classification identified in STEP ONE (for example, if you
classified your culture as HIGH Power Distance your example should be discussing how your culture is
HIGH Power Distance not LOW Power Distance).