Little Book of Big Management Theories, The, 2nd Edition

THEORY 53

HOFSTEDE’S SIX CROSS-ORGANISATIONAL DIMENSIONS

Use as a checklist when you are engaged in changing organisational culture.

Geert Hofstede suggests that there are six dimensions which can be used to describe the organisation’s culture. He poses these as a series of opposites and asks the user to plot where their organisation is on each of the six continuums.

HOFSTEDE’S SIX DIMENSIONS ARE:

Process vs Result: Process-oriented cultures are low risk and low effort. Results-oriented cultures welcome change and challenge and are high effort.

Person vs Job: A person-driven culture places employee welfare at the heart of the organisation. A job-driven culture emphasises completion of tasks over regard for the staff.

Parochial vs Professional: ...