Table 3. Ranking of Forty Countries on Power Distance

*A low score means the country can be classified as one that prefers a large power distance; a high score is associated with cultures that prefer a small power distance.

Masculinity vs. Femininity

According to Hofstede & Hofstede (2005: 118-125), the dimension masculinity versus femininity is associated most strongly with the importance attached to the following work goal items:

For the masculine pole:

1. Earnings: have an opportunity for high earnings.

2. Recognition: get the recognition you deserve when you do a good job.

3. Advancement: have an opportunity for advancement to higher-level jobs.

4. Challenge: have a challenging work to do.

For the opposite, feminine, pole

5. Manager: have a good working relationship with your direct superior.

6. Cooperation: work with people who cooperate well with one another.

7. Living area: live in an area desirable to you and your family.

8. Employment security: have the security that you will be able to work for your company as long as you want.

A society is called masculine when emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough and focused on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life.

A society is called feminine when emotional gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life.

Are masculinity and femininity one or two dimensions? Again, it depends on our level of analysis. An individual can both masculine and feminine at the same time, but a country culture is either predominantly one or predominantly the other. If in a country more people hold masculine values, fewer people hold feminine values (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005: 125). Below is a more precise differentiation of the cultures according to this dimension with a table attached to it.

Masculinity. G. Hofstede uses the words masculinity and femininity to refer not to men and women, but rather to the degree to which masculine or feminine traits are valued and revealed. Masculinity is the extent to which the dominant values in a society are male oriented. These cultures are associated with such behaviors as ambition, differentiated sex roles, achievement, the acquisition of money, and signs of manliness. Ireland, the Philippines, Greece, South Africa, Austria, Japan, Italy, and Mexico are among countries that tend toward a masculine world view (see Table 4). In a masculine society, men are taught to be domineering, ambitious and assertive, In Japan, for instance, despite the high level of economic development, the division of labor still finds most men in the role of provider and bread-winner, and most women – home-makers.

Femininity. Cultures that value femininity as a trait stress caring and nurturing behaviors. A feminine world view maintains that men need not be assertive and that they can assume nurturing roles; it also promotes sexual equality and holds that people and the environment are important. Gender roles in feminine societies are more fluid than in masculine societies. Interdependence and androgynous behavior are the ideal, and people sympathize with the unfortunate. Nations such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands tend toward a feminine world view.

Placing a greater value on masculine over feminine traits can even be been seen in the type of person a culture selects to "lead" them. For example, in Sweden, which had the highest ranking in Hofstede's femininity category, women occupy 41 percent of legislative positions; in Japan, ranked the highest in masculine traits, only 5 percent of legislative offices are held by women. As you might suspect, the acting out of gender roles influences communication. In masculine cultures, men do most of the talking and take an active role in decision making.

Table 4. Ranking of Forty Countries on Masculinity and Femininity

*A high score means the country can be classified as one that favors feminine traits; a low score is associated with cultures that prefer masculine traits.