People and Culture — Ideas for describing culture according to Hofstede

Culture is the invisible set of rules that shape how people think, communicate, and behave. It affects how comfortable people are disagreeing with their boss, whether they prefer to work alone or in teams, how much uncertainty they can tolerate, and whether they prioritise the group or the individual.

Most managers assume their team sees the world the same way they do. But when you are leading people from different backgrounds — whether across countries or even across regions — that assumption can lead to real misunderstandings.

Power distance describes how comfortable a culture is with hierarchy and unequal distribution of power. In high power distance cultures, it is normal and expected for the boss to make decisions without consulting the team. Questioning authority is seen as disrespectful.

In low power distance cultures, flat structures are preferred. Employees expect to be consulted, they challenge decisions openly, and a leader who does not explain their reasoning might be seen as arrogant. If you manage a team from a high power distance culture with a low power distance style — or vice versa — you will likely confuse and frustrate people on both sides.

In individualistic cultures, people are motivated by personal achievement. They want recognition for their own work, prefer individual targets, and see career advancement as a personal journey. In collectivist cultures, the group comes first. Loyalty to the team is paramount, and singling out one person for praise can actually be embarrassing or divisive.

This has direct implications for how you structure incentives, how you give feedback, and how you build teams. A commission-only pay structure that works brilliantly in New York might feel deeply uncomfortable to a team in a collectivist culture where individual success at the expense of the group feels wrong.

Some cultures are very comfortable with ambiguity — they can work with incomplete information, start projects without a clear plan, and pivot quickly. Others need clarity, structure, and rules before they feel safe moving forward.

If you have a team that scores high on uncertainty avoidance, throwing them into a fast-moving, figure-it-out-as-you-go environment will create anxiety and poor performance. They do not need micromanaging — they need clarity. Clear goals, clear processes, and clear escalation paths will unlock their best work.