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Title: Culture's Consequences : Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations by Geert Hofstede ISBN: 0-8039-7324-1 Publisher: Sage Publications Pub. Date: 08 February, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $56.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.75 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent for academic inquiry, not for bedside reading
Comment: In reference to the previous reviews, there is considerable critique of Hofstede's work throughout the academic community and Amazon.com is not the ideal place to get a feel for the value of this book. Also, the survey was not given in English around the world; it was translated into the appropriate languages and retranslated back into English just to ensure that the translation from English was accurate. However, this does not mean that other problems with the survey do not exist.
If you are seeking an understanding of what is currently known about culture and how to compare cultures, this book is essential. I don't mean that I think it is good. I mean that no reputable research on cultural values will fail to include Hofstede's work because it has been so influential, even for those who despise it. Those who agree use this to reinforce their perspectives. Those who disagree use this to frame counter-argument. It is essential.
It should be understood that this is academic literature. Only those committed to understanding the deep and complex issues associated with differences among cultures should even attempt to read thus. It is more like a reference book. I have only read probably half of it, myself. However, I learned more in that half than I have in many whole books.
For experienced readers and thinkers only.
Rating: 1
Summary: Pure Garbage! Academic Quackery! A Joke! Cold Fusion!
Comment: Two important points: First, language and culture are inseparable. Second, this entire survey was done in English and therefore was flawed from the very beginning.
As for all of the reviewers, Amazon and otherwise:
1. No one has demonstrated any foreign language skills or published any peer-reviewed studies on this subject in native languages. Furthermore, who would trust a cross cultural survey performed on England or the U.S. but done completely in Michelin (French) or Nissan (Japanese) or Haier (Chinese) or Hyundai (Korean)and not in English and not outside of any one of these companies? (IBM and English language surveys)
2. Hofstede and Trompenaars try the "bigger is better" fallacy and both fail. Large numbers hide the truth and have NOTHING to do with the kind of people surveyed, the questions asked or the number of people surveyed in each group (sample sizes).
3.McSweeney points out in 1/02 Human Relations page 94 that the number of "respondents in 15 countries was less than 200". In the 1960's, the Philippines (part of this 15) had at least 30 million people on 6000 islands with 100 different dialects. Gallup polls in the U.S. alone are generally 5,000 people from a wide cross section, not a single company like IBM. His samples sizes are meaningless. Some samples were less than 100 people per country.
4. Those who think that any group of people can be reasonably described by 5 bipolar characteristics or even 10 simply are novices and have no place in academia. Furthermore, those who believe that the Russians, the Pakistanis, the Brazilians, the Irish and the Japanese can be characterized by a COMMON set of descriptors, have no language skills and no understanding of culture whatsoever.
5. It's doubtful if Hofstede or any commentators on either side have any significant overseas living experience outside of their home country's military, government, university or even home country company (i.e. subsidiary) using the local language and managing most affairs by themselves. They are all inexperienced and have no clue which questions to ask.
6. Those who believe that they have the capacity to do an analysis (survey instrument construction and collection/analysis) of more than 3 countries competently, except for a few Europeans working in Europe only, are delusional and possibly arrogant.
7. The belief that the one-dimensional analysis of country through one company, native or foreign, can yield any sort of reflection of even that one country's culture should be an obvious fallacy. Does anyone believe that Deal & Kennedy's 1977 survey instrument could be used outside of a Western country?
8. When respondents know the intent of a survey, the danger of bias is very high. When managers know the intent, the threat to the subordinate responders is even greater. Page 103 McSweeney 1/02 Human Relations, elucidates Hofstede's methods on this point.
9. The Confucianism dimension is nothing more than cultural condescension and severe academic laziness by Hofstede.
10. Hofstede and others have created a result and then found data to "prove??" their contrived result. Given the lack of qualifications, the unwillingness to ask the right questions and the unwillingness to even allow the IBM data speak the truth, there is nothing academic or reliable here.
The 1000 word limit is insufficient to detail all of the mistakes here. Suffice it to say, Hofstede's work is truly, the "Cold Fusion" of cross-cultural studies.
Rating: 1
Summary: critiques of Hofstede
Comment: Pass the salt please. As already acknowledged in these reviews, there are sustained critiques of Hofstede. e.g.
Nigel Holden "Cross-Cultural Managment - a Knowledge Management Perspective" Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2002.
"Hofstede's model of national cultural differences and their consequences: a triumph of faith - a failure of analysis." Brendan McSweeney in Human Relations, 2002, 55 (1)
"Beyond models of national culture in information systems research", by Michael Myers & Felix Tan in the Journal of Global Information Management,2002, 10 (1).
"Hofstede never studied culture" by Rachel Baskerville 2003 Accounting Organizations and Society 28 pages 1- 14
Those using this book should take it with a large grain of salt.
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Title: Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind: Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival by Geert Hofstede ISBN: 0070293074 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Pub. Date: 01 October, 1996 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories, and Synthetic Cultures by Gert Jan Hofstede, Paul B. Pedersen, Geert Hofstede ISBN: 1877864900 Publisher: Intercultural Press Pub. Date: August, 2002 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
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Title: Riding The Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business by Charles Hampden-Turner, Fons Trompenaars ISBN: 0786311258 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Trade Pub. Date: 01 December, 1997 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
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Title: Cultures Consequences : International Differences in Work-Related Values by Geert Hofstede ISBN: 0803913060 Publisher: Sage Publications Pub. Date: 01 January, 1984 List Price(USD): $58.95 |
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Title: Beyond Culture by Edward T. Hall ISBN: 0385124740 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 01 October, 1971 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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