GLOBE identifies nine cultural dimensions. Six is Hofstede. Seven and ten are not counts either model uses.
The nine dimensions
- Performance Orientation
- Assertiveness
- Future Orientation
- Humane Orientation
- Institutional Collectivism
- In-Group Collectivism
- Gender Egalitarianism
- Power Distance
- Uncertainty Avoidance
The definitions that get tested
- Performance Orientation — the degree to which a collective encourages and rewards group members for performance improvement and excellence.
- Assertiveness — how forceful and confrontational members are with one another.
- Future Orientation — the extent of planning and investment in the future.
- Gender Egalitarianism — the degree to which gender inequality is minimized.
- Uncertainty Avoidance — the extent to which a society relies on social norms, rules and procedures to alleviate unpredictability.
Where the confusions sit
- Uncertainty Avoidance is about norms, rules and procedures. It is not charismatic leadership and personal loyalty, which describes leadership attributes rather than a dimension. Reliance on family and in-group ties is closer to In-Group Collectivism. Long-term investment and planning is closer to Future Orientation.
- Rewarding improvement and excellence is Performance Orientation, not Assertiveness. Assertiveness is about forcefulness in dealing with people, not about rewarding results.
Carry this in
The stop-at-nine rule: if you can name the nine, you can also answer the Hofstede-versus-GLOBE items, because anything outside the six Hofstede names and inside this list is GLOBE.