How does Hofstede define power distance?
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How does Hofstede define power distance?
Definition. Hofstede (1985) defines power distance as “the extent to which the members of a society accept that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally” (p. 347).
What is meant by power distance culture?
Power distance refers to the relationship between authority and subordinate individuals that depends on how the latter react to the former. It is an anthropological concept used in cultural studies to understand the relationship between individuals with varying power, the effects, and their perceptions.
What is power distance meaning?
Power distance refers to the strength of a society’s social hierarchy. It measures the extent to which those people who are at the lower end of the hierarchy accept the fact that social stance or power is not distributed equally in the society. Both psychologists and sociologists use this measure.
What is power distance example?
A score of greater than seventy is considered being high, and a score below forty is considered low. For example, the United States scored at forty, which is considered a low score for power distance, while Guatemala scored an amazing ninety-five, indicating a very high score for power distance.
How is power distance measured?
The power-distance index measures the degree to which the members of a group or society accept the hierarchy of power and authority. PDI is a part of cultural dimensions theory, an attempt to quantify the differences in attitudes between cultures.
Why is power distance important?
Power distance is important for the healthy execution of relations, interactions, and communication between managers and employees. Low power distance improves the quality of relationships, interactions, and communication between school administrators and teachers, while high power distance decreases them.
What is power distance orientation?
Power distance orientation refers to the extent to which people accept unequally distributed power in a society or in an organization (Hofstede, 1984).
How does power distance affect decision making?
The cultural context plays an important role in the decision making process. In societies with high power distance, the superior more often makes decisions without the subordinates’ participation. Both managers and subordinates consider each other to be existentially unequal.
