Culture is a large word. It has many definitions. When we talk about culture, we often relate it to music, art, literature… Of course, those elements represent culture well. But it is also more than that. Culture is a complex concept with multiple facets. And culture can actually be related to data models.
Multiple scientific analyses have been conducted by researchers to incorporate the data component into cultural dimensions. And today, we decided to focus on one research: the GLOBE Project.
The GLOBE Project, also called the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Project, is a research project with the purpose of studying the impact of culture on human behavior.
It was launched at the beginning of the 1990s by a team of scientists. Today, there are more than 200 researchers from more than 60 countries.
This project analyses how culture and society are based on nine cultural dimensions. Some of these cultural dimensions are similar to the Hofstede analysis conducted years before the GLOBE Project.
Let’s have a look at these dimensions:
Uncertainty Avoidance
This dimension reflects how much a society relies on social norms and laws to reduce the unpredictability of future events.
Assertiveness
This dimension indicates how assertive, confrontational and aggressive people are in their interactions with others.
Gender Differentiation/Egalitarianism
This dimension measures the extent to which gender roles are equal or unequal in a society.
Performance Orientation
It explores the degree to which a culture appreciates and rewards both performance and excellence.
Humane Orientation
It is the level to which a group supports and rewards people who are fair, selfless, giving, caring, and kind to others.
In-Group Collectivism
This dimension helps to understand more how cultures express their pride and loyalty within their organizations or families.
Institutional Collectivism
It measures if individuals favor collective interests over personal ones.
Power Distance
This index measures how much authority is recognized and followed in the society.
Future Orientation
This dimension shows to which extent individuals tend to plan their future and if they have long-term goals.
Those nine dimensions are very insightful and helpful in order to learn more about cultural values. And even more when a company wants to go global. A comprehensive understanding of these cultural dimensions enables a more effective formulation of strategies for Social Media Marketing. This knowledge empowers businesses to tailor content that resonates with target markets worldwide, fostering global engagement and audience reach.
It is important to keep in mind though, that this model should only be used as an orientation to better understand cultural norms and values. To really speak to audiences from abroad, there is way more to take into consideration.
In case you need a helping hand, glocled would gladly help you with our intercultural full service approach in order for you to really connect with your local communities and therefore boost your conversions abroad!
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