A Critique of Hofstede’s Fifth National Culture Dimension
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- 1 December 2003
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in International Journal of Cross Cultural Management
- Vol. 3 (3) , 347-368
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1470595803003003006
Abstract
Using indigenous knowledge of Chinese culture and philosophy, this article critiques Geert Hofstede’s fifth national culture dimension, i.e. ‘Confucian dynamism’, also referred to as ‘long-term orientation’. The basic premise on which the dimension is founded is scrutinized and the way in which this index has been constructed is assessed in detail. It is argued that there is a philosophical flaw inherent in this ‘new’ dimension. Given this fatal flaw and other methodological weaknesses, the usefulness of Hofstede’s fifth dimension is doubted. The article concludes by calling for new visions and perspectives in our cross cultural research.Keywords
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