Here is a description of each taken from the book "Global Marketing Management."

Power Distance

Power distance refers to "the degree of inequality which people of a country view acceptable." A country can be high or low in power distance. If a country is high, it doesn't really see a problem with great differences in such things as the income level of people or in the distribution of power. Examples include Arab countries, Mexico, and West Africa. Low power distance countries don't find wide gaps in these areas acceptable. They tend to think that people should have equal rights (or have a more egalitarian view). Such countries include the United States, Germany, and Great Britain.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance is "the extent to which people in a given culture prefer structured situations with clear rules over unstructured ones." Once again, cultures can rank as either being high or low in this dimension. If a country scores as low, you'll probably find people who are easy going, not extremely rigid, and are willing to take risks. The opposite is true in places with high uncertainty avoidance.

Individualism

Individualism "describes the degree to which people prefer to act as individuals rather than group members." As you might imagine, cultures that score high on the individualism dimension are considered to be "me" societies. They focus on the interest of the individual. On the other side of the spectrum, you find the "we" cultures in which the interest of the group is of utmost importance. Closely related to this dimension is the concept of "self." People in high individualism societies find it natural for people to express themselves and discover their own unique qualities. They have an "independent view of the self." In societies where the group is more important, and "interdependent view of the self" exists. These people feel more comfortable with and want to be connected to others.

Masculinity

Certain values are considered to be "male" and others "female." Assertiveness, success, the competitive drive, and achievement are male values. Values such as solidarity and concern about the quality of life are considered to be female. How important a country perceives the "male" values over the "female" defines the its masculinity. Japan is considered to be a masculine country. Indonesia is considered to be female.

Long-termism

This is a dimension that Hofstede uncovered while doing some additional research in Asia. It refers to whether a country's focus is on the long-term or short-term. The United States, for example scores low in this dimension. So do Great Britain and West Africa. These countries pay more attention to values that represent the past and present. Japan, on the other hand scores highly. Its values revolve around the future.

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