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Writer's pictureMiriam Grobman

National Cultures Shape Management Approaches



Management is an Anglo-Saxon concept, that had been developed for the masculine American and British Cultures. It actually means "handling." Classic American studies of leadership intend it to balance two elements of concern for work and concern for people. Both are equally important for the success of the company, but they tend to get unequal attention in different cultures. Moreover, "boys in a masculine society are socialized towards assertiveness, ambition and competition. When they grow up, they are expected to aspire to career advancement [this of course, puts extra pressure on those who don't]. Girls in a masculine society are polarized between those who want a career and those who don't."* The feminine side of management opens possibilities in any culture for women managers, who may be better able to combine the masculine and feminine elements of management better than men.

Learn More About Masculinity vs. Feminity Levels of National Cultures

You can compare different cultures through the Country Comparison Tool on the Hofstede Centre website.

If you're someone like me and spent your life across different cultures, you can also take a test to see how closely your culture resembles those of various nations.

*Adapted from: Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede, Michael Minkov,Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010

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