Hofstede's Power Distance Theory

Power Distance

Originally power distance index was proposed by Hofstede in his cultural dimensions theory (Hofstede, 1980). Power distance measures a degree to which less powerful members of organizations can accept uneven distribution of power.This is applicable not only within corporate structures but also within communities as a whole. Hofstede conducted a survey of IBM employees across the globe and used the data to explore variations in cultural values. Hofstede argued that any culture can be classified using individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance. The latter parameter in particular is useful in interpreting cultural preferences within multicultural organizations, and can be potentially used to adjust management strategies. As a result, the concept of power distance has been actively researched over past few decades.

Bochner and Hesketh (1994) validated Hofstede’s power distance theory in a single multicultural work setting, where 263 workers from 28 countries participated in the study. People from Anglo-Celt cultural groups scored lower on power distance index, as originally predicted by Hofstede. Moreover, responders from non-Anglo-Celt groups reported greater number of discrimination incidents and favored cultural diversity in the work place (Bochner & Hesketh, 1994).

Brockner et al. (2001) studied the implications of power distance within cultural and procedural justice context. Authors focused on a premise that