19th of June 2025
Intercultural Communication
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Our case model explores how Hofstede dimensions appear in daily work within an international logistics company.
Overview
For this assignment, an interview was conducted with a representative from an international logistics company. We worked with four students on this. One did the interview, the rest of the team contributed to analyzing the interview and writing the report. The interviewee has worked in various international settings. Drawing on Hofstede’s Dimensions framework, covered in our lectures, including power distance, individualism, masculinity vs. femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation, the conversation focused on experiences navigating cultural differences in professional contexts. This aligns with the company’s documented approach of adapting communication and processes to diverse cultural value dimensions globally.
Our questions explored how these dimensions appear in daily work. The interviewee shared detailed insights, emphasizing that success in international business depends on understanding and adapting to local norms rather than expecting them to match one’s own culture. They highlighted the need to move beyond assumptions and actively learn context-specific expectations to build trust and effective partnerships. This reflects the company’s philosophy of tailoring approaches such as respecting hierarchy in high power-distance cultures or providing detailed plans in high uncertainty-avoidance environments to work successfully in over 100 countries.
This adaptability is a core part of the company operations. The interviewee described a best practice as “a transferable solution to a repetitive issue that leads to an optimal, creative, and sustainable outcome.” A clear example involved addressing recurring conveyor system issues. The company develops solutions that are effective, innovative, and environmentally sustainable, making them usable across industries and improving overall efficiency.
These insights show the importance of both intercultural competence (understanding and adjusting to cultural value dimensions) and systems-thinking (developing practical, sustainable solutions). Overlooking cultural frameworks or failing to create scalable solutions can cause misunderstandings, inefficiencies or conflict. The interview confirmed that awareness of Hofstede’s dimensions and the ability to identify best practices are not just useful, they’re essential for effective international work.
Hofstede Dimensions
Hofstede has multiple dimensions to look at a culture. There is individual culture where people believe that they are supposed to take care of themselves and remain emotionally independent of groups, organizations, or other collectivities. (p.136, Hofstede). The opposite of this is collective culture. This means emphasizing the ingroup, such as the organization or extended family (p. 139, Hofstede). Another dimension is large power distance. This means the unequal distribution of power in institutions and organizations in a hierarchy of privilege (p. 141, Hofstede). On the other hand, small power distance culture values horizontal relationships where everyone is on a level playing field. While a boss has power and authority, he or she must be careful to respect workers and share the benefits of that power whenever possible (p. 143, Hofstede).
Looking from a different view, there’s masculinity. This involves assertiveness, masculinity, money and material things rather than nurturance, quality of life, or the needs of others (p. 146, Hofstede). The other side, feminine culture is expected to be cooperative and nurturing in their relationships. They are supposed to be sensitive to the needs of the disadvantaged and are quick to offer help to those who need it (p. 148, Hofstede). On to the next dimension, there is strong uncertainty avoidance. This means there is no tolerance for ambiguity. They like a safe, predictable world (p. 151, Hofstede). As for the opposite, we have weak uncertainty avoidance, this is about taking life easy and tolerating, even celebrating ambiguous situations (p. 154 Hofstede). Long-term orientation is another dimension. This includes having a long-time perspective on life, living a virtuous life in the eyes of their ancestors and providing for their children. These are vital to this dimension(p. 156, Hofstede). The opposite is short-term orientation. Here it is about being eager to live in the moment and to show immediate results. Traditions are unquestionably important. Much time is spent in social ritual for its own sake (p. 158, Hofstede).
With international clients, it’s important to be aware of culture, as people from different countries usually have different social rules. If you communicate with people from other countries without knowing those differences, you will very likely misattribute at least some aspects of their behavior. You will find meaning where none was intended, or you will miss meaning where it was intended (p. 164, Hofstede’s Exploring Culture).
The company therefore pays attention to cultures with low or high power distance. As an adjustment, their communication can be horizontal, but also without distance. For both individualistic and collective cultures, they balance teamwork and decision-making according to their clients preferences.
To look at another dimension, the logistics company offers clear plans and guarantees if the culture has high uncertainty avoidance. As for masculinity and femininity culture, they match competition versus care. Lastly, they focus on long-term or short-term orientation to build relationships accordingly.
We know that best practices reflect a learning-oriented and innovation-driven culture, where organizations proactively seek to improve systems through knowledge sharing and continuous improvement. According to Garvin, a learning organization is one that actively creates, captures, transfers, and mobilizes knowledge to adapt and improve. This is evident at the company, where teams consistently identify recurring challenges in conveyor system performance and respond by developing scalable, transferable solutions. These innovations not only address immediate operational inefficiencies but also enhance system-wide performance, reduce energy use, and minimize waste, aligning with principles of lean thinking and sustainable operations (Womack & Jones, 2003). Because the company embeds this approach into its daily operations, we can show that best practices are not isolated events but are ingrained in the organizational culture. This supports the view that sustainable improvement is achieved when best practices are shared, replicated, and continuously refined. We can therefore agree that the company demonstrates a culture rooted in operational excellence, reflective learning, and cross-functional collaboration.
Possible solutions
We would recommend that next year’s students study other companies, as it offers a valuable comparison to the company. Both companies then provide modular conveyor systems used globally in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and automotive. Studying another company, however, emphasizes flexibility and easy integration, allowing companies to quickly adapt their production lines. This makes it a great example of innovation in supply chain solutions. Studying a different company alongside this company gives students a broader understanding of how different companies address similar challenges with distinct approaches.
Authors
Chaira Vrede: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_feed-secondary_nav
Norah El Hamdi: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/norah-el-hamdani-83433336b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
John Cen: www.linkedin.com/in/chaofan-cen
Annebel de Vries :https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebel-de-vries-243781373/
Biography/references
Building a learning organization. (1993, July 1). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1993/07/building-a-learning-organization
Sajadi, H., & Badreh, M. (2019). A critique of Theory of Dimensions of National Culture, concentrating on book “Cultures and Organizations: The Software of the Mind.” Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences, 19(10), 113–135. https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2020.22212.1413