Theories in Action

Hofstede Cultural Theory

As we all know, America is a place unlike any other. However, right now, the United States is extra crazy, which is why I think the Hofstede theory of Leadership can explain the leadership I see every day in my internship. This theory has six cultural dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectiveness, masculinity, long term orientation, and indulgence. Leadership at the Law Offices of Haytham Faraj, is very consistent with the leadership America’s culture is known to have, but they also differ.

America has a moderate level of power distance, meaning power between superiors and individuals are organized equally. I see this every day in my internship, because I believe me and my supervisor work together. Of course, he is the one who assigns tasks, but we work together to get the job completed. US is also towards the middle of uncertainty avoidance. During COVID-19 the entire premise of my internship had to be changed. Although there was stress and unknowns, we were able to both figure out how to make the remote situation useful to us both. Additionally, the United State is a very individualistic society. This does not follow along with leadership exhibited in my internship site. My supervisor and I work together on tasks and he are available for any questions I may have. I am glad it is this way, because I have truly learned a lot through asking questions.

Masculinity is the extent to which a society has masculine or feminine views. The US is a more feminine country, surprisingly. This is congruent with my office because, including me, there are equal numbers of men and women. Additionally, social situations are valued in my office. I have a nice conversation about life with my supervisor all of the time. I believe if we were meeting in person, this would be extenuated even more. The US is very low in long-term orientation meaning they deal with things in the short term. I have long projects, but tasks are often added at short notice. Moreover, I never plan a meeting with my supervisor more than 12 hours before. Finally, the United States is quite indulgent, meaning they enjoy nice things in life. I cannot say whether or not this occurs in my office. Hofstede’s cultural theory of leadership explains how the office I work in leads in many of these categories.