Mention the various dimensions of culture.

Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede defines "culture" as a set of unwritten rules of behavior that set out what a particular group expects its members to do and believe. Hofstede measures culture in five dimensions and teaches that cooperation across cultures is essential to human survival. Some analysts apply Hofstede's teachings to national populations and their citizens, but they can also apply to a company's culture and its employees.

Power Distance

The power distance dimension is a literal measurement of the layers of management between an individual employee and the highest level of management. An individual contributor who reports to a manager who reports to a director who reports to a vice president who reports to a CEO has a power distance dimension of three, because there are three layers of management between the individual contributor and the CEO. The higher the power distance dimension, the less likely the employee is to feel that his contribution matters to the company. An organization may flatten its organizational structure to help employees feel connected to senior leadership.

Individualism

The individualism dimension measures not only the degree to which an employee maintains her unique attributes, but also the degree to which she becomes integrated into the collective group. An individualist employee has loose ties to others in the organization. She looks out for herself and perhaps for others in her small work group. A collectivist employee fully integrates herself into the organization and demonstrates loyalty to the extended corporate "family." In turn, she expects others in the organization to support her.

Masculinity

The masculinity dimension measures the organization's personality against masculine and feminine stereotypes. A company with a masculine culture operates assertively and competitively, and a company with a feminine culture comes across as more modest and caring. Employees tend to model their behavior after their companies' leaders. If the leadership team is competitive, employees may be encouraged to compete with one another or to beat out the company's competitors. If leaders are caring, employees are more likely to behave with tolerance and compassion.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Hofstede's uncertainty avoidance dimension measures employees' comfort with unstructured environments — unknown situations where surprising events may occur. In a business that lends itself to structure, such as a factory, the culture calls for rules that establish structure to promote safety and efficiency. In a creative environment, such as a design house, the culture encourages flexibility and problem-solving. Employees may not feel comfortable with either extreme, and an employee who likes to plan every minute of her day will quickly get frustrated in an organization with a low uncertainty avoidance dimension.

Long-Term Orientation

The long-term orientation dimension is associated with eastern culture and dates to the time of the Chinese leader Confucius. It measures long-term values, such as perseverance and thrift, against short-term values such as respect for tradition, fulfillment of social obligations and avoiding personal embarrassment. Employees with a high measure of long-term orientation respond well to a hierarchy-based organizational structure where leaders are highly respected. Employers with a low measure of long-term orientation demonstrate personal stability and observe customs such as reciprocating favors and gifts from others.