Geert Hofstede's classic cross-cultural values study was compiled with data from 116,000 attitude surveys administered in 1967 and 1973 to IBM employees from all over the world. His data base was unique because he was able to isolate cultural effects. His respondents all worked similar jobs for the same company.1 Fifty-three cultures were analyzed according to four cultural dimensions: power distance, individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance.2 Power Distance: the extent to which less powerful members of institutions expect and accept that power is unequally distributed Individualism: the extent to which individuals become group members. High individualism means individuals are expected to look out for themselves. Masculinity: the acceptance of masculine/competitive traits or feminine traits Uncertainty Avoidance: the extent to which members of a culture feel comfortable or uncomfortable in unstructured situations. Cultures with a high uncertainty avoidance try to avoid unstructured situations by adhering to strict laws and procedures (See the MS .doc: more information on these four dimensions Download more information on these four dimensions).3 The values are ranked on a 100-point scale, though lowers scores shouldn't be thought of as failing. Instead, they reflect different cultural values. For instance, a low score in individualism reflects a country that