Geert Hofstede was a pioneering Dutch social psychologist renowned for transforming cross-cultural research in organizational contexts. Born on October 2, 1928, in Haarlem, Netherlands, he initially earned a mechanical engineering degree before transitioning to social psychology, completing his PhD at Groningen University in 1967. His career began at IBM Europe where he founded and managed the Personnel Research Department, establishing himself as a forward-thinking researcher in international organizational behavior. After a two-year sabbatical from IBM (1971-1973) during which he lectured at IMEDE in Lausanne, he departed from IBM to pursue academic work full-time. Hofstede subsequently held faculty positions at the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management in Brussels and at INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France, cementing his reputation as a leading scholar in cross-cultural studies.
Hofstede pioneered the first empirical model of cultural dimensions through his groundbreaking analysis of IBM's extensive global employee survey data, which formed the foundation of his seminal work Culture's Consequences published in 1980. His research identified key dimensions of national culture including Power Distance, Individualism versus Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Masculinity versus Femininity, later expanding to include Long-term versus Short-term Orientation and Indulgence versus Restraint. This framework established a new paradigm for understanding how cultural values influence organizational behavior, business practices, and international cooperation across diverse societies. Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory became one of the most influential frameworks in international business and management studies, serving as the basis for countless research studies examining the impact of cultural differences on strategy, marketing, human resource management, and financial practices. His work fundamentally transformed how multinational organizations approach cross-cultural management and international business operations worldwide.
As a self-described free-ranging professor, Hofstede excelled at building bridges between psychology, anthropology, and business management, establishing himself as a generalist who transcended traditional academic boundaries. In 1980, he co-founded the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), which became instrumental in advancing cross-cultural research methodologies and applications. Hofstede was appointed professor of Organizational Anthropology and International Management at Maastricht University in 1986, where he played a pivotal role in developing the International Management curriculum that later evolved into the successful field of International Business. Honored with a knighthood by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 2011 and remembered as the free-ranging professor who wrote a pioneering standard work, Hofstede's legacy continues to shape cross-cultural research and practice, with his cultural dimensions framework remaining a cornerstone of international business education and organizational development worldwide.
