Comparative Analysis of Hofstede's Culture Dimensions for West African Regions (WAF) and Nigeria

Abstract

This research looked at Hofstede's culture dimensions scores for a single country Nigeria against Hofstede's scores for the West African Regions (Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone). The theoretical base for this study drew largely from the theoretical discourse on Hofstede's Dimensions of culture. As a methodology, the study used questionnaire survey to collect data on manager and non-manager employees in Nigerian cement organisations. The survey confirms that the dimension of national cultures of Nigeria as measured by the work-values and desires of the employee population are different from those obtained by Hofstede's for West African Region. Nigeria is still more collectivistic and become relatively more individualist since Hofstede's study. Between Hofstede' IBM study and the present study, there has been no change in the difference in Power Distance. Power Distance is much higher in Nigeria, like elsewhere in Africa, and this is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future. The large Power Distance in Nigeria means that the ideal manager is benevolent paternalistic.