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Geert HofstedeDutch social psychologist, emeritus professor of organizational anthropology and international management at the University of Maastricht
Date of Birth: 02.10.1928
Country:  Netherlands |
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Biography of Geert Hofstede
Geert Hofstede is a Dutch social psychologist, distinguished professor of organizational anthropology and international management at Maastricht University. He is well-known for his groundbreaking research on intercultural groups and organizations. Hofstede's most notable work involves defining the cultural characteristics of different nations through the evaluation of five parameters: power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and short-term/long-term orientation. He published his research in books such as "Culture's Consequences" and "Cultures and Organizations."
Early Life and Education
Gerard Hendrik Hofstede was born in 1928 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. He attended schools in The Hague and Apeldoorn. In 1953, he graduated from Delft Technical University with a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering. After working in the industrial sector for ten years, Hofstede joined the doctoral program at Groningen University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in social psychology in 1967. His dissertation focused on budgetary control.
Career
After graduating from Delft University, Hofstede served in the Dutch military as a technical officer for two years. In 1955, he became a factory worker in Amsterdam. In 1965, Hofstede joined IBM, where he trained future managers and worked as a personnel manager for scientific staff. From 1971 to 1973, he took a hiatus from IBM and served as a guest lecturer at IMEDE (now known as the International Institute for Management Development). In 1980, Hofstede co-founded the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), which is now located at Tilburg University. He served as the first director of IRIC. Upon retiring in 1993, Hofstede began traveling to various universities worldwide, teaching students his theoretical approaches and continuing his research. He is currently an honorary professor of organizational anthropology and international management at Maastricht University.
Awards and Recognition
Hofstede has received numerous honors, including being knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion in 2011. From 1992 to 2000, he was an honorary professor at The University of Hong Kong. His books have been translated into 23 languages. According to the World Wide Web, between 1981 and 2011, over nine thousand scientific articles were written referencing Hofstede's publications. This made him one of the most cited European sociologists.
Personal Life
In 1955, Gerard married Maaike A. van den Hoek. The couple has four sons: Gert-Jan Hofstede, a specialist in population biology and information management sociologist; Rokus, a translator; Bart, a cultural advisor for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Berlin; and Gideon, an international marketer. Hofstede also has nine grandchildren. Gert-Jan actively participated in his father's work on several books related to cultural research.
