National culture of a country influences the practices of human resource management within an organisation.
National culture is defined as a set of norms, beliefs and values within the population of a country as a whole. National Culture is imbibed in an individual since birth whereas organisational culture is based on the practices implemented within an organisation.
As established by G.Hofstede, there are 4 dimensions of national Culture:
1.Individualism vs Collectivism
Individualism favours self-sufficiency and independence in an individual.
In an individualistic culture, a person concentrates on his/her goals and needs only whereas in collectivism, people concentrate more on the group to which they belong. In this case, individuals put aside their personal wants, needs and dreams for common good and welfare.
Power Distance dimension is a measure of the distribution of power within the society.
In cultures with low power distance, power is more likely to be distributed equally. People thrive to equalise power and demand justifications wherever there is unequal distribution of power.
In cultures of high power distance, unequal distribution of power is a way of life. People expect and accept power differences within a group.