Country comparison:Finland and Italy (Hofstede theory)

Now, I will try to show you the results of an analysis has been done on Finland  and Italy using the Hofstede theory.

This tool is very useful and interesting one to use in order to get a good overview of the different cultures and make a comparison with other countries in the world.

I knew Italians and Finnish are very different but, using the Hofstede theory, I learned about some more aspects of the Finnish and Italian society and how much they actually differ from each other.

Finland and Italy have been analyzed on different levels and fields: Power distance, individualism, masculinity, long term orientation and indulgence.

In analysis about Finland, the results of the study show a society in which equal rights, decentralized power and communication are fundamental both in private life and working field.
The score Finland achieved in the field of Individualism is pretty high. This feature highlights the common use of people taking care of themselves and their families only.

On the other hand Italy with a even more high score ( 76)  is seen as an Individualist culture, actually defined as “me” centered.
For Italians having their own personal ideas is very motivating and  lead to the route to happiness.

Althoug, it is important to know that, this dimension does vary in Southern Italy where less Individualist behavior. Italians coming from the North or South of Itay may show very different behaviours.

One of the most impressing differences between italy and Finland is found in the field of 'masculinity'.

On one hand, Masculinity score In Finland is low.
Competition in order to achieve success is something extraneous for Finnish people. The Finnish society is mostly described as Feminine one. This means  that equality, compromise and support are the means leaders use in order to achieve their goals and too make their deals.

On the other hand, in Italy masculinity score is very high.

Children are taught from an early age that competition is good and to be a winner is important in order to be happy.
At school, in sports, in games, everything is taken seriously when is a metter of winning or loosing, at every age.
 

Long term orientation point of the analysis classifies Finnish people like “normal”. Their attachment to the past and traditions are still present but there is relatively small propensity to save them for the future.

Again, Italy shows a very different score.
Italians are described as pragmatic people. For them, truth depends very much on the situation. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily .
 

Furthermore, Indulgence in Finland has a relatively high score, for this reason it is actually classified as an indulgent country. The tendency to realize their impulses, the importance to have leisure time, positive attitude and optimism seems to be part of the Finnish attitude.

In contrast, Italy scores low. For this reason Italian population is categorized as having a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Italians do not put much emphasis on leisure time since they believe they are restrained by social norms.