Revisiting Hofstede’s Dimensions: Examining the CulturalConvergence of the United States and Japan

Abstract

It has been over forty years since Hofstede’s groundbreaking study on cultural values. Since then, there have been drastic changes to the global landscape influenced by political, environmental, and technological factors. Utilizing Cultural Convergence Theory we suggest that increased similarities can be observed in cultures with strong international linkages. Specifically, this study utilized the new Value Survey Module 08 to test theoretically justified hypotheses examining the cultural convergence of the United States and Japan. Results suggest interesting changes have occurred in these cultures, to include a strong trend towards convergence. Implications as well as directions for future research are discussed.