19 - Finland want to uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede)

A HOFSTEDE DIMENSION

This dimension, the avoidance of uncertainty, indicates how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or simply let it happen? This ambiguity is a source of anxiety, and different cultures have learned to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid them is reflected in the note on avoiding uncertainty.

RESULTS

This characteristic makes it possible to assess the attitude of individuals and companies to risk and their ability to manage uncertainty. A low risk tolerance will lead to the implementation of standardised procedures, planning tools and discipline. There is no clear factor explaining this relationship to uncertainty, however, it can be noted that countries with a low relationship to uncertainty will tend to implement the above-mentioned tools. Moreover, situations of uncertainty will generate anxiety among its members as well as greater emotionality, which can be translated into a certain aggressiveness. The results of the study are as follows: France (86), Finland (59), Estonia (60), the country with the highest score is Greece (100) and the lowest is Singapore (0).

HIGH PREFERENCE FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF UNCERTAINTY

Finland has a high preference for the avoidance of uncertainty. Finland maintains rigid codes of belief and behaviour and is intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In this culture, there is an emotional need for rules, time is money, people need to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation can meet resistance and safety is an important element of individual motivation