Power distance
権力格差
How far less powerful members accept that power is distributed unequally.
Power distance: IL 13, NORD 28 (DK 18, SE 31, NO 31, FI 33), UK 35, DE 35, NL 38, US 40, JP 54, KR 60, FR 68, PL 68, BR 69, IN 77, CN 80, UA 92.
NORD is drawn as a span over its members: DK 18, SE 31, NO 31, FI 33.
Country averages. About 80% of variation in values is between people inside a country (Taras et al. 2016).
Source: The Culture Factor country comparison tool, current values (revised around 2023), retrieved 2026.
Positions as text
| Country or region | Score |
|---|---|
| Israel IL | 13 |
| The Nordics NORD | 28 (mean of DK 18, SE 31, NO 31, FI 33) |
| United Kingdom UK | 35 |
| Germany DE | 35 |
| Netherlands NL | 38 |
| United States US | 40 |
| Japan JP | 54 |
| South Korea KR | 60 |
| France FR | 68 |
| Poland PL | 68 |
| Brazil BR | 69 |
| India IN | 77 |
| China CN | 80 |
| Ukraine UA | 92 |
The two ends
- Left end Low power distance
- Power should be spread evenly. People expect to be consulted, and bosses are easy to approach.
- Right end High power distance
- Inequality is accepted as the natural order. People expect to be told what to do, and status is visible.
What it is built from
Originally built from IBM survey items on how often employees are afraid to express disagreement with their managers, and on the decision style they see in, and want from, their boss.
Six dimensions from Geert Hofstede's research, which began with an IBM employee survey in 1967 to 1973 and was extended by later replications. The scores are The Culture Factor's current values, revised around 2023, on a 0 to 100 line.
Limits: these are national averages. About 80% of variation in values lies between people inside a country, and applying a country score to an individual is the ecological fallacy. How to read these scales