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9. Employees are not as threatened by workers from other countries as are those from high-un-certainty avoidance societies. 10. Employees are better able to function in meetings with a loose agenda (n.议程). 11. Employees have relatively little loyalty to employers because they do not depend on the company for security. 12. Employees have a preference for a broad set of guidelines rather than a formal set of rules and regulations.
3 Impact upon low uncertainty avoidance societies
People in low uncertainty avoidance societies do not feel quite so threatened nor anxious about uncertainty, and therefore do not have such a strong need to limit or control it. They seek to legislate fewer areas of human interaction and tolerate differences better. They feel boxed in by too much structure or too many systems. They are curious rather than frightened by the unknown and are not uncomfortable leaving things to chance. Life is interesting but not especially daunting discouraging.
The unpredictability (n. 不可预言) of the future, and the resultant (adj. 作为结果而发生的, 合成的) anxiety that this produces, is part of the human experience. Nevertheless, cultures differ in the degree to which they can tolerate ambiguity, cope with uncertainties, and adapt to the future.
Uncertainty Avoidance
Main Points
1. Low uncertainty avoidance societies 2. High uncertainty avoidance 3. Impact upon low uncertainty avoidance societies 4. Impact upon high uncertainty avoidance societies
Hofstede's uncertainty-avoidance measure indicates the extent to which a culture conditions (vt.以...为条件, 使达到要求的情况) its members to feel either comfortable or uncomfortable in unstructured (adj. 无社会组织的, 未组织的), ambiguous (adj. 暧昧的, 不明确的), and unpredictable situations.
1. They take life easy. 2. They tolerate and even celebrate ambiguous situations; the more unfamiliar the challenge, the greater the adventure. 3. There is a tendency to avoid setting rigid (adj. 刚硬的, 刚性的, 严格的) rules and laws but to resolve any conflict that might arise. 4.There is an easygoing attitude toward structure and schedules along with a tendency to “wing it”, to work out solutions to problems on the spur of the moment (不假思索的, 立即, 马上).
2. High uncertainty avoidance societies
Uncertainty avoidance focuses on the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within the society - i.e. unstructured situations.
5. They tolerate very different behaviors and avoid conformity (n. 一致, 符合) whenever possible. 6. They believe in common sense and feel that formal protocols (n. 草案, 协议) are for stupid people. 7. Employees are willing to have their pension (n. 养老金, 退休金) funds invested in the stock market rather than a low interest-bearing money-market account. 8. Employees are more willing to experiment with new techniques and procedures.
The critical components of high uncertainty avoidance:
1. Greater anxiety about the future; 2. More emotional resistance to change; 3. Less risk taking; 4. Tendency to stay with same employer; 5. Fear of failure; 6. Considerable loyalty to employer; 7. Rules should not be broken; 8. Conflict is undesirable; 9. Initiative of subordinates discouraged; 10. Differences are considered dangerous; 11. High stress; 12. Emotional expression is acceptable; 13. Superordinates have all the answers; 14. Formal organizational structures.
The critical components of low uncertainty avoidance dimension:
1. Willingness to live day by day; 2. Less emotional resistance to change; 3. More risk taking; 4. Willingness to change employer; 5. Hope for success; 6. Little loyalty to employer; 7. Sometimes rules can be broken; 8. Conflict is natural and to be expected; 9. Initiative of subordinates encouraged; 10. Differences are tolerated; 11. Low stress; 12. Little emotional expression; 13. Superordinates may say "I don't know.” 14. Less formal organizational structures.
1. Low uncertainty avoidance societies
A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has less concern about ambiguity and uncertainty and has more tolerance for a variety of opinions. This is reflected in a society that is less rule-oriented, more readily (adv. 乐意地, 欣然, 容易地) accepts change, and takes more and greater risks.
Uncertainty Avoidance


This dimension refers to how comfortable people feel towards ambiguity Cultures which ranked low (compared to other cultures), feel much more comfortable with the unknown. According to Hofstede (霍夫斯太德), uncertainty avoidance refers to the lack of tolerance for ambiguity and the need for formal rules and high-level organizational structure.