Uncertainty avoidance describes how cultural differences
influence people's risk-taking preferences and comfort in unfamiliar
situations. Discover how to measure uncertainty across cultures.
What Exactly Is Uncertainty Avoidance?
Uncertainty avoidance refers to a culture's or society's
tolerance of unexpected and unstructured situations, which influences social
norms, business practices, and human behavior. The Uncertainty Avoidance Index
(UAI) assesses how different countries perceive the future, the unknown, and
unpredictability. The UAI is part of the cultural dimensions model developed by
social scientist Geert Hofstede, which also examines nations' individualism/collectivism,
masculinity/femininity, power distance, and long-term orientation.
Examples of Uncertainty Avoidance
The characteristics of uncertainty avoidance differ,
resulting in cultural diversity. Geert Hofstede's cultural avoidance dimension
has three tiers:
High uncertainty avoidance: High uncertainty avoidance
cultures are strict in their behavior and have a low tolerance for change.
Success requires predictability, and these cultures prioritize systems over
innovation. According to Hofstede, people who avoid uncertainty the most live
in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Guatemala, Portugal, Mexico, Japan, and
South Korea.
Moderate uncertainty avoidance: People in this class have
varying levels of uncertainty avoidance, with people respecting and utilizing
systems while welcoming new ideas and questioning norms. People with moderate
UAI have a combination of high and low uncertainty avoidances and are mostly
from the United States and Canada.
Low uncertainty avoidance: Cultures with low uncertainty
avoidance are more at ease in unpredictable situations. They need as few rules
as possible and can deal with change through adaptability, pragmaticism, and
comfort. Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, and Jamaica have lower
uncertainty avoidance cultures.
