Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 3 (2025)

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions – A Study of Filipino Canadians

Dave Estrella

Discipline: Social Sciences

 

Abstract:

Understanding Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions is the tool that this researcher used to examine the cultural differences between Philippines and Canada, as well as new emerging culture of the Filipino Canadians as a sub-group of cultures. This research study examines the different cultural dimensions - Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism / Collectivism, Masculinity / Femininity, and Short Term / Long Term Orientation to understand the factors affecting the underrepresentation of Filipino Canadian Engineers in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry in Canada. The respondents of this research study are internationally trained Filipino Canadian Engineers who are also members of the Association of Filipino Canadian Engineers (AFCE). The researcher used a combination of self-made Survey Questionnaires published on Google Forms and face-to-face interviews. The questionnaires were sent via email and/or social media platforms such as Messenger and LinkedIn. The data collected were tallied, analyzed, interpreted and summarized using statistical treatments such as Mean, Pearson r correlation, Standard Deviation and Frequency. The study revealed that Filipinos have assimilated well into the Canadian Society in terms of the Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions with the exemption of Collectivism. In terms of Power Distance, Filipino Canadians revealed a low score while in the Motivation towards Achievement and Success, Filipino Canadians prefer a more work-life balance, both comparable to Canadians. The study also revealed that many Filipino Canadian Engineers feel that they are underrepresented in the Engineering and Construction industry in their new home, Canada. Filipinos should start conversations on Diversity and Inclusion to mitigate this problem. These findings will help community leaders to develop courses and programs that will help pave the way for Filipinos to effectively assimilate to a diverse and inclusive Canadian society.



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