Multinationals on the web: Cultural similarities and differences in English‐language and Chinese‐language website designs

Hui‐Jung Chang

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2011, vol. 62, issue 6, 1105-1117

Abstract: The goal of this article is to explore the manifestation of culture in the design of English‐language and Chinese‐language corporate websites, using Hofstede's dimensions of culture. Data were gathered from the 2010 Global 500 list published by Fortune magazine. Only multinational corporations that have both English‐language and Chinese‐language websites were analyzed (N=223). The results indicate that the Chinese‐language and English‐language websites differ significantly in 4 out of Hofstede's 5 cultural dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and long‐term and short‐term dimensions. Cultural differences are indeed reflected in the website designs of the Global 500 corporations, though not exactly in the direction predicted by Hofstede's model.

Date: 2011
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