Mikko Kurppa

Power Distance in Websites: How Do the Findings of Geert Hofstede on Power Distance Reflect on Websites of Educational Institutes with Different Pds? Mikko Kurppa

It is important for any company or organization to build culturally-competent websites which can help to increase international demand and sales, and establish a reliable, professional and international image online. The World Wide Web is a powerful marketing and communication tool in the globalized economy. Yet, the importance of cultural differences is often overlooked in user-interface design, perhaps due to the scarcity of research to test whether theories of cultural dimensions also apply to website development. The aim of the study was to examine university websites in countries with different power distances in the framework of theories of Geert Hofstede and suggestions of Aaron Marcus on their implications. The results indicated that power distance dimension is clearly reflected at the university websites of culturally different countries. The websites between countries differ more profoundly than just by language or colour preferences.