HALL · COMMUNICATION CONTEXT INDICATOR
High-context
This is an exploratory proxy calculated from the country’s Hofstede individualism and power-distance scores. It is not a communication-context score directly measured by Hall.
← Back to the world culture map
Country culture analysis
Indonesia
Southeast Asia · ID · A concise, data-led cultural overview
Hofstede’s strongest signals are collectivist tendencies on Individualism (14) and hierarchical tendencies on Power Distance (78). Hall’s derived context indicator is 83.6/100 and leans toward higher-context communication, where relationships and shared understanding may carry more meaning; it is a proxy from Hofstede’s IDV/PDI scores, not a direct measurement of communication behavior.
Get an in-depth analysis of Indonesia for $9.99. Download the free Egypt sample to preview the report, or unlock the full analysis whenever you’re ready.
Compare Indonesia with another countryBasemap tiles © Esri · Country boundaries © Natural Earth contributors.
In-depth country report
There is more to learn about Indonesia!
Download our full Indonesia cultural analysis for only $9.99.
A full report covers:
- All six Hofstede dimensions and their practical meaning
- Country-specific insights and recommendations
- Methodology, limitations, and references
Explore another country
Choose a country
Jump straight to another country profile.
Browse all 203 available country analyses
Choose a country to open its analysis. The list reflects profiles available in the shared culture dataset.
A brief cultural overview
A starting point for understanding Indonesia
Indonesia has its highest Hofstede score in Power Distance (78) and its lowest score in Individualism (14). This profile within Southeast Asia shows how authority, identity, risk, time orientation, competition, and self-expression combine in one national cultural snapshot.
PDI · HOFSTEDE
Power Distance
High power distance · #36 of 203
Indonesia scores 78 on Power Distance, ranking #36 of 203 in the dataset. That is 12.2 points above the global average and 1.6 points above the Southeast Asia regional average.
Explore the power distance indexIDV · HOFSTEDE
Individualism
Very collectivist · #200 of 206
Indonesia scores 14 on Individualism, ranking #200 of 206 in the dataset. That is 21.4 points below the global average and 11.6 points below the Southeast Asia regional average.
Explore the individualism indexMAS · HOFSTEDE
Masculinity
Moderate masculinity · #97 of 197
Indonesia scores 46 on Masculinity, ranking #97 of 197 in the dataset. That is 3.4 points below the global average and 2.7 points below the Southeast Asia regional average.
Explore the masculinity indexUAI · HOFSTEDE
Uncertainty Avoidance
Moderate uncertainty avoidance · #172 of 208
Indonesia scores 48 on Uncertainty Avoidance, ranking #172 of 208 in the dataset. That is 12.1 points below the global average and 8.9 points above the Southeast Asia regional average.
Explore the uncertainty avoidance indexLTO · HOFSTEDE
Long-Term Orientation
Moderate long-term orientation · #29 of 197
Indonesia scores 62 on Long-Term Orientation, ranking #29 of 197 in the dataset. That is 25.5 points above the global average and 13.6 points above the Southeast Asia regional average.
Explore the long-term orientation indexIVR · HOFSTEDE
Indulgence
Leans restrained · #118 of 195
Indonesia scores 38 on Indulgence, ranking #118 of 195 in the dataset. That is 9.8 points below the global average and 4.6 points below the Southeast Asia regional average.
Explore the indulgence indexThese are national-level indicators, not predictions about individuals. Regional, generational, organizational, and personal differences matter; use the scores to guide questions rather than assumptions.
In-depth country report
There is more to learn about Indonesia!
Download our full Indonesia cultural analysis for only $9.99.
A full report covers:
- All six Hofstede dimensions and their practical meaning
- Country-specific insights and recommendations
- Methodology, limitations, and references
For teams and organizations
Practical cultural intelligence
Custom cultural intelligence reports from $50, tailored to your market, team, and goals.
- Market-entry briefings
- Cross-cultural training
- Organization-specific analysis
- Business etiquette guidance
- Negotiation and communication analysis
Sources and methodology
Sources adapted from the Hofstede and Hall references used in the shared dataset. The communication-context score shown on this site is a transparent proxy calculated as 0.70 × (100 − IDV) + 0.30 × PDI; it is not a score directly measured by Hall.
Hofstede dimensions and country data
- Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
- Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations (2nd ed.). Sage.
- Minkov, M. (2007). What Makes Us Different and Similar: A New Interpretation of the World Values Survey and Other Cross-Cultural Data. Klasika i Stil.
- The first four Hofstede dimensions draw on IBM employee studies. Long-term orientation and indulgence draw on later cross-cultural survey research, including the Chinese Value Survey and World Values Survey, as summarized in the sources above.
Hall’s communication-context framework
- Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. Anchor Books.
- Hall, E. T., & Hall, M. R. (1990). Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans, French and Americans. Intercultural Press.
- Kittler, M. G., Rygl, D., & Mackinnon, A. (2011). Beyond Culture or Beyond Control? Reviewing the Use of Hall’s High-/Low-Context Concept. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management.
- Cardon, P. W. (2008). A Critique of Hall’s Contexting Model: A Meta-Analysis of Literature on Intercultural Business and Technical Communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication.
- Broeder, P. (2021). Communicating Distances and High- and Low-Context Cultures. Language and Intercultural Communication.
- Lamino, P. P., & Diaz, J. (2025). Intercultural Competencies: Understanding High- vs. Low-Context Cultures. University of Florida IFAS Extension (AEC813).
Limits and critical perspectives
- McSweeney, B. (2015). Hall, Hofstede, Huntington, Trompenaars, GLOBE: Common Foundations, Common Flaws. In Transculturalism and Business in the BRIC States.
- Country scores and the communication-context indicator are broad, national-level summaries. They do not predict an individual’s behaviour and should be interpreted with attention to local, organizational, regional, and personal variation.