In Hofstede's framework, high uncertainty avoidance leads organizations to prefer which management approach?

• A. Flexible rules and informal procedures
• B. Rapid, experimental decision making
• C. Clear rules and formalized procedures
• D. Uniform global policies that ignore local differences

Answer: (C)

High uncertainty avoidance means a culture feels uncomfortable with ambiguity and seeks stability and clarity. In such settings, organizations prefer explicit rules, formalized procedures, and detailed policies to guide behavior, decision making, and risk management. This reduces surprises and provides predictable ways to act in unfamiliar situations, which is why clear rules and formalized procedures are the best fit.

The other approaches reflect preferences more typical of lower uncertainty avoidance or different aims: flexible rules and informal procedures tolerate ambiguity, rapid, experimental decision making embraces uncertainty and change, and uniform global policies that ignore local differences can create misfits and uncertainty in practice. Under high uncertainty avoidance, the emphasis stays on structured, documented guidelines to maintain predictability.