Cultural Adaptation in Corporate Communication: The Role of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions in Multinational Companies’ Social Media Messages.
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2025-06-23
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en
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The present study aimed to investigate how multinational corporations (MNCs) culturally and linguistically adapt their communication across diverse digital environments. Utilising Hofstede’s cultural dimensions – particularly power distance and individualism vs collectivism – and linguistic adaptation, this study examined whether, and how, corporations adapt their messages to accommodate local environments, and what theoretical and practical implications this may have.
A content analysis of 200 corporate messages from Vodafone and McDonald’s on X (formerly Twitter) demonstrated varying results. Although statistical analyses for the cultural dimensions were significant, the association was either weak regarding power distance or contrary to expectations regarding individualism vs collectivism. Conversely, linguistic adaptation not only showed statistical significance but also demonstrated the strongest association, indicating that linguistic localisation tactics may be more influential concerning corporate communication. The findings highlight the need to update Hofstede’s framework for digital contexts and recommend prioritising linguistic localisation to enhance audience engagement and brand trust.
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