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Uncertainty avoidance: the need for structure

Uncertainty is the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations’. In some societies there is a pronounced need for structure. This is because those societies tend to fear the unknown and to possess a high degree of uncertainty. Countries characterised by low levels of uncertainty (such as the United Kingdom) do not perceive something different to be dangerous, whereas in strong uncertainty-avoidance societies, people will seek to reduce their exposure to the unknown and limit risk by imposing rules and systems to bring about order and coherence. The same thing can be seen in organisations: for example, where there is a need for rules and dependence there will tend to be a pyramidal organisational structure.