If we explore Croatian culture through the lens of the 6-D model©, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Croatian culture in relation to other world cultures.
POWER DISTANCE
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal - it expresses the attitude of culture towards these inequalities among us. Power distance is defined as the degree to which less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is unequally distributed.
Croatia has a high score on this dimension (score 73), which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everyone has a place and which does not need additional justification. Organizational hierarchy is thought to reflect inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do, and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
INDIVIDUALISM
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence of society among its members. This refers to whether a person's self-image is defined in terms of "I" or "we". In individualistic societies, people should only care about themselves and their immediate family. In collectivist societies, people belong 'in groups' that look after them in exchange for loyalty.
With a score of 33, Croatia is considered a collectivist society. This manifests itself in a close long-term commitment to the 'group' of members, be it family, extended family or extended relationships. Loyalty is paramount in a collectivist culture and overrides most other social rules and regulations. The company fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for their colleagues in their group. In collectivist societies, transgression leads to shame and loss of face, employer-employee relations are perceived in a moral sense (like family ties), hiring and promotion decisions take into account the employee's within the group, management is the management of groups.
MASCULINITY
A high score (male) on this dimension indicates that society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success defined by the winner/best in the field – a value system that begins in school and continues throughout organizational life.
A low score (Female) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are care for others and quality of life. Women's society is one in which quality of life is a sign of success, and standing out from the crowd is not worthy of admiration. The fundamental question here is what motivates people, do they want to be the best (masculine) or do they like what you do (feminine).
Croatia has 40 points on this dimension and is therefore considered a relatively feminine society. In women's countries, the focus is on "working to live", managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working life. Conflicts are resolved through compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are preferred. The focus is on well-being, the status is not displayed.
AVOIDANCE OF UNCERTAINTY
The Uncertainty Avoidance dimension has to do with how society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or simply allow it to happen?
This ambiguity brings with it anxiety, and different cultures have learned to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The degree to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid it is reflected in the Uncertainty Avoidance rating.
Croatia has 80 points on this dimension and therefore has a very high advantage of avoiding uncertainty. Countries that exhibit high levels of uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an intrinsic desire to be busy and work hard, precision and accuracy are the norm, innovation can be resisted, safety is an important element individual motivations.
LONG-TERM ORIENTATION
This dimension describes how each society must maintain some ties to its own past while facing the challenges of the present and the future, and societies prioritize these two existential goals differently. Normative societies. who, for example, have a low score in this dimension, prefer to maintain traditions and norms that existed in time while viewing social changes with suspicion. Those with high culture, on the other hand, have a more pragmatic approach: they encourage frugality and efforts in modern education as a way of preparing for the future.
With a high score of 58 for Croatian culture, they say it is pragmatic. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that the truth depends greatly on the situation, context and time. They show the ability to easily adapt tradition to changed conditions, a strong tendency to save and invest, frugality and perseverance in achieving results.
INDULGENCE
One challenge facing humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which young children are socialized. Without socialization, we do not become "people". This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called "Indulgence" and relatively strong control is called "Restraint". Cultures can therefore be described as permissive or reserved.
Croatia's low score of 33 in this dimension marks it as a restrained country. Societies with low scores on this dimension tend toward cynicism and pessimism. Also, unlike Indulgent Societies, Restrained Societies do not place much emphasis on free time and control the satisfaction of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are constrained by social norms and feel that letting themselves go is somewhat wrong.
You can check surveys for other countries at Country Comparison - Hofstede Insights -> www.hofstede-insights.com