Culture 1 1

Culture is... “A pattern of basic assumptions - invented, discovered or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration - that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems .” Edgar Schein 2

Determinants of Culture 3

Regions in the World 4

Culture is multilayered “ Culture come in layers, like an onion. To understand it you have to unpeel it layer by layer. On the outer layer are the products of culture, like soaring skyscrapers of Manhattan, pillars of private power, with congested public streets between them. These are expressions of deeper values and norms, in a society, that are not directly visible (values such as upward mobility, ‘the more the better’, status and material success). The layers of values and norms are deeper within the ‘onion’ and are more difficult to identify.” (Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner) 5

Culture is multilayered (Cultural Onion) 6

Eiceberg Model: Surface and Deep Culture 7

The Iceberg Concept of Culture 8

Key cultural dimensions (Geert Hofstede) (born 1928) 1) Power distance 2) Individualism-Collectivism 3) Masculinity-Feminity 4) Uncertainty avoidance 5) Long-term - Short-term orientation 6) Indulgence-Restraint 9

How much do people expect inequality in social institutions? Power distance: How much do people expect inequality in social institutions? 10

Individualism-Collectivism: How loose or tight is the bond between individuals and societal groups? 11

Masculinity-Feminity: To what extent do people embrace competitive masculine traits or nurturing feminine traits? 12

Uncertainty avoidance: To what extent do people prefer structured and unstructured situations? 13

Long-term versus Short-term orientation: To what extent are people oriented toward the future by saving and being persistent versus being oriented toward the present and the past by respecting tradition and meeting social obligations? 14

Indulgence versus Restraint: How easily gratification of basic and natural human desires related to enjoying life and having fun is allowed. 15

Values for 20 selected countries (1983) 16

What are the Seven Dimensions of Culture? Trompenaars Hampden-Turner (THT) is a research-driven consulting firm that was founded 20 years ago by Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden- Turner. THT starts from culture, because culture provides the context within which people in organizations interact with one another and the world surrounding them. We work with all business implications of culture. We have identified seven dimensions on which the values of diverse cultures vary. We make the business and people aspects of culture tangible and measurable using a wide range of well-proven instruments underpinned by our extensive research. Fons Trompenaars Charles Hampden-Turner 17

The Trompenaars Hampden-Turner Seven Dimensions of Culture 18

1. Universalism – Particularism The dimension universalism-particularism concerns the standards by which relationships are measured. Universalist societies tend to feel that general rules and obligations are a strong source of moral reference. Universalists are inclined to follow the rules - even when friends are involved - and look for "the one best way" of dealing equally and fairly with all cases. They assume that their standards are the right standards, and they attempt to change the attitudes of others to match theirs. Particularist societies are those in which particular circumstances are more important than rules. Bonds of particular relationships (family, friends) are stronger than any abstract rules. Response to a situation may change according to the circumstances and the people involved. Particularists often argue that “it all depends”. 19

2. Individualism – Communitarianism The dimension individualism versus communitarianism is about the conflict between an individual's desire and the interests of the group he belongs to. Do people primarily regard themselves as individuals or as part of a group? In a predominantly individualistic culture, people are expected to make their own decisions and to only take care of themselves and their immediate family. Such societies assume that quality of life results from personal freedom and individual development. Decisions are often made on the spot, without consultation, and deadlocks may be resolved by voting. In contrast to this, members of a predominantly communitarian society are firmly integrated into groups which provide help and protection in exchange for a strong sense of loyalty. In such cases, people believe that an individual's quality of life improves when he takes care of his or her fellow man. The group comes before the individual, and people are mainly oriented towards common goals and objectives. Negotiation is often carried out by teams, who may withdraw in order to consult with reference groups. Discussion is used to reach consensus. Often, individualism is seen as typical of modern society, whereas communitarianism is associated with traditional societies. However, a modern society such as Japan has a strong communitarian orientation, which forces one to question this convention. 20

3. Specific – Diffuse Generally, people from specifically oriented cultures begin by looking at each element of a situation. They analyze the elements separately, then put them back together again - viewing the whole is the sum of its parts. Specifically oriented individuals concentrate on hard facts. People from diffusely oriented cultures see each element in the perspective of the complete picture. All elements are related to each other. The elements are synthesized into a whole which is more than simply the sum of its parts. This dimension also concerns our degree of involvement in relationships. Specifically oriented individuals engage others in specific areas of life, affecting single levels of personality. In specifically oriented cultures, a manager separates the task relationship with a subordinate from the private sphere. Diffusely oriented individuals engage others diffusely in multiple areas of life, affecting several levels of personality at the same time. In diffusely oriented countries, every life space and every level of personality tends to be interwoven. 21

4. Neutral – Affective This dimension focuses on the degree to which people express emotions, and the interplay between reason and emotion in human relationships. Every culture has strong norms about how readily emotions should be revealed. In cultures high on affectivity, people freely express their emotions: they attempt to find immediate outlets for their feelings. In emotionally neutral cultures, one carefully controls emotions and is reluctant to show feelings. Reason dominates one's interaction with others. In a neutrally oriented culture, people are taught that it is incorrect to overtly show feelings. In an affectively oriented culture, it is accepted to show one's feelings spontaneously. 22

5. Achievement – Ascription The dimension achievement-ascription focuses on how personal status is assigned. While some societies accord status to people on the basis of their performance, others attribute it to them by virtue of age, class, gender, education, etcetera. While achieved status refers to action and what you do, ascribed status refers to being and who you are. 23

6. Time Orientation The time orientation dimension has two aspects: the relative importance cultures give to the past, present, and future, and their approach to structuring time. If a culture is predominantly oriented towards the past, the future is often seen as a repetition of past experiences. In a culture predominantly oriented towards the present, day-by-day experiences tend to direct people's lives. In a future-oriented culture, most human activities are directed toward future prospects. In this case, the past is not considered to be vitally significant to the future. Sequentialism and synchronism form the different approaches to structuring time. People who structure time sequentially view time as a series of passing events. They tend to do one thing at a time, and prefer planning and keeping to plans once they have been made. Time commitments are taken seriously and staying on schedule is a must. People structuring time synchronically view past, present, and future as being interrelated. They usually do several things at once. Time commitments are desirable but are not absolute and plans are easily changed. 24

7. Internal – External The internal versus external control dimension concerns the meaning people assign to their environment. People who have an internally controlled mechanistic (or mechanistic) view of nature - a belief that one can dominate nature - usually view themselves as the point of departure for determining the right action. In contrast to this, cultures with an externally controlled (or organic) view of nature - which assumes that man is controlled by nature - orient their actions towards others. They focus on the environment rather than on themselves. These concepts are highly abstract terms, deliberately so because we seek to include a large number of “family resemblances” beneath each bifurcation. Let us now consider these “families” in business terms. 25

1. Universalism – Particularism Focus on rules Focus on relationship Legal contracts are readily drawn up Legal contracts are readily modified Trustworhty = honoring his/her word or contract Trustworhty = honouring changing circumstances Truth or reality = agreement Reality = several perspectives A deal is a deal Relationship evolves 26

2. Individualism–Communitarianism Collectivism Frequent use “I” and “me” Frequent use of “we” Decision made by representative Decision referred back by delegates Personal achievement and responsibility Group achievement and responsibility Holidays taken in pairs or alone Holidays taken in groups 27

3. Specific – Diffuse Specific Diffuse More open publicspace, more closed private space Appears direct, open and extravert To the point and abrasive highly mobile Separate work and private life Several approach to fit circumtances (eg. Use of titles) More closed public space but, once in, more open private space Appears indirect, closed and introvert Often evades issues and ‘beats about the bush’ Low mobility Consistent approach between work and private life (eg. Use of titles) 28

Show reactions (non) verbally 4. Neutral – Affective Emotional Neutral Show reactions (non) verbally Opaque emtional state Express face & body signals Don’t readily express what they think or feel At ease with public displays of emotions Embarrassed at public display of emotions At ease with physical contact Discomfort with physical contact Raise voice readily Subtle in (non) verbal expressions 29

High- and Low-Context Cultures (Edward Hall) (1914-2009) High-Context Culture Low-Context Culture Establish social trust first Get down to business first Value personal relations and good will Value expertise and performance Agreement by general trust Agreement by specific, legalistic contract Negotiations slow and ritualistic Negotiations as efficient as possible 30

Contrasting High- and Low-Context 31

Time Concept (Edward Hall) Advice for Successful Intercultural Dealing. Punctuality Find the basic unit of time: Is it 5 minutes, 15 or 30? Polychronic/monochronic time In some cultures, the business lunch is devoted to socialising with business partners. It may be hard to figure out what activities can be combined and what cannot. Fast and slow paces of life A fast pace can lead to stress-related health problems. Social support can lessen these problems. Time as symbol Time is not money in some cultures and treating it in monetary terms may be considered as vulgar. Time efficiency Speed is not always a virtue. Multicultural teams need more time to achieve their peak performance level; however, they may be more effective after they become comfortable working with each other for some time. 32

Interpersonal distance zones (Edward Hall) 33

Thank You. Udo R. Schulz www. personalmanagement-berlin Thank You! Udo R. Schulz www. personalmanagement-berlin.de schulz@personalmanagement-berlin.de