1. Trompenaars’ Cultural Dilemmas and Dimensionsby
Sigrid Brevik Wangsness
15 February 2018

2. Fons Trompenaars Who is Fons Trompenaars? What kind of competence/
experience does he have?
What is his concept of culture?
Definition
His model of culture: layers
norms vs. values
basic assumptions

3. Co-authors: Explain the main aspects of their research
Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: Riding the Waves of Culture ( ND ed. 1997)
Co-authors: Explain the main aspects of their research
What kind of book is this? (What did Hofstede say about it?)
According to the authors, what does this book attempt to do?
The authors are critical of many modern management philosophies. Why? (Examples, for instance “pay-for-performance”)

4. T and H-T identify seven fundamental dimensions of culture. Which?
Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Basis of Cultural Differences
What are the different levels of culture that T and H-T emphasize? What do they say about cultures in Europe?
According to T and H-T, there are three major categories of human experience (“universal problems”) that distinguish cultures. Which?
T and H-T identify seven fundamental dimensions of culture. Which?

5. 1. Universalism vs. Particularism
Can you imagine potential conflicts based on this difference?

6. 2. Individualism vs. Communitarianism
To what extent do we focus on what we want as individuals or what is best for the group?
Is any achievement ever completely individual?
Which groups are important to you?
Is it a strength or a weakness to represent a company alone e.g. in negotiations?

7. 3. Neutral vs. Emotional (affective)
To what extent is it regarded as appropriate for you to express your feelings?
In which situations do you feel that an expression of strong emotions is inappropriate?
Are there different “rules” for emotive behaviour depending on the situation?

8. 4. Specific vs. Diffuse Specific Diffuse
Are your relationships with people different according to specific areas? Or are you the same all the time and with all you are involved?
What is private and what is public?
How does this relate to Gesteland’s DF vs. RF?

9. 5. Achievement vs. Ascription
According to what criteria are status and respect accorded somebody?
Is what you achieve, that is what you DO, more important than who you ARE?
How does this differ from the dimension of power distance? 

10. 6. Sequential vs. Synchronic time
Attitude to time:
Sequential:
Synchronic:
How does this fit with monochronic vs. polychronic time (Hall)?
Potential problems in business because of this difference? (How to plan and how to reach objectives?)

11. 7. Inner-directed vs. Outer-directed
Attitudes to the environment (external forces):
Inner-directed:
Outer-directed:
To what extent can nature be controlled? And to what extent are we in control of our personal destiny?

12. Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Basis of Cultural Differences
Study T’s examples of cultural dilemmas. Find the scores for your culture. Is this a correct description of it, do you think?
T and H-T insist that cultures are not static points on a dual axis map, and thus their categories are not mutually exclusive (vs. Hofstede). How do they perceive the positions of cultures on the various dimensions?

13. Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: Differences WITHIN cultures
To what extent do people of the same culture have identical norms and values? Cp. the French and American cultures from the point of view of “normal distribution”. Explain.
How do T and H-T define and explain stereotyping, and what are the dangers they see in using cultural stereotypes?

14. (Compare for instance Gesteland, Hofstede and Trompenaars).
Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Basis of Cultural Differences
What are the major similarities and differences between T and H-T’s dimensions and the categorizations you have studied earlier?
(Compare for instance Gesteland, Hofstede
and Trompenaars).