Module 2 - Home DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE Modular Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes: Case Select a setting for your intercultural experience and evaluate its potential for providing a meaningful encounter with the target culture. SLP Measure your personal cultural values and compare your outcome to Hofstede’s dimensions of culture. Discussion Collectively create a multicultural tool kit for leading and motivating a global workforce. Module Overview In Module 1, we considered the role of culture in influencing how people think, feel, act, and believe. Together, these constitute a “worldview” which can vary drastically from culture to culture. Yet leaders are called upon to solve problems and address challenges that span cultural boundaries, and they need to harness the resources of peoples who may view the problems very differently from each other. How to navigate these differences and discover a structure of culture that can help leaders come to mutual understanding is the topic of this module. Drawing on the work of Geert Hofstede and others (2010), we distinguish between personality (individual characteristics that make one person uniquely different from another), human nature (shared characteristics that are common to all members of the species), and culture (learned behaviors that are shared by members of a group or category). The frameworks that are the primary focus of this module concern values, attitudes, and beliefs at the cultural level. That is, we recognize that individuals will differ, but they will also share a system of overarching learned behaviors that are common to all members of that society. The dimensions of culture that are discussed … represent the ways that groups of people within a culture interpret and manage the universal questions faced by all societies as members of the human race. These questions involve such topics as what is the nature of power and authority? What is the responsibility of the individual to the group? Is short term gain more important than long term stability? How do we manage the unexpected and unpredictable? While there may be individual differences in the responses to these questions, there are also larger, broader, shared patterns of response that are shaped by the norms and values of a given society. These are referred to a “cultural dimensions,” and knowledge of these broad patterns can help leaders to anticipate, interpret, and react to practices that may at first seem very odd and illogical. When viewed through the lens of cultural dimensions, strange customs and practices can make perfect sense and can lead to greater cultural intelligence (and effectiveness) on the part of the leader. Reference: Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkow, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (Third Edition), US McGraw-Hill. (Not required) Module 2 - Case DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE Assignment Overview In ...

1. Module 2 - Home
DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be
able to satisfy the following outcomes:
Case
Select a setting for your intercultural experience and evaluate
its potential for providing a meaningful encounter with the
target culture.
SLP
Measure your personal cultural values and compare your
outcome to Hofstede’s dimensions of culture.
Discussion
Collectively create a multicultural tool kit for leading and
motivating a global workforce.
Module Overview
In Module 1, we considered the role of culture in influencing
how people think, feel, act, and believe. Together, these
constitute a “worldview” which can vary drastically from
culture to culture. Yet leaders are called upon to solve problems
and address challenges that span cultural boundaries, and they
need to harness the resources of peoples who may view the
problems very differently from each other. How to navigate
these differences and discover a structure of culture that can
help leaders come to mutual understanding is the topic of this
module.
Drawing on the work of Geert Hofstede and others (2010), we
distinguish between personality (individual characteristics that
make one person uniquely different from another), human
nature (shared characteristics that are common to all members
of the species), and culture (learned behaviors that are shared
by members of a group or category). The frameworks that are

2. the primary focus of this module concern values, attitudes, and
beliefs at the cultural level. That is, we recognize that
individuals will differ, but they will also share a system of
overarching learned behaviors that are common to all members
of that society.
The dimensions of culture that are discussed … represent the
ways that groups of people within a culture interpret and
manage the universal questions faced by all societies as
members of the human race. These questions involve such
topics as what is the nature of power and authority? What is the
responsibility of the individual to the group? Is short term gain
more important than long term stability? How do we manage the
unexpected and unpredictable? While there may be individual
differences in the responses to these questions, there are also
larger, broader, shared patterns of response that are shaped by
the norms and values of a given society. These are referred to a
“cultural dimensions,” and knowledge of these broad patterns
can help leaders to anticipate, interpret, and react to practices
that may at first seem very odd and illogical. When viewed
through the lens of cultural dimensions, strange customs and
practices can make perfect sense and can lead to greater cultural
intelligence (and effectiveness) on the part of the leader.
Reference: Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkow, M. (2010).
Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (Third
Edition), US McGraw-Hill. (Not required)
Module 2 - Case
DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
Assignment Overview
In this module you will propose a plan for your intercultural
experience and have it approved by your professor. A “pre-
experience outline” is provided to assist you in your planning.
This is what your professor will use in assuring that your
proposal meets the training parameters for this Case.

3. Case Assignment
Submit a 2- to 3-page proposal describing your cultural
experience. Your proposal should address the following
questions:
- Intended contact culture group
- What is the identified culture group with which you are
planning to have contact? Be specific.
- Provide a brief description of any contact you have previously
had with this group.
- Briefly explain why this target group qualifies as a culture
group.
- Intended new cultural activity
-Briefly describe your new cultural activity.
- Does your intended activity meet all requirements of the
assignment (see expectations below)? --
- Provide some details to justify your answer.
- Will this activity allow you to have meaningful contact with
members of the intended target culture group? Briefly explain.
- What is the planned date, time and approximate duration of
the activity?
General
· Have you selected a secondary contact group and cultural
activity as a backup? Please describe briefly.
· Do you have any questions about the project? Please describe.
Assignment Expectations
Here are the requirements—or parameters—of the exercise:
· Provides information concerning the date(s) and place where
this experience will take place.
· The selected experience should be novel. The intent of this
case is to provide a kind of “lab” where you can apply your
learning in a new setting.
· The experience must be with a group or culture that is largely

4. unfamiliar to you.
· You should not be in a position of authority or dominance vis-
à-vis the target group. For example, you should not be a
customer in a restaurant, or interacting with individuals who
have lower rank than you in an organizational setting. Power
can influence behavior, and we want to keep power
relationships in check to provide the most meaningful type of
interaction.
· The experience should allow for meaningful one-on-one
contact with members of the target group. Thus it is
recommended that you do not choose an impersonal spectator
event such as a large festival, parade, or sporting event.
· The experience must be a minimum of 2 hours in length to
provide you with enough material for analysis.
· The experience must not be illegal or place you at
unreasonable physical or psychological risk.
· You need to be able to provide evidence of the experience
(such as photographs or a video).
· Have a second choice experience in mind in case your first
choice does not meet the above parameters and is not approved.
·
_____________________________________________________
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Module 2 – SLP Assignment
DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
· In this module, you will be measuring your personal cultural
values and comparing it to Hofstede’s dimensions of culture for

5. the culture in which you live. Please start by filling out the
following instrument: CVSCALE: The Five-Dimensional
Measure of Personal Cultural Values. Then in your weekly
journal, reflect on the following questions:
· What did the CVSCALE reveal about your cultural values?
· How does this compare to your own country’s values
according to Hofstede’s research?
· What other insights about cultural values have you gained
from this questionnaire, the readings, and other aspects of the
course so far that will be valuable to you in leading across
different cultures?
· The following article may be helpful to you in interpreting
your results and reflecting on the insights from this assessment
on leadership:
Yoo, B., Naveen D., & Lenartowicz, T. (2011). “Measuring
Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of Cultural Values at the Individual
Level: Development and Validation of CVSCALE,” Journal of
International Consumer Marketing, 23 (3/4), 193–210.
SLP Assignment Expectations
· The journal is a cumulative document—you turn in all
previous entries with each module, Include the results from the
assessment in your journal.
· Each module should add 2–3 pages.
· The journal should be thoughtful and insightful, integrating
learnings from the assessment with other activities in the
module and course.
· The format for the journal is less formal than an academic
papers (e.g. you can use the 1st person), but you should use
headings to organize your thoughts and guide the reader and
cite any sources where you are using information, data, or text
from an outside source.

6. · Any references should be prepared in APA format in a
combined reference list at the end of the journal.
· Your journal should be edited and error-free.
· Submit your finished paper to TLC by the assignment due
date.
Module 2 - Outcomes
DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
Module
Utilize cultural frameworks to interpret and understand different
worldviews.
Case
Select a setting for your intercultural experience and evaluate
its potential for providing a meaningful encounter with the
target culture.
SLP
Measure your personal cultural values and compare your
outcome to Hofstede’s dimensions of culture.
Discussion
Collectively create a multicultural tool kit for leading and
motivating a global workforce.