This document discusses research on cultural dimensions and how they shape business practices and social interactions differently across countries. It presents data on where countries fall on dimensions like individualism vs collectivism, power distance, masculinity vs femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long term vs short term orientation, and indulgence vs restraint. These dimensions form the "social landscape" and defaults for status and power games, which vary significantly based on cultural perspective. Understanding these dynamics through models like status conferral and claiming can help with cross-cultural training and relationships.

1. 1
Penelope, Telemachos and Odysseus Gert Jan and Geert

2. 2
Life goals of business leaders
Questions to MBA students: “typical successful business leader in your country is driven by...”
Overall ranking
1. Growth
2. Continuity
3. Year profits
4. Personal wealth
5. Power
6. Honour
7. Create sth new
8. 10 yr profits
9. Law
10.Responsibility emps
11. Ethical norms
12.Responsibility soc
13.Game spirit
14.Patriotism
15.Family interests
Brazil China India Germany USA
4 1
4 1 -
3 - 4
3
2 3 3 5
4
3
5 4
-
- 2
1 - 5 2
5 1
1
2 2
5
Source: Hofstede et al 2010 p 321. n = 1800, 17 countries.

3. 3
Culture’s Causes: the next challenge
• Dimensions of culture make sense
– Differences do not diminish
– They sometimes seem to grow
• Why, despite globalization, are cultures
still vital for business and for survival?
• Let’s look on the ground.

4. 4
Culture is learned in childhood
• To learn:
– its place in the world
– Key distinctions
• Big / small, Good / bad
• Allowed / forbidden
• Boy / girl, Clean / dirty
• ...
• To learn what to desire
– Or be an outcast

5. 5
Level of analysis
What do you
see?

6. 6
Level of analysis

7. 7
Levels of uniqueness
We can (and should) model our behaviour at different levels
me
my
moral
circle(s)
everybody
personality: Big Five;
life experience;
plans, goals, aspirations
family, tribe, country;
profession; team,
organization:
norms, values
human nature:
status – power drives, emotions;
genes, hormones, brains, cultures

8. 8
Levels of uniqueness
We can (and should) model our behaviour at different levels
me
my
moral
circle(s)
everybody
personality: Big Five;
life experience;
plans, goals, aspirations
family, tribe, country;
profession; team,
organization:
norms, values
human nature:
status – power drives, emotions;
genes, hormones, brains, cultures

9. 9
Levels of uniqueness
We can (and should) model our behaviour at different levels
me
my
moral
circle(s)
everybody
personality: Big Five;
life experience;
plans, goals, aspirations
family, tribe, country;
profession; team,
organization:
norms, values
human nature:
status – power drives, emotions;
genes, hormones, brains, cultures

10. 10
Human nature:
Theodore Kemper, status-power game
• We are driven to
– Confer appropriate ‘status’
– Expect (‘claim’) the same
– When thwarted: use ‘power’
• We do this in groups
– Strive for equal status across groups
– Commit to where we get status
• Sociological constructs

11. 11
Status conferrals
Left to right: Máxima, Michiko, Akihito,
Naruhito, Willem-Alexander, Masako

12. 12
Status claims
Hi. I’m ...
and I want ...
I.M. Yourman, Ph.D.

13. BAD
13
a lot Claiming vs conferring status
complaining citizen
GOOD
nothing Claiming a lot
.
Deserving conferral
terrorist
freedom fighter
saint
champion
media star
beggar
donor
superhero lover
girl
police agent
villain
baby
elderly person woman
man
spoilt child
teenager

14. 14
Power moves

15. a lot Status vs power
nothing having power a lot
15
.
baby
terrorist
citizen
soldier
Deserving conferral
elderly person
saint
superhero
woman
man
spoilt child
king
scientist
lawyer
beggar
lover
donor
girl
police agent
villain

16. 16
Social landscape
Is a status-power landscape
...whose defaults vary across cultures
...and according to group-based perspective
...and per person.

17. 17
Unwritten rules of the social landscape
That’s
culture.
-
Let’s look
at it.

18. 18
Collectivism – Individualism World map
Gert Jan Hofstede, 2014
collectivist
individualist

19. 19
Power Distance World map
small
large

20. 20

21. 21
Femininity - Masculinity World map
feminine
masculine

22. collectivist Teamwork models
Venezuela
Austria
Costa Rica Colombia
Singapore
Italy
Slovenia
Portugal
Romania
feminine Masculinity masculine
22
.
Germany
Switzerland Ge
Switzerland Fr
France
China
Great Britain
Japan
United States
Russia
Poland
individualist
Finland
India
Brazil
Individualism
Denmark
Vlaanderen
Nederland
Wallonie
Kenya
Argentina
Mexico
Nigeria
Luxemburg Czeck Rep.
Spain
Sweden
S-Africa

23. 23
Uncertainty Avoidance World map
unc.tolerant
unc.avoiding

24. 24
Katz
&
Hund
• Medium-sized (250) textile printing company
• CEO + 3 managers
– finance and personnel (X)
– manufacturing (Katz)
– design and sale (Hund)
• Quarrel!
– Sales and manufacturing people do not talk
• What to do?
a. call in CEO to settle conflict
b. improve org structure with rules
c. send Katz and Hund to management course

25. weak Models of organisation
Singapore
China
Israel
Hong Kong
Czeck Rep. Venezuela
small Power distance large
25
.
Uncertainty
avoidance
Germany
Switzerland Ge
Austria
Switzerland Fr
France
Great Britain
Japan
United States
Italy
Russia
Poland
strong
India
Brazil
Vlaanderen
Wallonie
Nederland
Colombia
Mexico
Sweden
Costa Rica
Portugal
Panama
Argentina
Kenya Nigeria
Pakistan
Luxembourg
Romania
Denmark
S-Africa
Spain
Vietnam
Jamaica
Greece

26. 26
Short-term orientation (Monumentalism) – Long-term
orientation (Flexhumility) World map (based on WVS)
flexhumble
monumentalist
Europe; CVS data

27. 27
Indulgence - Restraint World map (based on WVS)
restrained
indulgent

28. indulgent Life outlook
Portugal
short long-term orientation WVS long
28
.
Indulgence
Germany
Iran
France
Singapore
China
Great Britain
Japan
United States
Italy
Russia
Poland
restrained
S Korea
India
Brazil
Nederland
Colombia
Mexico Sweden
Iraq
Taiwan
Argentina
Tanzania
Nigeria
Pakistan
Morocco
Romania
Venezuela
Czeck Rep.
Denmark
S-Africa
Spain
Vietnam
Hong Kong
Greece
Egypt

29. 29
End of tour
• Big picture:
– Culture sets social
landscape, = defaults of
status-power game
• C-c business:
1. relationship (proper
conferral and claiming of
status!)
status-power game 2. business

30. 30
Traveller
• TRaining for Virtually Every Location for
Learning emphatic Relationships
• Encounter in a bar
• www.ecute.eu

31. 31
moral
• Odysseus:
– Cultures are here to stay
• Neglect them and your international ventures fail
• Telemachos:
– The social landscape idea and status-power
can serve to model the dynamics of culture
‘on the floor’
• For cross-cultural training
www.geerthofstede.com

32. 32
Resources
• Researchers’sites:
– www.geerthofstede.eu
• ( or www.geerthofstede.com)
• With all VSM and book translations
– www.gertjanhofstede.com
• Trainers’s sites:
– network: www.itim.org
– courses: www.geert-hofstede.com