Chapter 1: identity and culture................................................................................................... 3
1. Identity................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Deepening levels (Kulich, Shangai University)..................................................................4
1.1.1 We identify ourselves and others on 3 levels..............................................................4
2. What is culture?...................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 How do we detect (other) cultures?.................................................................................. 4
3. Culture as mental programming............................................................................................. 4
3.1 Mental programming and software of the mind................................................................4
3.2 Three levels of uniqueness in mental programming..........................................................5
4. Which elements determine a culture (cultural layering)?.......................................................5
4.1 Cultural layering................................................................................................................ 5
4.2 When and how do we learn our own culture?....................................................................6
5. Morality.................................................................................................................................. 6
5.1 A moral circle.................................................................................................................... 6
6. National cultures.................................................................................................................... 6
6.1 Nations vs. societies.......................................................................................................... 7
6.2 Identity, values and institutions........................................................................................ 7
6.2.1 Identity........................................................................................................................ 7
6.2.2 Values......................................................................................................................... 7
6.2.3 Institutions.................................................................................................................. 7
6.3 Cultural relativism............................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 2: intercultural encounters............................................................................................ 8
1. Intercultural encounters......................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Intended conflicts.............................................................................................................. 8
1.2 Unintended conflicts.......................................................................................................... 8
2. Cultural shock......................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 What is it?......................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Cultural shock analysis (4 phases).................................................................................... 9
2.2.1 Pre-departure stage.................................................................................................... 9
2.2.2 Euphoria...................................................................................................................... 9
2.2.3 Culture shock.............................................................................................................. 9
2.2.4 Acculturation phase.................................................................................................... 9
3. Ethnocentrism and xenophilia................................................................................................ 9
4. Group encounters: auto- and heterostereotypes..................................................................10
4.1 Hall’s key concepts of cultural differences......................................................................10
4.1.1 Communication: low context vs. high context..........................................................10
4.1.2 Time: monochromic vs. polychronic..........................................................................10
4.1.3 Space: proximity vs. distance................................................................................... 10
5. Language and humor........................................................................................................... 10
5.1 Language........................................................................................................................ 10
1
, 5.1.1 Language as a tool of communication......................................................................10
5.1.2 Language influences thinking................................................................................... 11
5.1.3 Loan words................................................................................................................ 11
5.1.4 Linguistic bias........................................................................................................... 11
5.1.5 Language advantages and disadvantages................................................................11
5.1.6 Language and culture............................................................................................... 11
5.2 Humor............................................................................................................................. 11
6. Specific intercultural encounters.......................................................................................... 11
6.1 Intercultural Encounters in Tourism................................................................................. 11
6.2 Intercultural Encounters in Education............................................................................. 12
6.3 International Marketing, Advertising and Consumer Behavior........................................12
Chapter 3: cultural dimensions................................................................................................. 12
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 12
2. Power distance..................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 General key features with power distance......................................................................13
2.2 Power distance in the workplace..................................................................................... 13
2.3 Origins of power distance................................................................................................ 14
2.4 Future of power distance................................................................................................. 14
2.5 Summarize...................................................................................................................... 15
3. Individualism vs. collectivism............................................................................................... 15
3.1 General key features....................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Individualism in the workplace........................................................................................ 16
3.3 Summary......................................................................................................................... 16
3.4 The origins of individualistic and collectivist differences.................................................17
3.5 The future of collectivist and individualistic societies.....................................................17
4. Masculinity vs. femininity..................................................................................................... 17
4.1 Key features.................................................................................................................... 18
4.2 Masculinity and femininity in the workplace...................................................................18
5. Uncertainty avoidance......................................................................................................... 18
5.1 Key features.................................................................................................................... 19
5.2 Uncertainty avoidance and anxiety................................................................................. 19
5.3 Uncertainty avoidance in the workplace.........................................................................20
5.4 Uncertainty avoidance in the future................................................................................20
5.5 Summary......................................................................................................................... 20
6. Time orientation (past, present or future)............................................................................21
6.1 Time orientation in the workplace...................................................................................21
6.2 The future of long-term and short-term orientation........................................................22
7. Indulgence vs. restraint........................................................................................................ 22
7.1 Importance of friends and family.................................................................................... 22
7.2 Indulgence and restraint in the workplace......................................................................22
2
, 7.3 Key features.................................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 4: Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner.........................................................................23
1. Who are Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner ?.................................................23
2. Goals of THT......................................................................................................................... 23
3. Basic philosophy................................................................................................................... 23
4. 7 dimensions........................................................................................................................ 24
5. Five dimensions are based on human relationships.............................................................24
5.1 Universalist vs. particularist............................................................................................ 24
5.1.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 25
5.2 Neutral vs. emotional/affective....................................................................................... 25
5.2.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 25
5.3 Specific vs. diffuse........................................................................................................... 25
5.3.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 26
5.4 Ascription vs. achievement............................................................................................. 26
5.4.1 How to renconcile?.................................................................................................... 27
6. Two dimensions are based on time....................................................................................... 27
6.1 Sequential vs. synchronic time........................................................................................ 28
6.1.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 28
6.2 Inner-directed vs. outer-directed..................................................................................... 29
6.2.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 29
7. How to reconcile different cultural views?............................................................................29
Chapter 5: corporate cultures................................................................................................... 30
1. What are organizational cultures?........................................................................................ 30
1.1 National culture vs. organizational culture......................................................................30
1.2 Six organizational dimensions......................................................................................... 30
1.3 Organizational subcultures.............................................................................................. 31
2. Occupational cultures........................................................................................................... 31
3. How to manage (with) organizational cultures?...................................................................32
3.1 Why is an organizational culture so important?..............................................................32
3.2 How to manage organizational cultures?........................................................................32
3.3 How to adopt changes within an organization?...............................................................32
Understanding global cultures
Chapter 1: identity and culture
1. Identity
3
, 1.1 Deepening levels (Kulich, Shangai University)
When faced with new groups of people, we tend to compare and contrast.
UNCONSCIOUSLY!
Simultaneously we look for commonalities and distinctions:
- Relate to others and establish a common group of equals. (=)
- Compare with others, differentiating ourself in some way (≠)
1.1.1 We identify ourselves and others on 3 levels
(the deeper the level, the deeper the connection)
Public features:
- Those features that outward observations can reveal something about – the things you can
often see or infer about someone visually.
Personal features:
- Those features that require purposeful conversation to go deeper – things we learn by
asking questions, listening carefully, overserving their responses in interaction, their
interests, etc.
o In multicultural groups, we need to learn what are taboo or private questions and
maybe find another way of discovering these features.
Psychological features:
- Features that we may open up about (engage in self-disclosure) as we build trust and feel
safe – including our sincere feelings, opinions, attitudes, how we really view others,
ourselves, or other deep thoughts.
o In multicultural groups, we sometimes interpret personal and psychological features
(especially opinions and attitudes) within the realm of our own culture
MISUNDERSTANDINGS
2. What is culture?
Culture (Geert Hofstede)
= The programming of the human mind by which one group of people distinguishes itself
from another group
- Consists of various factors, such as behaviour, customs, assumptions, beliefs, values,
norms, morals, …
- Learned (unconsciously, cf. programming)!
- Shared with other members of the group (=)
- Distinguishes us from other groups (≠)
2.1 How do we detect (other) cultures?
The way information is being interpreted is as defined by the following:
- 55 % of what you see is what you (might) believe
- 38 % of what you hear by tone of voice
ONLY 7 % of what you read is determined to be a possible adaptation
Cultural information is (mostly) detected by what we see and what we hear!
- 30 %: what we do (visible part): way of life
- 40 %: what we think (ideology): philosophy
- 30 %: what we feel (hidden part): desires or attitudes
3. Culture as mental programming
3.1 Mental programming and software of the mind
- Culture is learned unconsciously and thus “programmed” into our minds
- This “software of our mind” is shaped by our experiences throughout life, such as
upbringing, socialization and perception.
o Every person carries within him- or herself patterns of thinking, feeling, and potential
acting that were learned throughout the person’s lifetime: software of the mind.
o Starts within family > neighbourhood > school > workplace > living community.
4
1. Identity................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Deepening levels (Kulich, Shangai University)..................................................................4
1.1.1 We identify ourselves and others on 3 levels..............................................................4
2. What is culture?...................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 How do we detect (other) cultures?.................................................................................. 4
3. Culture as mental programming............................................................................................. 4
3.1 Mental programming and software of the mind................................................................4
3.2 Three levels of uniqueness in mental programming..........................................................5
4. Which elements determine a culture (cultural layering)?.......................................................5
4.1 Cultural layering................................................................................................................ 5
4.2 When and how do we learn our own culture?....................................................................6
5. Morality.................................................................................................................................. 6
5.1 A moral circle.................................................................................................................... 6
6. National cultures.................................................................................................................... 6
6.1 Nations vs. societies.......................................................................................................... 7
6.2 Identity, values and institutions........................................................................................ 7
6.2.1 Identity........................................................................................................................ 7
6.2.2 Values......................................................................................................................... 7
6.2.3 Institutions.................................................................................................................. 7
6.3 Cultural relativism............................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 2: intercultural encounters............................................................................................ 8
1. Intercultural encounters......................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Intended conflicts.............................................................................................................. 8
1.2 Unintended conflicts.......................................................................................................... 8
2. Cultural shock......................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 What is it?......................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Cultural shock analysis (4 phases).................................................................................... 9
2.2.1 Pre-departure stage.................................................................................................... 9
2.2.2 Euphoria...................................................................................................................... 9
2.2.3 Culture shock.............................................................................................................. 9
2.2.4 Acculturation phase.................................................................................................... 9
3. Ethnocentrism and xenophilia................................................................................................ 9
4. Group encounters: auto- and heterostereotypes..................................................................10
4.1 Hall’s key concepts of cultural differences......................................................................10
4.1.1 Communication: low context vs. high context..........................................................10
4.1.2 Time: monochromic vs. polychronic..........................................................................10
4.1.3 Space: proximity vs. distance................................................................................... 10
5. Language and humor........................................................................................................... 10
5.1 Language........................................................................................................................ 10
1
, 5.1.1 Language as a tool of communication......................................................................10
5.1.2 Language influences thinking................................................................................... 11
5.1.3 Loan words................................................................................................................ 11
5.1.4 Linguistic bias........................................................................................................... 11
5.1.5 Language advantages and disadvantages................................................................11
5.1.6 Language and culture............................................................................................... 11
5.2 Humor............................................................................................................................. 11
6. Specific intercultural encounters.......................................................................................... 11
6.1 Intercultural Encounters in Tourism................................................................................. 11
6.2 Intercultural Encounters in Education............................................................................. 12
6.3 International Marketing, Advertising and Consumer Behavior........................................12
Chapter 3: cultural dimensions................................................................................................. 12
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 12
2. Power distance..................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 General key features with power distance......................................................................13
2.2 Power distance in the workplace..................................................................................... 13
2.3 Origins of power distance................................................................................................ 14
2.4 Future of power distance................................................................................................. 14
2.5 Summarize...................................................................................................................... 15
3. Individualism vs. collectivism............................................................................................... 15
3.1 General key features....................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Individualism in the workplace........................................................................................ 16
3.3 Summary......................................................................................................................... 16
3.4 The origins of individualistic and collectivist differences.................................................17
3.5 The future of collectivist and individualistic societies.....................................................17
4. Masculinity vs. femininity..................................................................................................... 17
4.1 Key features.................................................................................................................... 18
4.2 Masculinity and femininity in the workplace...................................................................18
5. Uncertainty avoidance......................................................................................................... 18
5.1 Key features.................................................................................................................... 19
5.2 Uncertainty avoidance and anxiety................................................................................. 19
5.3 Uncertainty avoidance in the workplace.........................................................................20
5.4 Uncertainty avoidance in the future................................................................................20
5.5 Summary......................................................................................................................... 20
6. Time orientation (past, present or future)............................................................................21
6.1 Time orientation in the workplace...................................................................................21
6.2 The future of long-term and short-term orientation........................................................22
7. Indulgence vs. restraint........................................................................................................ 22
7.1 Importance of friends and family.................................................................................... 22
7.2 Indulgence and restraint in the workplace......................................................................22
2
, 7.3 Key features.................................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 4: Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner.........................................................................23
1. Who are Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner ?.................................................23
2. Goals of THT......................................................................................................................... 23
3. Basic philosophy................................................................................................................... 23
4. 7 dimensions........................................................................................................................ 24
5. Five dimensions are based on human relationships.............................................................24
5.1 Universalist vs. particularist............................................................................................ 24
5.1.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 25
5.2 Neutral vs. emotional/affective....................................................................................... 25
5.2.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 25
5.3 Specific vs. diffuse........................................................................................................... 25
5.3.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 26
5.4 Ascription vs. achievement............................................................................................. 26
5.4.1 How to renconcile?.................................................................................................... 27
6. Two dimensions are based on time....................................................................................... 27
6.1 Sequential vs. synchronic time........................................................................................ 28
6.1.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 28
6.2 Inner-directed vs. outer-directed..................................................................................... 29
6.2.1 How to reconcile?...................................................................................................... 29
7. How to reconcile different cultural views?............................................................................29
Chapter 5: corporate cultures................................................................................................... 30
1. What are organizational cultures?........................................................................................ 30
1.1 National culture vs. organizational culture......................................................................30
1.2 Six organizational dimensions......................................................................................... 30
1.3 Organizational subcultures.............................................................................................. 31
2. Occupational cultures........................................................................................................... 31
3. How to manage (with) organizational cultures?...................................................................32
3.1 Why is an organizational culture so important?..............................................................32
3.2 How to manage organizational cultures?........................................................................32
3.3 How to adopt changes within an organization?...............................................................32
Understanding global cultures
Chapter 1: identity and culture
1. Identity
3
, 1.1 Deepening levels (Kulich, Shangai University)
When faced with new groups of people, we tend to compare and contrast.
UNCONSCIOUSLY!
Simultaneously we look for commonalities and distinctions:
- Relate to others and establish a common group of equals. (=)
- Compare with others, differentiating ourself in some way (≠)
1.1.1 We identify ourselves and others on 3 levels
(the deeper the level, the deeper the connection)
Public features:
- Those features that outward observations can reveal something about – the things you can
often see or infer about someone visually.
Personal features:
- Those features that require purposeful conversation to go deeper – things we learn by
asking questions, listening carefully, overserving their responses in interaction, their
interests, etc.
o In multicultural groups, we need to learn what are taboo or private questions and
maybe find another way of discovering these features.
Psychological features:
- Features that we may open up about (engage in self-disclosure) as we build trust and feel
safe – including our sincere feelings, opinions, attitudes, how we really view others,
ourselves, or other deep thoughts.
o In multicultural groups, we sometimes interpret personal and psychological features
(especially opinions and attitudes) within the realm of our own culture
MISUNDERSTANDINGS
2. What is culture?
Culture (Geert Hofstede)
= The programming of the human mind by which one group of people distinguishes itself
from another group
- Consists of various factors, such as behaviour, customs, assumptions, beliefs, values,
norms, morals, …
- Learned (unconsciously, cf. programming)!
- Shared with other members of the group (=)
- Distinguishes us from other groups (≠)
2.1 How do we detect (other) cultures?
The way information is being interpreted is as defined by the following:
- 55 % of what you see is what you (might) believe
- 38 % of what you hear by tone of voice
ONLY 7 % of what you read is determined to be a possible adaptation
Cultural information is (mostly) detected by what we see and what we hear!
- 30 %: what we do (visible part): way of life
- 40 %: what we think (ideology): philosophy
- 30 %: what we feel (hidden part): desires or attitudes
3. Culture as mental programming
3.1 Mental programming and software of the mind
- Culture is learned unconsciously and thus “programmed” into our minds
- This “software of our mind” is shaped by our experiences throughout life, such as
upbringing, socialization and perception.
o Every person carries within him- or herself patterns of thinking, feeling, and potential
acting that were learned throughout the person’s lifetime: software of the mind.
o Starts within family > neighbourhood > school > workplace > living community.
4
