CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Everybody has an opinion about a country and its inhabitants. Asking personal opinions, though, is prone to subjectivity.
To avoid that and to compare various cultures objectively, the cultural differences were measured scientifically, by using the different dimensions from Hofstede, Trompenaars and Hall combined.
The input is based on workshop surveys and profiling, and was provided by Paul Grol, founder and former owner of Symbion Intercultural Management and renowned consultant in cross-cultural management worldwide.
THE CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
Cultural dimensions describe the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behavior.
The seven dimensions used are:
Four by Geert Hofsteede
- Power Distance Index
- Individualism vs, Collectivism
- Masculinity vs. Femininity
- Uncertainty Avoidance Index
Two by Edward T. Hall
- High Context vs. Low Context
- Polychronic Time vs. Monochronic Time
One by Trompenaars
- Universalism vs. Particularism
If you wish to know more about these dimensions, please take a look at the explanation of the cultural dimensions.
NATIONAL DIFFERENCES
Curious about the difference between the Netherlands and another country? Take a look at the following charts.