Introducing the 12 Dimensions

Layers of Culture

1) Observable Culture

3) Norms and Values

2) Attitude

4) Beliefs

My Rules for Success

My Chosen Truths

12 Measurable Dimensions of Culture

DimensionsPersonal Growth Material

Universal Relationship Situational

Tradition Outlook Innovation

Directed Destiny Directive

Informal Context Formal

Exclusive Connecting Inclusive

Reveal Expression Conceal

Relationship Decision-Making Rules

People Planning Time

Direct Communication Indirect

Community Accountability Individual

Ascribed Status Achieved

Growth

Personal and MaterialDo you prefer to see your organization invest more

in its people or its infrastructure?

Growth

Relationship

Universal and SituationalIf a relationship is developed in one sphere of your life, do you extend it to other spheres, or restrict it to the

sphere in which it was developed?

Relationship

6

Tradition and InnovationDo you measure your organization’s success on its future

opportunities or its past achievements?

Outlook

7

Dialogs

• Read the Dialog

• Interpret the people dynamics using the cultural dimensions

• Decide which dimension(s) are at work

• Present findings to the group

8

Dialog #5

Nicholas: Based on our former discussions with the Logistics team we need to firm up our commitments to automate the systems - a lot of money can be saved!

Anita: I agree with you, but at the same time we have an issue with staff that is not trained up to standards, we should allocate at least 30 % of the total budget to training and further development.

Nicholas: But without proper systems it would be useless to train people and I believe the requirement for training budget can be lowered to about 10 % of the total.

Anita: It is a proven fact that Return On Investment can only be achieved if the people in the organization are aligned with the systems implemented

9

Dialog #12

Stephen: Ahmed, I asked Samir if he could finish that project before he left tonight.

Ahmed: And what did he say?

Stephen: He said yes, but then he left almost immediately afterwards.

Ahmed: Did he say anything else besides yes?

Stephen: He said something to me about his friend flying in from England tonight, but I told him he could see his friend tomorrow! He agreed.

Ahmed: Well, he hasn’t seen that friend in over three months.

10

Directed and Directive Is your environment in control of you (external locus of control), or are

you in control of your environment (internal locus of control)?

Destiny

11

Informal and FormalDo you operate with few strict rules of behavior, or

do you greatly value appropriate protocols?

Context

Connecting

Exclusive and InclusiveDo you include others easily or do you depend on chain of command? Do you volunteer information

or only provide what is required?

Connecting

Dialog #4

Mohammed: That was quite an interesting visit to the manufacturer.

Enrico: I agree -- not the warmest of people it seems. They are good in what they do, but I am wondering if they are just in it for the product.

Mohammed: They seem to always have to evaluate if they are going to give us full trust or not. It feels as if they are holding back when they talk with us.

Enrico: What was very frustrating for me was the social event at the end of our visit. I ended up standing alone most of the time, so hard to connect with people, as if our presence wasn’t appreciated.

14

Dialog #10John : Do you know what happened back there? Seems as if Surindran turned really

cold on us?

Sven: I know, all our professionalism didn’t make a difference in the conversation. Over the phone he was so positive about what we had to offer.

John: Something must have triggered him….

Sven: Wonder what it was?

John: What I thought was really interesting is the way he addressed us with ‘Mr’ all the time.

Sven: Yes, I agree, but I thought it sounded good….

John: I think his secretary addressed him with Dr. -- let me have a look again at his business card.

15

Reveal and ConcealDo you express your feelings freely, or are they

best mastered and subdued?

Expression

16

Relationship and RulesAre decisions best dictated by rules and protocols, or do

important relationships influence them greatly?

Decision Making

17

People and Time

Are your day-to-day activities governed more by people or by your schedule?

Planning

18

Dialogs

• Read the Dialog

• Interpret the people dynamics using the cultural dimensions

• Decide which dimension(s) are at work

• Present findings to the group

19

Dialog #3

Jan: Can you hear those guys in the office next door? Sounds like they are having a serious fight.

Mehmed: No, don’t worry Jan, they are just having a great time talking about the latest stock exchange figures. If I hear them right they are trying to determine when to roll with the next company press release.

Jan: Well judging by the volume it sounds very different. Something else: I thought this was a professional company, but why do people get so excited when we address issues where people have different opinions?

Mehmed: Hey, Jan, guess there is a lot you don’t know yet, wait until you get to learn our language, you will understand.

20

Dialog #2

Regina: I was wondering about the way Majed handled Ronaldo.

Antoine: It seemed Ronaldo wasn’t happy with the whole situation.

Regina: Well, I would have been upset if I ended up waiting for Majed for over half an hour while an appointment was set.

Antoine: Majed had a VIP from another city that showed up last minute, so what could he do?

Regina: But that VIP should have known that it is inappropriate to show up unannounced, why didn’t he call to make an appointment?

Antoine: Let me see if I can talk to Ronaldo to make sure it doesn’t turn the relationship sour.

21

Direct and Indirect

Communication

22

Do you communicate directly and in the open, or is it more appropriate to use an indirect, third-person form

of communication?

Community and Individual

Is the opinion, growth, and direction of your community more important than your own?

Accountability

Ascribed vs. AchievedIs one’s status and position to be earned through

individual effort, or acquired due to one’s age, family or connections?

Status

Dialog #7

Alex: I was shocked the other day about the things Melanie said in a public meeting.

Sabrina: Well, I think she feels that somebody needs to do it, everybody seems to be quiet about crucial issues.

Alex: But she could at least have waited till after the meeting and correct the problem in a more appropriate manner

Sabrina: You might be right, but wasn’t the problem solved right there and then? Yes, it caused a bit of friction, but it was solved wasn’t it?

Alex: That is true, but I am afraid it might have further impact on the team dynamics.

25

12 Measurable Dimensions of Culture

DimensionsPersonal Growth Material

Universal Relationship Situational

Tradition Outlook Innovation

Directed Destiny Directive

Informal Context Formal

Exclusive Connecting Inclusive

Reveal Expression Conceal

Relationship Decision-Making Rules

People Planning Time

Direct Communication Indirect

Community Accountability Individual

Ascribed Status Achieved

Dialogs

• Write your own dialog in which there is a cultural misunderstanding

• Tables will exchange dialogs in 5 min.

• Analyze the new dialog for cultural dimensions causing misunderstanding

27

The ability to create new cultural spaces to facilitate win-win solutions; by anticipating, correctly interpreting, and adjusting to the culturally defined behaviors of others

Inter-Cultural Intelligence