Models approaching cultures
1. Philippe D’IRIBARNE culture’s model
Born 7 march 1937, in Casablanca. He’s french author and director of research at CNRS. He
works within a research center called LISE.
Philippe D’IRIBARNE was interested by the influence of natioanl cultures on the way
organisations function.
-Cultural dimensions of D’IRIBANE
Collectivism VS individualism
Masculinity VS feminity (le having VS le being)
2. Nancy ADLER
Nancy is a professor of orghanizational behavior and Samuel Brofman Chair in management at McGill
university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is the author of several texts, including the most notable
in cross cultural management : « international dimensions of organizational behavior ».
3. EDWARD T.Hall
EDWARD T.Hall is an american anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher. He developed the
concept of social cohesion, a description of how people behave and react in different types of
culturally defined personal space. He is known for : High context culture, low context culture,
proxemics, monochronic, and polychronic time.
He was interested by 3 mains cultural dimensions :
Context
High context
In a high-context culture, there are many contextual elements that help people to understand
the rules. As a result, much is taken for granted. This can be very confusing for person who
does not understand the 'unwritten rules' of the culture.
Low context
In a low-context culture, very little is taken for granted. Whilst this means that more
explanation is needed, it also means there is less chance of misunderstanding particularly
when visitors are present.
Time
Monochronic time
M-Time, as he called it, means doing one thing at a time. It assumes careful planning and
scheduling and is a familiar Western approach that appears in disciplines such as 'time
management'. Monochronic people tend also to be low context.
Polychronic time
In Polychronic cultures, human interaction is valued over time and material things, leading to
a lesser concern for 'getting things done' -- they get things done, but more in their own time.
Aboriginal and Native Americans have typical polychronic cultures, where 'talking stick'
meetings can go on for as long as somebody has something to say.
Polychronic people tend also to be high context.
Space
High territoriality
Some peple are more territorial than others with greater concern for ownership. They try to make
out the areas which are their and perhaps having boundary watrs with neighbors.
This happens right down to desk-level, where co-workers may do battle over a piece of paper
which overlaps from one person area to another.
Low territoriality
-People with lower territoriality have less ownership of space and boundaries are less important to
them. They will share territory and ownership with little thought.
-They also have less concern for material ownership and their sense of 'stealing' is less developed
(this is more important for highly territorial people).
4. Troompenaar’s culture’s model
Fons TROMMPENAAR’S was born in 1953, he is a consultant and author in the field of intercultural
communication
Universalism vs. Particularism
Individualism vs. Communitarianism
Specific vs. Diffuse
Neutral vs. Affective
Achievement vs. Ascription
Sequential Time vs. Synchronous Time
Internal vs. External
Individualism :
People as individuals
Countries with high individuals : personnal stress and individual matters
Assuming great personnal responsibility
Collectivism :
People regard selves as a part of group
Value group- related issues
Comitee’s decision
Joint responsibility
5. Greet HOFSTEDE culture’s dimensions
Geert Hofstede was born in a peaceful country, but his teenage years saw the Second World War
rage across Europe. He started working as an engineer during turbulent years of rebuilding, and
soon became a personnel manager. Fascinated by the human in the system, he did a PhD in
organizational behavior. This landed him a job with the personnel research department of IBM
international. In the late sixties, he began analyzing the data from a companywide personnel
survey exercise. That period of pioneering discovery yielded the book Culture's Consequences.
Geert's ideas about dimensions of culture were so outrageous that seventeen publishers refused the
manuscript before a visionary boss at Sage accepted it. the book appeared in 1980. The rest is
history.
The model has undergone various major extensions since the first study. It now counts six
dimensions instead of the original four. They are described in the 2010 popular edition Cultures &
Organizations, Software of the mind By Geert, his son Geert Jan and culturologist Michael
Minkov.
Characteristics of the 6-D model of national culture
1. Power index distance
2. Individualism VS collectivism
3. Uncertainity avoidance index
4. Masculinity VS feminity
5. Long term orientation VS short term orientatrion
6. Indulgence VS restraint
Tips of the 6-D model of national culture
Negiciation
Conflict management
Leadership
Stress
Decision making
Change management
Team management
