Trompenaars’ Dimensions Flashcards
Explain what Trompenaars’ dimensions are and what framework he goes beyond of
Framework for understanding cultural differences in management: how people in different cultures perceive and interact with each other
- goes beyond framework of anthropology/sociology
- shows how following dimensions affect process managing cultures:
-> relations to other people
-> relations to time
-> relations to nature/environment
What is trompenaars’ standpoint
Each culture has specific solutions for universal problems
In what categories can you divide the seven dimensions of Trompenaars’
- Relations to the others
- Relations to time: sequential/synchronic
- Relation to the environment: inner- vs outer-directed
List the 7 dimensions
- Universalism/particularism
- Individualism/collectivism (communitarianism)
- Neutral/affective relationships
- Specific/diffuse relationships
- Achievement/ascription (doing/being)
- Sequential vs synchronic time
- Inner vs outer directed
Define universialism/particularism
Societal vs personal obligation
General explaination and managerial example: universalism/particularism
Universalism
1. Absolute rules apply: irrespective of circumstances/situations
2. Managers tend to extend rules
Particularism
1. Circumstances and relationships more important considerations than absolutes
2. Managers tend to discover exceptions
Define individualism/collectivism (communitarianism)
Personal vs group goals
General explanations and managerial example: individualism/collectivism
Individualism:
1. Personal welfare and fulfillment
2. Originating ideas
Collectivism
1. Social concern and altruism
2. Refining useful products
Define neutral/affective relationships
Emotional orientation
General explanation and managerial exmaple: neutral/affective relationship
Neutral relationship
1. Controls emotions/expression
2. Being professional
Affective relationship
1. Expresses emotions openly
2. Being engaged
Define specific/diffuse relationships
Contract vs contact
General explanantion and managerial example: specific vs diffuse relationships
Specific relationship
1. Separates work and personal life
2. Employees hired to be part of system which performs efficiently
Diffuse relationship OR data and codification
1. Blends works and professional life
2. Employees are members of groups working tgt: their relationships determine how company functions OR concepts and models
Define achievement/ascription (doing/being)
Legitimating power and status
General explanation and managerial example: achieved or ascribed status
Achievement:
1. Evaluate business people evaluated by how well they perform a function
2. Head hunting
Ascription
1. Status is attributed to e.g. older people who are of good family or highly qualified
2. Developing in house
Define sequential/synchronic time (monochronic, polychronic)
How people perceive and manage time
General explanantion and managerial example: sequential vs synchronic time
Sequential time:
1. Time is tangible and divisible, only do one activity at a time
2. Keeping to schedule
Synchronic time
1. Time is flexible and intangible, appointments are approximate and subject to “giving time” to significant others
2. Being easily distracted
Define inner/outer directed (internal/external control to the environment)
How perceive and respond to environment
General explanation and managerial example: inner- vs external control
Inner-control
1. One’s personal conviction is starting point for every action: may result in conflict with others and resistance to nature
2. Driven by conscience
External Control
1. Sensitive to environment and seeks harmony: often flexibel attitude, willing to compromise
2. Responsive to outside influence
Trompeneers’ vs Hofstede’s dimension
Trompeneers: culture are like circles with preferred arcs joined together, seen as models to learn with
Homestead: linear forms where cultures are positioned high or low or in middle, seeking the perfect model
Addintionally; trompeneers explores relevance of 7 intercultural dimensions to innovation
Culture of innovation in organisations
Success of innovation process depends on ability to: produce new ideas, relative to companies ‘ culture: transform those ideas into effective projects
Culture of organization: open to outside world, invite mind to innovations, encourage emergence of ideas “bottom up”
