ABSTRACT
Cultural dimensions (Hall and Hall 1990; Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars 1993; Hofstede 1980; Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck 1961; Parsons and Shils 1951; Ronen and Shenkar 1985; Schwartz 1992; and Triandis 1982) are the foundation of many cross-cultural courses and training programs. Table 8.1 presents 23 dimensions commonly used to compare cultures, which are typically presented in the form of bipolar continua. These etic values provide people with ways of distinguishing between cultures and serve as a basic building block for understanding culture. Teaching people to categorize whole cultures using these dimensions, however, may have the unanticipated consequence of promoting stereotyping, albeit on a more sophisticated level. Long-term sojourners and many cultural scholars find it increasingly difficult to make useful generalizations about other cultures since so many exceptions and qualifications to the stereotypes, both cultural and individual, come to mind. In reality, cultures are both complex and paradoxical. As researchers and professors, we often overlook Kluckhohn and Strodbeck’s caveat that cultural behavior is contingent upon the context. The model presented in this chapter provides a process-oriented way for people to understand culture and focus their attention on being more effective in intercultural interactions.
