ABSTRACT
Everyone comes from a certain culture. The standards and values that people maintain are based on the culture from which they originate. It is therefore very important to include the cultural aspects when doing business. Hofstede researched the cultures of seventy countries and, based on this, established four dimensions in cultures. Individualism and collectivism are related trading with people in a culture. With collectivism, people will trade as part of a group, while with individualism they trade as if they are individuals. Masculine cultures consider hard, ‘male’ aspects such as assertiveness, success and competition, the most important values and standards. With feminine cultures, the ‘female’, aspects such as quality of life, personal relationships, service and care are the most important values and standards. By obtaining better insight into the culture of the country the people come from, the decision-making process becomes clearer. This subsequently leads to better relations and ultimately, more turnover.
