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Trompenaars ’ Cultural Dilemmas and Dimensions. by Sigrid Brevik Wangsness 13 February 2013. Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: Riding the Waves of Culture.
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Trompenaars’ Cultural Dilemmas and Dimensions by Sigrid Brevik Wangsness 13 February 2013
FonsTrompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: Riding the Waves of Culture • What kind of competence /experience do these authors have? Explain the main aspects of their research. What kind of book is this? (What did Hofstede say about it?) • According to the authors, what does this book attempt to do? • The authors are critical of many modern management philosophies. Why? (Examples, for instance “pay-for-performance”)
FonsTrompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Meaning of Culture • Explain in some detail what T and H-T mean by culture (their concept of culture): • Definition • Their model of culture: layers norms vs. values basic assumptions • Which other authors use a similar model?
FonsTrompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: Differences WITHIN cultures • To what extent do people of the same culture have identical norms and values? Cp. the French and American cultures from the point of view of “normal distribution”. Explain. • How do T and H-T define and explain stereotyping, and what are the dangers they see in using cultural stereotypes?
FonsTrompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Basis of Cultural Differences • What are the different levels of culture that T and H-T emphasize? What do they say about cultures in Europe? • According to T and H-T, there are three major categories of human experience (“universal problems”) that distinguishcultures. Which? • T and H-T identify seven fundamental dimensions of culture. Which? Explain.
FonsTrompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Basis of Cultural Differences • Study T’s examples of cultural dilemmas. Find the scores for your culture. Is this a correct description of it, do you think? • T and H-T insist that cultures are not static points on a dual axis map, and thus their categories are not mutually exclusive (vs. Hofstede). How do they perceive the positions of cultures on the various dimensions?
FonsTrompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner: The Basis of Cultural Differences • What are the major similarities and differences between T and H-T’s dimensions and the categorizations you have studied earlier? (Compare for instance Gesteland, Hofstede and Trompenaars).