Understanding the Other

Part 1: The challenge of cultural differences

Cultural differences are found in 3 spheres: (a) employee collaboration, (b) interactions with consumers and (c) external stakeholder management.

Part 2: What is culture?

Historically societies have developed different cultures to deal with the problems of external adaptation and internal integration.

Part 3: Cultural values

Metaphorically, culture is often represented as an iceberg. Values act as the underlying principles that guide behavior.

Part 4: Cultural distance

Cultural distance refers to the extent to which two cultures differ. An insightful tool here can be found on the website Hofstede Insights.

Part 5: World Values Survey

The WVS is more dynamic and more comprehensive than the relatively static work-sphere that Hofstede used to develop his dimensions.

Part 6: Culture shock

Although the term ‘culture shock’ is often used, it is perhaps nowadays more accurate to use the less extreme-sounding phrase ’culture confusion’.

Part 7: The process of cultural adaptation

Schema theory explains how people form and adjust knowledge structures in their brain and is useful for explaining the learning process people go through.

Part 8: The importance of reflection

Although it is important to keep in mind that learning effects can only take place when the student learns under stress, some support is needed.