Transcript Dutch Culture & Language

Dutch Culture & Language
Lecture 1: General introduction about
culture
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Familiar?
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Familiar?
Huntington: Clash of civilizations
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Culture
• What is “culture”?
• How can you measure or describe
culture and cultural differences?
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Culture
Definition of culture:
Culture is the characteristics of a particular
group of people, defined by everything
from language, religion, cuisine, social
habits, music and arts. Today, in the United
States as in other countries populated
largely by immigrants, the culture is
influenced by the many groups of people
that now make up the country.
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Culture
Comparing cultures… is there a way
to describe and measure differences?
Could this be a helpful tool in
working in international business to
smoothen international relations? Or
is it merely a hobby of certain
individuals?
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Culture
Some attempts to describe cultural
differences:
• Edward Hall, The silent language
• Fons Trompenaars, model of national
cultural differences
• Geert Hofstede, cultural dimensions
theory
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Edward T. Hall
Most important difference
between cultures:
- Proximics
- High Context and Low
Context cultures
- Polychronic versus
monochronic time
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Proximics
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High context vs. Low context
Low context:
- Explicit messages
- Little attention for the
status of the person,
task oriented
High context:
- Not just the message
is important
- Relation oriented
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Polychronic vs. Monochronic
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Trompenaars & Hampden Turner
7 Dimensions/dilemma’s of
intercultural communication:
• Universalism vs. particularism
• Individualism vs. collectivism
(communitarianism)
• Neutral vs. emotional
• Specific vs. diffuse
• Achievement vs. ascription
• Sequential vs. synchronic
• Internal vs. external control
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Universalism vs. Particularism
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Individualism vs. Collectivism
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Neutral vs. Emotional
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Specific vs. Diffuse
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Achievement vs. Ascription
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Sequential vs. Synchronic
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Internal vs. External control
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Geert Hofstede
Developed a theory to
measure cultural
differences.
Problem: How to quantify
culture?
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Geert Hofstede
Defining culture in 5
dimensions, based on
research at IBM:
• Power Distance index
• Individualism
• Uncertainty avoidance
index
• Masculinity
• Long term orientation
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Power distance
• Power distance is the extent to which the
less powerful members of organizations
and institutions (like the family) accept
and expect that power is distributed
unequally.
• Does not reflect an objective difference in
power distribution, but rather the way
people perceive power differences.
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Power distance index
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Individualism
The degree to which individuals are
integrated into groups.
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Uncertainty avoidance index
• A society's tolerance for uncertainty and
ambiguity. Reflects the extent to which
members of a society attempt to cope
with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty.
• People in cultures with high uncertainty
avoidance tend to be more emotional.
More attention for planning step by step
and procedures
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Uncertainty avoidance index
High uncertainty avoidance
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Uncertainty avoidance index
Low uncertainty avoidance
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Masculinity
The distribution of emotional
roles between the genders.
Masculine cultures' values are
competitiveness,
assertiveness, materialism,
ambition and power, whereas
feminine cultures place more
value on relationships and
quality of life.
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Masculinity
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Long term orientation
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Dutch culture
•
•
The Dutch culture belongs to the
Nordic culture group. The culture that
is the most similar is probably Danish
culture.
Hofstede scores: Low power distance,
very low masculinity, high
individualism, medium long term
orientation and medium uncertainty
avoidance.
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Factor analysis of the five dimensions of
Hofstede for both Netherlands and Germany
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Assignment:
Find out Hofstede scores for your own
country and compare these with The
Netherlands.
Describe in an essay of maximum 400
words the differences and similarities with
the Dutch culture, and indicate which
differences you may expect when dealing
with Dutch companies.