00.40 – 01.00 Cultural dimensions Hofstede
Exercise 4c3: A line of national cultures
Insight into what happens when people from different cultures meet, as a basis for mutual understanding
What do you need?
– Power point presentation on Hofstede’s dimensions and national cultures
– A 1/10 line on the floor with paper, chalk, tape or cones
What should you do?
– Make the line from 1 to 10 in the room, for example with papers. chalk drawing, tape or cones
– Start with a presentation and explanation of Hofstede’s division of culture in 6 dimensions
– Then introduce the different dimensions one-by-one
– After explaining each dimension, ask if participants understand and recognise the differences
– Then ask the participants to take place on the line 1 to 10 in accordance with their own country score
– Then show the bar chart with the score on the dimension in different SPIN partner countries
– Discuss in a plenary session how recognisable or surprising the scores are for the participants
– Do this for all or for some dimensions, depending on the time you have left
– Finally, show the scores of a few countries where many migrants come from and discuss the cultural differences between the country of origin and the host country.
Trainers advice
– Note: the classification concerns differences between countries rather than differences between persons
– If necessary, hand out a printed version of Hofstede’s dimensions. The material is difficult to memorise after a short presentation.