Trompenaar’s Dimensions

Trompenaars’s Dimensions

Universalism vs. Particularism

Universalism is the belief in:

rules or laws that can be applied to everyone;

agreements and contracts are used as the basis for doing business;

rules are used to determine what is right;

contracts should not be altered.

Particularism is the belief in:

placing emphasis on friendships and looking at the situation to determine what is right or ethically

acceptable

deals are made based upon friendships;

agreements are changeable;

different people hold different views about reality.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualism is characterized by:

frequent use of “I”,

decision are made on the spot by representatives,

people ideally achieve alone and assume personal responsibility,

vacations taken in pairs or even alone vs. group orientation.

Collectivism is characterized by:

frequent use of “we”

decisions referred back by the delegates to the organization

people ideally achieve objectives in groups and assume joint responsibility

vacations are taken in organized groups of with extended family

Neutral vs. Affective Relationships

Neutral is characterized by:

not revealing what one is thinking or feeling

only accidental revelation of tension in face and posture

hidden emotions that may occasionally explode out

cool and self-possessed conduct that is admired

lack of physical contact, gesturing or strong facial expressions

monotone oral delivery of written materials

Affective is characterized by:

nonverbal and verbal display of thoughts and feelings

transparency and expressiveness in release of tensions

easy flow of emotions sometimes effusively, vehemently and without inhibition

the admiration and display of heated, vital, animated expressions

fluent and dramatic delivery of statements

Specific vs. Diffuse Relationships

Specific is characterized by:

a small private life that is kept private;

large social/public life that is very open to others;

extroversion;

“no nonsense” - direct in communications;

clear distinction between work and personal life.

Diffuse is characterized by:

a large private life that includes a relatively large number of people;

small public space that is difficult to enter (e.g. an outsider needs a formal introduction from a

mutual friend in order to do business with a particular manager);

indirect communication - does not always say what is really meant;

no clear distinction between work and private life.

Achievement vs. Ascription

Achievement – awarding status based upon accomplishments. This is characterized by:

use of titles only when relevant to the competence brought to the task

respect for superior in the hierarchy is based on how effectively his or her job is performed and the adequacy