Culture may be a differentiator, but it can also bring us closer together.

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I first encountered cultural studies in Natalie Nahai’s book “Webs of Influence,” which references Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. He identified six dimensions to describe cultural differences across nations. Since then, I have used these taxonomies to understand how cultural differences impact my daily life, especially at work.

Looking back at my time at university and the jobs I held after, I’m surprised that cultural studies weren’t part of my education. My curriculum covered management, marketing, academic writing, and even sports science, but I was unaware of my own ignorance.

Today, I recommend anyone aspiring to a marketing and communication role to learn about different world cultures and their impact on values, beliefs, and behaviour. I’m convinced it makes you a better marketer.

My MBA programme now introduced a recent (2004) “large-scale study of cultural practices, leadership ideals, and generalized and interpersonal trust” based on data from 17,000 managers from 60 countries.* It identifies nine cultural dimensions—some identical to Hofstede’s, some slightly different, and some new:

1. Uncertainty Avoidance (low/high tolerance for ambiguity)
2. Power Distance (equalized/unequal power distribution)
3. Future Orientation (from “living for the present” to “planning for the future”)
4. Institutional Collectivism (weak/strong practical connections; think of it as “group vs individual interests”)
5. In-Group Collectivism (weak/strong emotional connections; consider this to be family bonds)
6. Assertiveness (low/high)
7. Gender Egalitarianism (meaning how equal women are being treated compared to men)
8. Humane Orientation (low/high fairness, altruism, and generosity)
9. Performance Orientation (low/high)

Here’s a video explaining the GLOBE Project’s 9 Cultural Dimensions, comparing them to Hofstede’s work and showing how countries score on each scale.

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I like the differentiation between “practices” (what is) and “values” (what should be) because the gaps show where we (as cultures) fall short of our ideals.

In any case, we need to integrate these insights into our work habits. Erin Meyer, a cross-cultural management expert, translated cultural dimensions into business- and leadership-related dimensions that are useful for working in multinational teams. These dimensions are:

1. Communicating: In a low-context culture, communication is precise, simple, and clear. Messages are taken at face value and clarified through repetition. In high-context cultures, communication is more nuanced and layered, with implied messages and less in writing, leaving more open to interpretation.
2. Persuading: Different countries adopt either specific or holistic approaches to persuasion. For example, a Western manager might break down an argument into its components, whilst Asian managers tend to show how all the components fit together. Meyer also found that certain cultures use deductive logic (principles first) whereas others use inductive logic (application first).
3. Trusting: In task-based cultures, trust is built cognitively (from the head). We build trust by collaborating and proving ourselves reliable. In relationship-based cultures, trust is built through forming relationships (from the heart). As we get to know each other on a personal level, we get to like each other and build trust.
4. Evaluating: This scale measures the preference for frank (direct) versus diplomatic (indirect) negative feedback.
5. Disagreeing: Different cultures have different views on how productive conflict is for a team or organisation. This scale measures the degree of comfort with open disagreement and the degree to which confrontation is perceived as harmful.
6. Deciding: This scale considers the degree of consensus in decision-making and contrasts consensual cultures with hierarchical, top-down cultures.
7. Leading: This scale measures the degree of respect shown to authority figures, ranging from egalitarian to hierarchical. This dimension is based on Hofstede’s power distance.
8. Scheduling: Some cultures adhere closely to schedules, while others see them as simply guidelines. This scale measures how much value is placed on operating in a structured, linear manner versus being flexible and reactive.

If you’re interested in your cultural profile, take this assessment from Erin Meyer on HBR’s website.

When you’re in content, consider who you work with and your relationship. How do you handle content briefings, set and communicate deadlines, and give or take feedback?

Questions like these make me think about cultural differences and the impact they have. The same goes for personal preferences. Know thy colleagues and tailor communication to their preferences, not yours. You’ll see an immediate impact on what you’re trying to achieve! I promise.

Here are two examples:

• I remember working with an Italian colleague at an international e-commerce brand, and we often clashed on planning. Our different uncertainty avoidance scores now explain why. I tried to minimize risks, while he just didn’t care as much as I did.
• Another example is how we work together at konversionsKRAFT. We have all taken a work-related personality test and respect individual preferences. For a blog article, I have a live call with one colleague and share a Google Doc with a few questions with another.

Here are some things I encourage you to try:

• When preparing to provide feedback, I always check for cultural differences. Do they prefer it frank or indirect? Can I openly disagree, or do I need to be more subtle? Should I imply improvements or state them plainly?
• In marketing communication, I consider the target audience’s collectivism dimension before crafting value propositions and copy. Sometimes highlighting individual benefits makes sense, other times it’s better to focus on group benefits. This is especially tricky in B2B, where you address individuals but need to convey institutional ROI.
• When building trust, I assess whether I’m in a task-based or relationship-based environment. This helps to determine the best approach: focusing on work output or improving interpersonal connections.

In cross-cultural business, conflicts and misunderstandings can be prevented by being aware of cultural differences in GLOBE’s dimensions. Business relationships (or any, really) can be improved by considering the cultural impact on Meyer’s dimensions.

Make it a habit to check for cultural differences before you communicate with someone. Start with a specific dimension and enhance your communication gradually.

That’s it for now.

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I’ll dedicate the next issue of this newsletter to organisational culture and how to change and manage it. National culture is important, but as a leader, there are more layers to consider.

Until then!

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*PS: I’m shocked to see the United Kingdom being referenced as “England” and neither Scotland nor Wales listed separately. Please — learn to differentiate between Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales), UK (including Northern Ireland), and Ireland properly.