The Culture Map

Eight Cultural Scales

What people of one culture or country see as appropriate behavior or common sense may be quite different from what citizens of other countries expect. These differences, both obvious and subtle, affect how people work together with mutual understanding. Your culture influences how you interpret the world and interact with other people. Managers and team members who are unaware of cultural disparities often experience frustration and difficulty achieving organizational goals.

Comparing one country’s culture to another by plotting their places on eight continuums creates a “culture map.” This visual representation identifies the similarities and differences among cultures to help you adjust your leadership and communication styles as needed. The map helps you understand how people from your country experience people from elsewhere and how members of cultures worldwide perceive each other. The eight scales on the cultural map are:

1. “Communicating: Low-Context Versus High-Context”

Effective communication skills vary greatly from one country to another. People from the United States, for example, communicate explicitly, stating what...