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Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures
Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures truly brings Geert Hofstede's five dimensions of national culture to life.This unique training book contains an abundance of exercises, dialogues, stories and simulations that put the five dimensions of culture (power distance, collectivism versus individualism, femininity versus masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long term versus short term orientation) into action. Derived from these five dimensions are what Hofstede calls synthetic cultures: ten pure cultural types.Exploring Culture is arranged to follow the classic culture learning sequence of gaining awareness, knowledge and skills. Part light, part serious, but always thought-provoking, the book provides more than seventy-five activities, dialogues and stories for readers to explore and discuss. Exploring Culture is an outstanding resource for trainers and educators and the perfect complement to Hofstede's popular Cultures and Organizations.ContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPar I: Stories and Exercises1 Worlds Apart in One Village2 Culture: The Rules of the Social GamePart II: Synthetic Cultures3 The Ten Synthetic Culture Profiles4 Getting to Know the Synthetic Cultures5 Dialogues in Synthetic Culture Role6 Summing UpPart III: Group Work and Similuations7 Group Work for Cross-Cultural Learning8 Using Synthetic Cultures in Simulations9 The Trade Mission10 Follow-the-Sun Global Technology TeamReferencesIndex
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 6, 2017
I read this book because the designers in my company were reading it, and even though I’m not a designer they said I could join their book club.
Otherwise, I’m sure this book never would have come to my attention and the concepts it articulated would very likely never have come to my attention.
I’m glad they did though, and glad to have read this brief and enjoyable book giving the basics of a certain discipline of how to analyze national cultures, and hence, to empower oneself theoretically and also practically to be able to work across cultures.
I feel like I would like to hear a Marxist critique of the one dimensional concept of national culture presented in the book, but other than that the axes of consideration ring true to me based on my own personal experience of living in China for a number of years and also generally interacting a lot with communities from other countries.
Otherwise, I’m sure this book never would have come to my attention and the concepts it articulated would very likely never have come to my attention.
I’m glad they did though, and glad to have read this brief and enjoyable book giving the basics of a certain discipline of how to analyze national cultures, and hence, to empower oneself theoretically and also practically to be able to work across cultures.
I feel like I would like to hear a Marxist critique of the one dimensional concept of national culture presented in the book, but other than that the axes of consideration ring true to me based on my own personal experience of living in China for a number of years and also generally interacting a lot with communities from other countries.
May 21, 2020
Een toegankelijk boek over het omgaan met cultuurverschillen. Met concrete voorbeelden, dialogen, modellen, simulaties en zelfs spellen!
Als je wil weten waarom Aziaten altijd zo stil op je reageren of waarom je projectgroep nooit doet wat je zegt, dan is er een grote kans dat je de sleutel tot het antwoord vindt in dit boek.
Het leest als een trein, maar dat neemt niet weg dat Hofstede bouwt op jaren van zorgvuldig onderzoek en experimenteren. Je merkt het direct: als een virtuoos neemt hij je mee door alle aspecten zonder je ook maar een moment te laten vervelen.
Als je wil weten waarom Aziaten altijd zo stil op je reageren of waarom je projectgroep nooit doet wat je zegt, dan is er een grote kans dat je de sleutel tot het antwoord vindt in dit boek.
Het leest als een trein, maar dat neemt niet weg dat Hofstede bouwt op jaren van zorgvuldig onderzoek en experimenteren. Je merkt het direct: als een virtuoos neemt hij je mee door alle aspecten zonder je ook maar een moment te laten vervelen.
January 13, 2011
The book was good and informative. It used synthetic cultures as a way to learn how to be more open and diverse when dealing with people from other real-world cultures. What they had to say was good, though it did begin to drag on after a while. The book has many stories and excercises to help individuals and classes productively encounter various cultures. All in all, a good...but not great, introduction.
July 10, 2010
A wonderful little book for everyone really, not just those of us studying management, offering interesting insight into synthetic cultures and their 10 dimensions.
All interspersed with interesting examples in form of stories and exercises.
An interesting book that will need a re-read every once in a while.
All interspersed with interesting examples in form of stories and exercises.
An interesting book that will need a re-read every once in a while.
November 21, 2012
Depois da teoria do pai a prática do filho. Útil.
June 9, 2015
A must read for all those interested in Culture studies.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews