CULTURAL PARAMETERS / LINGUISTIC REALIZATIONS


1. Universalism_versus_particularism (Trompenaars)

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1.

2.

3.

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  1. Individualism versus Collectivism   

      1.  2.  3.  4.












 
 

Situation 1: You are working for a transnational company in a Universalistic Culture(USA, 
UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands). 

Your boss asks you if you accept to serve on a committee. What do you answer him? 

1. You want to.           SO YOU SAY:____________.

2. You don't want to.    SO YOU SAY: ____________.


 
 
 
 
 


 
 

Situation 2: Now your transnational company has sent you to their branch in a Particularistic Culture
(Venezuela, Russia, Indonesia, Hong Kong).

Using English, your boss asks you if you accept to serve on a committee. What do you answer him? 

1. You want to.           SO YOU SAY:____________.

2. You don't want to.    SO YOU SAY: ____________.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 

Situation 3: You have presented a business plan to a partner.  He agrees with it.   You want to make sure he doesn't change his mind.  What do you say? 
 

1. You're on visit in a Universalistic Culture(USA, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands)  SO YOU SAY:______.
 

2. You're on visit in a Particularistic Culture (Russia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Hong Kong).      SO YOU SAY:______.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 

Situation 4: The university catalog says prof. John Bell's office hours are M-W-F 10-11.  You've gone 3 times in vain to return a book.  Now you're irritated. The fourth time he is there.  What do you say? 
 

1. You're studying in a Universalistic Culture(USA, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands)  SO YOU SAY:______.
 

2. You're studying in a Particularistic Culture (Russia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Hong Kong).      SO YOU SAY:______.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

GLI ESEMPI SEGUENTI,
CHE  RIGUARDANO LE POLARITA' INDIVIDUALISMO - COLLETTIVISMO
NON SONO STATI RISCRITTI IN HTML
(NON SONO UN IPERTESTO COME GLI ESEMPI CHE PRECEDONO)



2. Individualism versus Collectivism
 

Situation: You are studying at a university in an
Individualistic Culture (USA, Russia, Mexico, UK, Sweden) and you
are living in the International Students residence hall where
business is conducted in English and where the student restaurant
is closed on Sunday. You are the student representative in
asking for restaurant service on Sundays. The Director makes a
reasonable compromise: he offers to open the restaurant for
Sunday lunch. What do you say?

I THINK THAT'S REASONABLE, ACCEPTABLE.

Now the same situation again, but in a Collectivistic Culture
(Singapore, Japan, Germany).

LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUES WHAT THEY THINK OF YOUR OFFER.
 

New situation: Your are the human resources manager at the
Italian embassy in an Individualistic culture (USA, Russia,
Mexico, UK, Sweden). An employee, belonging to that culture,
always comes to work in jeans, and often dirty ones: you want him
to change. How do you appeal to him?

YOU'RE JEPRODIZING YOUR CAREER; THE BOSS DOESN'T APPRECIATE YOU
(YOUR WORK) AS MUCH AS HE WOULD IF YOU WERE BETTER DRESSED.

Now the same situation again but in a Collectivistic Culture
(Singapore, Japan, Germany).

YOU ARE GIVING THE EMBASSY A BAD LOOK, YOU ARE RUINING THE IMAGE
WE WANT TO PROJECT, YOU ARE EMBARASSING YOUR COLLEAGUES.
 

Here is a complaint made by a fellow student at the University (I
won't say where), who is angry with the way you do things. Say
what kind of mentality it is typical of: Individualistic or
Collectivistic, Universalistic or Particularistic:

"How can I trust you -- you always bend the rules to help your
friends!"

The statement is typical of a UNIVERSALISTIC-INDIVIDUALISTIC
mentality, and is critical of your PARTICULARISTIC-COLLECTIVISTIC
mentality.
 

Here is another complaint made by a different student at the
University.

"How can I trust you -- you always think first of the RULES
before thinking of your friends!"

The statement is typical of a PARTICULARISTIC-COLLECTIVISTIC
mentality, and is critical of your UNIVERSALISTIC-INDIVIDUALISTIC
mentality.
 
 







































































































 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

YES, OF COURSE!

Certainly!  Sure! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

NO, CERTAINLY NOT!

I'm sorry but no.   I really can't. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WELL, LET'S SEE; PERHAPS.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I'LL SEND YOU A MEMO TOMORROW.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I'LL TELL EVERYONE WE AGREE. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE ON THE DAYS THE CATALOG SAYS.  HOW COME? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 

A. (NOTHING)

B. I SEE YOU WERE BUSY LAST WEEK.