SPÅ 2901 ‘Bizcom 1’ Culture and ethics

Lecture 5: Three dimensions from GLOBE and the

SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question
Timeline of culture research

Hofstede Trompenaars Gesteland

Robert J House
1967-1973 1984-1997 1999

1998 Onwards: GLOBE

Agenda

Project GLOBE – three final dimensions for the toolkit

• Performance orientation
• Gender egalitarianism
• Assertiveness
What is GLOBE?

• Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness

(GLOBE)
• 100+ societal cultures – diverse industries
• 9 dimensions
• Still running today
• Practices (as is), values (should be)
GLOBE – attitudes/values vs. behaviour

GLOBE: 2 ambitions…
1. Attitudes and values: How we think
it should be (patterns of thinking)

2. Behavior: What we actually do

(Patterns of doing).
NB! How to measure?
 Three GLOBE dimensions
1. Performance orientation
Performance Orientation
The extent to which a community encourages and rewards innovation, high
standards, excellence & performance improvement.

PO relates to the extent to which leaders set ambitious goals, communicate high
expectations for their subordinates, build their subordinates’ self-confidence, and
intellectually challenge them
Other characteristics you will find in …
HIGH PO
Value training and development.
Value competitiveness and
materialism.
View formal feedback as necessary
for performance improvement.
Value what one does more than
who one is.
Expect direct, explicit
communication.
LOW PO
Value societal and family
relationships.
Value harmony with the environment.
View formal feedback as judgmental
and discomfiting.
Value who one is more than what one
does.
Expect indirect, subtle
communication.
Related dimensions…?
Trompenaars:
Trompenaars: Achievement vs
Inner-outer ascription
directed GLOBE HPO
characteristics Hofstede:
- Value own training/ development Individualism vs
- Competition
- Value what you do vs who you are
collectivism
- Value harmony with environment
- Expect direct, explicit
communication Hofstede:
Gesteland: Individualism vs
Direct-indirect collectivism
… → Difficulties in using the idea 
“We can see that she has a high performance-orientation way of thinking because
she communicates in a very direct, explicit way.”
Compare with definition: The extent to which a community encourages and rewards
innovation, high standards, excellence & performance improvement.

“She may have a low performance-orientation because we can see how she seeks to
understand and respond to the business environment.”
Compare with definition: The extent to which a community encourages and rewards
innovation, high standards, excellence & performance improvement.
Performance Orientation: behaviour (doing) vs attitude (thinking) (?)

In this society, students are encouraged to strive for continuously improved

performance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Strongly Neither Strongly
Agree Disagree
In this society, I believe students should be encouraged to strive for continuously
improved performance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Strongly Neither Strongly
Agree Disagree
Performance Orientation
7

6,14 6,01 6,09

6 5,65 5,67
5,41
5,09 5,17
5
4,49 4,45
4,18 4,25 4,22
4,08 4,11 4,09
4

0
US UK France Norway Germany W. Germany E. China Japan
Practices (as is) Values (should be)
Questions on accuracy/reliability of empirical results

Question: Have we really measured the extent to which

performance orientation really is practiced in that culture?

Is this really a measure of behaviour?

Questions on accuracy/reliability of empirical results … scale of 1 → 7

Question: What is the ‘max-min’ variation on values?

Question: What is the ‘max-min’ variation on ‘behaviour’?

Question: Do the results from the survey suggest that this is a

powerfull measure of cultural variation?
Three GLOBE dimensions
2. Gender egalitariansim
Gender Egalitarianism

The extent to which people rely on biological sex to determine the

roles that they play in their homes, businesses, organizations, and
communities.

Gender Egalitarianism = minimizing differences in roles

Characteristics of …
High Gender Egalitariansim
More women in positions of
authority.
Less occupational sex segregation.
Similar levels of educational
attainment for males and females.
Afford women a greater decision-
making role in community affairs.
Low Gender Egalitarianism
Fewer women in positions of
authority.
More occupational sex segregation.
A lower level of female educational
attainment, compared to that of
males.
Afford women little or no decision-
making role in community affairs.
Gender Egalitarianism in Norway…
6

5,06 5,17 5,15

4,89 4,9
5
4,4 4,33
4,03
4 3,67 3,68 3,64
3,34
3,1 3,19
3,06 3,05
3

0
US UK Norway Germany W. Germany E. China France Japan
Practices (as is) Values (should be)
 Gender Egalitarianism: Norway vs Russia…
6

5,06 5,17
4,95 4,89 4,9
5
4,18 4,4 4,33
4,07 4,03
4 3,67 3,68 3,64
3,34
3,1 3,19
3,06 3,05
3

0
US UK Russia Norway Germany W. Germany E. China France Japan
Practices (as is) Values (should be)
GLOBE – attitudes/values vs. Behaviour(?) – comments on Padlet

GLOBE: Ambition
1. Attitudes and values: How we think it
should be (patterns of thinking)

2. Behavior: What we actually do

(Patterns of doing).
NB! How to measure?
Norway vs Russia: Gender Egalitarianism
behaviour - as practised?
What is GLOBE actually measuring?
Three GLOBE dimensions
3. Assertiveness
Definition: Assertive
adjective
• having or showing a confident and forceful personality.
• confidently aggressive or self-assured; positive: aggressive; dogmatic
• confident and direct in claiming one's rights or putting forward one's views
• given to making assertions or bold demands; dogmatic or aggressive

GLOBE Assertiveness
The degree to which individuals are or should be encouraged to be assertive,
aggressive, tough, or non-assertive.
Characteristics of …
Higher Assertiveness
Value assertive behavior
Value direct and unambiguous
language
Have sympathy for the strong
Value competition
“Aggression” = positive
Expect subordinates to take
initiative
Build trust on basis of calculation
Lower Assertiveness
Value tenderness and modesty
Value subtle language
Have sympathy for the weak
Value cooperation
“Aggression ” - negative
Expect subordinates to be loyal
Build trust on basis of predictability
Assertiveness (0=non-assertive, 6=assertive)
6
5,56
5,44

5 4,73
4,55 4,55
4,32
4,15 4,13
4 3,7 3,76
3,59
3,37 3,38
3,23
3,09
3
2,55

0
US UK Norway Germany W. Germany E. China Japan France
Practices (as is) Values (should be)
Questions on experimental value…
Western cultures: practice of
assertiveness is greater than what it
ought to be.

Asian cultures: practice of assertiveness

is less than what it ought to be.

How do we interpret these

findings?
How do we interpret these findings?

A. The idea of what «Assertiveness» means is identical across all people

questioned in the surveys …
… and, therefore, we can trust that people in Asian cultures place a higher
appreciation on being assertive than in the west.

B. The idea of what «Assertiveness» means is different across the

people questioned in the surveys …
• People in western cultures think of «Assertiveness» as a slightly
negative quality
• People in Asian cultures think of «Assertiveness» as a positive quality
Related dimensions

Hofstede
GLOBE Assertiveness Individualist vs.
- Direct unambiguous collectivist
lang.
- Value competition
- Expect sub. to take
Gesteland: initiative Hofstede:
Direct-indirect Power distance
 SPÅ 2901 ‘Bizcom 1’ Culture and ethics
Lecture 5: Three dimensions from GLOBE and the
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question

(4) November 2008:

How decisions are made in companies, and the criteria on which they are
based, will to a large extent be influenced by the business culture of the
people involved.
Discuss this statement, drawing on the findings of at least three of the four theorists:
Gesteland, Hall, Hofstede and Trompenaars. Use examples from at least three of the
seven business cultures you have studied on this course to illustrate your arguments.

Question looks very open ended …

…but requires very disciplined thinking/structure!
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question

1. What exactly are SPÅ 2901 open-ended essay (OEE)

questions – a workshop activity?

2. … and how do we answer them well?

1. Conceptual approach
2. ‘Modified’ conceptual approach
3. How students go wrong (and fail)
→ Open the reference document of OEE exam questions

All OEE questions from 2005 → present

→ Open the worksheet document

Not enough time to cover this in the lecture

– maybe a workshop activity?
1.2 What word would you use to group together all these…?
• Leadership
• Organizing meetings
• Making decisions
• Promoting people
• Developing strategy
• Hiring people
• Innovation
• Managing conflicts
• Communication
• Managing change processes
2. What else do all these terms have in common? There is a
hint in the boldface…
Leadership style … how meetings are conducted … leadership styles … how decisions
are made … promoting employees … leadership style … international management
experience … subordinates adapting to (a variety of) leadership styles … senior
managers carrying out their tasks … developing a corporate strategy … hiring people
into an organization … the process of innovation … how meetings are conducted.
(It’s so obvious, it’s silly!)
3. What do all these terms have in common?
Vary from one culture to another … vary from culture to culture … vary the world over
– one reason – culture … influenced by business culture … influenced by cultural
factors … adapted to function in non-Norwegian cultures(?) … cultural challenges in
managing internationally … challenges for German managers dealing with French
subordinates … influenced by cultural challenges … factors – important role – culture
… what extent culture can have an impact … vary from culture to culture
4. Not just doing something…
• (4) November 2008: “…the criteria on which they [decisions] are based …”
• (10) November 2013: “… the strategy itself…”
• (12) November 2014: “… the attitude towards innovation …”
• (14) November 2015: “…the attitude (.) towards the…”
• (16) November 2016: “…the attitude (.) towards change…”
• (18) December 2017: “The attitude (.) towards budgets…”
• (19) May 2018: “The attitude (.) towards the business plan…”
• (23) May 2020: “The desirability of new-product development…”
Characteristics of open-ended essay exam questions:

1. ‘Businessey’ theme
2. Doing, how they do whatever it is…
3. Variation – will require comparisons between
‘national’/types of business cultures…
4. Thinking about something is also doing…

Conceptualisation of the examiners’ open-ended essay

question claims →
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question

1. What exactly are SPÅ 2901 open-ended essay (OEE)

questions – a workshop activity?

2. … and how do we answer them well?

1. Conceptual approach
2. ‘Modified’ conceptual approach
3. How students go wrong (and Fail)
(4) November 2008 (workshop 5 activity):

How decisions are made in companies, and the criteria on which they are
based, will to a large extent be influenced by the business culture of the
people involved.

Discuss this statement, drawing on the findings of at least three of the four theorists:
Gesteland, Hall, Hofstede and Trompenaars. Use examples from at least three of the
seven business cultures you have studied on this course to illustrate your arguments.
Conceptualisation of the examiners’ OEE question claims…
How decisions are made in companies, and the criteria on which they are based, will to
a large extent be influenced by the business culture of the people involved.
Grey bus. culture • Doing: making decisions in companies
• Thinking: How shall we decide what
the best decision is?
• Happy! «We have the best way to
make decisions and the best criteria
for deciding the correct decision.»
Conceptualisation of the examiners’ OEE question claims…
How decisions are made in companies, and the criteria on which they are based, will to
a large extent be influenced by the business culture of the people involved.
Blue bus. culture
• Doing: making decisions in companies
• Thinking: How shall we decide what
the best decision is?
• Happy! «We have the best way to
make decisions and the best criteria
for deciding the correct decision.»
Conceptualisation of the examiners’ OEE question claims…
How decisions are made in companies, and the criteria on which they are based, will to
a large extent be influenced by the business culture of the people involved.
‘Reality:’ Doing/ ‘Reality:’ Doing/
thinking in culture grey thinking in culture blue

Happy! Happy!
Your job to solve…

‘Reality’ … Gesteland/Hall, Hofstede,

‘Reality’ …
Doing/thinking… in
Trompenaars and GLOBE. Doing/thinking… in
culture A culture B

Compare

Happy! Happy!
Your job… (1) create reality…

‘Reality’ … ‘Reality’ …
Doing/thinking X in Doing/thinking X in
culture A (e.g. USA) culture B (e.g. Japan)

Happy! Happy!
Interpret reality using theory to show it ‘makes sense’

‘Reality’ … ‘Reality’ …
Doing/thinking X in Gesteland/Hall, Hofstede, Doing/thinking X in
Trompenaars and GLOBE.

culture A (e.g. USA) culture B (e.g. Japan)

Compare

Happy! Happy!
Essay structure remains the same
A theoretical idea from the
syllabus
Relevant evidence that supports
your case that the theoretical
idea is useful in the
interpretation.
An interpretive move into the
heads of the people involved.
Shows the examiner that you are
approaching the interpretation
scientifically.
Confirms to the examiner that you have
learnt how to use the theory.
Complete’s the task by suggesting how the
people involved each perceives the
situation.
So the overall structure for the Assignment 2 essay is…

The weaker
Brief introduction.
The next
section goes strongest
The strongest in the section I have
section I have middle of
Brief summary or
the essay conclusion

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

Contingency planning…

Depending on time Mark,

you may need to jump to
slide 57…
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question

1. What exactly are SPÅ 2901 open-ended essay (OEE)

questions – a workshop activity?

2. … and how do we answer them well?

1. Conceptual approach
2. ‘Modified’ conceptual approach
3. How students go wrong (and Fail)
→ Workshop 6 – solving an OEE question (May 2008) ‘twist’!

Leadership styles vary the world over, and one of the reasons
for this can be found in differences in business cultures.

Choosing three business cultures from the SPÅ 2401 syllabus, write an
essay in which you discuss the challenges facing managers when
confronted with leadership styles different from their own. In your
analysis, make certain that you use intercultural terminology from both
pairs of theorists on the SPÅ 2401 syllabus: Gesteland / Hall and
Trompenaars / Hofstede. What is the twist – 5 mins discussion?
Current conceptual approach…

‘Reality’ … ‘Reality’ …
Doing/thinking X in Gesteland/Hall, Hofstede, Doing/thinking X in
Trompenaars and GLOBE.

culture A (e.g. USA) culture B (e.g. Japan)

Compare

Happy! Happy!
Conceptual approach to deal with the ‘twist’

Student activity – make a

conceptual sketch … 5
mins!

? ?
Conceptual approach to deal with the ‘twist’ – setting up ‘reality’

«…discuss the challenges facing managers when confronted with

leadership styles different from their own…»

Compare
 Conceptual approach to deal with the ‘twist’

‘Reality’Doing/ Power
thinking leadership distance
in culture A (e.g.
USA) different
from doing/
thinking leadership
in culture B (e.g.
Japan).
Nobody happy!
Essay structure remains the same
A theoretical idea from the
syllabus
Relevant evidence that supports
your case that the theoretical
idea is useful in the
interpretation.
An interpretive move into the
heads of the people involved.
Shows the examiner that you are
approaching the interpretation
scientifically.
Confirms to the examiner that you have
learnt how to use the theory.
Complete’s the task by suggesting how the
people involved each perceives the
situation.
So the overall structure for the Assignment 2 essay is…

The weaker
Brief introduction.
The next
section goes strongest
The strongest in the section I have
section I have middle of
Brief summary or
the essay conclusion

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question

1. What exactly are SPÅ 2901 open-ended essay (OEE)

questions – a workshop activity?

2. … and how do we answer them well?

1. Conceptual approach
2. ‘Modified’ conceptual approach
3. How students go wrong (and Fail)
Open-ended essays: how students go wrong…

November 2016:

«Discuss» = argue, debate, persuade etc…

Conceptualisation of the examiners’ November 2016 OEE claims

Doing/thinking Doing/thinking
about change in about change in
culture A culture B

Happy! Happy!
 Does this look
Open-ended essays: how students go wrong… like a discussion?

«Culture does indeed vary around the world and

this will affect the way in which managers think
about change and how they manage change. In this
essay, I shall explain all about differences along
cultural dimensions that have been proposed by
Gesteland, Hofstede, Trompenaars and the GLOBE.
The first dimension I shall explain is Gesteland’s
…»
Open-ended essays: how students go wrong…

«Culture does indeed vary around the world and

this will affect the way in which managers think
about change and how they manage change. In this
essay, I shall explain all about differences along
cultural dimensions that have been proposed by
Gesteland, Hofstede, Trompenaars and the GLOBE.
The first dimension I shall explain is Gesteland’s
…»
So the overall
A theoretical idea
structure is… A theoretical idea

Brief introduction. A theoretical idea A theoretical idea

Brief summary or
A theoretical idea A theoretical idea conclusion

A theoretical idea A theoretical idea

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

SPÅ 2901 Business Communication in English 1

Assessment of learning outcome…

A/B
F E?
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question

1. What exactly are SPÅ 2901 open-ended essay (OEE)

questions – a workshop activity?

2. … and how do we answer them well?

1. Conceptual approach Workshop 5
2. ‘Modified’ conceptual approach Workshop 6
3. How students go wrong (and Fail)
If we have time in the lecture…(?) Making a start…
How decisions are made in companies, and the criteria on which they are based, will to
a large extent be influenced by the business culture of the people involved.
‘Reality:’ Doing/
Hof. Power Distance ‘Reality:’ Doing/
thinking in culture grey thinking in culture blue

Happy! Happy!
Constructing evidence … (on the Padlet)

(High power distance)… (Low power distance)…

 SPÅ 2901 ‘Bizcom 1’ Culture and ethics
Lecture 5: Three dimensions from GLOBE and the
SPÅ 2901 ‘Open-ended Essay’ (OEE) question