Culture or personality?Individual differences in cultural orientation across countriesJohn Hackston, OPP Ltd

What is culture?

A group’s culture is the set of unique characteristics that distinguishes its members

from another groupPhilippe Rosinski

Coaching Across Cultures

The way we do things around

here

Culture: the shared beliefs and values of a

group

The collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of

one group or category of people from another

How different groups solve

universal human dilemmas

Category Dimensions

Sense of Power and Responsibility Control - Harmony - Humility

Time Management Approaches

Scarce - Plentiful

Monochronic - Polychronic

Past - Present - Future

Definitions of Identity and PurposeBeing - Doing

Individualistic - Collectivistic

Organisational Arrangements

Hierarchy - Equality

Universalist - Particularist

Stability - Change

Competitive - Collaborative

Cultural Orientations Framework

Cultural Orientations Framework

Category Dimensions

Notions of Territory and Boundaries Protective - Sharing

Communication Patterns

High-Context - Low-Context

Direct - Indirect

Affective - Neutral

Formal - Informal

Modes of ThinkingDeductive - Inductive

Analytical - Systemic

Cultural Orientations Framework

Orientations Abilities (What do you prefer) (What are you capable of)

Research questions

Do the COF dimensions fit the structure?How do the COF dimensions relate to personality?How does country of origin relate?

And – what are the practical implications?

The sample

N=1,017

69%

31%

Factor analysis of abilities

Traditional

Scarce, Past, Stability, Formal

Open

Collectivistic, (Protective-),

Sharing, Affective, Informal

Competitive

Doing, Individualistic, Competitive

Relaxed

Harmony, Humility, Plentiful,

Being

Multi-tasking

Polychronic, (Monochronic-),

Change

Direct

(High Context-), Low Context,

Direct, (Indirect-), Neutral

Democratic

(Hierarchical-), Equallity,

Collaborative

Intuitive

(Present-), Future,

Systemic

Universalist

Universalist, (Particularist-)

Analytical

Deductive, (Inductive-), Analytical

Control

Control

Sense of power and

responsibility

Time management approaches

Personality - MBTI

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®questionnaire (Myers et al, 1998).

How do you deal with the world around you?

JUDGING PERCEIVING

What process do you use to make decisions?

THINKING FEELING

What kind of information do you prefer to use?

SENSING INTUITION

Where do you get your energy from?

EXTRAVERSION INTROVERSION

Factor scores and personality

Factor Dichotomies Whole Type

Anova Highest Lowest

F1, Traditional I S _ J 0.000 ISFJ INTP

F2, Open E _ F P 0.000 ESFP ISTP

F3, Competitive E _ T _ 0.003 ESTP ISFP

F4, Relaxed _ _ _ P 0.005 ISFP ESTJ

F5, Multi-tasking E N _ P 0.000 ENTP ISFJ

F6, Direct _ S T J 0.000 ESTJ INFP

F7, Democratic _ _ _ _ NS - -

F8, Intuitive _ N _ _ 0.000 INTP ESTP

F9, Universalist _ N T _ 0.002 ISTJ ENFJ

F10, Analytical _ _ T _ 0.002 ISTJ ISFP

F11, Control _ _ _ _ NS - -

Countries represented

Total sample = 1,017

Countries in this sample

Australia (n=100)

South Africa (n=96)

India (n=180)

USA (n=283)

UK (n=129)

France (n=32)

Germany (n=40)

Total = 860

Factor scores and country

Factor Anova Highest Lowest

F1, Traditional 0.020 USA France, Germany

F2, Open 0.025 USA France

F3, Competitive NS - -

F4, Relaxed 0.030 India USA

F5, Multi-tasking 0.001 Australia Germany

F6, Direct NS - -

F7, Democratic NS - -

F8, Intuitive NS - -

F9, Universalist NS - -

F10, Analytical NS - -

F11, Control NS - -

Personality and country

Factor Type Country Interaction

F1, Traditional 0.000 0.031 0.013

F2, Open 0.000 NS NS

F3, Competitive NS NS 0.044

F4, Relaxed 0.013 0.014 NS

F5, Multi-tasking 0.000 0.005 NS

F6, Direct 0.000 NS NS

F7, Democratic NS NS NS

F8, Intuitive 0.000 NS NS

F9, Universalist 0.008 NS NS

F10, Analytical NS NS NS

F11, Control NS NS NS

Factor 1 – Personality and origin

ISTJ

ISFJ

INFJ

INTJ

ISTP

ISFP

INFP

INTP

ESTP

ESFP

ENFP

ENTP

ESTJ

ESFJ

ENFJ

ENTJ

Australia 0.3 1.0 0.3 -0.5 -1.0 -0.8 -0.3 -0.4 1.2 0.3 0.2

France 0.6 -0.7 0.8 -0.8 0.2 -1.5 -0.5 -1.5 1.2 -0.9 0.2

Germany -0.2 0.5 -1.5 -0.4 -1.0 0.5 -0.3 -1.0 -0.5

India 0.4 0.2 -0.6 -0.3 -0.7 0.5 -1.3 -1.0 -0.1 -0.6 -0.6 -0.4 0.7 0.0 0.2

South Africa

0.5 0.2 0.5 0.3 -0.6 -0.4 0.1 -0.2 -1.2 -0.9 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.0

UK 0.6 1.2 1.1 -0.5 -0.3 1.2 -1.3 -0.1 -0.3 -0.3 -0.3 -0.6 0.8 0.7 -0.5 -0.4

USA 0.7 1.1 0.3 0.1 -0.9 -0.4 0.6 -2.1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.8 0.4 0.5 -0.7 -0.5

Conclusions

The factor structure of the COF dimensions does not map onto the model structurePersonality relates to 9 of the 11 factorsCountry of origin relates to 4 of the 11 factorsThere is some evidence of interaction effects

Both personality and culture will have an impact on people’s perception of their abilities and thus how they will behave

Thank you!Any questions?

john.hackston@opp.com