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Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions for Germany andChina

Universalism Particularism

Germany China

Universalism is the theory that procedures can be applied in any situations whereasparticularism plays more emphasis on the situation in which the procedures are.China scores high on particularism as it is a culture which focuses more onrelationship building than rules and regulations.

One question asked to respondents to imagine they were in a car driven by theirboss who was driving over the speed limit and consequently knocked a pedestrianover. They were asked if they would testify under oath that their boss was drivingsafely.

In China workers are more likely to assist members of their own group than Germanworkers would.

Individualism Communitarianism

Germany China

This is similar to !ofstede but Trompenaars uses the word communitarianism ratherthan collectivism because he looked at how people felt as part of a group. Germanyand china are close in this category. This relates to how people work and think.Germany is more collective than other "esternised countries and there aresimilarities with China but the method of working is different. Those in Germany arepart of a #machine$ and therefore work as individuals within a group whereasChinese workers are more team players who gain group approval.

Neutral Affective

Germany China

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This section is all about how people keep their emotions. In high emotional culturesemotions are discussed openly and people often smile and talk with enthusiasm.China scores higher than Germany in this section. Chinese people however displaypositive emotion even when they might not be feeling it% Germans are more

introverted and do not see the need to bring emotion into situations.

Specific Diffuse

Germany China

& specific culture is one in which people have large public space which they arehappy to allow others into yet they keep a small area of privacy aside for closerfriends. & diffuse culture is one where public and private space is similar in si'e andpeople guard their space. China has a diffuse culture where people are often invitedinto a person$s open space and there is a strong separation of work and private life.(uch people are not invited in quickly but one they are there they have access toprivate space as well.

Achievement Ascription

Germany China

&n achievement culture is based on how well someone performs whereas ascription

is based more on the person$s background connections or what they #do$. In Chinaguan')i plays a very important role in Chinese culture * it$s not what you know butwho you know%

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