Fons Trompenaars

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Fons Trompenaars is a Dutch author in the field of cross-cultural communication. His books include: Riding the Waves of Culture, Seven Cultures of Capitalism, Building Cross-Cultural Competence and 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.

Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner have developed a model of culture with seven dimensions:

1. Universalism vs. particularism (What is more important, rules or relationships?)
2. Individualism vs. collectivism (Do we function in a group or as individuals?)
3. Neutral or affective (Do we display our emotions?)
4. Specific vs. diffuse (Is responsibility specifically assigned or diffusely accepted?)
5. Achievement vs. ascription (Do we have to prove ourselves to receive status or is it given to us?)
6. Sequential vs. syncronic (Do we do things one at a time or several things at once?)
7. Internal vs. external control (Do we control our environment or are we controlled by it?)

[edit] See also

• Geert Hofstede
• Edward T. Hall