Dr Geert Hofstede: Recent Discoveries about Cultural Differences

Key Note Speech for the 2nd Hofstede Symposium, January 2013.
Organized by the Geert Hofstede Consortium.
Film by Siegmund Audiovisuele Produkties.

Bron : Geert Hofstede Consortium http://www.geerthofstede.nl

See also his interview about his whole work (in het Nederlands) http://www.geerthofstede.com/media/1400/pioniers_14_19_interview.pdf

Geert Hofstede (1928) is a Dutch social psychologist who did a pioneering study of cultures across modern nations. To know what's on my mind at present, click here for the article or watch my speech 'the seven deadly sins'. Or check the 30-min interview 'Geert Hofstede on culture' (vimeo here, Youtube on right-hand side of screen), by Gert Jan. Read more about my theory under "culture". See under "Geert" for what was on my mind before, and for my CV.

More info about Geert Hofstede can be find here http://www.geerthofstede.nl/geert

Why is culture so important? Every visitor of this site has her or his unique personality, history, and interest. Yet all people share a common human nature. Our shared human nature is intensely social: we are group animals. We use language and empathy, and practice collaboration and intergroup competition. But the unwritten rules of how we do these things differ from one human group to another. "Culture" is how we call these unwritten rules about how to be a good member of the group. Culture provides moral standards about how to be an upstanding group member; it defines the group as a "moral circle". It inspires symbols, heroes, rituals, laws, religions, taboos, and all kinds of practices - but its core is hidden in unconscious values that change at a far slower rate than the practices. We tend to classify groups other than our own as inferior or (rarely) superior. This applies to groups based on national, religious, or ethnic boundaries, but also on occupation or academic discipline, on club membership, adored idol, or dress style. In our globalized world most of us can belong to many groups at the same time. But to get things done, we still need to cooperate with members of other groups carrying other cultures. Skills in cooperation across cultures are vital for our common survival. The authors of these pages are committed to the development of such intercultural cooperation skills.