Our methodology
The dimensions that structure professional culture across borders
How we approach cultural intelligence
Our model rests on the foundational academic work in intercultural management: Edward T. Hall on communication context and the relationship to time, Geert Hofstede on power distance and individualism, and the GLOBE project on leadership practices. That framework is what lets a reader understand and navigate the differences that shape working life in another country.
Each dimension is a spectrum between two poles. No position on it is better than another: the point is to see where a country sits so you can adjust how you work, not to rank countries.
The cultural dimensions
Communication
Low context vs high context (Hall)
Feedback
Direct vs indirect (GLOBE)
Persuasion
Inductive vs deductive reasoning (Galtung)
Leadership
Egalitarian vs hierarchical (Hofstede)
Decision-making
Consensual vs top-down (Hofstede)
Trust
Cognitive vs affective (Trompenaars)
Disagreement
Confrontation vs avoidance (GLOBE)
Time
Linear vs flexible (Hall)
Where the data comes from
We use two kinds of source to position a country on a dimension:
Positions grounded in published research
These rest on published empirical studies, thousands of interviews and decades of intercultural research (Hall, Hofstede, Trompenaars, GLOBE). They are the reference for the best-documented countries.
Positions we establish ourselves
For less documented countries, among them Ukraine, Qatar, Malaysia and Mauritius, we establish the position by cross-reading the academic sources (Hofstede, GLOBE, Trompenaars) against field experience and the feedback of local partners. These positions are refined as better evidence appears.
What we do not yet tell you: every country profile links back to this page from its dimensions block, but the profiles do not yet state, one by one, which of the two regimes above applies to them. Until they do, we would rather write that here than let you assume it.
What this is, and what it is not
We are a consultancy in expatriation and international mobility, working through a network of partners in the main destination countries. Our work covers cultural dimensions as well as the practical realities of settling abroad. We carry on no regulated activity and refer legal and tax questions to qualified independent professionals.
The dimensions are a reading aid, not a measurement of individuals. A position describes a prevailing professional convention in a country; it predicts nothing about any particular colleague, and it is not a basis for judging anyone.
Why cultural intelligence matters at work
Read alongside the country guides, the dimensions are there to help you:
- Understand what is professionally expected in your destination
- Avoid the missteps that quietly cost credibility
- Adapt how you manage and how you communicate
- Settle in faster, and work effectively sooner