The Power of Collaboration by Enhancing Trust Through Your Leadership

By Michael J Griffin

Dr. Fons Trompenaars in my hero. Over the past 18 years he has taught me about how culture enhances or destroys trust, communication and collaboration through his research on the Seven Dimensions of Culture.  Trust is a critical component in your ability to foster effective leadership, teamwork and inclusivity in the culture of your organization. The national culture you live in affects your organizational culture and therefore your company’s competitiveness. Organizations that have a high trust, inclusive culture have a competitive advantage. You might say “Trust is the oil that makes things happen in my company and trust is the glue that holds us together!” Discovering how you as a leader and your teams employ the Seven Dimensions of Culture can lead to advances in team and department trust, problem solving and inclusivity.

Trompenaars’ Seven Dimensions of Culture gives the leader insight on how each dimension impacts (positively or negatively) the culture of trust and collaboration in an organization. Let’s have some creative fun: read the definitions of each of the Seven Dimensions below and then rank these countries along the continuum of each dimension.  The  country rankings for each dimension are found at the end of this blog.

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil
 
Universalism(follow rules) vs. Particularism(build relationships): Trust is established through rules, fairness, and consistency in universalist cultures, while particularist cultures emphasize relationships and flexibility. Rank the countries from Most Universalistic to Most Particularistic.

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil
 
Individualism(me first) vs. Collectivism(we first): Trust-building in individualistic cultures centers around personal achievements and self-interest, whereas collectivistic cultures prioritize group harmony and cooperation to achieve results. Rank the countries!

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil

Neutral(keep cool) vs. Emotional(be expressive): Emotionally expressive cultures establish trust through emotional connections, while neutral cultures rely more on rationality and objective factors. Rank the countries!

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil

Specific(focus task and role facilitates trust) vs. Diffuse(trust only after a relationship or referral): Trust in specific cultures is task-oriented and role-defined, while diffuse cultures rely on personal relationships and social networks for trust-building. Rank the countries!

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil

Achievement(what you do) vs. Ascription(where you come from): Trust in achievement cultures is gained by what you have achieved/your success. In Ascriptive cultures your status or trust is enhanced by your birthplace, ethnic group or tribe. Rank the countries!

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil

Internal Control (I am captain of my fate leads to success) vs. External Control(I adapt to my environment leads to success): Internal Control people believe in themselves that they can achieve based on their grit and skill. External Control people believe they need to adapt to their environment & situation then use their skill and perseverance. Rank the countries!

Singapore, South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil

Past, Present, and Future Orientation. Another way to look at this is “My traditions bring me stability. Manyana, let’s live for today! My future is bright, go for it!” Rank the countries from most past-orientated to most future-orientated. Rank the countries!

Singapore South Korea, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil

 
By understanding and leveraging these seven dimensions linked to trust, leaders can build bridges, foster collaboration, and inspire positive change in an increasingly interconnected world. If you wish to explore more how ELAvate (in collaboration with Dr. Trompenaars) can employ the Seven Dimensions of Culture to enhance trust, collaboration and inclusivity in your organization and teams, contact me by my email found below. You may also want to google or use ChatGPT to research the Seven Dimensions.

Here are the Country Rankings by Dimension based on Dr. Trompenaar’s research and data! Let’s how is your Cross-Cultural Awareness!

Universalism                                                Particularism

USA Brazil Japan Singapore China India South Korea

Individualism                                               Collectivism

USA China Singapore Japan South Korea Brazil India

Neutral                                                            Emotional
South Korea USA Singapore Japan Brazil China India

Specific                                                                   Diffuse

USA Brazil Japan Singapore India China South Korea

Achievement                                                     Ascriptive

USA Singapore Brazil China India Japan South Korea

Internal Control                                   External Control

USA South Korea Brazil India Singapore China Japan

Future                                                                                                                  Past
  USA South Korea China Singapore Japan India Brazil – None past focused!

Build trust across cultures this week!

Michael J Griffin
CEO & Founder of ELAvate
Cross Cultural Inclusive Leader!
michael.griffin@elavateglobal.com