Presentation by Catherine Gall of Steelcase, at Workplace Trends 2012 Conference: Wellbeing and Performance, Thursday 25 October 2012, One Bishop's Square, London, E1 6AD
3. Culture : Why does it matter?
“People think and see the world
differently because of differing ecologies,
social structures, philosophies and
educational systems that date back to
ancient Greece and China and have
survived in the modern world”
Professor Richard. E. Nisbett
10/30/2012 | 3
13. The Culture Code
100 Workplaces
11 Countries
6 Dimensions
China, France, Germany, Great Britain,
India, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands,
Spain, Russia, and the United States.
By synthesizing Hofstede’s cultural
dimensions and Hall’s proxemics theory,
Steelcase uncovered new insights into
cultural influences on the workplace.
25. Workplace Culture in the USA
• “Quilt” culture
• Standardization and efficiency are
valued
• “Leader of the pack” approach
• “Work is where my laptop is”
• Living & working healthy
• Yoga mania + mindfulness
10/30/2012 | 25
27. Workplace Culture in the Netherlands
• Secular multicultural tolerant culture
• “Live and let live” approach to life
• Authority is earned
• Collaboration and consensus prevail
• Physical and emotional wellbeing is
foundational
• Low tolerance to density
• Sociability at work is limited
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29. Workplace Culture in China
• Longest working hours in the world (9-
11 hours)
• Sleeping during the day is not
uncommon
• Harmony and respect highly valued
• Extreme high tolerance to density
• High performers switch companies
easily
• Paternalist leadership approach
• Connection to nature and spiritual
values is key 10/30/2012 | 29
31. Workplace Culture in India
• Multiethnic society
• Passive fatalism and vibrant
entrepreneurial spirit coexist
• Family based culture
• Chaotic traffic conditions
• High tolerance to density
• Long term planning is not valued
• High employment turnover
• High expectation for education 10/30/2012 | 31
35. Space compression and wellbeing
• Close contact or
seclusion?
• Acceptance of levels of
privacy, proximity, density,
psychological comfort, etc
depends on workers’
cultural background and
their perceptions of social
distance.
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