Most task-based and most relationship-based

Americans and Dutchmen are more task-based. People from South-East Asian cultures (like the Philippines) are much more 'relationship-first'. Russians are in general somewhere in between. They do value private space but are more relationship-oriented than people from Scandinavia, the Netherlands or the USA.

Very task-based

On the task-based end of the scale are these countries:

• United States of America (USA)
• Netherlands
• Denmark
• Australia
• Germany
• Finland

Very relationship-based

• Nigeria
• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• Brazil (you can read an example of a confrontation between a Brazilian and an American team below)

Near the middle

• Poland
• France
• Italy
• Spain

Some other countries

• Russia is more on the relationship-based side of the scale, near Turkey, Japan and Mexico.
• The UK is more task-based than relationship-based.

Friendly and relationship-based are not always the same

Not wanting to discuss personal matters (being task-based) is not the same as being cold or unfriendly. Americans are known for their informal and easy-going personal communication: [smiling] "Hi, how are you today?!" But still, they try to keep things separated. Two researchers of cultural differences, Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner (Dutch and American, respectively) speak about peach-cultures and compare them to coconut-cultures. The USA is a peach culture. Soft and friendly on the outside. But wait till you get to the hard shell of the pit.

Peaches and coconuts

In what they call coconut-cultures, it is the other way around. People from those cultures are more closed (like the tough shell of a coconut) with those they don't have friendships with. They rarely smile at strangers, for instance. They don't ask personal questions if they don't know you already. It takes a while to get through the initial hard shell. But once you do that, people will become warmer and friendlier. Russia and Poland are examples of coconut-cultures.

So even though people from the Phillippines and Russia are both from relationship-based cultures they might have some difficulties, in the beginning, to get to know each other. This is because Russia is a 'coconut-culture'. People from the Philippines are not only relationship-based but also 'softer' on the outside. So the hard, rough shell of the coconut will feel different for them from how things are at home.

++++ Advanced theory below ++++

Sometimes we will share some advanced theory. You can read this if you feel you are interested. If you feel you have read enough already for one lesson, feel free to skip what comes next

++++ Advanced theory below ++++

More about relationship-based vs. task-based: the head or the heart

Erin Meyer also writes about the difference between relationship-based and task-based cultures in her book The Culture Map. The chapter of her book that discusses this dimension is called 'The Head or the Heart'. She gives two examples that illustrate how people from different cultures can have opposing ideas about what is the 'normal' way to build trust:

• A Brazilian team and an American team are in negotiations about a business deal. First, the Brazilians visit Jacksonville, Mississippi, in the USA. During the two days they spend together they work hard from early in the morning to 7 PM. They eat sandwiches for lunch while working and have only short pauses throughout the day. The Americans are very satisfied after two days and feel huge progress has been made. The Brazilians, however, felt the meeting had not gone well. They had no idea after two days if the Americans could be trusted. The return visit by the Americans to Brazil was very different. The days were packed with meetings but they took time for lunches that took over an hour and dinners that lasted until late in the evening. After that visit, the Americans felt uncomfortable because so much time was 'lost'. The Americans were wondering if the Brazilians were taking the negotiations seriously. This time the Brazilians felt very good about the meetings because they had finally been able to get to know each other and build trust.
• An American team of business executives travels to China to discuss business opportunities with a delegation from a Chinese company. The Americans felt they were very open and friendly during extensive meetings with the Chinese. The Chinese felt very closed and secretive. A Chinese consultant explained the Americans that they were going too fast. They would not get what they wanted unless the Americans would take the time, energy, and effort to build trust as 'a friend from the heart'. So the Americans invited their Chinese counterpart for a dinner one evening over a weekend. People from several hierarchical levels of both companies attended. They had time to socialize, make fun, did NOT discuss business but had a great time (and a lot to drink). After that, they started making progress.

Cognitive trust and affective trust - the head and the heart

Meyer explains that personal relationships in all cultures are based on what she calls 'affective trust'. This kind of trust arises from feelings of emotional closeness, from the feeling of being related, from friendship. This comes 'from the heart'.

But at work (in business, onboard) the source of trust is different. Some cultures draw a dividing line between trust from the heart and the other type of trust, which is 'cognitive trust' or 'trust from the head'.

The United States but also the Netherlands are examples of countries where the practical and the emotional are very often divided. Mixing the two is considered unprofessional. In China (for example) the two forms of trust are connected. Chinese managers are quite likely to develop personal ties and affective bonds at work (in business). And as we have seen in the example mentioned above, Brazilians also prefer to develop a personal relationship in sync with the work or business relationship. A working relationship purely based on rational arguments is not very likely in the eyes of Brazilians or Chinese.

In the next part of the course, we will give some more insight into what nations are more task-based (the head) and which are more relationship-based (the heart).

* For people who want to know more about Geert Hofstede (born 1928), you can go to his website: https://geerthofstede.com/landing-page/ Geert's son Gert Jan (born 1956) has also become a scholar and has an interest in the same subject of cultural differences. Both are professors! You can see what two professors in intercultural affairs look like below...