The Global Diversity Desk Reference: Managing an International Workforce

9.2. CORPORATE CULTURE STYLES AND CHANGE

Trompenaars categorizes responses to change by patterns of behavior that show both cultural similarities and differences. These distinctions indicate national cultural tendencies and have implications in a global environment.

The four cultures Trompenaars describes are

1. The Family;

2. The Eiffel Tower;

3. The Guided Missile; and

4. The Incubator.

While most national cultures lean toward one style more than another, they are actually more mixed than singular in style. Each of these "ideal" types has a typical response to change that can be a harbinger of what to expect regarding cultural norms of a corporate headquarters managing a global change process.

As was mentioned in the opening paragraph of this chapter, everything ...