Appendix A Cultural Categorization Characteristics

Linear-Active	Multi-Active	Reactive
Talks half of the time	Talks most of the time	Listens most of the time
Does one thing at a time	Does several things at a time	Reacts to partner’s action
Plans ahead step-by-step	Plans grand outline only	Looks at general principles
Polite but direct	Emotional	Polite, indirect
Partly conceals feelings	Displays feelings	Conceals feelings
Confronts with logic	Confronts emotionally	Never confronts
Dislikes losing face	Has good excuses	Must not lose face
Rarely interrupts	Often interrupts	Doesn’t interrupt
Job-oriented	People oriented	Very people oriented
Sticks to facts	Feelings before facts	Statements are promises
Truth before diplomacy	Flexible truth	Diplomacy over truth
Controls environment	Manipulates environment	Lives in harmony with environment
Values and follows rules	Often disregards rules	Interprets rules flexibly
Gains status by achievements	Gains status by connections and charisma	Gains status by birthright and education
Speech is for information	Speech is for opinions	Speech is to promote harmony
Works fixed hours	Likes flexible hours	Work, leisure, and life are intertwined
Values privacy	Is gregarious, inquisitive	Respectful, likes sharing
Is data-oriented	Is dialogue oriented	Likes networking
Talks at medium speed	Talks fast	Talks slowly
Thinks briefly, then speaks	Speech leads thought (thinks aloud)	Contemplates, then speaks briefly
Completes action chains	Completes human transactions	Harmonizes by doing things at appropriate times
Results oriented	Relationship-oriented	Harmony-oriented
Sticks to agenda	Roams	Often asks for “repeats”
Compromises to achieve deal	Tries to win argument	Compromises for future relations
Borrows and gives rarely	Borrows and gives freely	Borrows rarely, gives ritually
Minimizes power distance	Maximizes power distance	Observes fixed power distance
Respects officialdom	Seeks favors, pulls strings	Uses connections
Separates social and professional lives	Mixes social and professional lives	Connects social and professional lives
Deal based on products, facts, and figures	Deal based on liking the client	Deal based on harmony and appropriateness
Written word important	Spoken word important	Face-to-face contact important
Contracts are binding	Contracts are ideal documents in an ideal world	Contracts are statements of intent and renegotiable
Quick responses to written communication	Responses to letters slow due to preference for spoken messages	Responses to letters slow due to need for lateral clearances
Short-term profit is desirable	Increasing the status of the organization is important	Long-term profit and increased market share are important
Likes short pauses between speech turns	Overlapping speech is acceptable	Likes long pauses between speech turns
Restrained body language	Unrestrained body language	Subtle body language
Rationalism and science dominate thinking	Religion retains strong influence	Ethics and philosophies (e.g., Confucianism) dominate thinking