Huib Wursten. Author and consultant

huibwursten@gmail.com 

Introduction.

Professional sports teams reflect globalization. You can for instance see that in soccer teams players of up to 11 nationalities are on the pitch.

There is a growing interest among coaches in understanding how to “manage” this diversity.

In this article, the emphasis is on a very important element in understanding human behaviors: culture. In addition to the general human traits that are valid worldwide and distinguish what characterizes us as an individual, there is something that makes the values of culture and culture different. These values” steer” the educational process and influence our preferences in dealing with people, organizations, and Institutions

The influence of these preferences is visible in the Sports world when integrating players from other cultures.

In his paper it will be shown how this works out on three levels:

1. National cultures: per culture dimensions it will be outlined how this affects the interaction and expectations between coaches and players.
2. How the combination of single culture dimensions (Mental Images) affects leadership styles and even preferences for style of play.
3. Organizational culture as a strategical tool in sports

Keywords: Sports, Culture, Mental Images, Coaching, Globalization

Globalization and sports

Professional sport reflects globalization. In football, you can frequently see that players of up to 11 nationalities are on the pitch in the starting lineup.

Coaches are increasingly interested in understanding how to “manage” this diversity.

In this article, the emphasis is on a vital element in understanding human behaviors: culture. In addition to the general human traits that are valid worldwide and distinguish what characterizes us as individuals, there is something that makes our values different due to our culture. These values steer our education and influence our preferences in dealing with others.

The influence of these preferences is visible in the Sports world when integrating players from other cultures.

Culture. What are we talking about?

A few recent examples:

• Globalization is strongly affecting professional sports. So, Gregor Aisch, Kevin Quealy and Rory Smith observed in 2018. They showed that most of the top professional sports leagues in North America and Europe share an important trait: They will be more international in composition than ever before.

In top football teams like Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona, sometimes more foreign-born players are in the starting team than natives. Coaching such teams requires an understanding of the culturally different communication styles and leadership expectations of the players in the team.

• Recently (17 June 2022, speaking to Mirror Football, a former Manchester United defender said: “I think last season was a nightmare with the changing of the manager and finishing sixth. That was a real nightmare, so I don’t think [it can get worse]. He added about the new (Dutch) coach, Erik ten Hag: “Erik’s been successful because he’s got his own personality and his own management style. For United, you must embrace the culture, so he needs to do that. The work methods he knows, he should stick with what you know best. But he has to embrace the culture and the heritage of the Club. When addressing the players, you need to know what the Club is about. It will help motivate them. For me, that’s key.”
• In 2021Rory Smith said in the New York Times that in recent years, the soccer world slowly accepted the idea that culture matters. Club owners and managers who adhere to a philosophy, a particular set of beliefs, like Louis van Gaal did as Manchester United coach, are no more seen as “wimps.” Smith wrote: “It is understood, on some level, that possessing a clear sense of what you want yourto be, offers a competitive edge: It helps recruit the right players, it makes coaching them more effective, it offers a barometer of success and purpose that is not reliant on individual results. At an executive level, it can even, at times, ease the transition between one manager and the next. Fans, increasingly, no longer see a manager talking about a philosophy and a vision as marketing jargon or corporate bunk. It is, instead, something to cling to and believe in, a reason to be proud.” (Smith Rory 2021)  

National culture, Mental Images and organizational culture

The above examples show that, in principle, we should distinguish between country and organizational cultures. In essence, the distinction is a matter of “deeply” culture is affecting behavior.

1. The gravitational importance of National culture.

Culture has different layers. The outer layers (symbols, heroes, and rituals are visible but are also more superficial and, as a result, more changeable, for example, by trends, leadership, or fashion. The deepest layer concerns values and is fundamental in understanding diversity. This level is difficult to observe directly because, unlike the other layers, values are invisible as if they were the part of the iceberg that lies underwater.

The most extensive and fundamental research done on cultural differences comes from the hand of Dutchman Geert Hofstede. He is therefore seen as one of the 20 most influential thinkers in a ranking by the Wall Street Journal ‘ from a few years ago.

Based on his global research, Hofstede distinguishes four main dimensions of national culture: Power Distance (PDI), Individualism/collectivism (IDV), masculinity/Femininity (MAS), and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)

These dimensions are measured on a scale of 0 to 100 (some countries have a value higher than 100 in practice because they were measured after defining the original ranking). The original data was based on a pervasive IBM study with 116.000 questionnaires in 72 countries and 20 languages. The results were validated and revalidated with more than 40 follow-up studies from various disciplines. The scores for each country on these dimensions explain and behavioral preferences of people in, for instance, sports.

We will give the description and an overview of the consequences for each of the dimensions.

The first dimension is power distance. This is about the degree of Acceptance of hierarchy. All Asian, African, and Arab countries score high on this Acceptance of hierarchy.

The same is true for European countries like France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. The trainer is the boss and must take the initiative. That is different in low power distance cultures like the USA, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. Here the players are “programmed” to see themselves as autonomous and “empowered.”

Examples of the difference:

When an ex-Ajax Amsterdam player came to play in a Spanish club and discovered that he was used as a substitute, he was upset and wanted to discuss it openly with the coach. His fellow Spanish players warned him: If you do that, you’ll never play again.

At a Swedish club, several African players complained about the inaccessibility of the coach. The coach did not understand that. He was known as one of the most open persons in professional football. Interviewing them, I discovered that the coach assumed players with a problem would take the initiative to approach him: “My door is always open,” he said. In hierarchical cultures, however, the initiative always belongs to the coach. He is supposed to watch daily contacts and discover that something is wrong and then would instruct the players to come to him for a conversation.

The second dimension is masculinity/femininity, which does not describe gender, but the extent to which people are inclined to cooperate and align themselves with the team or are competitive and want to be recognized as the one who makes the decisive actions. For example, English and Scottish players are firmly masculine. When they perform well, they are more likely to claim privileges. When those players have a feminine trainer, who rejects special treatment for all, that can lead to conflicts. In feminine countries such as the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries, some sayings reflect the feminine mentality: if you put your head above the ground level, your head is chopped. An interesting consequence of the feminine culture dimension is that everyone is considered equal in their work. If you don’t participate in the game but only wait for the ball to score, it is seen as negative behavior and labeled as “star behavior” and gets negative commentary by the teammates and the coach.

The third dimension is that of individualism/collectivism. In individualistic cultures people focusses on the individual; in collectivist cultures people belong to in-groups who look after them in exchange for loyalty. In individualist cultures, values are in the person, in collectivist cultures, identity is based on the social network to which one belongs. In individualist cultures there is more explicit, verbal communication; in collectivist cultures communication is more implicit. The Netherlands is an ‘individualistic ‘ country where the same rules apply to everyone, which everyone should adhere to. South American countries like Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina are more collectivist, with different rules for different groups. The loyalty to your “in-group” are more important than the official rules. One consequence is that “dives” are part of the play. Players are astonished if their Individualistic coaches and fellow players do not appreciate this behavior.”

Two further important consequences of collectivism:

-Hypersensitivity to “loss of face. Players from such countries are susceptible to loss of face. Coaches and players should never be criticized in public. If negative feedback is to be given, then always under four eyes.

– Colleagues are also your friends. In collectivist cultures you are always part of a group. After the training, you go together to the restaurant, cinema, etc. Many players from collectivist cultures feel fatally lonely in Individualistic countries. After the training. Everybody goes home and has his own private life

The fourth dimension is about uncertainty avoidance. PLayers from strong Uncertainty Avoidant cultures like Italian and Portuguese clubs hold many players behind the ball to avoid risk as much as possible, while taking risks in Anglo-Saxon countries like England and the USA is positively appreciated.                                                                                      In countries with a high score on uncertainty avoidance, there is a high degree of need for structure. Emotionally players and coaches “need to know where they are. Only then can they function well.

The following is a systematic analysis of the dimensions and implications for coaches and players

The implications for relationship coach and player.

 

Low           Power Distance          High
Coaches expect players to:	Coaches expect players to:
•       Initiate communication	Wait until the coach begins to communicate.
•       Find their own way, show initiative.	Know that he is determining the direction.
•       Spontaneously open their mouths	Waiting to speak until they are asked.
•       Contradict if they have different opinions	Never to contradict him.

 

Collectivist	Individualistic
Coach nor player should face lose	Confrontation can be useful
Great loyalty to “in” group. Other rules for outsiders.	Face loss is not that important.
Harmony must remain	Coaches are impartial
Of coaches is accepted that they are traits based on the background or recommendation of an important person.	The same rules for everyone

 

Feminine	Masculine
Players are modest.	Stars are allowed to profile and expect other treatment.
Avoid Coaches to publicly praise good players.	Coaches praise good players publicly.
Criticizing each other = keep each other sharp.	Criticizing = negativism.
Just do normal then you are crazy enough…	Players very visible.
If you come up with your head above ground level…

 

Low    Uncertainty Avoidance       High
Coaches don’t lose credibility right away when they say, “I Don’t Know”	Coaches are expected to have all the answers.
Players are rewarded for flexible solutions in the field. For creativity.	Players are rewarded for precise follow-up of tactical clues.
Coaches are expected to suppress emotions during the game.	Coaches may be emotional.
Coaches interpret discord as potentially stimulating.	Coaches See discord as personal disloyalty.
Coaches accept in principle input from all involved.	Coaches see themselves as experts who can learn nothing more from others.

 

2. The combinations of single dimensions: Mental Images

In practice, country cultures cannot be understood by the separate value dimensions one by one. “The whole is more than the sum of parts. Therefore, combining the four fundamental value dimensions leads to something new, a “Gestalt.” Seven of these Gestalts are identified (Wursten 2019). The word “mental images” is used to differentiate between the Gestalts. The term reflects an essential consequence of the seven combinations: they lead to seven different “pictures” in the mind of people of what society and organizations look like.   Even the approach to sports is affected by these Mental Images.

To fully appreciate the seven Mental Images, it is essential to understand that the countries belonging to a particular Mental Image have similar values. But that does not mean they are identical. Sharing the same “rules of the game” does not always lead to the same decisions! In every culture, different forces are at work. For instance: you’ll find different mixes in all cultures of conservatives and progressives. Issues like size, location, and geography all play a role. Even the personality of leaders can play a role.

Mental Images have a “gravitational influence” on behavioral preferences. In sports, this means, among other things:

1. It influences the way the spectators prefer the game to be played
2. It affects the profile of an effective coach
3. It influences the expectations concerning the interaction between the coach and the players

Short overview of the seven Mental Images

• The arrows indicate a low, middle, or high score.

Contest

1. Playing style to satisfy the local spectators:

Offensive play, dynamic, stars crucial to attract the public, risk-taking,

Competition should be continuous to maintain interest. Nobody should win forever

Examples: salary caps, first draw

2. Special issue for the coach: accountability for everything that is happening in the team

3. Interaction between coaches and players

– a coach is expected to accept and welcome that players take the initiative and initiate

communication.

– players are expected to be empowered and find their way

– a coach is expected to accept that players argue if they have a different opinion

– a coach is supposed to be flexible and adaptive

– A coach is expected to reward unexpected solutions

– a coach is expected to accept the special treatment of successful players

Network

1. Playing style. To satisfy the local spectators:

Dynamic, offensive without too many fixed roles. Defenders should be able to play offensive. Offensive players should be able (and willing) to put energy into defending.

Even weaker teams should not play destructive. Technical play is appreciated.

2. Special issue for the coach: be seen as a coordinator between all interest groups
3. Interaction between coaches and players: 

– a coach is expected to accept and welcome that players take the initiative and initiate

communication.

– players are expected to be empowered and find their way

– a coach is expected to accept that players argue if they have a different opinion

– a coach is supposed not to be afraid of confrontation

– a coach is supposed to be flexible and adaptive

– a coach is expected not to accept the special treatment of successful players

– a coach is expected to have the same rules for everybody

– coaches are supposed o be modest

– a coach is supposed to see verbal aggression in the team as keeping each other sharp

– Coaches are accepted to saying: I don’t know

– Coaches accept, in principle input of all

Well Oiled Machine

1. Playing style to satisfy local spectators: Powerful and dynamic play with a balance between defensive and offensive approach is expected. Therefore, competitive players are preferred with many skills but also willing and able to fit the structured team approach.
2. Special issue for the coach: expert behavior and attention to detail is expected.
3. interaction between coaches and players         

– coaches understand that players emotionally need clear structures and procedures.

– the team approach is functionality (tasks and goals)

– coaches accept initiative from players

– coaches have all the answers (“to say: I don’t know is unacceptable)

– coaches are supposed to be up to date with the latest technological developments in their branch of sports

Solar System

1. Playing style to satisfy local spectators:

Intelligent, strategic play with brilliant “playmaker.” Expected is technical and “clever” play

2. Special issue for the coach: a good coach is well-behaved and “connected.”
3. Interaction between coach and players:

– The coach takes the initiative in the communication (also concerning simple changes)

– To steer top down

– Understand that they wait for the initiative of the coach to speak up

– Not to tolerate contradiction from players

-To inspect visibly to see if decisions are followed up

– Now and then, act emotionally

– To apply the same rules for everybody

– Key players, however, expect special treatment             

Pyramid

                                            

1. Playing style to satisfy local spectators:

Secure defense with brilliant individual players who are expected to make a difference.

Players should try to “trick” the opponent into making mistakes and then striking immediately.

2. Special issue for a coach: be like a strict but parentlike person. Reward loyalty by taking care of players beyond the strict contractual relationship.
3. Interaction between coach and players:

– the coach should take the initiative in the communication (also concerning simple changes)

– management style is top down

– the players should understand that they have to wait for the initiative of the coach to

speak up

– the coach is not supposed to tolerate contradiction

–  the coach is supposed to inspect visibly to see if decisions are followed up

– now and then, the coach should react emotionally.

– older players expect special treatment

– among players: colleagues are also friends. They do things together after the training.

– nobody should lose face

– Coach needs to structure the training to create “safety.”

Family

1. Playing style to satisfy local spectators: Open, persistent, offensive play with age-determined hierarchy in the team
2. Special issue for a coach: be like a strict but parentlike person. Reward loyalty by taking care of players beyond the strict contractual relationship.
3. Interaction between coach and players:

– the coach should take the initiative in the communication (also concerning simple changes)

– management style is top down

– the players should understand that they must wait for the initiative of the coach to

speak up

– the coach is not supposed to tolerate contradiction

–  the coach is supposed to inspect visibly to see if decisions are followed up

– older players expect special treatment

– among players: colleagues are also friends. They do things together after the training.

– nobody should lose face

– No emotional need for structuring

Japan

1. Playing style to satisfy local spectators: Dynamic, balanced, persistent, play with age-determined hierarchy in the team
2. Special issue for a coach: be like a strict but parentlike person. Reward loyalty by taking care of players beyond the strict contractual relationship.
3. Interaction between coach and players:

– the coach should take the initiative in the communication (also concerning simple changes)

– management style is top down. Coaches can ask individual players to give feedback privatly

– the players should understand that they must wait for the initiative of the coach to

speak up

– the coach is not supposed to tolerate contradiction

–  the coach is supposed to inspect visibly to see if decisions are followed up

– older players expect special treatment

– among players: colleagues are also friends. They do things together after the training.

– nobody should lose face

– Strong emotional need for structure

Organizational culture and country culture.

After defining the consequences of country culture, it is possible to define organizational culture. This is important because the standard theories of organizational culture promoted by the big consultancy firms mix up the two. Which leads to, for instance, a belief in “Universal leadership” models. A naïve belief that explains many misunderstandings in international organizations.

An example: One important element in leadership in the USA, Australia and the UK is accountability. This word can be translated in other languages. But the meaning in Anglo-Saxon cultures is special: you are held accountable for what you are doing. Your head is at stake and if you don’t reach your clearly defined targets, you can be fired or demoted. If you are appointed in a leadership position than the others tend to follow your lead because they naturally understand that you are accountable. This can be confused by people from other culture as hierarchical behavior. I found following in an interview with a famous Dutch swimming coach appointed to be the coach for the Australian Olympic team. He expressed his surprise and said: we think that we have the same opinions because we look similar. But that is untrue.

One of the surprises is that he had to get used to is (what he calls) hierarchical attitudes of the Australians. He is seen as the Boss.

In the interview he elaborates on this perception: Some of his predecessors dictated training schedules from a distance to all top swimmers, an idea that his completely contrary to his need for tailored work. He tries to break down the formality. He does not want to be above the others, but he realizes that this is what is expected from him in Australia. The way they look at leadership is totally different. If I enter the room somewhere the Head Coach is coming in. I’m not saying they are kowtowing, but in the beginning, they stopped the training. Sometimes they were apologizing that the training was probably not that interesting. They had the feeling they should show the head coach their best side.

Also, the control need of the Australians was surprising him. Too much is officially laid down in do’s and don’ts. He belief in freedom and responsibility. Even if younger swimmers are sometimes making mistakes. This is giving them the chance to learn. If you try to control everything than the own responsibility disappears!

Analysis: the key words here are “Hierarchy” and “Control”. Repeated cultural research shows that the Netherlands and Australia score quite similar in the relevant value dimensions explaining the acceptance of hierarchy and the need for control. Both countries score low(er). The reason for the misunderstanding lies in the different interpretation of accountability.

Club culture; Transfer prices, player careers and creating a winning team. The danger of taking culture out of the equation!

The Guardian of August 13, 2022, carried an article written by Jason Stockwood, the owner of Grimsby, a League two club in the UK. The heading was: While money is a huge help, it is culture that drives success in football.

Stockwood is talking about the influence of money in nowadays football world.

Rich clubs can pay enormous amounts of money to buy the best players in the world. Then they “own” the players. This creates a problem because: ” it reinforces to some clubs that the contracts they are creating are commoditized in nature.” He says:” To feel that your strategy and culture is subsumed by conversations about money feels grubby and unsatisfactory and decisions about people’s lives and families are reduced almost entirely to someone’s else’s decision on a price.

This makes it difficult for players and agents to assess the culture of an organisation and to weigh if they fit in the new environment and team and in this sense to be able control their destiny. As Stockwood says: “culture is the thing that drives success in any organization”

Stockwood refers then to The Second Mountain. In this book by David Brooks, the author says that: “purpose, togetherness, relationships and belonging matter more than we realize in our hyper-individual world. As we get older, we begin to understand that individual success is entirely pointless unless connected to family, community, and a bigger picture (whatever that might be).

The advice for players, their agents, and even club owners is:  Take culture into account! “In a career that is short and where top talent is incredibly scarce, there is a huge opportunity for clubs that can authentically show a collective home for individual brilliance.”

To take culture into account the suggestions by Brooks are:

• Talk to the “owners”. The personal values and behaviours of owners will have a massive influence on how people are viewed and treated. One way to do this is to look at who controls the money, how they got it and how they act in their other businesses.
• Speak to the manager or head coach about who makes the decisions on playing and coaching. Unless you have that expertise, I’d suggest owners shouldn’t be involved unless asked. This is most often not their domain of expertise and exerting control in this area is a sign of a lack of empowerment and trust in those they work with.

Dimensions of club culture

The question is which elements of (club) culture are essential for optimal performance. First, to describe club culture, a practical definition: “the way how we do things in our club.”

“The way we do things” can be analyzed with seven independent dimensions. (Hofstede Insights Group. nda). The dimensions are meant to create the unwritten rules of the social game in which managers, workers, players, and coaches can perform optimal. Levers like symbols, rituals, strategies, systems, structures, reward/sanction systems, competence profiles are developed, rolled out and implemented to assure the right environment.

Dimensions of Club Culture

D1 Resources – vs. Goal orientation

D2 Internal vs. externally driven

D3 Discipline: Loose vs. tight

D4 Local vs. professional

D5 Open vs. closed

D6 Employee vs. Work oriented

D7 Acceptance of leadership

D1 Resources vs. Goal-orientation.

This dimension describes the extent to which members of the organization identify with how they work versus identifying with goals and results. This dimension says something about the effectiveness of the organization. The more emphasis is placed on how the game is played, the less the focus is on the results. The characteristic of creative players is that they often do not fit into the pattern. Because they often find it challenging to adapt to the general approach, they are sometimes dismissed and referred to as not “steerable.” However, there are many examples of such players going to another club and becoming stars there.

Another example is that uniformity of approach at some clubs leads to a uniform group of players—only good midfielders, or only good defenders, etc. Putting results first also leads to an eye for the diversity of individual talent. The staff must have an eye for the personality traits of the player. Some players need to be confronted hard now and then to motivate them, and some players need to be supported.

D2: Internal vs. Externally driven

This dimension describes to what extent the organization is focused on the customer (supporters and sponsors) and their wishes. In other words, how do the sports club members relate to each other and to external parties. When a culture is internally focused, the organization members assume they know what is best for the customer and the outside world. In an externally driven culture, on the other hand, the emphasis is on meeting the customer’s wishes, and the members have a pragmatic attitude. When appointing trainers and attracting players, it is advisable to address this element. Not all trainers and not all types of players fit a specific club culture.

D3. Discipline: Loose vs. Tight

This dimension describes the degree of internal structuring and discipline. Here too, diversity is a point for attention. Players from countries such as Germany, Portugal and Japan experience the looser culture as somewhat unpredictable with little control. In such cultures, a need for structure is found, and the trainer/coach must actively monitor that. An example of a concrete tool that can meet this need for structure is an introduction program for new players. Good internal communication is essential; clearly communicate who we are, what we stand for, and do. Country culture plays a significant role in the degree of diversity in approach. It is typical for Individualistic countries that the rules apply to everyone equally. In cultures with a high degree of power distance and cultures with a “masculine” culture, different rules are often used for the team’s stars than for the others. This can even lead to significant conflicts if players from such cultures feel they are not receiving special treatment. They do not feel appreciated and acknowledged. Demotivation and underperformance are the results. Communicating with such players and the team about this is essential and creates mutual understanding.

D4. Local vs. Professional

The extent to which coaches and players identify with the traditional approach of the Club, or more with their profession or the content of the work. This dimension also says something about the tendency of those involved to conform to the social norm, which is higher as the culture is more locally oriented. Local culture is often focused on the short term, while a professional culture is focused on the long term. The professional orientation also means that coaches and players look beyond traditional knowledge. Experienced players and coaches, for example, look at how things are tackled in other sports and try to incorporate innovations into their approach.

An example is the incorporation of static data about the performance of players. This has led to surprising results in the Baseball world. Professional coaches in other sports make attempts to apply such techniques as well.

D5: Open vs. Closed

To what extent does the Club show that people from outside are welcome. To this end, a conscious policy must be pursued when fitting in new players. Here too, understanding differences in national culture is a “must ” Starting from the point of view of Individualistic cultures, there are two challenges: In collectivist cultures (South America, South Europe, Asia, and Africa), players are always part of a group. The fellow players are not only your colleagues but also your friends. You also deal with that group of friends after “working time .”You eat together, go to the cinema, or listen to music together. In IDV cultures, a distinction is made between colleagues you work with and friends. That means that after training, there is a tendency to say: “see you tomorrow” and then go home. This is experienced as cold by the players from collectivist cultures. They feel isolated and abandoned. This then influences their performance. The recommendation is to take this seriously and to act on this as a club, and not to leave this to individuals.

D6. Employee vs. work oriented.

This dimension is essential for the Acceptance of diversity. In work-oriented club cultures, there is no attention to the individual characteristics and needs of the players. You perform, or you are out. In employee-oriented cultures, the care for employees receives great attention. There is a great willingness to respond to individual characteristics and needs. In work-oriented cultures, no effort is made to keep those who do not like it in the team. A people-oriented culture is therefore desirable when hosting foreign players.

D7. Degree of Leadership Acceptance

There is a big difference in leadership models between cultures. In the Netherlands and Scandinavia, it is entirely accepted that the coach allows players to participate and that players take the initiative to do so. The coach can be confident that if players disagree with him, they will tell. That is why: no news is good news. This is different in the high-power distance countries and collectivist countries. Players, there are very reluctant to comment on the coach. That is not their place. The coach must take the initiative when asking about their ideas. In such cultures, another saying reflects practice very well: “people only respect what you inspect.” A modern coach’s leadership model will have to consider this diversity. That is not a matter of being friendly but of effectiveness. To motivate and be successful, the coach must adapt to the expectations that arise from the culture that the player comes from.

Conclusions.

We now have about 20 years of experience in coaching sports coaches. The importance of knowledge in this field has only increased in those 20 years. We have received positive feedback and recognition from different angles. Yet it is still an underestimated subject.

There are still stories about players and coaches who fail after an expensive transfer due to a lack of guidance.

We have the ambition of helping players and coaches to cope with the consequences of the globalization of professional sports.Two key factors:

1. Consciously develop a Club Culture and a Long-term Strategy and align both. (‘CASA’)
2. Sports- and Management Teams should become culturally intelligent (‘CQ’)

Literature:

Aisch Gregor, Quealy Kevin and Smith Rory.  Where athletes in professional sports come from, January 4 2018, The upshot

Beugelsdijk, S., Maseland, R. and van Hoorn, A. (2015), Are Scores on Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture Stable over Time? A Cohort Analysis. Global Strategy Journal, 5: 223–240. doi: 10.1002/gsj.1098

De Volkskrant March 28, 2015. Interview with Jacco Verhaar.

Hofstede Geert, Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations, 2nd Edition. 596 pages. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications, 2001, hardcover, ISBN 0-8039-7323-3; 2003, paperback, ISBN 0-8039-7324-1.

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J., & Minkov, M. (2010). “Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind”, Third Revised Edition, McGrawHill 2010, ISBN 0-07-166418-1. ©Geert Hofstede B.V. quoted with permission

Hofstede Insights Group: Multi Focus model nda https://hi.hofsedeinsights.com/organisational-culture

Smith Rory, New York Times Febr. 6, 2021 Newcastle, Leeds, and the importance of being…something

Stockwood Jason The Guardian of August 13, 2022, While money is a huge help, it is a culture that drives success in football

Marsh Dan 17 June 2022 in Mirror Online, Mikael Silvestre explains why Man Utd’s “nightmare” can be positive for Eric ten Hag

Wursten, H. (2017). Mental images of culture, a perspective to understand misunderstandings in politics, business, religion &… Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/34319656/

Wursten Huib. The 7 Mental Images of National Culture Leading and managing in a globalized word (2019)ISBN-10: 1687633347 ISBN-13: 978-1687633347

Note:

Repeated research is showing that these values and the scores of countries are not, or very slowly, changing over time.

– A Danish scholar, M. Søndergaard (5), found 60 (sometimes small scale) replications of Hofstede’s research. A meta-analysis confirmed the five dimensions and the scores of countries.

A replication, showing the same result was carried out by including Hofstede’s questions in the EMS, the European Media & Marketing Survey.

Aa replication by Beugelsdijk, S., Maseland, R. and van Hoorn, A. (2015), “Are Scores on Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture Stable over Time? A Cohort Analysis”. Global Strategy Journal, 5: 223–240. DOI: 10.1002/gsj.1098