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The Culture Map

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For builders, the culture map is a way to close the distance between people and approaches.

These are relative, population-level norms — a starting point for a conversation, not a verdict about any person. Cultures differ, and individuals differ even more.

LESS DISTANCE  →  MORE SPEED  →  FASTER DECISIONS  →  MORE BUILDING OUTCOMES

Built on the framework from Erin Meyer's The Culture Map. If it's useful, buy the book — it goes far deeper.

Rooted in Dutch cross-cultural research — Hofstede & Trompenaars

Compare two countries

Distance score
and
28%
Average distance across 8 dimensions
United States and Germany are moderately apart — expect a few friction points, but nothing that should slow you down much.
Communicating
LOW-CONTEXT / DIRECTHIGH-CONTEXT / INDIRECT
United States
Germany
Evaluating
DIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACKINDIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
United States
Germany
Germany, adapting to United States: Deliver criticism privately, wrapped in context — don't lead with the verdict.
United States, adapting to Germany: State the critical point clearly — over-softening can make it invisible.
Persuading
PRINCIPLES-FIRSTAPPLICATIONS-FIRST
United States
Germany
Germany, adapting to United States: Lead with the concrete example or result before the framework.
United States, adapting to Germany: Explain the reasoning or principle before making the ask.
Leading
EGALITARIANHIERARCHICAL
United States
Germany
United States, adapting to Germany: Route decisions through the person with formal authority, and visibly acknowledge rank.
Germany, adapting to United States: Invite input directly — deferring too much to hierarchy can read as passive.
Deciding
CONSENSUALTOP-DOWN
United States
Germany
Germany, adapting to United States: Expect the senior person to make the call — build buy-in beforehand, not consensus during.
United States, adapting to Germany: Build in time for the group to weigh in — a fast unilateral call can backfire.
Trusting
TASK-BASEDRELATIONSHIP-BASED
United States
Germany
Disagreeing
CONFRONTATIONALAVOIDS CONFRONTATION
United States
Germany
Germany, adapting to United States: Raise disagreement privately and gently — open pushback can feel like an attack.
United States, adapting to Germany: Say the disagreement out loud — staying quiet can be read as agreement.
Scheduling
LINEAR-TIMEFLEXIBLE-TIME
United States
Germany

All dimensions

28 of 28 shown
India
Germany
United States
United Kingdom
Netherlands
France
Spain
Canada
Egypt
Ireland
South Africa
Greece
Austria
Catalonia
Brazil
Switzerland
Luxembourg
Belgium
China
Japan
Australia
Mexico
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Nigeria
South Korea
Singapore
Indonesia
Communicating
LOW-CONTEXT / DIRECTHIGH-CONTEXT / INDIRECT
Say exactly what you meanMeaning is read between the lines
India — 85%
Germany — 15%
United States — 5%
United Kingdom — 35%
Netherlands — 10%
France — 55%
Spain — 60%
Canada — 25%
Egypt — 90%
Ireland — 45%
South Africa — 55%
Greece — 65%
Austria — 20%
Catalonia — 45%
Brazil — 65%
Switzerland — 20%
Luxembourg — 40%
Belgium — 55%
China — 90%
Japan — 95%
Australia — 10%
Mexico — 70%
Russia — 65%
Saudi Arabia — 85%
Nigeria — 75%
South Korea — 85%
Singapore — 70%
Indonesia — 90%
Evaluating
DIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACKINDIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
Criticism given straight, no cushioningCriticism softened, wrapped, or implied
India — 70%
Germany — 8%
United States — 45%
United Kingdom — 85%
Netherlands — 5%
France — 35%
Spain — 50%
Canada — 55%
Egypt — 75%
Ireland — 78%
South Africa — 60%
Greece — 65%
Austria — 15%
Catalonia — 40%
Brazil — 60%
Switzerland — 15%
Luxembourg — 45%
Belgium — 55%
China — 85%
Japan — 80%
Australia — 40%
Mexico — 70%
Russia — 25%
Saudi Arabia — 80%
Nigeria — 60%
South Korea — 80%
Singapore — 75%
Indonesia — 90%
Persuading
PRINCIPLES-FIRSTAPPLICATIONS-FIRST
Explain the theory, then the pointLead with the example or fact, skip the theory
India — 45%
Germany — 20%
United States — 85%
United Kingdom — 65%
Netherlands — 55%
France — 15%
Spain — 30%
Canada — 75%
Egypt — 35%
Ireland — 60%
South Africa — 55%
Greece — 30%
Austria — 20%
Catalonia — 35%
Brazil — 55%
Switzerland — 15%
Luxembourg — 30%
Belgium — 30%
China — 45%
Japan — 50%
Australia — 80%
Mexico — 50%
Russia — 10%
Saudi Arabia — 40%
Nigeria — 50%
South Korea — 50%
Singapore — 60%
Indonesia — 50%
Leading
EGALITARIANHIERARCHICAL
Boss is one of the teamRank matters and is visibly respected
India — 90%
Germany — 40%
United States — 25%
United Kingdom — 30%
Netherlands — 5%
France — 70%
Spain — 75%
Canada — 15%
Egypt — 95%
Ireland — 20%
South Africa — 65%
Greece — 75%
Austria — 55%
Catalonia — 60%
Brazil — 80%
Switzerland — 35%
Luxembourg — 55%
Belgium — 60%
China — 95%
Japan — 85%
Australia — 15%
Mexico — 80%
Russia — 90%
Saudi Arabia — 95%
Nigeria — 85%
South Korea — 85%
Singapore — 80%
Indonesia — 90%
Deciding
CONSENSUALTOP-DOWN
Decisions made by group agreementBoss decides, team executes
India — 80%
Germany — 25%
United States — 55%
United Kingdom — 40%
Netherlands — 10%
France — 65%
Spain — 70%
Canada — 45%
Egypt — 85%
Ireland — 35%
South Africa — 60%
Greece — 70%
Austria — 30%
Catalonia — 55%
Brazil — 65%
Switzerland — 15%
Luxembourg — 45%
Belgium — 40%
China — 80%
Japan — 10%
Australia — 35%
Mexico — 70%
Russia — 80%
Saudi Arabia — 85%
Nigeria — 75%
South Korea — 70%
Singapore — 70%
Indonesia — 75%
Trusting
TASK-BASEDRELATIONSHIP-BASED
Trust built through good workTrust built through personal connection
India — 85%
Germany — 20%
United States — 10%
United Kingdom — 25%
Netherlands — 15%
France — 60%
Spain — 70%
Canada — 30%
Egypt — 90%
Ireland — 40%
South Africa — 70%
Greece — 80%
Austria — 25%
Catalonia — 55%
Brazil — 90%
Switzerland — 15%
Luxembourg — 50%
Belgium — 60%
China — 95%
Japan — 80%
Australia — 15%
Mexico — 85%
Russia — 85%
Saudi Arabia — 90%
Nigeria — 90%
South Korea — 85%
Singapore — 65%
Indonesia — 90%
Disagreeing
CONFRONTATIONALAVOIDS CONFRONTATION
Open debate is normal and healthyConflict handled quietly, indirectly
India — 80%
Germany — 10%
United States — 55%
United Kingdom — 70%
Netherlands — 15%
France — 25%
Spain — 40%
Canada — 60%
Egypt — 85%
Ireland — 75%
South Africa — 65%
Greece — 30%
Austria — 15%
Catalonia — 45%
Brazil — 55%
Switzerland — 20%
Luxembourg — 45%
Belgium — 55%
China — 85%
Japan — 90%
Australia — 40%
Mexico — 65%
Russia — 35%
Saudi Arabia — 70%
Nigeria — 55%
South Korea — 80%
Singapore — 75%
Indonesia — 90%
Scheduling
LINEAR-TIMEFLEXIBLE-TIME
One thing at a time, on scheduleSeveral things at once, schedule flexes
India — 85%
Germany — 8%
United States — 20%
United Kingdom — 25%
Netherlands — 12%
France — 60%
Spain — 75%
Canada — 30%
Egypt — 90%
Ireland — 35%
South Africa — 65%
Greece — 80%
Austria — 10%
Catalonia — 55%
Brazil — 85%
Switzerland — 5%
Luxembourg — 25%
Belgium — 35%
China — 70%
Japan — 15%
Australia — 25%
Mexico — 75%
Russia — 70%
Saudi Arabia — 80%
Nigeria — 85%
South Korea — 40%
Singapore — 25%
Indonesia — 80%
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This tool stands entirely on the work of Erin Meyer, whose book The Culture Map is the source of the eight dimensions above. If this is useful to you, buy the book — it goes far deeper than any tool can.

Dutch roots run deep here: Meyer's framework builds on decades of pioneering Dutch cross-cultural research — social psychologist Geert Hofstede (Cultures and Organizations) and organizational theorist Fons Trompenaars (Riding the Waves of Culture) — and the Netherlands often appears in the book as a benchmark for direct, low-context communication and egalitarian leadership.

WE THE BUILDER · wethebuilder.com · Positions are relative, illustrative placements — not a substitute for getting to know the person in front of you.