Cultural Types Triangle: The Lewis Model. Cross-cultural communication
- Ryszard Skarbek
- Oct 25, 2021
- 10 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Handling change is challenging, and managing a multicultural team through change makes it even more difficult. That can be particularly challenging for the team leader. So, how can you ensure success in such a situation?
If you are a leader and you want to implement change in an international team, it is worth paying attention to the following before you start:
Understand reflexive reactions in response to changes. The reactions were influenced by the national culture in which people were raised.
Understand the organizational culture, including the unwritten rules of behavior in specific situations, particularly during change.
Recognize the conflicts and synergies that arise from national and cultural diversity within your organization.
It is essential to remember that combining various social groups can be a complex matter heavily influenced by national characteristics. We often neglect this on a day-to-day basis.
The most significant differences lie in expressing emotions, verbally and non-verbally, establishing relationships, approaching hierarchies and authorities, and ultimately, dealing with goals and people. That is all rooted in mentality, including both formal and informal norms.
What is the Lewis Model: Cultural Types and Dimensions of Behaviour?
Many models and theories describe the dynamics of multiculturalism and cross-cultural communication. One of the leading models is the one developed by British expert on cultures and languages, Richard D. Lewis, which has gained recognition worldwide. This model is considered the most practical and the easiest to use in everyday communication today.
When was this model created?
The Lewis Model (de. Lewis modell der Kulturen, fr. modèle de Lewis culture) was developed in the 1990s and was published in his bestseller “When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures" (1996).
This cross-cultural model is based on data from 50,000 directors participating in the residential courses and more than 150,000 online questionnaires developed for 68 different nationalities. In the Lewis Model, culture is not based on economic development, nationality, or religion. It is based on behavior.
Richard Lewis has visited 135 countries and worked in over 20 of them. He also speaks 10 European and 2 Asian languages.
What are the cultural type categories defined in this model?
The Lewis Model defines three main categories, described as follows:
Multi-active: extrovert, speaks more than hears, people-oriented, social, has divisive attention, can interrupt and disturb, shows affection and willingly talks about them, displays expressive body language and gestures, makes general plans, has a flexible approach to the concept of truth, and combines personal and professional life easily, emotional, loquacious and impulsive, likes to do many things at the same time. This profile is most common in tropical countries and the Mediterranean region.
Reactive: introvert, listens more often than talks, does not interrupt, does not disturb, rarely initiates action or discussion (instead, tends to wait to react to it and form their own opinion), composed, silent, patient, attentive listener with limited body language, indirect, hides feelings, does not like to oppose, a good name is a matter of honor, introduces small changes, calm, punctual, people-oriented, values diplomacy more than truthfulness, takes own goals very seriously. This type is dominant in an Asian environment.
Linear-active: introvert, both listens and speaks, task-oriented planner, has undivided attention, is structured but firm and specific, displays limited body language and gestures, plans actions step by step (one task at a time in a planned sequence), sometimes impatient, sticks to facts, refers to logic, cares about own good name, respects the law, values truth more than diplomacy, likes privacy, separates personal life from professional life. Broadly speaking, this category is frequently seen in Northern Europe, North America, Australia, and related countries.
On this basis, Lewis created a comprehensive model in which he placed all the major nationalities of the world on a single scale. Linear active, multi-active, and reactive types have been put on a single graph, which constitutes the Culture Triangle. This demonstrates the author's intention to provide clarity and succinctness.
Knowing this key, you can analyze situations that seem surprising and incomprehensible. And if you find no other reasons, there is a high probability that the misunderstandings are due to cultural differences.
What are the interactions between the main culture types?
Lewis has developed a model that identifies the dominant features of each type and shows how members of each category interact with one another. The Lewis Model diagram is a simple yet effective tool that provides valuable insight into these interactions. Moreover, the statistical confirmation of the information presented on the diagram adds to its credibility.
What is a major challenge in building international teams?
Richard Lewis and his team researched a group of managers working in a multicultural environment. They also created a catalog of the most distinctive features describing major nationalities, which included a list of their strengths and weaknesses. This information is precise and meaningful. It provides insight into the interactions and conflicts we can expect in an international team. The catalog enables us to understand unique behaviors, convictions, and focus points.
Despite team members being united by a corporate vision and company values, national mentality and upbringing have a more deeply rooted influence. The emotional impact is much stronger than the rational influence of company values. While all team members may accept the company values rationally, their cultural backgrounds still impact their behaviors and actions.
Main nations of the Western world - examples of the characteristics.
Americans - action-oriented, able to put plans into practice, simplify matters, focus on quick profits, think in large-scale categories, are not afraid to take risks, are willing to invest, enterprising, concrete, good at planning sales and marketing, monitor budgets well, energetic, and enthusiastic.
The British - calm and unemotional, diplomatic, like to play the role of referees, can solve problems creatively, are conciliatory (i.e., avoid conflicts and irritations), think long-term, like managing meetings or a team, and believe that you have to be fair. Good administrators.
French - logical visionaries, full of ideas, intelligently lead the team, used to developing a conceptual and comprehensive approach to the project.
The Dutch - always busy and ready to grasp business opportunities, work fast, identify weaknesses effortlessly, are good organizers, and do not like to waste time. Can assess problems from an international perspective; democratic, stubborn in searching
solutions.
Spaniards - full of warmth and vitality, visionaries, focus on ideas and ideals, effective in persuasion, often resolve conflicts through mediation, loyal team members when appreciated. When needed, they work many hours without a break.
Germans - pay attention to technical details, plan distant matters, have general competencies, stick to plans and deadlines, identify difficulties readily, and try to anticipate problems that may arise in the future.
Swedes - Logical and practical, have a good understanding and analysis of processes, laws, and rules; they use compromise solutions in no-way-out situations. They remain calm and polite in conflict situations, are skilled in planning technical details, and always consult others.
Italians - Visionary, good in interpersonal relations, they can often glue even conflicted teams, conduct disputes and discussions flawlessly, especially among Latinos, flexible, reasonable, never disregard seemingly less important matters, they can work at different times depending on the needs.
Strengths and weaknesses of different nationalities from all over the world.
Here is a set of infographics that presents a breakdown of national strengths and weaknesses compiled by the project team. It is worth paying attention to the powerful Asian mindset of the "Chinese in exile".
What is the concept of horizons by Richard Lewis?
Lewis and his team undertake highly intricate work. His writing on multiculturalism showcases his strong commitment to this topic. His book is a comprehensive 600-page tome featuring over 100 distinct diagrams and charts.
One of his quotes that stands out is:
Our genes, our parental and educational training, our societal rules, our very language, enable us to see only so far—as far as our horizon. We can broaden our horizon to some degree by living in other countries; learning foreign languages; and reading books on philosophy, psychology, other cultures and a variety of other subjects. Unless we make such efforts, our horizon remains a South African horizon, a Colombian horizon, an Egyptian horizon or one of many other worldviews. In other words, each cultural group enjoys a certain segment of experience, which is no more than a fraction of the total possible available experience. Benjamin Whorf believed that such segments of experience were limited by the vocabulary and concepts inherent in one’s language. By learning more languages, especially those with excitingly different concepts, we can widen our vision and gain deeper insight into the nature of reality. Many graduates in Romance studies feel enriched by being able to see the world through Spanish eyes or using French rationality. Scholars of Chinese or Japanese often develop two personalities when immersing themselves in one of these two languages.
Lewis aimed to create a simple method of organizing and categorizing the differences among cultures. He also sought a way to overcome these differences. To achieve this, he introduced the concept of horizons. They are applicable at the level of the three primary type categories and among individual nationalities. Each nation has specific characteristics that fall within its horizon and those that do not.
The key to resolving differences and finding common ground is cooperation based on features shared by both horizons. We will explore three horizons demonstrating the interactions between selected linear-active, multi-active, and reactive types. They are presented in the infographics below.
Richard Lewis's Model - Examples and practical implications of cross-cultural differences.
When collaborating with people from different countries, it is essential to understand their communication styles and societal norms. For example, if you are a Pole working with an Englishman or a Japanese person, there are things to remember.
Poles may find it demanding to work with Japanese people who value indirectness and avoid confrontation. Japanese Culture also emphasizes respecting authority figures, so be mindful of this when giving feedback to a supervisor.
When working with British people, it is necessary to remember that they use sarcasm and humor in their communication. If you take their statements literally, you may misunderstand their true intentions. To illustrate this point, refer to the table below.
Practical lessons from working in a multicultural environment.
While I am not an expert on multiculturalism, my over 20 years of experience in an international and multinational company, as well as my interactions with diverse social groups, have taught me a few important lessons.
Successful cooperation and social interaction require patience, tolerance, a willingness to learn and understand, and the readiness to ask for help/advice from others. It also means allowing yourself to make mistakes and learning from them quickly. Paradoxically, in a business world, achieving the goal takes a backseat. Because the more we focus on achieving it, the more resistance we will encounter.
So, in an international business, HOW matters more than WHAT, WHO, and WHEN.
In the video below, Professor Lewis explains briefly how his model differs from others.
Perhaps we owe a general definition of what the culture is. A culture is a way of life for a group of people. The five aspects of culture are the following:
values and beliefs,
language,
symbols,
rituals,
informal and formal norms.
These aspects shape all other customs. In human society, you may find various cultural categories: high, low, folk, popular, mass, and material culture. Culture can be the thoughts of social influence, and it must be social. Without it, there is no concept of culture.
High Culture refers to cultural products that are perceived by some to be the pinnacle of creative achievement and thus to have a higher status in society (for example, classical music). The High Culture concept was introduced by Matthew Arnold. He defined culture as the disinterested endeavor after perfection, obtained by the effort to know the best that has been said and thought in the world (1869).
Low Culture is a derogatory term used to refer to cultures seen as inferior or of low (or no) value.
Folk Culture refers to the everyday practices of ordinary local people, often rooted in long-standing traditions.
Mass Culture, Consumer Culture, or Popular Culture refers to cultural products manufactured by entrepreneurs and media companies in modern capitalist societies. The products are produced for mass consumption.
A preoccupation with materialism is typical for modern societies in the Western world, especially the United States. Material objects play a vital role and determine social status.
P.S. You may also find the term Dual Sector Model, referred to as the Lewis Model. That, however, is the model in developmental economics that explains the growth of a developing economy. The creator of this theory is the Saint Lucian economist Sir Arthur Lewis.
Sources:
Richard D. Lewis, When Cultures Collide. Leading Across Cultures, Nicholas Brealey Int., London, 2006
What are the other best-known models developed by cross-cultural experts?
Geert Hofstede (1970s): Hofstede's typology distinguishes six cultural dimensions that help understand and compare different cultures. These dimensions are Power Distance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation, and Indulgence vs. Restraint.
Edward T. Hall (1970s): Hall introduced the concept of high-context and low-context cultures, emphasizing the importance of non-verbal communication, context, and understanding cross culture differences in communication styles and personal space.
Fons Trompenaars (1990s): Trompenaars identified seven cultural dimensions that help analyze cultural diversity and dilemmas in global business settings. These dimensions include Universalism vs. Particularism, Individualism vs. Communitarianism, Achievement vs. Ascription, Neutral vs. Affective, Specific vs. Diffuse, Inner-directed vs. Outer-directed, and Sequential vs. Synchronic.
Shalom H. Schwartz (1990s): Schwartz proposed a theory of basic human values that identifies ten cross-culturally universal values. These values are grouped into four higher-order dimensions: Conservation vs. Openness to Change, Self-Enhancement vs. Self-Transcendence, Self-Direction vs. Other-Direction, and Hierarchy vs. Egalitarianism.
Erin Meyer (2010s): Meyer’s “The Culture Map” provides a framework for understanding how cultural profiles impact business interactions. It explores various dimensions, such as communication, leadership, feedback, persuasion, trust, disagreements, decision-making, and time orientation in different cultural contexts.
Misunderstandings in the workplace may also stem from cognitive biases.
A special section about cognitive biases is available on the Empowerment Coaching portal. There you will find, among others, the Library of the 50 Most Common Cognitive Biases
designed in the form of infographics.
These memes are free to download and distribute.
In addition to the cognitive biases library in our dedicated section, you will find comprehensive information explaining what cognitive bias is and how to identify and eliminate them.
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leadership and employee engagement - questions for coaching conversation, free PDF
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About author
Ryszard Skarbek is a certified business coach, mentor, and HR advisor with over 30 years of professional experience, including over 22 years of work in an international and multicultural corporation present on six continents.
As a coach and mentor, Ryszard mostly works with middle and senior managers as well as business owners.
His specializations are 21st-century leadership, interpersonal communication, self-awareness, HR, IT, and Project Management.
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