Non-Profit Leadership Certification Program



Understanding Cultural Differences:

Five Cultural Value Orientations

|Concerns/ Orientations |Possible Responses |

|Self/Human Nature: What is the |Evil. Most people can't be |Mixed. There are both evil |Good. Most people are basically |

|basic nature of people? Can we |trusted. People are basically |people and good people. You have|pretty good at heart; they are |

|learn to change [either |evil and need to be controlled. |to check people out to find out |born good. |

|direction] (or are we born that |People can (cannot) learn to |which they are. |But they are subject to |

|way and can’t change)? |change (need salvation). |People can (not) be changed with|corruption (will always be |

|Also: Self-orientation | |the right guidance. |good). |

|Humanity and Its Relationship to|Subordinate to Nature. People |Harmony with Nature. Man should,|Mastery over Nature. We can and|

|Natural Environment: What is the|really can't control or change |in every way, live in harmony |should exercise control over the|

|appropriate relationship of |the forces or nature. Life is |with the forces of nature. |forces of nature.  Everything |

|humanity to nature (and |largely determined by external |Partial, but not total control |from air conditioning to the |

|supernature)? |forces, incl. fate and genetics.|may be desirable. |"green revolution" has resulted |

| |What happens was meant to | |from having met this challenge. |

|Jandt’s “world view” |happen. | | |

|Time Sense: On what aspect of |Past. People should focus on the|Present. The present moment is |Future. Planning and goal |

|time should we primarily focus? |past, draw the values they live |everything.  Let's make the most|setting make it possible for |

| |by from history. Focus on |of it.  Don't worry about |people to accomplish miracles, |

| |preserving and maintaining the |tomorrow: enjoy today. |to change and grow. Seek new |

| |traditions of the past. |Accommodate changes in beliefs |ways to replace the old. |

| | |and traditions. | |

|Activity: What is the primary |Being. To express oneself. |(Being-in-)Becoming. The main |Doing. To achieve something. If |

|motivation for activity? |Internal motivation. It's enough|purpose for being placed on this|people work hard and apply |

| |to just "be." It's not |earth is to grow one’s |themselves fully, their efforts |

| |necessary to accomplish great |abilities. |will be rewarded. Extrinsic |

| |things in life to feel your life| |motivation. What you accomplish |

| |has been worthwhile. | |is a measure of your worth. |

|Social Relations: How should we |Hierarchically (Lineal). There |Collateral (as Equals). The best|Individualistic. All people |

|relate to other people? What is |is a natural order to relations,|way to be organized is as a |should have equal rights, and |

|the best form of social |some people are born to lead, |group, where everyone shares in |each should have complete |

|organization? |others are followers. Defer to |the decision process. It is |control over one's own destiny. |

| |higher authority. Decisions |important not to make important |Independence of decision is |

|Group relations, relational |should be made by those in |decisions alone. Emphasis is on |valued. Decisions as a group it |

|orientation |charge. |consensus of equals. |should be "one person one vote" |

This chart is a culture analysis tool based on the work of Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck (1961). It has been adapted from Tom Gallagher, “The Value Orientations Method: A Tool to Help Understand Cultural Differences.” Journal of Extension 39:6 (Dec. 2001). Available online at .

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