To ensure that training is effective, culture must be taken into serious consideration. Even though no two cultures are alike, there are four basic ways that help to give an explanation of what different cultures may have as expectations. These four dimensions are egalitarianism versus hierarchy, individualism versus collectivism, achievement versus relationship orientation, and loose verses tight structure ("International Business", 2001). Grouping cultures in this way helps us to predict and understand what a trainer or education may need to take into consideration before the training process begins.
Egalitarianism is also referred to as power distance. This refers to the thought that the audience might expect more attention will be paid to what the group has in common or that more attention may be paid to how the group is different. In egalitarian cultures inequalities are minimized. People in these types of cultures expect to learn from each others differences and are more free with dialogue while in the training process. Instructor are thought of as peers or coaches. People within these cultures are not afraid to raise their hands or speak up during training. The most egalitarian countries are Austria, Israel, and Denmark. Most English-speaking countries also fall into this category ("Antecedents and Consequences of Personal Attachment in Cross-Cultural Cooperative Ventures", 2001).
The hierarchical culture is vastly different from the egalitarian culture. In the hierarchical culture trainers are expected to be experts. They expect much more of an instructor. They do not depend on each other to help with the training process. They need a well organized format for training to ensure they are getting benefit from the instructor. They only will give input when called on by the instructor or trainer ("International Business, Multi-Culturalism, and the Internet", 2001).
