Cultural Analysis Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck

Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck were two early pioneers in theories about culture. They identified five, and later a sixth, orientations that they claimed culture groups tended towards.

The importance of their work lies in the influence that it has had on the development of theories by later researchers.

The Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck Model

Orientations                                                       Range of variations

What is the nature of people?                          Good

                                                                            Evil

A mix of good and evil

What is the person’s relationship to

nature?                                                              Dominant

In harmony

Subjugation

What is the person’s relationship to

other people?                                                    Linial (hierarchical)

Collateral (collectivist)

Individualist

What is the modality of human activity?         Doing

Being

Containing

What is the temporal focus of human

activity?                                                              Future

Present

Past

What is the conception of space?                   Private

Public

Mixed

 The Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck model is not often applied to current management theories about intercultural communication and relations. However, an understanding of the concepts of their model can be useful for understanding the concepts of later theories, Hofstede and Trompenaars for instance.

If you would like to go into the Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck model in greater depth try the International Association of Cross-cultural Psychology website.

Tags: intercultural communication, Intercultural management