Cross- cultural Communication This page intentionally left blank

 Computer- generated profiles
The first step in computer- generated profiling is to pose questions which are 
answered by ticking boxes or responding to yes/no alternatives, or by the 
use of multi- choice questions. A computer- generated report based on your 
profile is then produced.
An example of this method is the CULTURE ACTIVE profile provided by 
Richard Lewis Communications. This is accessed by a password given by 
the Richard Lewis GLOBAL Communications organization, and the user 
completes a questionnaire in three parts containing about 150 questions, 
statements and multiple- choice options. Some of the questions and state-
ments contain contradictions, designed to identify the real personality and 
cultural style of the user and weed out discrepancies. A result of the pro-
gramme is a detailed profile describing the user’s management personality 
and style and recommending adaptability to particular cultural environ-
ments. More details are available at: www.crossculture.com.
Graphic profiling
A significant development in profiling has been the use of graphics to 
represent cultural differences. An interesting experiment was carried out by 
Professor Gilles Spony in his Spony Profiling Model (SPM). This approach 
uses a questionnaire to identify cultural and management style preferences. 
The system then takes your profile and matches it not against specific coun-
tries but against cultural clusters or continents. The profile then provides a 
map to show the area of the world where your cultural style would be most 
acceptable. It also offers a computer- generated report and finally a graphic 
which maps your style against key indicators. This allows people working 
internationally to see at a glance in which part of the world they would best 
fit and also how they might best work in a local organization. For example, 
a user with a strong independent and individual style might find it easier 
to fit into an SME in the USA or Western Europe, but harder to fit into an 
organization or country with a team- player mentality, such as East Asia or 
many multinationals. The value of profiling instruments like the SPM is that 
they offer a graphic illustration of a user’s management style and personality, 
which can be both company and country- based (Spony, 2006).