| Common Canadian Value | Contrasting values of some other cultures |
| Directness, honesty, openness People should be open and honest and say what they think, but they should be polite and speak in a way that is condierate of other people's feelings. | Indirectness/ Incresased directness: In many Asian cultures, saving face is most import. In Russia and some Estern European, people are even more direct than in Canada. They see directness as a sign of honesty and respect, but can seem rude to people from less-direct cultures. |
| Equality: All people are equal. | Rank of status: Roles are defined in terms of one person being subordinate or superior to another, as in Russia or China |
| Self-Direction: Employees are often given a task and expected to figure out how to do it. They should be willing to work hard and show initiative. | Hierarchy: Employees are told exactly what to do and how to do it. Cultures such as those in East Asia and South Asia have a steep pyramid. |
| Change: New ideas are often well-received. Many organizations change constantly. | Tradition: In some Asian cultures prople are taught to respect their ancestors and observe the rituals, customs, and beliefs from their past. |
| Time flies: People must save time and be organized, using schedules and time managemenet techniques. In business, it's important to be punctual. | Time walks: In many South America cultures and contries such as Indonesia, people take it easy and don't rush. They have more flexible hours and feel that what isn't done today will get done tomorrow. |
| Short-Term Outlook: Companies focus on short-term goals. They measure success on a quarter-by-quarter basis. | Long-Term Outlook: The Japanese auto industry, for example, has longer-term goals than the North American auto industry. |
| Individualism and Privacy: Repect individual needs, personal property and privacy. | Group: The group's needs are most important. |
| Work: Many people define themselves by the type of work they do. | Being: In the Scandinavian countries, family life in considered more important than work. It's acceptable not to focus on work. |
| Action and Achievement: Action and accomplishment are highly valued. Being productive is a great asset. | Relationship: Relationships are more important than action and accomplishment. In the Middle East, business leader take much longer to get know each other than North Americans do before they conduct business together. |
| Self-improvement: Continued learning is encouraged. | Birthright or Fate: People are born into wealth or poverty as determined by fate. It's difficult to change their positions in society. This view is part of Indian culture, although it's changing in some places. |
| Material goods: Acquiring material possessions is important. Informality: People related in a casual way, often using first names and wear business-casual clothing. There are not many formal rituals. | Spiritualism: Spiritual and intellecture goals are more important than material goods. Formality: People are polite with each other. They dress more conservatively, use formal titles and have many rituals. The British and some Europeans are more formal than North Americans. |