Training and consulting

Geert
Geert Hofstede retired from academia and consulting. He lectures on special occasions in English, Dutch, French or German.

Gert Jan
Gert Jan Hofstede combines  a varied life in academia (see www.ldi.wur.nl)  with occasional invited courses and lectures at conferences and in companies around the world. He has been active for a number of  major multinational companies across several continents. Since he can deliver interactive, challenging lectures in English, Dutch, French and German and has a reasonable command of some other Latin and Nordic languages, he has been happily working with audiences in many countries. The choice of language affects not just the mind but the heart as well; it conveys a strong message of group membership.

Gert Jan likes to work through action learning, e.g. by engaging a public in simulation games or in role-plays. He extended the concept of synthetic cultures created by Paul Pedersen, and his book Exploring Cultures (Intercultural Press 2002; by Gert Jan, Paul Pedersen and Geert) is widely used by trainers in cross-cultural communication.  He also likes to work with the concept of a moral circle, as a culture-carrying unit of social life.

Gert Jan is active in guest roles at universities, in PhD and MBA courses, in lectures for general audiences, and in in-company lectures.

Consulting partners
Numerous consultancies around the world use the work of Geert Hofstede, which is part of the public domain. The quality of their contributions varies widely. Three organizations have our full support based on their extensive experience, professionalism and thorough knowledge of Geert's work. These consultancies have regular contacts on content with Geert and Gert Jan. They are ITAP, headquartered in the U.S.A., itim international, headquartered in Sweden, and itim focus, based in the Netherlands and Finland. They describe themselves as follows:

ITAP
ITAP International, Inc. a full-service consulting firm, helps clients improve organizational performance impacted by cultural differences using approaches based on the research of professor Geert Hofstede. The ITAP International Alliance is a worldwide network of consulting companies that offer the ITAP/Hofstede approach in areas such as:
- Global Organizational Development: Diversity and Inclusion, Global Call Center Development, Global Competency Development, Finance Transformation, Global Leadership Development
- Global Workforce Development: Cross-Cultural Learning and Development, Global Team Development, Ethical Cultures practice,
Global Talent Potential Analysis, and Culture Audits
- Global HRM: Outsourced HR start-up.
ITAP also licenses the Culture in the Workplace Questionnaire™ from Geert Hofstede. This tool allows respondents to discover their own cultural preferences along Hofstede's dimensions and can be useful in comparing teams, departments and organizations. For more information or information about local contacts, please visit our website at www.itapintl.com

itim international
Itim is a global partner for global players. Our culture and management consultants in 25 countries draw on 25 years of experience in improving effectiveness, successfully extending the global reach of companies large and small. Based on the research of professor Geert Hofstede, the itim-group offers clients insight in corporate culture while demonstrating national cultural differences.
We deliver solutions to:
- optimize international teamwork
- improve global co-operation
- find the right balance between standardization and localization
We do this by providing an integrated approach to culture on three levels - national, organizational and individual:
- consultancy and training in intercultural management
- insight into the dynamics of your company via an organization x-ray to identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be
- coaching of key managers on the intricacies of culture and management
For more information or information about local contacts, please visit our website at www.itim.org

itim focus
itim focus applies the results of professor Geert Hofstede's research on organizational cultures. This research should not be confused with his major work on national cultural difference . Itim focus provides change and transformation agents with tools to help their client organizations change in the most focused and cost effective way possible.
In cooperation with Feedbackdialog, an international software company based in Helsinki, Finland, we offer the following tools online:
- Data collection: A quick scan to measure actual organizational culture
- Data collection: A survey to assess optimal organizational culture
- Change tool: Input to define a change strategy based on actual and optimal culture
- Change tool: A set of change levers based on actual and optimal culture
- Change tool: A set of additional selection criteria, next to criteria a client already uses, based on actual and optimal culture
Data collection and change tool: 360 degrees feedback mirrored against optimal culture
For more information, please visit our website at www.itimfocus.com