Meet Richard Lewis. A globe-trotting traveler and linguist who speaks ten different languages, Richard has a wealth of experience interacting with people from many different cultures. In 1996, he first published a book called When Cultures Collide. Now, in that book, he presents a model of 3 different predominant cultural types into which people from various countries can be placed.

The first cultural type is called Linear-active. These are people who experience time as being something very real and linear. These people would agree with the idiom, ‘time is money,’ and therefore time is something that can be saved, spent, wasted, and invested. Linear-actives like to plan, schedule, organize, and do one thing at a time. These are punctual people who are cool, direct, and decisive. Their body language is often restrained. The Germans and the Swiss would be examples of Linear-actives.

The second cultural type is called Multi-active. Unlike Linear-actives, these are people who are comfortable doing many things at one time. They are very talkative, and they place importance on relationships. In fact, they often plan their priorities according to the happiness or importance that each appointment gives them rather than a time schedule. Multi-actives are much more flexible and not so punctual when it comes to keeping appointments. They are often emotional and warm people with unrestrained body language. Latin Americans, Arabs, and Southern Europeans fall into this category.

The third cultural type is called Reactive. Reactives are people who place a great priority on courtesy and respect. Reactives are very good listeners and are rarely confrontational. In this sense, they value social harmony and are often group-oriented. They react carefully to situations and see statements as promises. Face-to-face contact is important, while body language is subtle. The Chinese, Japanese, and Finns are examples of Reactive cultures.

Lewis has categorized certain countries as being a mixture of two types. For example, Canada falls in the middle of Reactive and Linear-active, implying that Canadians are better listeners and somewhat less confrontational than Americans, who are much more Linear-active. Likewise, India is a mixture of Multi-active and Reactive, implying that Indians are much more emotional and talkative than many of their Asian counterparts, such as the Chinese, Thai, Koreans, and Malaysians.

Richard Lewis’ model of cultural types provides a unique window into the differences between cultures. Although it might not be spot on all the time, understanding these types could go a long way in avoiding cultural misunderstandings. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that every person is unique and may not fit the mold of a particular category.

Read More:

The Lewis Model – Dimensions of Behaviour

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