I just stumbled upon another interesting and useful tool for expats thanks to Expatify (a great blog resource for expatriates). The tool is the Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions study. It looks at the cultural differences that influence international business in an attempt to facilitate cross-cultural communication. However, it can also be a useful guide for expats to compare cultural differences between their homeland and their adopted country. Read How The 5 Cultural Dimensions Can Help Expatriates on Expatify. Interestingly for me, of course, was the difference between Canada and Belgium. The Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions tool allows you to look at each country separately, or to compare to countries in a simple to read graph format. Here are the results for Canada and Belgium. Canada’s highest ranking is in Individualism. According to the study, this means: “…success is measured by personal achievement. Canadians tend to be self-confident and open to discussions on general topics; however, they hold their personal privacy off limits to all but the closest friends.” Canada also has a low Power Distance ranking, meaning: “…a greater equality between societal levels, including government, organizations, and even within families. This orientation reinforces a cooperative interaction across power levels and [...]