| Individualistic Cultures
| Collectivistic Cultures
|
| "Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals." (Oscar Wilde)
| "We don't have private property, only degrees of collectivism." (Peter Cajander)
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| a laissez-faire government approach to the economy
| government intervention in business situations to ensure that business practices benefit the group
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Economy
| faster economic growth through innovation
| less economically developed
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developed/ wealthy
| underdeveloped / poor
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modern industries/ urbanization
| more traditional agriculture
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greater social mobility/larger middle class
| less social mobility/smaller middle class
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equity in resource distribution compatible with productivity, competition, and self-gain
| equity in resource distribution associated with solidarity, harmony, and cohesion
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higher ability for coordination and comparative advantage at coordination-intensive production
| higher ability to overcome collective action problems possibly leading to better public good provision
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Politics
| primacy of the individual
| primacy of the group—class, society, or the nation
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higher ability to overcome collective action problems possibly leading to higher efficiency of government organization
| higher demand for political and social stability
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open to institutional innovations and experiments in governance reform decided democratically and reversed democratically in case of failure
| a lower taste for institutional experimentation
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competitive elections to gain power
| political power by interest groups
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laws / the same rights for all
| law / rights depend on the group
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Values
| individual competitiveness and personal achievement
| group competitiveness and group achievement
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self-determination and individual choice
| group or hierarchical decision-making
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postsecondary education
| contributing to the family through wages, housework, etc.
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independent living and self-reliance
| residing with kin, interdependence, and possibly being cared for
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self-respect
| “loss of face”
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behavior is more predictable from attitudes
| behavior is more predictable from norms and roles
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non-intimate and short-term relationships
| intimate and long- term relationships influence of social proof arguments
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Religion/ Ideas
| monotheistic
| polytheistic
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individual conversion
| group conversions
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science/tech seen as matter of fact
| science/tech seen as magic
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Family
| nuclear family
| extended family / tribe
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loose family ties
| a strong sense of obligation toward each other
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Workplace
| staff category (management, professional technical, clerical, manual) are most filled through recruitment agencies, advertisement and direct from educational institution
| staff category (management, professional technical, clerical, manual) are most frequently filled internally
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hiring and promotion based on skill and personal records/ rules
| hiring and promotion based on recommendations of family members, who already work for the company
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more formal recruitment methods
| more informal recruitment methods
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more working hours
| fewer working hours
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attempt to change groups more often and have weaker bonds to them
| more permanent attachment to the group
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performance is more related to ability than effort
| low performance is explained mainly by lack of effort
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more accurate evaluation of the performance of colleagues
| more generous evaluation in-group members
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greater preference for individual-based rewards
| greater preference for team-based rewards
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fight about jobs and trying to climb up in the hierarchy ladder and less caring who will left behind
| trust, harmony and a deep understanding of moral values in the relationship between employer and employee or business partners
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in favour of flexibility in job allocation
| in favour of long term contracts
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Education
| the purpose: to learn how to learn
| the purpose: how to do and acquire the customs and norms of that society in order to function better as an in-group member
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teachers deal with individuals
| teachers deal with groups
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students are encouraged to be self-reliant, competitive, and pursue personal goals
| classroom group activities, teamwork and cooperation
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students are expected to speak up
| students are expected to listen
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