Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Cultures
Emmanuel Martinez
Individualism vs. Collectivism
The Self
Individualism vs. Collectivism
At Work
- Participative Leadership and Authoritarian Leadership
Collectivism and Individualism
Individualism in the U.S.
- Direct interaction
- Competitive Environment
Collectivism in Asian cultures:
- Preserve harmony
- Not as direct
Persons with individualistic orientations
- Conceive of the individual as the basic social unit
- Make individual goals a priority
- Link success and individual achievement
Persons with collectivistic orientations
- Conceive of the family/group as the basic social unit
- Make interdependence/group goals a priority
- Link success and group achievement
- Collectivism and Individualism strongly influence cultures.
- Individualist cultures, such as the United States and Western Europe, emphasize personal achievement resulting in a strong sense of competition.
- Collectivist cultures, such as China, Korea, and Japan, emphasize family and work group goals above individual needs or desires.
Individualism vs. Collectivism
The Self
Finally
Idiocentric orientation: An orientation displayed by people who are primarily individualistic in their ways of thinking and behaving.
Allocentric orientation: A perspective displayed by people who are primarily collectivistic in their thinking and behaving.
For the members of collectivistic cultures, the self is not the center of the universe. For them, the group—not the individual—is the primary social unit.
Where individualistic cultures link success with personal achievement, collectivistic cultures link it to group cohesion and loyalty.
- Care should be taken against categorizing people from any culture.
- Understanding that every culture is different is key to building proper relationships