High Collectivism Research Articles

Individualist-collectivist profiles in secondary school: an exploratory study of trait emotional intelligence and academic achievement

An individualist (I) or collectivist (C) cultural orientation affects individuals’ attitudes, behaviours and values. This study aimed to identify the first-year secondary-school students’ I–C profiles and explore their implications for students’ trait emotional intelligence (EI), emotions towards school and academic achievement (GPA) throughout the 3-year secondary-school cycle. A total of 222 secondary-school students (58.6% females; Mage = 15.4; SD = .63 in the 10th grade) were enrolled in a longitudinal study. The cluster analysis identified three distinct I–C profiles: high individualist-low collectivist students, low individualistic-midlevel collectivist students and high individualist–high collectivist students. The results revealed significant differences between the I–C profiles regarding students’ trait EI, emotions towards school and GPA throughout secondary school, in particular favouring the high individualist–high collectivist profile. These findings are discussed based on the practical implications for students’ outcomes in the current secondary school system.

Relationships between lean bundles and firm performance: a meta-analysis on the moderating role of national culture differences

PurposeEvolved from Toyota’s shop floor in Japan, lean bundles are universally accepted for boosting manufacturing performance. However, extant literature shows mixed findings on the effectiveness of lean bundles in non-Japanese settings. This meta-analysis is aimed at understanding the influence of national culture (NC) differences on the lean bundles-performance relationships.Design/methodology/approachA total of 224 effects from 12,569 observations across 48 empirical studies from 14 countries are meta-analyzed. Also, weighted least squares (WLS) meta-regression using NC scores from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) study are conducted to test the moderating effect of NC dimensions.FindingsThe meta-analysis reveals a positive association between the lean bundles and firm performance; though, the strength of the association varies across the individual lean bundles. The meta-regression results show that lean practices are more effective in countries that value high future orientation, high collectivism, low-performance orientation and high assertiveness.Originality/valueThe results contribute to the literature on the role of local cultural influence on strategies and decisions related to the implementation of continuous improvement (CI) programs in cross-cultural settings.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of internalised stigma and stigma resistance in patients with psychosis: The impact of individualism-collectivism culture and other individual factors.

This study aimed to meta-analysis the level of internalised stigma experienced by individuals with psychosis worldwide, and the impact of cultural differences, economic status of the studied regions and duration of illness on their levels of internalised stigma. Clinical and individual level factors associated with internalised stigma and stigma resistance were also systematically reviewed. A systematic search of keywords on two scholarly databases were conducted. The individualism index of the countries or regions where the studies were conducted was retrieved from Hofstede's updated measurement of individualism. Economic status of regions was categorised based on their per capita gross national income. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were conducted using the 'metafor' package in R. Factors associated with internalised stigma and stigma resistance were also systematically consolidated. Seventy-three articles were included in the meta-analysis and the pooled score of both internalised stigma and stigma resistance of individuals with psychosis were within the mild range (2.20 and 2.44, respectively). The meta-regression analysis found high collectivism culture is significantly related to a higher level of internalised stigma. Economic status was not significant. Thirty-five articles were included in the systematic review and clinical, psychological, psychosocial variables, cognition and sociodemographic factors were found to be associated with internalised stigma. Internalised stigma in psychosis is ubiquitous worldwide and high collectivism culture may be related with high internalised stigma. With the presence of multiple individual factors related to internalised stigma, intervention programmes to reduce internalised stigma should consider focussing on both macro- and micro-level factors.

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Thailand.

The purpose of this study was to understand the associations of Thai parents' cultural values (i.e., individualism, collectivism and conformity) with parenting behaviour (i.e., warmth, autonomy granting, rules/limit-setting, knowledge solicitation and expectations regarding children's family obligations) and children's adjustment (i.e., internalising and externalising problems). These data were collected via child, mother and father reports when the children were 10 years old, on average. Mothers' individualism was correlated with more parental autonomy granting. Fathers' individualism was correlated with higher maternal expectations regarding children's family obligations. Parents' higher collectivism was correlated with more with parental warmth. Mothers' higher collectivism was also correlated with more parental knowledge solicitation, and fathers' higher collectivism was also associated with mothers' and fathers' higher expectations regarding children's family obligations. Fathers' higher conformity values were correlated with more parental autonomy granting and with fewer child internalising and externalising behaviours. However, after controlling for child gender, parent education and the other cultural values, mothers' and fathers' collectivism remained the only significant cultural value predicting parenting behaviours. Results advance understanding of relations between cultural values of Thai mothers and fathers and their parenting behaviours and children's adjustment.

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Sweden.

To examine whether mothers' and fathers' individualism, collectivism and conformity values are significantly related to parenting behaviours and child adjustment during middle childhood, mothers (n = 95), fathers (n = 72) and children (n = 98) in Sweden were interviewed when children were, on average, 10 years old. Mothers' collectivism was significantly correlated with mothers' and fathers' higher expectations for children's family obligations. Fathers' collectivism was significantly correlated with mothers' and fathers' higher warmth and with fathers' higher expectations for children's family obligations. Fathers' conformity values were significantly correlated with fewer child internalising problems. Fathers' higher collectivism was associated with more paternal warmth even after taking into account the other cultural values, child gender and fathers' education. Our findings indicate that individual-level cultural values are correlated with some aspects of parenting and child adjustment in Sweden.

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Jordan.

This study examined associations between maternal and paternal cultural values (individualism, collectivism and conformity) and parenting dimensions (warmth, psychological control, autonomy granting, rule setting, knowledge solicitation and family obligations) and children's adjustment (internalising and externalising behaviours) in 113 families with children (Mage = 10.8 years) recruited from Zarqa, Jordan. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to examine study question. Results revealed that mothers' individualism was positively correlated with more maternal warmth, more rules/limit-setting and fathers' and children's perceptions regarding children's greater family obligations. Fathers' individualism was not significantly correlated with any parenting or child adjustment variables. Mothers' and fathers' higher collectivism was correlated with more maternal and paternal warmth, respectively; however, mothers' and fathers' higher conformity values were not significantly correlated with any parenting or child adjustment variables. Mothers' collectivism was not associated with any parenting or child adjustment variables after taking into account the other cultural values, child gender and mothers' education; however, fathers' higher collectivism was associated with more paternal warmth, fathers' higher expectations for children's family obligations and less child internalising behaviour. The findings have implications for understanding how cultural values are related to parenting and children's adjustment in Jordan.

Measuring the Interdisciplinarity and Collaboration Perceptions of U.S. Scientists, Engineers, and Educators

Interdisciplinarity has the potential to lead to more innovation and advances in knowledge than are possible from a single discipline. Yet, little is known about interdisciplinary collaborations and the perceptions of those involved. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions of U.S. faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students involved in education and science/engineering collaborations. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for two modified scales, Collaboration Perceptions (CP; n = 117; 17 items; α = .923) and Interdisciplinarity Perceptions (IP; n = 119; 11 items; α = .852). Participants’ perceptions of collaboration and interdisciplinarity were strongly positive and did not significantly differ based on demographic factors (e.g., gender, discipline, role). Perceptions were influenced by collectivist orientation; the high collectivism group had significantly more positive perceptions of collaboration and interdisciplinarity, and collectivist orientation was positively and significantly correlated with CP and IP scores. Implications and recommendations for interdisciplinary collaborations will be discussed.

Cultural Identity, Meaning Search, and Life Satisfaction: Collectivism as a Moderator

This study sought to clarify the mixed correlations between meaning search and life satisfaction observed among participants from collectivist cultures and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. It was hypothesized that cultural identity may predict greater meaning search, and the effect of meaning search on life satisfaction may be moderated by individual-level collectivism. These hypotheses were tested with a cross-sectional design (Study 1) and a longitudinal design (Study 2). Study 1 (n = 954) revealed that cultural identity was associated with higher meaning search, and higher meaning search was associated with greater life satisfaction; collectivism moderated the latter association. Study 2 (n = 158) tested two types of meaning search: constructive meaning search and ruminative meaning search. Results from the half-longitudinal mediation analyses showed that T1 cultural identity positively predicted T2 constructive meaning search, and T1 constructive meaning search positively predicted T2 life satisfaction; these results did not hold for ruminative meaning search. Moderation analyses, again, demonstrated a moderating role of collectivism. As such, the positive relationship between meaning search and life satisfaction was held among participants with low collectivism, but not among those with high collectivism. This research echoes the call for testing accessible cultural mindsets and highlights the necessity of doing so.

The impact of normative institutions on socially sustainable supply chain management: the role of individual cultural values

PurposeDrawing on institutional theory, this study investigates the role of individual cultural values on the adoption of socially sustainable supply chain management (socially SSCM) for Chinese suppliers facing the normative institutional pressures of guanxi (interpersonal relationships).Design/methodology/approachUsing empirical data collected in three waves from 205 Chinese manufacturers supplying international markets, the proposed theoretical model is tested through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that guanxi has a positive impact on socially SSCM, and this positive effect is strengthened when the individual cultural values of the supplier's representative embody high collectivism and low uncertainty avoidance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the leading role of guanxi in improving socially SSCM practices due to its normative institutional force. In addition, the findings suggest that future studies should consider individual differences in supply chain partners, which may lead to distinct reactions when facing normative institutional pressures.Practical implicationsThis study suggests international buyers should adopt guanxi management with their Chinese suppliers to encourage them to adopt socially SSCM. In addition, managers should note that the guanxi strategy is more effective when the supplier's representative collectivism is high and uncertainty avoidance is low.Originality/valueThis study contributes to socially SSCM research in emerging economies by unveiling the role of guanxi as a key driver of socially SSCM in the Chinese market and providing empirical evidence of the moderating effect of individual culture on the guanxi normative institutionalization process.

Stuttering experience of people in China: A cross-cultural perspective

PurposeThis study uses the Simplified Chinese version of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering for Adults (OASES-A-SC) to examine the stuttering experience of people in China and determine if there are differences between the data collected in China and other countries. MethodsA total of 139 responses to the OASES-A-SC were collected in an online self-help community of people in China who stutter. Descriptive analyses were conducted to obtain the understanding of how stuttering impacts the life experience of people in China who stutter. Comparisons were conducted regarding the groups of gender, highest education, and therapy history. Cross-cultural comparisons among the data collected from China, Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, and the USA were also conducted. ResultsThe data for the OASES-A-SC showed a skewed distribution toward the severe end of the OASES-A impacting scale. About 93.5% participants rated the overall impact of stuttering on their life at and above the “Moderate” category. The mean scores of the General Information, Reaction to Stuttering, and Qualify of Life sections fell in the moderate-to-severe category. Compared with the data in other five countries, the Chinese data were significantly higher in the impact severity level. ConclusionThe results showed that people in China who stutter have more adverse experiences related to stuttering compared with their counterparts in western or developed countries. Higher negative attitudes toward stuttering in China, social stigma against people with disabilities, and the fewer professional supports were discussed to be associated with this more adverse experience. Cultural differences such as a greater power distance and higher collectivism in Chinese culture were considered to be associated with the elevated level of adverse impact of stuttering in China.

Do national culture and economic freedom affect bank risk-taking behavior? Evidence from GCC countries

PurposeThe global financial crisis of 2008 has put greater doubt on the bank risk-management effectiveness around the world. As a part of the response to such doubt, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is formulating some feasible approaches to manage bank risk. In this regard, an understanding of the role of the region’s culture and economic freedom will provide immense input into this risk management approach. This study examines the impact of national culture and economic freedom on bank risk-taking behavior.Design/methodology/approachData on bank risk measures, culture and economic freedom are obtained from the FitchConnect, World Bank database, Hofstede’s insights and Heritage Foundation. Generalized least squares and two step-system generalized method of moments are then used to examine the risk-taking behavior of the region.FindingsBanks of the GCC region operating in the low power distance, high collectivism, masculine and low uncertainty avoidance cultures are susceptible to assuming more operational and insolvency risks. Furthermore, banks’ overall risk-taking inclination is positively increased once the region has considerable business and monetary freedom.Practical implicationsThe governments and bank regulatory bodies may benefit from the study findings by developing the best economic freedom index and national culture that enriches risk management practices and curves excessive risk-taking inclination.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to address the interplay among culture, economic freedom and bank risk to ensure constructive risk-taking behavior for the GCC banking industry.

Comparative analysis of the influence of Chinese urban and rural family cultures on household financial asset allocation.

Despite the national strategic priority to achieve common prosperity, there still exist prominent discrepancies in financial asset allocation between Chinese urban and rural families, which requires a deeper, more comprehensive investigation. To fill this gap, the present research adopted a cultural perspective to investigate relevant issues by addressing the cognitive differences of residents between urban and rural families. Under the analytical framework of Hofstede's cultural values, this paper discusses the cognitive differences between urban and rural families in terms of financial asset allocation in the cultural dimensions of collectivism, individualism and uncertainty avoidance; hypotheses are accordingly developed. In terms of research methods, the data of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) were used in the probit model to investigate the influence of urban and rural family cultural differences on household financial asset allocation. The results of this paper are as follows: (1) family cultural values have a positive impact on family financial asset allocation; (2) knowledge acquisition plays an intermediary role in family cultural values and family financial asset allocation; (3) and for rural families with high collectivism and uncertainty avoidance, the mediating effect is more prominent. This paper provides a new perspective for exploring the possibility of household asset allocation from the perspective of cultural psychology. The contribution of this paper have theoretical and practical reference significance to narrow the wealth gap between urban and rural areas and achieve common prosperity.

When gullibility becomes us: exploring the cultural roots of Indonesians’ susceptibility to investment fraud

PurposeThis paper aims to explore various cultural and behavioral issues associated with the problem of investment fraud in Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachBy examining multiple cases of investment fraud in Indonesia as well as reviewing publicly available government reports, this study highlights several important cultural and behavioral issues associated with the susceptibility of Indonesian financial services consumers to investment fraud to understand better the dynamics of the victimization process. By using multiple cultural and behavioral theories, this study demonstrates how such issues shape the interactions between investment fraudsters and investment fraud victims.FindingsThis study demonstrates that multiple cultural and behavioral factors have created and shaped an environment where fraudsters can exploit people’s behavioral loopholes for their fraudulent schemes. In particular, the high power distance and high collectivism have been identified by this study as contributing to the high level of materialism in the country, which in turn makes people more susceptible to the temptation of get-rich-quick schemes. Investment fraudsters, being students of human behavior, use their behavioral knowledge to devise various means to deceive their victims. They use multiple psychological principles to stimulate target victims “gullibility to make them more vulnerable to fraudulent persuasion. In many cases, even financially literate people are not immune to fraudsters” deceitful messages. This study highlights gullibility production as a foundation for investment fraudsters to devise their means by which victims are manipulated to accept certain beliefs that depart from facts and evidence.Practical implicationsThis paper contributes to the innovation in anti-fraud practice by building a better understanding of multiple cultural and behavioral issues associated with investment fraud victimization.Originality/valueThis paper brings a new perspective into the field of anti-fraud to stimulate innovation, in particular in investment fraud prevention.

Suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic: Uncovering demographic and regional variation in the United States and associations with unemployment and depression

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened risk factors for suicide globally. Using prominent sociocultural theories of suicide, we investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected suicide rates differently across demographic groups and regions in the United States of America. In Study 1, we found that after 2020 suicide rates increased especially among young Black and Alaskan Native populations. Conditional process analyses were conducted to shed light on racial disparities in the temporal impact of unemployment on suicide from 2018 to 2021. The results showed that suicides among younger Asians and Blacks were affected by the surge in unemployment, whereas Whites, especially the older population, benefitted from the increased unemployment. In Study 2, we explored the regional variation in the temporal associations between suicide, unemployment, and depression across the 50 U.S. states from 2019 to 2021 taking into account pre-pandemic between-state conditions. Multilevel regression analyses showed that urbanism (characterized by low firearm proportion, high income, high cultural looseness, and high population density) but not social integration (characterized by low social capital, high collectivism, and high southerness), partially explained the regional variation in the temporal pattern of suicide rates. We also found that in states with already high depression levels, the temporal increase in depression predicted increases in suicide from 2019 to 2021, whereas it had minimal impact in states with low average depression. We emphasize the need for future theories to consider longitudinal designs and highlight two key takeaways: (1) the pandemic reshaped racial disparities in suicide, and (2) the temporal effects brought by the national crisis on suicide patterns depended on existing between-state differences.

Effect of empowering leadership on work engagement via psychological empowerment: Moderation of cultural orientation

Employee empowerment can lead to work engagement; however, this process may be influenced by employees' cultural values and beliefs. This quantitative study focused on the efficacy of employee empowerment in organisational management practices and performance within the Chinese cultural setting. Specifically, we examined the impacts of empowering leadership on work engagement, with psychological empowerment functioning as a mediator and cultural orientation as a moderator. Based on a sample of 498 frontline employees in five upscale or luxury hotels in Beijing, China, findings revealed that empowering leadership was positively correlated with work engagement and psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between empowering leadership and work engagement. Chinese hotel frontline employees generally perceived a low power distance orientation and high collectivist orientation in the workplace. Power distance orientation was the only moderator of the effect of empowering leadership on psychological empowerment. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.

The Impacts of Traditional Culture on Small Industries Longevity and Sustainability: A Case on Sundanese in Indonesia

This study investigates traditional culture as one of the factors of the longevity and cross-generation sustainability of Sundanese small industries in Indonesia. The failure rate of small industries in Indonesia is high, and thus, this study is critical. We mapped the relationship between Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, longevity, and business sustainability in ten selected Sundanese small industries surviving up to three generations. Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and company data. The results revealed that the strength of Sundanese cultural traditions, including high long-term orientation, high collectivism, low power distance, and high indulgences, positively contribute to the longevity of small industries in Indonesia. In addition, the social performance of Sundanese entrepreneurs is mainly based on their religious values and a highly collectivist culture; educational experience also affects their environmental performance. This study highlights the need to understand the traditional culture, which can play an essential role in achieving business longevity but also can present some limitations, especially in terms of economic performance. Therefore, to create a sustainable small industry, efforts are needed to change the mindset of Sundanese entrepreneurs to be more open to an innovative global culture while maintaining local values that positively contribute to business.

Managing Affective Commitment to Change in Public Sector Organization of Pakistan: A Social Exchange Perspective

Literature on organizational development is well-stocked with researches advocating change as a universal remedy for organizational survival and success. However, the importance of eliciting positive employees’ response during change lacks attention. Considering the crucial role of managing employees’ positive change reactions in public sector organizations, the current study highlights the role of High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) in fostering affective commitment to change (ACTC) in culturally diverse employees’ along with its interlinking mechanisms. Based on Social Exchange perspective, we hypothesized that employees’ perceptions of the nature of exchange mediates the relationship between HPWS-Affective commitment to change. More specifically, we proposed a moderating mediation model outlining how individual’s cultural orientation might play a significant role in influencing the nature of exchange which in turn may predict the dynamics of HPWS-employees’ affective commitment to change relationship. A sample of 591 full-time employees from the largest public-sector bank of Pakistan undergoing Privatization were surveyed. The results reveal the positive impact of High performance work systems on affective commitment to change. Moreover, employees’ perceptions of social exchange mediate the positive relationship between HPWS and Affective CTC. However, this underpinning mechanism is stronger for employees scoring high collectivism and low power distance orientation and vice versa. The study contributes to the literature through examining the intermediatory mechanism and boundary conditions under which the positive impact of HPWS- Affective CTC might prove to be more effective. Finally, both practical and theoretical implications are discussed in the light of results obtained followed by future directions.

A multigroup SEM analysis of the antecedents and moderating influence of culture on workplace deviance behavior

PurposeAntecedents and outcomes of workplace deviance have been studied over the past few decades but there is still a lack of research from an organizational climate, witness and cultural point of view. Theoretical considerations for the present research are based on the social cognitive theory perspective where the authors expect employees's involvement in workplace destructive deviance would depend on their organizational climate perception, witness behavior and cultural orientation.Design/methodology/approachA total of 987 participants from India (N = 404) and USA (N = 583) completed an online questionnaire, and multi-group structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model.FindingsAcross cultural groups, higher collectivism is associated with lower engagement in workplace deviance. Furthermore, employees' higher intervening witness behavior is associated with lower destructive deviant behaviors when employees showed higher endorsement of collectivism in India (not USA). However, employees' higher self-serving witness behavior is associated with higher destructive deviant behaviors. Interestingly, employees with higher endorsement of individualism associated with organizational climate are more likely to engage in destructive deviance.Originality/valueThe main originality of this study is to further increase the understanding of the relationship between organizational climate, witness behavior (self-serving and intervening behavior) and workplace deviance (organizational and interpersonal destructive deviance) considering the role of employees' cultural orientation (individualism vs collectivism).

Team Leader’s Conflict Management Style and Team Innovation Performance in Remote R&D Teams—With Team Climate Perspective

Remote work has become a new way of working due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which inevitably aggravates team conflicts caused by cognitive differences given the lack of face-to-face communication. With a team climate perspective, this paper investigates the impact of the team leader’s conflict management style on team innovation performance in remote R&D teams in China based on social cognition theory and two-dimension theory. A theoretical model is constructed which describes the mediating effect of team psychological safety and the moderating impact of team trust. Paired data from 118 remote R&D teams in China including 118 leaders and 446 members were collected. The results show that team leader’s cooperative conflict management style is conducive to enhancing team psychological safety and further effectively improves team innovation performance. Therefore, team psychological safety has a mediating effect between team leader’s cooperative conflict management style and team innovation performance. In addition, team trust has a negative moderating effect between team leader’s cooperative conflict management style and team psychological safety. Besides, this study obtains some valuable culture-related insights and provides more views for conflict management research in the cross-cultural context since the samples in this study are from China, a society with high collectivism, which is different from the western cultural context from which many conflict management theories develop.

Exploring Relationship Between Workplace Bullying and Healthcare Organization’s Well-being: Mechanism of Psychological Contract Violation and Forgiveness

The article is an investigative study drawn on the grounded theory approach, envisaging the relation between workplace bullying and employee behavioural outcomes among resident doctors in Indian healthcare organizations. Using an interpretative paradigm, the authors explored underlying psychological mechanisms among 48 participant doctors in light of India’s unique culture characterized by power distance and high collectivism. Findings suggest that the prevalence of bullying in Indian healthcare organizations impacts employee behavioural outcomes emerging as a major challenge in healthcare management. The authors further exhibit restricted or non-violation of resident doctors’ psychological contracts towards such diabolic acts at work due to the development of passive feelings in light of learned helplessness. The current study establishes that Indian resident doctors are less pretentious, and the protestations against supervisory mistreatment are subdued even before joining the medical profession. Indian kids being fostered with relationship-focused values, namely tolerance, patience and respect towards their elders/seniors from a very tender age develop feelings of passivity, which might result in limited or no violation of their psychological contract. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, forgiveness emerged as a coping mechanism in pernicious work culture, providing uniqueness to study. This qualitative research study promulgates the unique response mechanism of workplace bullying in the Indian context. The study results open new gateways to empirically analyse the relationship between bullying-response mechanisms in developing economies. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed in the present research study.