Collectivism Research Articles

Students’ Decision-Making at the University Level: A Phenomenological Study

Students’ decision making is a dynamic and complex process. A number of quantitative studies have identified the elements that play their role in this process, particularly in the contexts of the developed regions. However, in the developing countries, especially in the countries of South-Asian region where collectivist societies exist, such studies occur in a very negligible number. To fill this gap, the present study explored the elements that are perceived to affect undergraduate and graduate students’ decision making on academic as well as non-academic contexts. Given that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, understanding their decision making may contribute in anticipating the nature of decisions they would make in the future. To understand this phenomenon, interpretive phenomenological analysis was used. The study found two major themes – personal elements, and external elements. The discussion on these themes and their sub-themes highlight that students make decisions centered on consequences such as loss of position and prestige, fear of individual punishments. Students decision making were also found to reiterate the theory of utilitarianism and relative truth theory.

Strain in a Collectivist Society: An Assessment of Agnew’s Asian General Strain Theory in South Korea

Strain in a Collectivist Society: An Assessment of Agnew’s Asian General Strain Theory in South Korea

Shame and anger differentially predict disidentification between collectivistic and individualistic societies.

In the present research we tested the differential effects of anger versus shame as emotional predictors of ingroup disidentification in one rather collectivistic (Japan) and two rather individualistic societies (Germany, Canada). We tested the idea that individuals cope with socially undesired emotions by disidentifying from their group. Specifically, we predicted that after a group conflict, anger, an undesired emotion in Japan, would elicit disidentification in Japan, whereas shame, an undesired emotion in Canada and Germany, would elicit disidentification in Germany and Canada. Study 1 (N = 378) found that anger, but not shame, was related to disidentification in Japan, whereas shame, but not anger, was related to disidentification in Canada and Germany. Study 2 (N = 171) shows that, after group conflict, Japanese disidentified more when imagining to feel angry, whereas Germans disidentified more when imagining to feel ashamed. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Individualism-Collectivism and COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors in Young Adults: The Indirect Effects of Psychological Distress and Pandemic Fears

Stemming on the theoretical framework of individualism-collectivism, this study aims to interpret COVID-19 prevention behaviors in young adults in the light of cultural orientations, hypothesizing the mediating role of two pandemic affects (i.e., fear for COVID-19 consequences and psychological distress during pandemic). Participants were 296 young adults living in Italy (Mage = 23.96, SDage = 3.04; 79.7% women), who completed an online anonymous survey. Data were gathered from December 2020 to May 2021. A path analysis model explored direct and indirect relationships among study variables. Psychological distress significantly reduced the compliance with prevention measures, whereas pandemic fears increased it. The collectivistic orientations (Vertical Collectivism and Horizontal Collectivism) positively predicted prevention behaviors via increasing pandemic fears. The egalitarian dimensions (Horizontal Individualism and Horizontal Collectivism) were positive predictors of compliance via reducing psychological distress during pandemic. Finally, Vertical Individualism was a risk factor that negatively predicted prevention behaviors both directly and indirectly, via increasing psychological distress. The results provide new insights into the emotional mechanisms that link individualism and collectivism orientations to COVID-19 prevention behaviors, with interesting implications for public health policies, prevention, and future research.

Predicting attitudes toward mitigation interventions and social distancing behaviors at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

ABSTRACT Aim The goal of this research was to assess the influence of adult attachment, personality, and cultural orientation on social distancing and attitudes toward COVID-19 mitigation interventions. Methods Survey data was collected across two samples (NMTurk = 201, Nsnowball = 242) in the US from April 29 to May 11, 2020. Adult attachment was assessed via the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Short Form (ECR-S; Wei, M., Russell, D. W., Mallinckrodt, B., & Vogel, D. L. (2007). The experiences in close relationship scale (ECR)-short form: Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 88(2), 187–204), personality was assessed via the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B. (2003). A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(6), 504–528), cultural orientation was assessed via the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (Triandis, H. C., & Galfand, M. J. (1998). Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(1), 118–128), and social distancing and attitudes toward mitigation interventions were assessed via self-report measures developed for this assessment. Results In the MTurk sample, agreeableness (β = .19) and conscientiousness (β = .26) predicted positive mitigation intervention attitudes. Agreeableness (β = .24) and vertical collectivism (β = .25) positively predicted social distancing, while attachment anxiety (β = −.32) and vertical individualism (β = −.32) negatively predicted social distancing. In our snowball sample, residing primarily in New York, openness (β = .18) and horizontal collectivism (β = .16) predicted positive intervention attitudes, while horizontal individualism (β = −.20) predicted negative attitudes. Social contact in this sample was low and not associated with predictor variables. In both samples, mitigation attitudes and social distancing were only moderately correlated. Implications Our findings highlight the inherent inconsistency between attitudes and behaviors as well as the potential impact of mandated interventions on both attitudes and behavior.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE MODERN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

The process of digitalization of social reality, including education, is investigated. The active development of electronic and digital technologies, aff ecting all spheres of social existence, has a signifi cant impact on human educational activity, which, in turn, corresponds to the existing model of the world. The diff erence between the two models of the world in which knowledge is formed is shown. The metaphysical model of the world determines the individualistic type of society and highlights the ability of the individual as a cognizing subject to arbitrarily construct social reality, revealing only the consumer properties of the surrounding world. In the metaphysical model of the world, education acts as a tool for constructing social reality. The dialectical model of the world determines the collectivist type of society, revealing the completeness and perfection of the world. The statement of the collectivist type of social relations is based on the universal connection of historical and social experience, revealing the degrees of cognition and self-knowledge. In the dialectical model of the world, education refl ects the viability of a collectivist society, the level of development of the cognizing subject, and the perfection of social relations. It is established that in modern society, education, thanks to the development and active introduction of digital technologies, develops according to the metaphysical model of the world, revealing the consumer properties of objective reality.

Factors Influencing the Conversion of Ngiturkana People in Turkana County to Islam

This study investigated factors that contributed to Christian conversion to Islam among Ngiturkana people. Islam has been on record as the religion that is spreading at a faster rate in the world and attracting a lot of people from other religious backgrounds and cultures. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the conversion of Ngiturkana people. The question this research intended to answer was what reason Ngiturkana Christians give for their conversion to Islam? The findings of this research reveal that there exists no single cohesive pattern that describes converts of Islam from Christianity. The study also reveals that there is denominational pluralism where some are from Catholic Church and others were Protestants. This appears to create a huge dissonance among young people due to different practices such as the place of Mary and the additional Books of the Bible. This research gives credence to Wayne Gruden’s conclusion that religious conversion involves adopting a new sort of belief. It is critical to notice that the converts recounted adopted a new set of beliefs and abandoned the religious beliefs they previously clung to. All the converts in this study neglected their fidelity Christianity and its related practices and chose to adopt Islam. The findings of this research also conclude that the experiences of converts are not specific to Christianity. The experiences are not the exclusive sphere of Christian conversion. Christians should have awareness and come up with alternative explanations of conversion. Also, Christians converting to Islam reported felt needs as leading to their conversion. This is also not a preserve of Christianity since it goes both ways. The converts in this study reveal an individualistic mindset even though they came from a collectivist society. Collectivist and individualistic personalities or cultures play a role in religious motives. In view of these findings there is a need for the church to develop the knowledge and skills of pastors. From the interviews, it is evident that pastors could not convince those who attended debates between Christians and Muslims. Pastors and church leaders therefore need training through introducing theological studies to teach them on church doctrines. Churches should conduct workshops and seminars to sensitize members on the significance of spreading the gospel to the Muslims and defend their faith. There is need for return and revival of biblical theology through Bible studies in the church and the Sunday schools for discipleship.

REVIEW: Exposing problems Muslim immigrants face in NZ

How To Be A Bad Muslim and Other Essays, by Mohamed Hassan. Auckland: Penguin/Random House, 2022. 208 pages. ISBN 9780143776215.
 This is a collection of 19 short essays by Mohamed Hassan, an award-winning poet and international journalist. He was born in Cairo, but moved to Auckland, New Zealand, at the age of eight. This personal history underlies much of his writing: his fond memories of Egypt and its collectivist society and extended families, versus his adolescence as a migrant with a clearly identifiable Muslim name in individualist New Zealand. After 9/11, suspicions deepened and Muslims were subject to collective guilt and racial profiling, despite that fact that Muslims around the world condemned the attacks.

“The world’s in crisis… and us?” Teacher training in a collectivist society during the COVID-19

“The world’s in crisis… and us?” Teacher training in a collectivist society during the COVID-19

Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic: A socio-cultural insight into Pakistan.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals around the world were driven by universal values of solidarity and duty to provide care. However, local societal norms and existing healthcare systems influenced interactions among physicians, and with patients and their families. An exploratory qualitative study design using in-depth interviews was undertaken with physicians working at two public sector hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Using the constant comparison method of data analysis, several key themes were identified highlighting norms of kinship and interdependencies characteristic of collectivistic societies that influenced professional interactions. The role of seniors in the hierarchical society of Pakistan played a major role in provision of care. Physicians reported numerous challenges in dealing with patients and their families amidst public denial fueled due to ill-formed government policies. This included interruption of funeral rites which undermined public trust. The study provides insights into the local moral world of two healthcare institutions in Pakistan.

The relationship between perceived school climate, academic engagement, and emotional competence among Chinese students: The moderating role of collectivism

While previous studies have recognized the linkage between school climate and student outcomes, little is known about the underlying mechanism. Traditional cultural values play a significant role in governing the school experience in collectivistic societies, but their influence has rarely been considered. The present study aimed to examine the association of perceived school climate with academic engagement and emotional competence and investigate the moderating role of conformity to norms and collectivism. A sample of 3020 secondary school students in China was included in the study. The results showed that perceived school climate was positively associated with academic engagement and emotional competence. Identification and participation in school mediated the association of perceived school climate with student outcomes. Adherence to collectivism moderated the association of perceived school climate with student outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of fostering a sense of school identification and considering the influence of collectivistic values in Chinese educational settings. Educational relevance statementThe study has implications for school interventions aimed at improving students’ academic engagement and emotional competence. Considering identification and participation in school as a mediating mechanism provides a basis for the design and implementation of school climate interventions. The results also imply that the positive influence of school climate may further be enhanced by cultivating collectivistic values. Pedagogical approaches emphasizing cooperation should be introduced to promote collaboration and interdependence among Chinese students.

An investigation of the impact of sustainability drivers and transformative mediators on green buying behavior in the US and Brazil

PurposeThis study compares the impact of three drivers of sustainability behavior (perceived quality, social influences, and online education) and three transformative mediators (price value, attitude, and environmental knowledge) in influencing green buying behavior in a developed versus a developing country.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a self-administered online survey in the United States (n = 195) and in Brazil (n = 209). The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling software. Multi-group analysis was conducted to compare the impact of drivers and mediators on consumers' intention and willingness to buy green products and services between the two country groups.FindingsThe direct effects of price value, attitude, online education, and environmental knowledge, together with the indirect effects of perceived quality, social influence, and online education explain a significant amount of variation in driving consumer sustainability behavior in both countries. Differences between countries indicate that cultural and country's level of economic development moderate some relationships in the model. Affordable prices and social influences are stronger in Brazil.Practical implicationsOrganizations must educate consumers on relevant socio-ecological issues and communicate the positive aspects of their sustainable offerings as a proactive way to change consumers' attitude toward sustainability behavior, while recognizing the influence of family and friends in collectivist societies and price value in emerging markets.Originality/valueThis study is unique in drawing from three theories of green buying behavior and for empirically demonstrating the importance of distinct drivers and mediators under the context of countries in different stages of economic development (developed and developing). It provides a more global perspective on the topic and highlights the influential power of the key transformative mediators in the model.

China’s Management Practices: An Analysis of HRM and GSCM Practices

China has flourished as a collectivistic society since ancient times and hence has adopted various management practices as a routine of life. Having suffered from centuries of anarchy in political, economic and military spheres, which culminated into occupation by foreign forces and transformation of a prosperous economy into a semi colonial and semi feudal society ( ban zhimindi ban fengjian shehui), China chose to establish a command economy and a culture of ‘iron rice bowls’ ( tie fan wan). However with the reforms, the concept of management underwent a radical change as the culture of ‘iron rice bowls’ ( tie fan wan) gave way to ‘golden rice bowls’ ( jin fan wan). The metaphorical rice was now not an imperative, but a choice, if one was ready for the rapid market and ‘reform and opening up’ ( gaige kaifang). The next phase of transition in China’s management practices came with the phenomenal rise of China’s economy, its increasing integration with the globalized world and its arrival on the international scenario as an ‘inside player’ rather than an ‘outside observer’. On the flip side, this also meant that the ‘outside world’ could now have an insight into what China did within its territorial boundaries and many fingers were raised on China’s various management practices especially related to labour and environment issues. Hence, this article focuses on management practices related to these two issues only. This hypothesis of this article is that the concept of management, though western, is not a foreign idea for China. It tries to draw a general framework of the various HRM (human resources management) and GSCM (green supply chain management) practices. The article attempts to draw synchronization between China’s past and the present for its future. Likewise, an analysis shall be made by comparing the difference between state-owned enterprises which are the remnants of a socialistic system infused with ‘Chinese characteristics’ and joint ventures when one of the parties is from a foreign nation to China.

Analysis of Parents' Metaphors Regarding the Concepts of Mother, Father, Child and Individual in Terms of Parental Involvement

The present study explores parents' mental images and understandings of the concepts of "child," "individual," "mother," and "father" through metaphor analysis. The primary objective of this study is to uncover parents' implicit attitudes about these concepts in order to contribute to parental involvement initiatives undertaken by school leaders. The research was conducted with 174 parents. The metaphors were evaluated using content analysis method. A total of 468 codes were evaluated based on 10 themes, and the findings were interpreted in terms of parental involvement. The study presents several significant findings. Parents generated fewer metaphors for the concept of "individual" compared to "child," possibly influenced by collectivist tendencies. Both autonomy-enhancing and controlling parenting tendences were revealed about parents' attitudes. Metaphors that reflect controlling tendences downplay individuals' unique traits, reflecting the emphasis on community needs in collectivist societies. Metaphors related to motherhood emphasize nurturance and sacredness, while those related to fatherhood highlight protection and guidance, aligning with cultural gender roles. There is less emphasis on the loving aspect of parenting. Overall, these findings can be utilized by educational leaders and researchers working in similar domains, providing valuable insights into parental perspectives and contributing to the enhancement of parental involvement practices.

The Impact of Social Media Relationships on e-WOM in Syria and Hungary

Cultural values play a crucial role in the formation of individuals’ behaviour. With the emergence of social networking sites, which have formed a parallel world to the real world, the behaviour of individuals and their motives to engage in electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on social media platforms has become extremely important for brands. Due to a relative lack in studies focusing on the cultural difference-based impact of social relationships on eWOM in social media, the present study seeks to address this gap as its broad objective is to investigate the effect of social relationship variables on eWOM in social media by comparing two different cultures, namely Syria and Hungary in order to explore whether social relationships exert a more significant impact on eWOM in a collectivistic society than in an individualistic one. An explanatory research design was adopted and the data was collected by means of a questionnaire survey. The final sample included 113 Syrian and 90 Hungarian respondents, all of them aged 35 or below. It was found that tie strength among young adults has a more positive impact on eWOM in Syria than in Hungary, while no homophily impact was found on eWOM in either. Regarding the other social relationship variables examined in the study (trust, normative and informational influences), the results showed that they do not have a more positive impact on eWOM in Syria than in Hungary. The research is believed to have contributed to previous investigations on the impact of social relationships on eWOM via social media by providing insights into the role of a cultural value dimension in determining the extent to which individuals are affected by their cultural background, whether collectivistic or individualistic, when they interact in social media platforms. At the same time, it is acknowledged that the study has limitations thus future examinations are necessary.

The influence of collectivism on consumer responses to green behavior

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to examine consumer responses to green behavior linking constructs like attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and subjective norms (SN) from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model in connection to cultural dimension influence such as collectivism. A well‐established survey was developed to capture adequate responses using a quantitative approach. SmartPLSver3.3 were applied to the reliability and path relationship analysis. Results indicate that collectivism influences green behavior and multiple factors of the TPB constructs (attitude, PBC, and SN). In addition, PBC exerted a positive influence on SN, which significantly accelerated green behavior. Likewise, attitude positively mediates collectivism, PBC, and the green behavior nexus. The research shows that responses to green behavior are the solution in attaining the sustainable development goal −12 in a collectivist society as consumers with a stronger collectivist orientation rely on group identity and are disposed to engage in responsible consumption and production owing to their strong attitude, perceived control, and social norms. The study contributes meaningful insights to new lines of research on how to eliminate perceived difficulty linked to green consumption and improve responses to green behavior, which is still a concern; thus, policymakers must try to improve collectivist values.

Peace and well‐being with storytelling in TESOL: Exploring peacebuilding through voices of English language learners in Pakistan

AbstractStorytelling was initiated, as a part of this study, in a Pakistani university's undergraduate English class, involving reflective discussions and journal writing, to create a safe space where students can raise their voices. In a collectivist society, like Pakistan, society's norms are preferred over individual agencies (Bittles & Small, 2016), which instills a “collectivist obligation” amongst the youth to follow society's ways (Watkins & Biggs, 2001, p. 282) and, ultimately, distancing critical thinking (Feyyaz, 2016) and muting disparate voices (Zaidi et al., 2016). Moreover, Pakistan, being a developing country, faces multiple social and political issues (Droogan, 2018; Saeed et al., 2014) adding further pressure on these young minds. With technology, media, and education, the country's youth, especially majors in English, have started comparing their norms with modern values (Zubair, 2006) resulting in adjustment issues (Haidar, 2021a) which require attention and ventilation. In this study, the classroom was developed as a venting space for students whereby storytelling helped students in confronting conflicts, deliberating causes and navigating solutions. Data from journaling, discussions, and students' interviews revealed these practices were helpful in attaining mental peace, developing tolerance and building stronger human connections.

The Importance of Brand Stories towards Brand Perception and Purchase Intention in Gen Z Indonesians

The research explored the importance of brand story towards Indonesia’s Gen Z and how it affected buying decisions and perception towards the brand. It explored if creating a brand story is a central element in creating and differentiating Indonesian fashion brands that becomes a beneficial tool for both business owner and its customer. The research was conducted through an exploratory descriptive approach by using survey on Indonesian collectivist society—those who behave communally based on in-group norms including the 84 Gen Z—as well as archival research on two similar fashion brands, and interviews on one customer and one brand owner. The research findings point out that brand stories take a positive effect on a customer’s perception towards a brand and their purchase decision. While brand stories do have an influence in shaping the image of a brand as well as becoming a factor in a customer’s purchase decision process, other brand attributes such as packaging, social media content, and logos also plays an important role in a shaping brand image, as well as the customer’s final purchase decision. Furthermore, the opinions of a key opinion leader about a brand or product greatly matters in this society and that people are more willing to purchase a product if it has already been positively reviewed by a key opinion leader.

Exploring the Frontiers of Cybersecurity Behavior: A Systematic Review of Studies and Theories

Cybersecurity procedures and policies are prevalent countermeasures for protecting organizations from cybercrimes and security incidents. Without considering human behaviors, implementing these countermeasures will remain useless. Cybersecurity behavior has gained much attention in recent years. However, a systematic review that provides extensive insights into cybersecurity behavior through different technologies and services and covers various directions in large-scale research remains lacking. Therefore, this study retrieved and analyzed 2210 articles published on cybersecurity behavior. The retrieved articles were then thoroughly examined to meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria, in which 39 studies published between 2012 and 2021 were ultimately picked for further in-depth analysis. The main findings showed that the protection motivation theory (PMT) dominated the list of theories and models examining cybersecurity behavior. Cybersecurity behavior and intention behavior counted for the highest purpose for most studies, with fewer studies focusing on cybersecurity awareness and compliance behavior. Most examined studies were conducted in individualistic contexts with limited exposure to collectivistic societies. A total of 56% of the analyzed studies focused on the organizational level, indicating that the individual level is still in its infancy stage. To address the research gaps in cybersecurity behavior at the individual level, this review proposes a number of research agendas that can be considered in future research. This review is believed to improve our understanding by revealing the full potential of cybersecurity behavior and opening the door for further research opportunities.

Residents’ citizenship behavior between collectivism and individualism: the roles of COVID-19 recurrence risk and length of residency

COVID-19 has revealed that locals may perceive tourists as possible infection vectors. In addition, little research has been conducted on residents’ perceived risks from Golden Week holidayers. Our study examines the relationship between individual cultural orientation and risk perception regarding COVID-19 recurrence (RCOVID-19 recurrence), specifically seeking to explain residents’ citizenship behaviors. We collected data on Jeju, South Korea, right after the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020 when Golden Week holidayers visited Jeju. Our findings identified the mediation effect of RCOVID-19 resulting from the significant relationships between individualism or collectivism, RCOVID-19 recurrence, and citizenship behavior, except for the path from horizontal collectivism to citizenship behavior. In addition, the moderation role of the length of residency is identified. We conclude our paper with a discussion on theoretical and practical implications.