Collectivist Cultures

Collectivist cultures is a culture where the members are concerned more with the well being of the group than their own well being.

In collectivistic societies, on the other hand, the needs of the group are considered more important than those of the individual. In these societies, kinship ties are much stronger and may take precedence over expertise in matters of appointments and promotions. Generally, collectivist countries tend to be poor. Countries high on collectivism include: Guatemala, Equador, Panama, Venezuela, Columbia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Costa Rica, Peru, and Taiwan.

The Characteristics of Collectivist Cultures:

Ø  The pivotal unit is the group

Members of collective cultures see themselves as elements in a closely knit network with others: they are part of a strong cohesive unit (family, clan, profession, corporation, religion) that protects and supports them throughout their lives in exchange for their loyalty.

·         Group decisions: The individual consults other before making decision. Relies on the group for a broader perspective and give priority to group over individual needs. Focusing on purely individual need is considered selfish, egotistical and myopic.

·         Collective values: The “We” is emphases over the “I” and group rights and needs dominate. Values cherished by collective cultures are harmony. Personal dignity or “face” filial piety and respect for elders, equitable distribution of rewards among the group and fulfillment of the needs of others.

In the collectivist Indian culture. The Hindi will first give you his or her caste identity then his or her village name and finally his or her name signaling the importance of family over personal identity.

Ø  Space and privacy are less important than relationship

Collective cultures generally need less space than cultures that value individualism. After all, if the group u are part of is import to you. You may well want to be physically close to its members.

The Javanese live in small bamboo walled houses that have no interior walls or doors. Except for the bathroom there are no private areas. Several anthropologists theorize that because the Javanese have no Physical privacy. They have developed a kind of psychological privacy in their everyday behaviors and communication. They speak softly conceal their feelings are emotionally restrained and are Indirect in their verbal and nonverbal communication.

Tolerance for shared space in collective cultures occurs in both business and personal environments:

·         In the home: many members of collective cultures have homes that contain one large living area where members eat, sleeps and interact as a group. They often live together in extended family groups, tribes, or clans, and seem to prize personal space less than members of individualist cultures.

·         In the office: private offices are far less common and are normally reserved for meetings with clients. Members of collective cultures often work together at large tables in an open plan office set-up. They spend a great deal of social time with work mates and professional colleagues: in fact, it is often during this social time that new ideas are discussed, conflicts are resolved and decisions are facilitated.

·         In crowds: the following example shows how people from collective cultures view crowding.

Business travelers often comment with amazement on how people sit in Chinese airplanes. The plane may be virtually empty, yet most Chinese travelers will sit very close together in a tightly knit group. Invariably, Western travelers will spread themselves out; even people traveling together and conversing during the flight will leave at least one seat between them.

Ø  Communication is intuitive, complex, and impressionistic

Explicit and direct communications is less important in collective cultures.

·         Indirect, ambiguous messages: meaning is often implicit, inferred, transmitted ”between the lines” When a definite messages is required it is subtle, rendered indirectly or ambiguously. The underlying belief is that communication should not be used merely to deliver content: it should nurture the relationship. Maintain harmony and prevent loss of face (personal identity or dignity) by diffusing personal responsibility.

·         Circuitous logic: because reality is considered complex. The logic that is employed is seldom linear or cause/effect. Situations or problems are presented holistically, within a larger context. Thus communicators from collective cultures may seem to favor rambling or metaphorical statement.

The other in which information is presented in Japanese sentences is different. In English important tend to be given first with less important items tacked on the end. In Japanese less important items are gotten out of the way first. Setting the stage for the important information, this comes at the end. The Japanese hint at what has to be done and even the hints are softened by using impersonal statements in passive constructions.

Ø  Business is relational and collaborative

Most collective cultures believe that relationship, rather than deals or contracts, facilitate results.

·         Subordination of data: although facts are not ignored and extensive information gathering and research are common, this of hard data is not considered objective or impersonal because word and arguments are not spate from the personal expressing them.

·         Relational interpretation of data: collective cultures do not see facts as outside and part from the relationship. Statistical information and analytical measurement are not as important to existing relationship as trust and loyalty. Logic and reasoning by themselves may not persuade; the context of the relationship gives them meaning and weight.

·         Impassion the long term: the focus is on the relationship, the process, growth over time and building equity. Decisions are not hurried as consensus is considered desirable.

Where relationships are paramount the consensus of the group is important; after the entire group will be involved in maintaining and growing an exiting relationship. Thus, the Japanese “ringi-seido” method of obtaining consensus stresses “nemawa-shi” a word that means carefully shaping the roots of a plant to produce the desired result. The belief is that successful implementation of a decision (the plant) regress buy-in from all members in the group (the roots).

See also: Individualistic Cultures