One of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions is Individualism v. Collectivism. Individualism is “the degree to which cultures expect individuals to look after themselves and their immediate family,” and Collectivism is “the degree to which cultures expect individuals to belong to groups that are supposed to look after its members in exchange for loyalty”. This Cultural Dimension can explain the relationships between people of the same culture and how they interact with each other. The US is an example of a country with a highly Individualistic culture. On the other hand, Japan has a very Collectivistic culture. These two types of cultures differ greatly from each other. One attribute of Individualism is personal achievement. In the US, students who get good grades in school usually credit their own hard work and effort. In contrast, Japanese students do not take credit for their efforts; they give credit to their teachers and family. This is a prominent example of the differences between the behavior of Individualistic and Collectivistic societies.
In Individualistic cultures, individuals are expected to be responsible for their own actions, and take the blame when they have done something wrong. This differs from a Collectivistic culture because the members of the group or extended family are expected to be loyal to one another. The group or family takes responsibility for the mistakes of a single member. In exchange for this loyalty, the group offers protection for individuals. In this sense, Collectivism can be compared to a gang, but with good intentions. Individualism revolves around only looking out for yourself and your immediate family. The saying “it’s a dog-eat-dog world,” is a good way of explaining the roles of individuals in this type of culture. When everyone is looking out for their best interests, competition arises, and many individuals will do whatever it takes to succeed. This ambition isn’t as aggressive in Collectivistic cultures because people are always looking out for each other. This demonstrates how different the relationships are in Individualistic and Collectivistic cultures.
In Individualistic cultures, individuals are expected to be responsible for their own actions, and take the blame when they have done something wrong. This differs from a Collectivistic culture because the members of the group or extended family are expected to be loyal to one another. The group or family takes responsibility for the mistakes of a single member. In exchange for this loyalty, the group offers protection for individuals. In this sense, Collectivism can be compared to a gang, but with good intentions. Individualism revolves around only looking out for yourself and your immediate family. The saying “it’s a dog-eat-dog world,” is a good way of explaining the roles of individuals in this type of culture. When everyone is looking out for their best interests, competition arises, and many individuals will do whatever it takes to succeed. This ambition isn’t as aggressive in Collectivistic cultures because people are always looking out for each other. This demonstrates how different the relationships are in Individualistic and Collectivistic cultures.
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