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Polarity of Individualism vs Collectivism in the Workplace

While peer pressure to the current cultural norms is a basic tenet of sociology, how one acts is also defined by the value placed upon individuals. In many cultural conflicts, there is a conflict between individualism versus collectivism.

Collectivist Cultures

Asian cultures value the group over the individual. It is the team, not the individual star performer, who matters most. The Japanese even have a saying that the stake that sticks out will get hammered down. Conformity is seen as a social virtue. Deliberately challenging traditions and social protocols is not pushing the limits, it is interpreted as either insulting or dangerous. This is also a common trait in Middle Eastern cultures, though the group conformity is dictated by ethnicity, religion or clan as compared to work groups.

Individualist Cultures

A legacy of the Magna Carta era of English politics has been a strong emphasis on individualism in the former English colonies. The lone American cowboy is matched by the rugged Aussie outbacker, the fiercely independent South Afrikaner, and to a lesser extent, the proud Canadian Mountie or lumberjack. These stereotypes indicate someone who is an independent, self-reliant and rugged individualist. This indicates the value placed on individualism in these nations.

Where does this create workplace conflict?

Giving praise to one key leader by name instead of praising his team is insulting to Asians. Telling a star performer to stop hogging all the attention and give everyone who works with him equal credit is offensive in America.