I or we, that’s the question here! (Series: global teamwork)

“We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Do you prefer to work in a team, from the top of the hill, in the middle of the ‘melee’ or in the lighthouse?

What do you think is important for a leader – the focus on the individual or the group, or rather a mixture of both?

Culturally, we are given a template here as to whether it is more socially acceptable to be able to look after oneself and the ‘nuclear family’ (parents, child/ren) independently or to remain in the wider family unit.

Individualistically oriented societies value independence as a great good, as well as personal and professional freedom. Here you are more likely to find:

• Employees who are mobile when it comes to finding a job; who move around for work and switch between different jobs and companies on their own initiative.
• That performance and skills are seen as the basis for promotions.
• Management that focuses on individuals and practices the honest exchange of positive and negative feedback.

In the family sector you will find:

• Parents raising children to be self-sufficient after completing the education phase.
• Children who leave home after finishing school.
• Families that are nuclear in structure.
• School assessment systems that are geared towards the individual performance and contribution of children in the classroom.

Individualistic cultural structures are particularly pronounced in the USA, UK, Australia, Western and Northern Europe. Less individualistic cultures and more collectivist-oriented societies can be found in Latin America, Africa and Asia, for example.

These are characterized by the cohesion of groups, and sometimes also the power of the group, which can determine the lives of individuals. In working life, this can have the following effects:

• Employees are more likely to stay in one job, in one company.
• Children often take over the family business from their parents or extended family.
• Work relationships are shaped by the personal relationships of those involved.
• Group memberships – e.g. belonging to the “right” group – are included in promotions.
• Direct feedback is avoided.

Family life is characterized by the extended family group:

• Individual family members are supported by the family. In return, loyalty is expected, in some cases unconditional loyalty.
• In some of these societies, marriages are arranged by the parents.
• Children live under the same roof as their parents even in adulthood.
• Announcements in class are only made with the permission of the group.

One of my fellow students from Hong Kong, for example, studied in Bristol, UK, with the financial support of his entire extended family. At that time, studying alone cost around GBP 10,000 a year for students from outside Europe. Above all, she experienced the end of her own research as very stressful, as she was constantly balancing the demand for quality in her own work with the pressure she felt to complete her studies soon and no longer be a burden on her family.

The above-mentioned characteristics go hand in hand with certain ways of communicating.

While in individualistic cultures, what E. T. Hall calls ‘low context’ communication is practiced, in which the focus is more on what is said and less on the accompanying non-verbal communication, it is precisely this information that is characteristic of collectivist societies. Here, ‘high context’ communication is practiced, in which it tends to be more important how and by whom something is said than what is said. For me, who sees myself as a ‘plain speaker’, that’s a real challenge!

How do you experience your culture and your attitude – do you tend more towards individualism or collectivism?

I wish you: Happy intercultural communicating and see you in the next article!

Under the links you will find the previous articles on uncertainty avoidance, power distance, Hofstede, cultural misunderstandings.

As a business coach and trainer, I can help you and your team to prepare well for intercultural collaboration and to organize it effectively so that you as a manager and your team benefit to the maximum from your cultural diversity. Get in touch with me!

 

See you soon,

Cary Langer-Donohoe