Page 144 - Cultures and Organizations

I, We, and They 123

cal. In collectivist societies, the reverse is true. As the distinction between
“our group” and “other groups” is at the very root of people’s conscious-
ness, treating one’s friends better than others is natural and ethical and is
a sound business practice. Sociologists call this way of acting particular-
ism; it is similar to what Misho’s analysis of the World Values Survey calls
exclusionism.
A consequence of particularist thinking is that in a collectivist society,
a relationship of trust should be established with another person before
any business can be done. Through this relationship the other is adopted
into one’s in-group and is from that moment onward entitled to prefer-
ential treatment. In Johannesson’s case this process of adoption took two
years. During this period the presence of the Swedish businessman as an
intermediary was essential. After the adoption had taken place, it became

superfluous. However, the relationship was with Johannesson personally
and not with his company. To the collectivist mind, only natural persons
are worthy of trust, and via these persons their friends and colleagues
become worthy, but not impersonal legal entities such as a company. In
summary, in the collectivist society, the personal relationship prevails over the

task and should be established first, whereas in the individualist society, the
task is supposed to prevail over any personal relationships. The naive Western
businessperson who tries to force quick business in a collectivist culture
condemns him- or herself to the role of out-group member and to negative
discrimination.

Individualism, Collectivism, and the Internet

Surveys and observations about the use of modern information and com-

munication technologies (ICT) show significant differences among coun-

tries. Most of these tools originated in a highly individualist society: the
United States. ICT tools link individuals, so these tools are more easily,
frequently, and eagerly used in individualist societies than in collectivist
societies. In the latter, people have more direct ways to relate to their social
environment. Along with societal individualism, two other cultural dimen-
sions, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance, play a role in the use of ICT;
we will deal with these influences in Chapters 5 and 6.

Eurobarometer surveys have shown that people in more individualist
European countries were more likely to have access to the Internet and to
use e-mail. They more often used the computer for shopping, banking, and
supplying information to public authorities. 48