Page 327 - Cultures and Organizations

292 DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL CULTURES

ple who fully approve of some imports of entertainment, such as music and

films. These percentages range from 68 (highest approval) in Nigeria to 11
(lowest approval) in Pakistan. They are completely uncorrelated with WVS
measures of religiousness or patriotism, so the observed differences in

acceptance of foreign music and films cannot be explained in those terms.
Dutch marketing expert Marieke de Mooij correlated IVR scores
with recent Eurobarometer and other consumer-related data. Among the
twenty-seven European Union countries covered by the Eurobarometer,
IVR separates most Western member states (more indulgent) from most
Eastern ones (more restrained). De Mooij found a number of signifi cant
correlations. In more indulgent societies people report more satisfaction
with their family life; they more often consider unequal sharing of house-
hold tasks between partners a problem. They are more frequently (at
31
32
least once a week) actively involved in sports. They more often exchange
e-mails with family, friends, and colleagues, and they report more Internet
33
and e-mail contacts with foreigners. They also consume less fi sh and
more soft drinks and beer. 34
The World Health Organization provides obesity data on men and
women for most countries in the world. There is not much sense in com-
paring obesity rates across countries in which many people may suffer
from undernourishment, so those countries are excluded from this analysis.
Across twenty-six wealthy countries for which data are available, and after
controlling for GNI at purchasing power parity, indulgence is positively
35
correlated with obesity. Although many infl uences play a part, it appears
that when affordability is not an issue, more indulgent societies will be
more inclined toward unrestrained consumption of so-called junk foods
that can result in obesity.
We also correlated IVR with the national culture dimensions in the

GLOBE project. Across forty-nine common countries, IVR was signifi -
cantly correlated with five of GLOBE’s eighteen measures. The strongest

correlation of indulgence was with gender egalitarianism “should be” (there
was no correlation with gender egalitarianism “as is”). Strictly prescribed
36
gender role differences belong to restrained societies. Next, indulgence
correlated negatively with in-group collectivism “as is” and positively with
37
in-group collectivism “should be.” Restrained societies report more in-
group collectivism and are less happy with it. The remaining correlations
are with performance orientation “should be” (positive) and with assertiveness
38
“should be” (negative). The indulgent society wants performance without
assertive behavior.