COLLECTIVISM

“Collectivism” is a term used by interculturalists to describe the valuing of the group over the individual in a society. A “collectivist” society is one in which people are brought up and socialized to be interdependent group members. Loyalty to the group, according to the late intercultural scholar Geert Hofstede, is rewarded by the group protecting the individual. In collectivist societies, the state is likely to play a dominant role in the economic system in the interest of society as a whole, and management tends to focus on the management of the group rather than the individual. Collectivism is related to large power distance, as the example of China makes clear.