INDIVIDUALISTIC

vs.
COLLECTIVE SELF
 ARE YOU AN
INDIVIDUALIST OR A COLLECTIVIST?
•Individualist- individual identifies primarily with self,
with the needs of the individual being satisfied before
those of the group.

- Looking after and taking care of oneself, being self-

sufficient, guarantees the well-being of the group.

-Independence and self-reliance are greatly stressed

and valued. In general, people tend to distance
themselves psychologically and emotionally from each
other.

-One may choose to join groups, but group membership

is not essential to one’s identity or success. Individualist
characteristics are often associated with men and
people in urban settings
INDIVIDUALISTIC vs. COLLECTIVE SELF

•Collectivist- One’s identity is, in large part, a function of one’s

membership and role in a group, example: the family or work team.

-The survival and success of the group ensures the well-being of the
individual, so that by considering the needs and feelings of others, one
protects oneself.

-Harmony and the interdependence of group members are stressed and

valued.

-Group members are relatively close psychologically and emotionally, but

distant toward non-group members. Collectivist characteristics are often
associated with women and people in rural settings.
ARE YOU SELF ORIENTED OR FAMILY ORIENTED?

Individualism- Collectivism Scale- also known as the Culture Orientation

Scale.

Source for this scale: “Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions of Individualism

and Collectivism: A Theoretical and Measurement Refinement” Cross-
Cultural Research 29 (August 1995) , Singelis, T. M., Triandis, H. C.,
Bhawuk, D. P. S., & Gelfand, M. J. (1995)
• Cross-cultural values- have become an important part of organizational
life caused by globalization and an increasingly multicultural work force.
Organizational behavior researchers have studied several cross cultural
values, but none has had as much attention as the two measured in this
self assessment: individualism or collectivism.
Understanding your score on the individualism-collectivism scale

-This self assessment estimates your level of individualism and

collectivism.

-Both represent separate values that are generally unrelated to each

other.

-Each scale has a potential score ranging from 8-40 points.

-Higher scores indicates that the person has high level of each cross-
cultural value.
Individualism- the extent that you value independence and personal
uniqueness.
Collectivism- refers to the extent that we value our duty to our groups
to which we belong and to our group harmony.