Individualism vs. Collectivism

Which is better for societies and the workplace: individualism or collectivism? The differences between individualism and collectivism relate to how people interact with one another, their priorities, behavior in formalized systems, and their attitudes toward self-reliance. There are pros and cons to both, so let’s dig in.

Why I think individualism is the better system

I’m an American, and I think individualism is a better system for societies and the workplace. With individualism, people have more personal freedom. It's expected that people will make the choices that will work best for them, which can bring about their own personal satisfaction.

Collectivism has a strong focus on the group, but the group is the priority - not the human beings within the group. However, the priority is simply your own in-group, like your family. In a work context, this could look like your company or division or team. Collectivism doesn't inherently mean someone cares more about other people in general. And, in a collectivist society, one must cooperate with a group of people they did not choose, and because people are evaluated as part of their groups rather than on an individual basis, they may be unable to change their situation if another group will not accept them.

One key reason I think individualism is better than collectivism in the workplace is related to task completion. Hofstede says, "In the individualist society, the task comes first and the relationship may come second." (Hofstede, 2014). So when colleagues are collaborating on a project, each person in the individualist society is more likely to contribute to what they genuinely think based on their expertise will produce the best outcome. Confrontation is acceptable and even considered healthy at times, because it can move ideas and projects forward through debate based on merit. This can facilitate creativity which can lead to more innovation. 

A second point is that collectivist societies can rely on high context communication, which Hofstede defines as "many things are obvious, so communication can be short” (Hofstede, 2014). However, people communicate in different ways, some of which is due to disabilities or neurodivergence. If an individual society has to specify more in their communications, that could lead to more intentional communication, which can be more inclusive of people who have different communication patterns than most of the group. 

In an individualist society, people still care about one another, whether it is a colleague, friend, or family member. People within individual societies often still choose to help others when they are in need. But, they are less obligated to put others' needs and wants before their own. Ultimately, each person has their own opportunity to build their own success based on their interests, skills, and contributions, regardless of whatever group they were born or hired into.

Counterpoint: the downsides of individualism, and where collectivism plays a part

However, no society is perfect, and there are plenty of problems with individualism. In the United States, there were 481,906 job cuts or layoffs in the first seven months of 2023, a big increase from 159,021 in the first seven months of 2022. The individuals running these companies in an individualist society are focused on efficiency and the “every person is responsible for himself” mentality is acceptable and common. That leads to job loss which can cause some people to fall in poverty and homelessness.

Though economic and business conditions that may drive layoffs impact both collectivist and individualist countries, and collectivist countries are not immune to layoffs, the attitudes around both and social safety nets may mean that people impacted by job loss in collectivist countries have another group to provide support, such as a closer extended family.

One of my classmates proposed that in an individualist society, anyone can succeed on their own effort and merit. That’s true, but with some major caveats. Based on income and wealth inequality in the United States, not everyone has an equal starting point. The Federal Reserve’s 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances found that the median net worth for a white family is $188,200 but just $24,100 for Black families and $36,200 for Hispanic/Latino families. Additional financial resources can provide opportunities like education that can help certain people succeed while others who may have equal traits like intelligence and grit may not be able to access. An individualist society does not inherently mean an equal society.

Another classmate shared they believe people in individualist societies strive to be the best version of themselves, which benefits society. While I agree that can happen, I would also call out the opposite; examples in which individuals make either poor life choices or hedonistic life choices because they lack the accountability that comes with collectivism. That might look like someone not wanting to work, or not work very hard.

So in this case, the individualist that isn’t self-sufficient either becomes an additional burden on their families or coworkers – either they aren’t pulling their fair share of the money in to the household, or they’re producing the least amount of work. Or, in an extreme example, they may take more than their fair share of social support resources. 

One could say that since in collectivism, each person works for the group, that produces either the incentive or social pressure to contribute, whether to the family unit or to a work group. That might mean that individual growth or success is more flattened, but perhaps the average is high enough such that no one is truly left behind.

References

[10 Minutes With]. (2014, November 18). 10 minutes with Geert Hofstede on Individualisme versus Collectivisme 10112014 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQj1VPNPHlI

Riddle, S. (2023, August 31). US layoffs fall to lowest level in nearly a year. Reuters. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-layoffs-fall-lowest-level-nearly-year-2023-08-03/

(n.d.). Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). Federal Reserve. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex.htm

Tuleja, E. (2022). Intercultural Communication for Global Business (2nd ed., pp.111-140) Routledge.