scholarly journals On “Nationology”: The Gravitational Field of National Culture

2021 ◽  
pp. 002202212110447
Author(s):  
Plamen Akaliyski ◽  
Christian Welzel ◽  
Michael Harris Bond ◽  
Michael Minkov
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Field ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Random Noise ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Individual Values ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Collective Phenomenon ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual

Nations have been questioned as meaningful units for analyzing culture due to their allegedly limited variance-capturing power and large internal heterogeneity. Against this skepticism, we argue that culture is by definition a collective phenomenon and focusing on individual differences contradicts the very concept of culture. Through the “miracle of aggregation,” we can eliminate random noise and arbitrary variation at the individual level in order to distill the central cultural tendencies of nations. Accordingly, we depict national culture as a gravitational field that socializes individuals into the orbit of a nation’s central cultural tendency. Even though individuals are also exposed to other gravitational forces, subcultures in turn gravitate within the limited orbit of their national culture. Using data from the World Values Survey, we show that individual values cluster in concentric circles around their nation’s cultural gravity center. We reveal the miracle of aggregation by demonstrating that nations capture the bulk of the variation in the individuals’ cultural values once they are aggregated into lower-level territorial units such as towns and sub-national regions. We visualize the gravitational force of national cultures by plotting various intra-national groups from five large countries that form distinct national clusters. Contrary to many scholars’ intuitions, alternative social aggregates, such as ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, as well as diverse socio-demographic categories, add negligible explained variance to that already captured by nations.

scholarly journals A pragmatic approach to the analysis of marketing adaptation to Russian national culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
A. N. Tikhomirova
Keyword(s):  
Marketing Strategy ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Strategy Adaptation ◽  
Fast Moving Consumer Goods ◽  
The Individual

There are a great number of transnational corporations operating all over the world. All of them are facing the issue of national culture, and cross-cultural difference is of vital importance. Choosing appropriate marketing strategy assures success or failure on the international market. The concept of culture is very dynamic and requires constant observation. The tasks marketing managers started to deal with became more complex, requiring cultural sensitivity and ability to overcome cross-cultural differences.The research, presented in this paper, attempts to analyze whether national culture affects marketing strategy of international companies. The framework of cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede was taken as a basis for the analysis of Russian national culture. The author resorts to the quantitative approach based on the conducted survey and analyzes data collected in the Russian Federation. At first cultural values were used to identify Russia. Cultural values were measured at the individual level and compared to the previous findings on Russian culture. Analysis of differences in cultural values on the individual level among Russian population has shown that there is some kind of difference between previous findings related to Russia and findings obtained during the research. The level of adaptation was evaluated from the consumers’ point of view. Questionnaire was designed based on the analyzed literature, and obtained data was statistically analyzed with SPSS. Linear regression and correlation analysis were used to prove the hypotheses of the research work. Though Russian national culture was depicted as unique with a great number of peculiarities, in the industries, analyzed in this paper, the connection between marketing strategy adaptation and uncertainty avoidance, and marketing strategy adaptation and dimension of collectivism for fast moving consumer goods was proved statistically.The second stage of the research included the analysis of the empirical evidence of the cultural adaptation of the advertisement of fast moving consumer goods for the Russian consumer. A number of samples were analyzed, and two cases are presented in the paper. The pragmatic approach was used for the analysis of the empirical data.The results of the study add to the theoretical knowledge about the relationship between cultural dimensions in Russia and marketing strategies employed by transnational companies. They also contribute to the knowledge about Russian consumers’ behavior patterns. The framework can be potentially applied to other spheres of professional business in Russia.

The influence of country of origin and espoused national culture on whistleblowing behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Brody ◽  
Gaurav Gupta ◽  
Michael Turner
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Accounting Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Pooled Data ◽  
Immediate Supervisor ◽  
The Individual ◽  
A Company

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine factors motivating an individual to report a whistleblowing scenario to various stakeholders within a company. This paper examines how four factors (country of origin and the espoused national cultures of masculinity, collectivism and uncertainty avoidance) influence the level of responsibility toward three stakeholders at different levels of hierarchy in an organization. Design/methodology/approach Using a case-based approach, this study collects data from 432 accounting students from two different countries. Using regression analysis on the pooled data, this paper provides evidence on how accounting students would behave when facing a whistleblowing situation involving their immediate supervisor. Findings This study finds that country of origin and espoused national cultural values influence the individual’s decision regarding whom to blow the whistle. Originality/value The study has improved upon the methodological deficiencies of previous studies that rely on Hofstede’s (1980) cultural values in that the paper focuses on the espoused national culture at the individual level.

THE INDIVIDUALISTIC VIEW OF CULTURE AND THE NASCENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP: AN EXAMINATION OF SCHWARTZ’S CULTURAL VALUES

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850026 ◽  
Author(s):  
ABDALLAH ALSAAD
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
World Value Survey ◽  
Nascent Entrepreneurship ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Individual Culture ◽  
Cultural Orientations ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

The paper examines the impact of individual culture orientations on the nascent entrepreneurship at the individual level. The cultural orientations investigated in this study were based on Schwartz’s values model. Using data from World Value Survey collected from seven countries ([Formula: see text]), we investigate the direct effect of Open to Change, Self-enhancement, Conservation and Self-transcendence values on nascent entrepreneurship. The results show that the Open to Change values, including Stimulation and Self-direction values, significantly and positively affect nascent entrepreneurship. Only one of the Self-enhancement values has a positive effect on nascent entrepreneurship — the Power value. Meanwhile, Conservation values, including Tradition and Security, negatively and significantly affect the nascent entrepreneurship. Finally, the results show no support for the association between Self-transcendence values and nascent entrepreneurship. Our findings highlight that some values are more conducive to driving or inhibiting nascent entrepreneurship. Investigating the effect of individual cultural orientations on nascent entrepreneurship in the lens of personal values benefits us to comprehend individual motivations toward entrepreneurship, and will light many features of entrepreneurship behavior at the individual level and within and across cultures.

National culture and public service motivation: investigating the relationship using Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 23-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangmook Kim
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Public Service Motivation ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Much research has focused on finding and explaining the antecedents, correlates, and outcomes of public service motivation (PSM), but little is known about the influence of national context on individuals’ PSM. Previous research suggests that national culture may exert an independent influence on individuals’ PSM. This article examines PSM as an individual-level variable that is related to national culture, which is represented by Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Using data from the International Social Survey Programme (2005), I investigate the relationship between cultural dimensions and individuals’ PSM. This article demonstrates that masculinity and indulgence are positively related to individuals’ PSM, whereas individualism is negatively associated with individuals’ PSM. However, power distance and uncertainty avoidance have a non-significant relationship with PSM. This article provides partial support for the thesis that national culture is associated with individuals’ PSM, but future research is required to explicate the relationship of cultural characteristics to individuals’ PSM. Points for practitioners Culture influences certain types of behavior both directly and indirectly. The article suggests that cultural tendencies such as masculinity, indulgence, and collectivism have a significant positive influence on individuals’ PSM. Organizational education and socialization enhancing these cultural values are likely to foster employees’ PSM.

scholarly journals Migration, acculturation, and the maintenance of between-group cultural variation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Mesoudi
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Social Learning Processes

AbstractHow do migration and acculturation (i.e. psychological or behavioral change resulting from migration) affect within- and between-group cultural variation? Here I answer this question by drawing analogies between genetic and cultural evolution. Population genetic models show that migration rapidly breaks down between-group genetic structure. In cultural evolution, however, migrants or their descendants can acculturate to local behaviors via social learning processes such as conformity, potentially preventing migration from eliminating between-group cultural variation. An analysis of the empirical literature on migration suggests that acculturation is common, with second and subsequent migrant generations shifting, sometimes substantially, towards the cultural values of the adopted society. Yet there is little understanding of the individual-level dynamics that underlie these population-level shifts. To explore this formally, I present models quantifying the effect of migration and acculturation on between-group cultural variation, for both neutral and costly cooperative traits. In the models, between-group cultural variation, measured using F statistics, is eliminated by migration and maintained by conformist acculturation. The extent of acculturation is determined by the strength of conformist bias and the number of demonstrators from whom individuals learn. Acculturation is countered by assortation, the tendency for individuals to preferentially interact with culturally-similar others. Unlike neutral traits, cooperative traits can additionally be maintained by payoff-biased social learning, but only in the presence of strong sanctioning institutions. Overall, the models show that surprisingly little conformist acculturation is required to maintain realistic amounts of between-group cultural diversity. While these models provide insight into the potential dynamics of acculturation and migration in cultural evolution, they also highlight the need for more empirical research into the individual-level learning biases that underlie migrant acculturation.

Freiwilliges Engagement in der „Lebensphase Alter“. Eine kontrastierende Betrachtung von niedrig- und ­hochgebildeten Personen in der Altersgruppe 50+ mit dem Freiwilligensurvey 2014

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 349-374
Author(s):  
Frank Micheel
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
Individual Values ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Freiwilliges Engagement ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Educational Groups ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Low Educated

Zusammenfassung Aus der Literatur ist bekannt, dass der Zugang zum Freiwilligenbereich in der „Lebensphase Alter“ durch Bildungsnachteile systematisch erschwert wird. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert, welche Faktoren ein freiwilliges Engagement von älteren Niedriggebildeten begünstigen und wie stark sie im Vergleich zu Hochgebildeten wirken. Auf Basis des Freiwilligensurveys aus dem Jahr 2014 wird nach differenzierenden Merkmalen (demografische Merkmale, Ressourcen, persönliche Werte sowie kontextuelle Aspekte) zur Erklärung freiwilliger Aktivitäten innerhalb der beiden Bildungsgruppen untersucht. Aus den multivariaten Analysen lassen sich folgende politische Implikationen ableiten: Strukturelle Verbesserungen in der gesundheitlichen Versorgung, in den ostdeutschen Regionen sowie in der Stadt- und Sozialplanung erhöhen die Chancen für Niedriggebildete zur sozialen Teilhabe im Freiwilligenbereich. Auf der individuellen Ebene ist die Stärkung der wahrgenommenen Erwartungskompetenz ein vielversprechender Ansatz. Abstract: Volunteering in Old Age: A Comparison Between Low and Highly Educated Individuals Aged 50+ It is known from literature that access to volunteering in old age is systematically restricted by educational disadvantages. This article discusses which factors enable older people with low education to volunteering compared to highly educated people. Based on the German Survey on Volunteering from 2014, empirical investigations explore differentiated characteristics (demographics, resources, individual values and social aspects) explaining volunteering within both educational groups. The following political implications are derived from multivariate analyses: Structural improvements in the areas of healthcare provision, in Eastern Germany, as well as urban and social planning raise the odds for volunteering among the low educated. On the individual level, improving perceived self-efficacy is a promising approach.

Disentangling Differences in Homicide Incarceration Rates by Immigration Status: A Comparison in Texas

2020 ◽  
pp. 001112872094096
Author(s):  
Erin A. Orrick ◽  
Alexander H. Updegrove ◽  
Alex R. Piquero ◽  
Tomislav Kovandzic
Keyword(s):  
Undocumented Immigrants ◽  
Immigrant Status ◽  
Immigration Status ◽  
Incarceration Rate ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Crime And Punishment ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Immigration And Crime

Research addressing the purported relationship between immigration and crime remains popular, but some gaps remain under-explored. One important gap involves disentangling differences in crime and punishment by immigrant status, as measured across different definitions of immigration status and in relation to U.S. natives, at the individual level. Using data from Texas, results show that native-born U.S. citizens are incarcerated for homicide at higher rates than almost all immigrant groups. While the incarceration rate for undocumented immigrants was 24% greater than the rate for all foreign-citizens, this rate was significantly less than that for U.S. citizens. Among the immigrant status classifications available in this study, all were associated with lower incarceration rates for homicide than that of U.S. citizens.

scholarly journals Unravelling ecological analysis

2006 ◽  
Vol 2006 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Steel ◽  
M. Tranmer ◽  
D. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Aggregate Data ◽  
Auxiliary Variables ◽  
Ecological Analysis ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Ecological Regression ◽  
Australian Census ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual

Ecological analysis involves analysing aggregate data for groups of individuals to make inferences about relationships at the individual level. Often the results of such analyses give badly biased estimates. This paper will consider the sources of bias in linear regression analysis using aggregate data. The role of variation of the individual level relationships between groups and the consequent within-group correlations and how these are related to auxiliary variables that characterise the differences between groups is considered. A method of adjusting ecological regression for the effects of auxiliary variables is described and evaluated using data from the 1991 Australian Census.

The Average Response Method of Scaling

1990 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert E. Beaton ◽  
Eugene G. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Predictive Distribution ◽  
Average Response ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Multiple Imputations ◽  
Plausible Values ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Response Method

The average response method (ARM) of scaling nonbinary data was developed to scale the data from the assessments of writing conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The ARM applies linear models and multiple imputations technologies to characterize the predictive distribution of the person-level average of ratings over a pool of exercises when each person has responded to only a few of the exercises. The derivations of “plausible values” from the individual-level distributions of potential scale scores are given. Conditions are provided for the unbiasedness of estimates based on the plausible values, and the potential magnitude of the bias when the conditions are not met is indicated. Also discussed is how the plausible values allow for an accounting of the uncertainties due to the sampling of individuals and to the incomplete information on each sampled individual. The technique is illustrated using data from the assessment of writing.

Redistribution under the Social Security benefit formula at the individual and household levels, 1992 and 2004

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN L. GUSTMAN ◽  
THOMAS L. STEINMEIER ◽  
NAHID TABATABAI
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Labor Force Participation ◽  
Social Security Benefit ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
High Earning ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

AbstractStudies using data from the early 1990s suggested that while the progressive Social Security benefit formula succeeded in redistributing benefits from individuals with high earnings to individuals with low earnings, it was much less successful in redistributing benefits from households with high earnings to households with low earnings. Wives often earned much less than their husbands. As a result, much of the redistribution at the individual level was effectively from high earning husbands to their own lower earning wives. In addition, spouse and survivor benefits accrue disproportionately to women from high income households. Both factors mitigate redistribution at the household level. It has been argued that with the increase in the labor force participation and earnings of women, Social Security now should do a better job of redistributing benefits at the household level. To be sure, when we compare outcomes for a cohort with a household member age 51 to 56 in 1992 with those from a cohort born twelve years later, redistribution at the household level has increased over time. Nevertheless, as of 2004 there still is substantially less redistribution of benefits from high to low earning households than from high to low earning individuals.

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