Workplace Politics: How to Overcome Individualism vs Collectivism

“Leave us now!”, says your boss as you scurry away! You think to yourself, “What happened?” But you can’t stop worrying.

I’ll tell you bluntly. Your supervisor banned you due to your lack of awareness of company or international culture. Was your individualism too strong?

Individualism and collectivism originate from different cultural systems. While individualism is a western view, collectivism is an eastern mentality. In a group setting, they require understanding and cooperation to coexist without conflict. Listening is the best preventative measure.

We all have our biases. But in this article, I will give you an objective lens. Our goal is to understand the peaceful coexistence of these ideologies in:

• The Workplace
• International Business
• A personal setting

Individualism vs Collectivism: Team Dynamics and Philosophy

Groups are like family in work or college settings. You’re close and you want to discuss controversial topics. Some want to argue:

• Capitalism vs Communism
• Individualism vs Collectivism
• Adam Smith vs Karl Marx
• West vs East
• Liberty vs Restraint
• Presidential Preferences

We’re all guilty of it. You want to share your knowledge. Yet, a workplace environment with a deadline approaching isn’t always the best choice. Americans are strong individualists, and we like choice.

Next, we will discuss team dynamics and what influences them.

Different Traits of Individualism Vs Collectivism

Individualism vs Collectivism Traits by J liberty

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Looking at the graphic above, we can make several assumptions.

Both have distinct traits you must conquer to achieve your goals.

Can you possess both individualistic and collectivist traits?

Yes, you possess both. But your upbringing and culture influence which way you lean in your approach.

Here is a list of different countries and their overall stance on values.

You’ll notice most of the collectivist countries are in South America or Asia.

Sometimes you lose your individuality in a group. LEARN MORE how that happens by reading my 3-step process. I give examples from a very famous novel. 

Team Motivations

We all have different factors prompting us to wake up every morning “to seize the day”. The Latin phrase for this is “Carpe Diem”.

What’s your “Carpe Diem” every morning and in your work teams?

My motivation is to promote as much liberty in the group as possible. But this is an individualist perspective. We’re opinionated.

Collectivists don’t share that same level of openness.

Understanding personal motivations helps you to comprehend what moves the conversation forward. We want to achieve the desired outcome on mutual interest.

They’re 2 main types of motivation:

1. Intrinsic

This motivation is from within. You’re doing this for yourself and your own personal reward.

The “int” in intrinsic refers to your “internal” self. Think like the interior of a house.

For instance, I go to the gym because I like the way it makes me feel. I feel healthy. That’s intrinsic motivation.

2. Extrinsic

Others prompt you to perform a task due to fear of punishment or the gain of a reward.

The “ext” refers to outside influences. Think like the exterior part of a house.

Relating to our gym example above, in this case, you go to the gym to look “hot” to the opposite sex. That’s an external-or extrinsic- motivator for achieving a culturally desirable physique.

We can relate these motivations to our work teams.

Individualists focus on the self. They have numerous intrinsic motivators to speak their opinions.

Collectivists learn about group dynamics. Their motivators are extrinsic because they want what’s best for collective harmony. Punishment awaits if they disagree.

There is one remaining factor about motivations.

Yes, it is possible to see both at the same time. We call it a two-value logic system meaning “either-or”. This is how you could be a mix of individualistic and collectivistic.

Related Articles:

• You sit in your teams and wonder if individualism is on the rise. LEARN MORE how individualism is promoted.
• Ever struggled to pursue your own interests? LEARN MORE why you should pursue your dreams.

Language and Use in Group Functions

When you travel, you take a phrase book- or an electronic version- with you. You use it to help you navigate a foreign country’s culture. This is especially true if you don’t speak the language.

This book also gives you general facts about the country. Any information helps to understand what NOT to do.

Thus, here are nuances of language discussed in Richard Nisbett’s book The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently…and Why:

• Japanese has many different versions of “I”

The general use of “I” is not used in daily conversations. Instead, you have different forms dedicated to certain situations. In English, we have “I”. We don’t need to specify. Everyone assumes you’re talking about yourself in our individualist culture.

• Chinese language includes no defined word for “individualism”

The Chinese communal societies extend hundreds of years.

• Japanese word for self-esteem is serufu esutiimu

There is no native word describing self-worth.

Also, the Department of State trains diplomats in language skills. They accomplish this through the Foreign Service Institute. There are 4 categories of difficulty for language training.

Level 4 includes:

• 88 weeks
• 2200 hours
• Japanese, Korean, Chinese

Level 1 includes:

• 24-30 weeks
• 600 to 750 hours
• French, Spanish, Italian

Compare the Level 1 vs Level 4 categories. Do you notice any major differences?

Level 1 languages share many individualistic qualities of American workplace cultures.

Level 4 languages emphasize more collectivistic cultures requiring more thorough training. 2200 hours of instruction immerses you in that culture.

As a result, diplomats are America’s representatives to overcome differences in culture. They work in conjunction with collectivist cultures without trying to change them. Finding solutions to world problems is their goal. Naturally, their training program gives us insight.

In the end, understanding the basics of language helps you in a workplace group setting. You’re able to overcome differences in meaning and confusion.

After reading about the state department, government involves individualism. LEARN MORE about the importance of individualism in government. I encourage you to read it.

Overcoming and Moving Forward: The Solution

We will discuss the resolutions to your problems.

Personal Example

Here is an example of a problem I encountered and how I solved it.

Problem

I worked with South Korean students in a training capacity. We acted as a team to complete our tasks efficiently and safely.

Yes, I noticed the dramatic cultural differences. However, during our downtime, I considered myself a professional conversationalist.

The main problem became communication. English was their second language, and I didn’t speak Korean.

I wanted their opinion on many issues. But they reluctantly gave it to me. Their hesitation reverted to maintaining group harmony and avoiding conflict. I needed them to be assertive.

In my job, someone’s input can save an otherwise catastrophic outcome. Opinions do change lives for the better.

Solution:

To change the trajectory of our communication, I altered my tactics.

I started asking more about their upbringing and learning about their culture. In this case, I failed to recognize the collective cultural impacts their liberty to speak up.

After my research, I phrased my questions more indirectly. Thus, we communicated better building more personal rapport with each other.

Our team dynamics improved.

General Strategies to Improve Groups

Here are some problem-solving techniques I’ve used:

• Travel to their country to understand the culture
• YouTube videos of their history
• Understand if the countries populous have the liberty to freely speak
• Introduce yourself to the group and reference background
• Have subjects off-limits until after the group solves the problem
• Establish a neutral mediator for extreme conflicts that arise

Conclusion

Individualism and collectivism are opposites. Yet, we must work together to achieve a common goal in workplace or college groups. You don’t want one person doing all the work while others watch. Politics affect the team’s unity too.

I gave you traits of the different culture types. Individuals will speak up. Collectivists shy away from conflict and focus more on harmony.

When you learn what motivates groups, you overcome the discrepancies that arise.

Two types of basic motivations exist:

• Intrinsic
• Extrinsic

Learning about language defeats differences among rivals. It is the essence of communication.

I shared a personal story to remedy your disputes.

Listening is the best means to achieve change. We send diplomats to language school for 88 weeks. They learn some of the most complex collectivist languages. After graduation, they’re the best examples of how to handle individualist vs collectivist differences.

How have you handled differences in your workplace or group experiences?

J. Liberty

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Additional Resources:

For all you folks that like the enneagram, they have an individualist profile. You can use it to help figure out team members’ likes/dislikes.

Type 4- The Individualists

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Printed Sources:

Nisbett, R. E. (2003). The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently… and Why. New York: The Free Press.