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Article
Culture Matters: Individualism vs. Collectivism in Conflict Decision-Making
Socieities
  • Volker C. Franke, Kennesaw State University
  • Rebecca LeFebvre, Kennesaw State University
Department
School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-12-2013
Abstract

Does culture matter in decision-making? Existing literature largely assumes that the cognitive processes that inform decision-making are universally applicable, while only very few studies indicate that cultural norms and values shape cognitive processes. Using survey based quasi-experimental design, this research shows that subjects with higher levels of individualism tend to be more rational in their decision processing, while those with higher levels of collectivism tend to be more dependent and less likely to betray the interests of members of more central ingroups in favor of less central ingroups. Furthermore, the results indicate that in conflict settings that seem familiar, individuals are more likely to compromise in order to achieve peace.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.3390/soc3010128
Comments

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Citation Information
LeFebvre, Rebecca; Franke, Volker. 2013. "Culture Matters: Individualism vs. Collectivism in Conflict Decision-Making." Societies 3, no. 1: 128-146.