Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 1 -

What makes us tick?

Gert Jan Hofstede

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 2 -

Unit of human life is groups!

Desert island– 30 good people?– 30 bad people?– Mix?

– Moral emotions; Corruption or correction

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 3 -

Perfect group → organism

• Cell– Micro-organelles are symbiosis partners

• Bees– No jealousy, equal reproduction

• Chickens– Experiment: best individual vs best group

• Body– Cancer = business success

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 4 -

Groups are successful (so far…)

• Eukaryotes• Multicellular organisms

– Especially social insects• Mammals• Humans

– Can you construct a house?– Can you produce your own food?

• Complex societies…so now the society is also a unit of evolution

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Humans are special

They evolved for • Adaptability (clothes, fire)• Collaboration

– Empathy– Laughter, play– Language: gossip – Eye pupil– Prolonged youth

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 6 -

Human evolution: Personality – culture mutual homeostasis system

CultureIDCUL

Culture(CHAOS)

PersonalityOCEAN

PersonalityOCEAN

Personality(OCEAN)

Life storybio-

graphy

Per-sonalcharacteristic

adaptations

drives

of lifestreamroles inrituals

goals

characteristicadaptations

goalslearning

Evolutionary Bases

( SAND)

Story of a society his-tory

Cul-tural

characteristicinstitutions

drive

s

goals

characteristicinstitutions

goals

learning

Sources: McCrae FFM, Hofstede 5D

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Golden Rule for groups

• Do to others as you would be done unto– Kant: categorical imperative– Christians: love thy neighbour as thyself– United we stand, divided we fall

→ Create a community of goodness, a moral circle

… holds for all groups throughout living world!

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 8 -

±1.000.000 years ago: Hunter-gatherers

Homo erectus band

Environment:• changing: scarce or abundant• small, traveling bands• little competition from humans

→ moral circle→ egalitarian, everybody’s

contribution counts→ you knew everybody→ worst punishment: expulsion

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 9 -

Threatening and fighting

• We cannot get rid of our drives (Sex, Affiliation, Novelty, Dominance)

• To accept division of scarce resources,– We need common identity– (or balance of power, or negotiation, or fights)– And clear hierarchy

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 10 -

Making friends

Bush & Mc Ain’t

Can a stranger be a friend?

Alpha and Beta

Mending or extending the moral circle

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 11 -

Culture, negotiation and the moral circle

• Negotiation: neither friends, nor enemies– Can we live with that? Let’s see…

• Culture is the unwritten rules of the social game– That we use to divide scarce resources– So that we can balance our individual drives– …with our moral group needs– Only for group members!

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Individualism and the moral circle

• Individualist:– Anybody could be admitted– Moral obligations might be diluted– Boundary is wide – even animals have rights

• Collectivist:– Moral circle is invariable, only in-group– Strong mutual responsibilities– Extending it requires intensive rituals

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Power distance and the moral circle

• Small power distance:– Privileges are frowned upon– Rights and obligations are equally shared– Negotiating and complaining are common

• Large power distance:– Unequal division of power is accepted– Leaders are thought of as parents– Trias politica does not work

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Masculinity and the moral circle

• Feminine:– Everyone supposed to be loyal– Permissive towards transgressions– Criminals need help, not punishment

• Masculine:– Individual loyalty not taken for granted– Strong penalties for transgressions– Women may not be included

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 15 -

Uncertainty Avoidance and the moral circle

• Uncertainty tolerant:– Few rules but stick to them– Boundary of moral circle is malleable– Outsiders might be good, let’s find out

• Uncertainty avoiding:– Boundary of moral circle is a wall – Fear of outsiders and transgressions– Many rules but only as symbols

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Long-term orientation and the moral circle

• Long-term oriented:– Moral duties can vary with circumstances– Pragmatic reasoning– One is insignificant part of a large whole

• Short-term oriented:– Moral duties are fixed by tradition– Never lose face, whatever the cost– Moral life is here and now

Gert Jan HOFSTEDE - Lorentz jan 2009 - 17 -

Monumentalism and the moral circle

• Monumentalist:– Proud, immutable, religious– One emotion and group at the time– Generous

• Self-effacing:– Humble– Mixed emotions and affiliations at any time– Learn, study and change

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Indulgence and the moral circle

• Indulgent:– Don’t worry, be happy– Urges and drives are good– Impulsive violence

• Restrained:– Restrictive norms on sex, spending, eating– Low happiness and self-control– Duty is important

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What will make us tick?• Adaptability got us where we are

– It will take us further– Negotiation is a crucial element

• Enemies to negotiation– Terror– Ignorance– Irresponsibility of leaders

• We need– Entente and détente– Impartial arbiters (next to proponents)– To know ourselves

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