On the nature and importance of cultural tightness-looseness

Cross-cultural research is dominated by the use of values despite their mixed empirical support and their limited theoretical scope. This article expands the dominant paradigm in cross-cultural research by developing a theory of cultural tightness-looseness (the strength of social norms and the degr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of applied psychology Vol. 91; no. 6; p. 1225
Main Authors Gelfand, Michele J, Nishii, Lisa H, Raver, Jana L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.11.2006
Subjects
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Culture
Humans
Motivation
Organizational Culture
Psychological Theory
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Summary:Cross-cultural research is dominated by the use of values despite their mixed empirical support and their limited theoretical scope. This article expands the dominant paradigm in cross-cultural research by developing a theory of cultural tightness-looseness (the strength of social norms and the degree of sanctioning within societies) and by advancing a multilevel research agenda for future research. Through an exploration of the top-down, bottom-up, and moderating impact that cultural tightness-looseness has on individuals and organizations, as well as on variance at multiple levels of analysis, the theory provides a new and complementary perspective to the values approach.
ISSN:0021-9010
DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.91.6.1225