Communication Between Cultures

accepted behaviors. Tight cultures, such as Japan, have a well-defined set of societal

protocols that govern social interaction between individuals. For example, greetings

during formal first meetings are governed by a rigid set of procedures determining

who bows first, how low, and for how long, depending on the interactants’status

levels. Contrast this with the United States, a loose culture, where a handshake is

the norm and difference in status has little bearing on who initiates it or how long

TABLE 6.14 Tightness Scores for Thirty-Two Countries

SCORE COUNTRY SCORE COUNTRY SCORE COUNTRY

1.6 Ukraine 5.4 Spain 7.5 Germany (East)

2.6 Estonia 5.6 Belgium 7.8 Portugal

2.9 Hungary 6.0 Poland 7.9 China

3.1 Israel 6.3 France 8.6 Japan

3.3 Netherlands 6.3 Hong Kong 9.2 Turkey

3.4 Brazil 6.4 Iceland 9.5 Norway

3.7 Venezuela 6.5 Germany (West) 10.0 South Korea

3.9 Greece 6.8 Austria 10.4 Singapore

3.9 New Zealand 6.8 Italy 11.0 India

4.4 Australia 6.9 United Kingdom 11.8 Malaysia

5.1 United States 7.2 Mexico 12.3 Pakistan

Lower-numbered scores are seen favoring looseness; a higher score denotes a preference for

tightness.Source:AdaptedfromM.J.Gelfandetal.,“Differences Between Tight and Loose

Cultures: A 33-Nation Study,”Science, (May 27, 2011), 332, 1100–4.

TABLE 6.13

Exclusionist and Universalist Scores for Forty-Three

Selected Countries

SCORE COUNTRY SCORE COUNTRY SCORE COUNTRY

1,000 Ethiopia 681 Mexico 395 Hungary

949 Iraq 664 Philippines 382 Chile

(^872) Morocco 640 Vietnam 333 Japan
858 Egypt 631 Russia 311 Spain
849 Saudi Arabia 615 Brazil, China 274 Portugal
815 Kyrgyzstan 585 Turkey 262 Ireland
803 India 579 Colombia 237 United
791 Zambia 557 Bosnia 170 France
773 Venezuela 554 Croatia 120 Germany
756 South Africa 542 El Salvador 119 Australia
733 Uganda 529 Poland 107 Canada
727 Jordan 507 Bulgaria 57 United Kingdom
724 Bangladesh 476 South Korea 34 Norway
718 Azerbaijan 425 Italy
710 Guatemala 397 Singapore
Higher numbered scores are seen as favoring exclusionism traits; a lower score denotes a
preference for universalism traits.Source: Adapted from M. Minkov,Cultural Differences
in a Globalized World(United Kingdom: Emerald, 2011).
Tight and Loose Cultures 235
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