The impact of a worldview

21 September 2017

Training Leaders International – have a helpful comparison between a group oriented society and an individual oriented society.

Sweden as a whole is a very individual oriented society, yet as a church and for many people we know they have been raised within a group-oriented society. It makes for an interesting dynamic. See what you think.

Group-Oriented Societies	Individual-Oriented Societies
People are born into extended families in which they live their entire lives	Everyone grows up to look after himself/herself and organize nuclear families
Identity is based on birth and the place a person occupies in the group	Identity is based on individual achievement
Children learn to think in terms of “we”	Children learn to think in terms of “I”
Harmony should always be maintained and confrontations avoided	Speaking one’s mind is a characteristic of an honest person
Violating the norms leads to a sense of shame and loss of face for self and group	Violating the norms leads to a sense of guilt and loss of self-respect
Relationships between boss and worker are seen in moral family terms	Relationship between boss and worker are governed by contracts based on voluntary exchange and mutual advantage
Hiring and promotion must take kinship and friendships into account	Hiring and promotion should be based purely on skills and rules of selection
The relationship is more important than the task. People should not be fired.	The task is more important than the relationship. People can be readily fired.