Sustained Rapid Economic Growth and Cultural Convergence: Comparative Longitudinal Analysis of Evidence from GLOBE & Hofstede
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/15587890980001515 |
| Date | 21 May 2009 |
| Pages | 37-45 |
| Published date | 21 May 2009 |
| Author | Vijayan P. Munusamy,Michael E. Valdez,Kevin D. Lo,Amanda E. K. Budde‐Sung,Cristina M. Suarez,Robert H. Doktor |
| Subject Matter | Strategy |
Journal of Asia Business Studies SPRING 2009 37
INTRODUCTION
A number of social analysts have proposed that one impact of sus-
tained rapid economic growth and concomitant technological indus-
trialization upon society will be the convergence of social action and
thought (e.g. Tinbergen 1959, Kerr, Dunlap, Harbison, and Myers
1960, Galbraith 1967, Child 1981; Child and Tayeb 1983; Levitt
1983). We examine this notion by looking at the convergence of cul-
tural values. Though the study of the convergence of cultural values
has been controversial, social science has not been able to refute the
notion that industrial societies will become more similar when “tech-
nical and economic imperatives impinge on social life” (Freenberg
1991, p.121). We contend this tendency is especially true in nations
with exceedingly rapid industrial development because traditional
social structures and mores are more vulnerable to change. As tech-
nological industrialization has resulted in some significant physical
effects, such as global warming and deforestation, we offer for con-
sideration that the convergence of cultural values may also result in
some significant social effects. Just as other scientists have document-
ed these early physical warning signals to world leaders, we set out
to document the possible cultural convergence as an unanticipated
consequence of rapid economic and technological industrialization.
LITeRaTURe RevIew
A widely accepted theme in sociology is the notion of conver-
gence. Essentially, as countries attain parity with respect to techno-
logically-driven economic development, they will mutually resemble
each other in various aspects of social life. A popular starting point
for the notion of technology driving change towards uniformity can
be found in Tinbergen (1959), which was expanded upon by Kerr,
Dunlop, Harbison, and Myers (1960). The latter suggests the “logic
of industrialism,” which included, among other characteristics, rapid
Sustained Rapid Economic Growth and Cultural Convergence:
Comparative Longitudinal Analysis of Evidence from GLOBE &
Hofstede
Vijayan P. Munusamy
Center for Creative Leadership
Michael E. Valdez
Seton Hall University
Kevin D. Lo
University of Auckland
Amanda E. K. Budde-Sung
University of Sydney
Cristina M. Suarez
University of Hawaii
Robert H. Doktor
University of Hawaii
absTRaCT
Two landmark studies of national culture undertaken approximately a quarter century apart present a unique opportunity for a
longitudinal analysis of the shift in cultural values in work organizations over time. Using comparable data from Hofstede and
GLOBE, we investigate the hypothesis that, in the rapidly developing nations of Asia, there has been a convergence of collectivist
values in work organizations toward the level of collectivist values found in work organizations in the highly developed nations of the
major economies. Findings suggest that collectivist values in rapidly developing nations are converging towards collectivist values
of highly developed countries. This convergence is not exclusively due to economic growth or wealth but rather due to the speed of
the economic growth. Specifically, periods of prolonged rapid economic transformation appear to also have a transforming effect on
national cultural values. Implications of this finding and directions for future research are discussed.
Keywords: Rapid Economic Growth, Convergence, Emerging Economies, National Culture, Collectivism
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