Individualism-Collectivism and Accountability in Intergroup Negotiations

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology 1999-10, Vol.84 (5), p.721-736
• Main Authors: Gelf, Michele J, Realo, Anu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accountability; Applied psychology; Asians; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Collective Behavior; Collectivism; Competition; Culture; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group dynamics; Human; Individualism; Individualism-Collectivism; Influences; Intergroup collaboration; Intergroup Dynamics; Intergroup relations; Male; Negotiation; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social control; Social interactions. Communication. Group processes; Social norms; Social psychology; Social research; Statistical analysis; Studies; Teamwork; White People
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.84.5.721

This research incorporates the theory of individualism-collectivism into research on accountability in intergroup negotiations. Given that accountability is fundamentally a norm enforcement mechanism and that norms and standards for behavior vary for individualists and collectivists ( H. R. Markus & S. Kitayama, 1991 ; H. C. Triandis, 1995 ) it was predicted that accountability would differentially affect individualists and collectivists in intergroup negotiations. In support of this, results from a laboratory study (with Caucasians and Asian Americans) and from a judgment study (in the United States and Estonia) found that collectivism moderated the effects of accountability on negotiators' psychological states, behaviors, and outcomes. In contrast to previous research, the results illustrate that accountability does not necessarily produce competitive behavior, but rather produces the behavior most normative for individuals in their sociocultural experience.