CM 114: Michele Gelfand on What Makes Us Different - a podcast by Gayle Allen

When we try to explain cultural differences, we often turn to descriptions of east versus west, rich versus poor or, in U.S. politics, red versus blue. But Michele Gelfand, author of the book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World, argues that we’re overlooking the most comprehensive explanation of all – how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms.

Michele is Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and her pioneering research into cultural norms has been cited in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Science, and on NPR. Drawing on decades of research conducted in over 50 countries, Michele shares how these cultural characteristics play out around the world.In this interview we discuss:

How our unwritten rules of behavior are the glue that holds societies togetherHow tight cultures typically have stronger social norms than their loose culture counterparts
Just how early we begin to learn social norms – typically by the age of 3How our social norms affect our behavior from morning to night
How social norms can cause us to follow along even when we don’t agreeWhy they play an important role in what we can accomplish as a society
The tradeoffs of tight versus loose cultures when it comes to creativity, safety, openness, and cooperationHow disasters, diseases, and diversity serve as indicators of tight versus loose cultures
The dynamic nature of tight and loose cultures in response to temporary vs long-term environmental threatsThe role of social status and power in relation to tight vs loose cultures
The impact of organizational tightness versus looseness on the success of mergers and acquisitionsWhy we should seek tight-loose ambidexterity to accommodate change
How culturally ambidextrous leaders are more successful than their rigid counterpartsTimes we might compromise or negotiate with others when it comes to tight vs loose
How our social norms will influence robot behaviorLinks to Topics Mentioned in the Podcast

@MicheleJGelfandhttps://www.michelegelfand.com/

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