According to Hofstede’s (2001) definition, individualism/collectivism reflects a culture’s relation to individual goals and accomplishments. The core origins and characteristics of this dimension are differences in family units and the extent to which they influence people’s lives and everyday behavior. Whereas in individualist cultures, the most important distinction is between self and others, in collectivist cultures, the self is always defined in the context of social networks, and the important distinction is the line between in-group and out-group. Collectivists are characterized by a “we” consciousness, which means that their identity is based on the social system in which they are embedded. Moreover,
Hofstede argues that collectivist cultures are characterized by high-context communication (Hall 1976) because the tightly knit social system encompasses many rules that regulate people’s behavior.
In contrast, individualists live in a society in which everyone is supposed to take care of him- or herself and his or her immediate family only. These cultures are characterized by a strong “I” consciousness and the emotional independence of individuals from institutions and organizations. Parsons and Shils (1951) characterize individualist cultures by their strong self-orientation.
Furthermore, individualist cultures are characterized by low-context communication (Hall 1976). Without strong group norms and regulations, the social context in which communication takes place indicates little information. Therefore, individualists need to communicate more openly and directly about what they have to say.