Collectivism in a new form: A case study in Taiwan

cultural convergence, divergence, and crossvergence

Chun Guo

The convergence–divergence–crossvergence debate provides different viewpoints of how attitudes, behaviors, and values of individ- uals in organizations across cultures change over time. Convergence theory states that the common logic of industrialism generates economic and technological imperatives, which allow the adoption of common organizational structures and the development of similar rela- tionships between the firm and its environment (customers, competitors, and government) (Webber, 1969). Convergence theory suggests that as societies become industrialized, individ- uals will embrace values, attitudes and behaviors similar to those common in industrialized, capitalistic Western countries. The converging process will not be influenced by national culture and the resulting business structures will remain largely culture-free (e.g., Hickson et al., 1974).

The advocates of divergence theory (e.g., Hofstede, 1980) take the opposite view and argue that organizations are culture-bound and will remain so regardless of technological, economic, and political influences. Divergence theory states that the interpersonal aspects of management, management philosophy, as well as business practices will diverge and that indi- viduals from a society will retain their specific value systems, attitudes, and behaviors through time (Webber, 1969).

Crossvergence theory advocates that the dynamic interaction of sociocultural influences and business ideology influences can shape the value system among individuals in a society in such a way that a unique value system will emerge (Ralston, 2008; Ralston et al., 1993; Ralston et al., 1997). This unique value system is different from the values supported by either national culture or economic ideology and hence are not “in-between” the parent cultures (Ralston et al., 1993) but “something different” (Ralston et al., 1997). Ralston (2008) further proposed the tri-faceted typology of crossver- gence, including (i) conforming crossvergence, the situation in which individual-level values differences across groups (e.g., societies, regions,

generations) would decrease over time; (ii) static crossvergence, the situation where value differ- ences across groups would remain unchanged; and (iii) deviating crossvergence, the situation where value differences across group would increase over time.

See also cross-cultural management; culture; culture and behavior; culture and societal behavior; culture, national; globalization; values

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