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 together

How 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 3

How our social norms affect our behavior from morning to night

How social norms can cause us to follow along even when we don’t agree

Why 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 cooperation

How 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 threats

The 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 acquisitions

Why we should seek tight-loose ambidexterity to accommodate change

How culturally ambidextrous leaders are more successful than their rigid counterparts

Times we might compromise or negotiate with others when it comes to tight vs loose

How our social norms will influence robot behavior

Links to Topics Mentioned in the Podcast

@MicheleJGelfand

https://www.michelegelfand.com/

Culture Lab

Solomon Asch

The Secret to Our Success by Joseph Heinrich

Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me!

Robert Levine

The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Fractal

Betty Dukes

Tom Curley

The Muppets

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes - your ratings make all the difference. For automatic delivery of new episodes, be sure to subscribe. And thank you for listening and sharing!