Answer

Brainstorming

1. Do you think that brainstorming as a method of group decision making may have different effects in collectivist and individualist cultures? Explain.

I believe that brainstorming as a method of group decision making may have different effects in collectivist as well as individualist cultures. In an individualistic culture brainstorming might result in very good ideas that lead to great decisions based on active debating and analysis of each idea presented in the brainstorming session. This is because in an individualistic culture, people are free to express their own ideas and do not necessarily have to conform to the common thinking in the group (Dennis, Minas & Bhagwatwar, 2013). This means that unique ideas can be proposed in an individualistic culture as opposed to a collectivist culture. The conflict that might arise out of discussing different unique ideas is usually welcome in an individualistic culture that values individual contributions as opposed to a collectivist culture. The conflict that is associated with the discussion of unique idea might cause groups in a collectivist culture to break apart due to lack of consensus, while groups in an individualistic culture would strive through the conflict to find some common ground (Harvey & Kou, 2013). Therefore, the conflict associated with different unique idea might be the glue that holds the team together in an individualistic society, while it may be the water that tears the team apart in a collectivist culture.
2. Which culture’s norms would be most beneficial for successful brainstorming?

The norms of the individualistic culture would be a natural fit for brainstorming given that people are free to express their opinions as compared to collectivist cultures. In an individualistic culture, people do not care much about criticism and they express their ideas freely as opposed to a collectivist culture. However, in a collectivist culture, people are more interconnected and as such rely heavily on each other’s support of their ideas hence group discussions that promote mutual understanding would be a good fit in such a culture. Therefore, one can easily infer that individuals in a collectivist culture might not be very receptive of the rampant criticism of ideas that is present in an individualist culture. This makes it clear that the norms in an individualistic culture are more appropriate for effective brainstorming as opposed to the norms in a collective culture (Zainol, Yusof, Mastor, Sanusi & Ramli, 2012). Successful brainstorming requires the exchange of ideas as well as deep criticism of each idea presented so that the advantages and disadvantages of each idea presented are well known by each member of the group. This requires that group members break down each idea in order to find the best ideas that can work for the group’s purposes. Such brainstorming activities are only suitable for an individualistic culture.
3. Which of the two hypotheses would you consider to be more plausible? Explain your answer

I consider the first hypothesis about the individualistic culture as being more plausible than the second hypothesis on the collectivist culture. In a largely global and democratic world societies are encouraged to speak their minds and express their views clearly in order to contribute to global developments. The free expressions of ideas without care for criticism is one way that generates brilliant ideas that move the society forward. The free expression of the entire world’s people is the crucial tenet of democracy in an increasingly interconnected world where each person’s contribution is valued (Zainol, Azahari, Sanusi & Ramli, 2012). The collectivist culture leads to a suppression of good ideas as people are afraid of challenging the status quo, which stunt development and might contribute to societies being backward. Therefore, the individualistic culture hypothesis tends to be more beneficial for the global economy and advancement than the collective culture hypothesis.