Cultural Dispositions: Cultural Frameworks

Universalism vs. Particularism

Universalism refers to cultures that place a high value on contracts and the rule of law. Interactions and agreements are guided by formal rules and set procedures. Individuals follow these rules, procedures and laws to establish and maintain a sense of fairness and order. If a situation arises people in this culture need to better understand and deal with, they seek to place the situation within the context of the law and rules.

Particularism examines each situation within the context that it occurs. Contextual factors and relationships determine how one should approach and deal with each specific situation. While the law and rules are important, they must be tempered by the specific situation. This continuum is important for understanding team dynamics, especially in areas such as conflict resolution, problem solving, establishing team rules and goals and decision-making.

On a GV team it is important to consider the circumstances of each team member and their cultural influences. However, because of the team being spread across distance, time and culture, team protocols, procedures and deadlines need to be clearly specified and adhered to, except for extenuating circumstances. For this reason GV teams leans toward the universalism side of this scale. Assignments, tasks and procedures need to be clearly outlined and defined. As the team develops trust and relationships with each other the team can move toward the particularism side.