OVERVIEW OF ETHNIC CULTURAL & BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVISM
By Danielle Siggelkow
Mexico is an example of a collectivist country. According to Hofstede, Mexico’s score on individualism is 30 (Hofstede Centre, n.d.). This number is low, and indicates that Mexico is weak on individualism, and strong on collectivism. In contrast, Canada’s score on individualism is 80. Thomas and Inkson state that, in Mexico, decisions are made by group consultation (2009, p. 41). Family is of the utmost importance in Mexico. Often, up to 3 generations live in a single home (History.com, 2009). Another part of collectivism is loyalty. “Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations” (Hofstede Centre, n.d.). In Mexico, nepotism is common and acceptable. Getting a job is often dependent on family (Thomas and Inkson, 2009; Global Affairs Canada, 2014).