Written by Do you believe in fate?
Last week, we talked about how the degree to which someone feels life is directed by destiny dictates their locus of control – that is their feeling of control over their own lives.
Let’s look at how the locus of control unfolds in the workplace.
The Blame Game
When a goal is set and not reached in a workplace environment, the reactions of your colleagues can be very telling.
Sheila blames Jeremy for not delivering the documents in time for her to complete her task.
Jeremy blames Tom for not communicating promptly.
Tom blames his home life for distracting him.
Team Leader Lisa admits she missed the mark and should have taken the campaign in another direction. She apologizes for the part she played in not meeting the goal.
People with an internal locus of control take personal responsibility for their role in a group’s failure, while those with an external locus point at everyone else but themselves, whether they see fault in the “weakest links” of the group or in external factors.
Cross-Cultural Factors
How do cross-cultural factors come into play in the locus?
The locus of control is directly related to personality orientation; however, social psychologists have begun to study the majority locus of control in various cultures and the factors that influence it.
They’ve discovered that quite often the people of any given culture look at fate or self-control in a generally collective manner.
As you may have guessed, individualist cultures generally demonstrate an internal locus of control. They believe they’re the masters of their own fate.
Collectivist cultures – like those of China or Japan – demonstrate an external locus. They accept that things are out of their hands and don’t put weight on the individual’s role in the whole.
To illustrate this, when Americans and Chinese were surveyed about their view of fate, these were the results.
89% of questioned Americans agreed with the statement, “What happens to me is my own doing,” while 65% of Chinese admitted, “Sometimes I feel I don’t have control over the direction my life is taking.”
This aligns with each culture’s dominant traits, with Americans espousing ambition, individualism, and the “American dream,” while China espouses harmony and collectivism.
Next week, we’ll talk a little bit about how the group locus of control can be divided up further amongst ethnic groups and even simply locations in the same country. We’ll also talk about primary and secondary control. Stay tuned.
Success Across Cultures 