The Influence of Culture on the Self and Selfobject Relationships

In “The Influence of Culture on the Self and Selfobject Relationships”, Alan Roland writes of culture and psychoanalysis, however, the main ideas can be taken well beyond the boundaries of psychiatric therapy. His central thesis is that the fundamentally different cultures and social patterns of North America and Asia give a distinctive “shape and cast” to selfobject relationships, and therefore to the very nature of the reference of the self. Culture plays a critical role in how individuals interpret and respond to management and motivational systems. If the two cultures interface in a hierarchical relationship without an understanding of the kinds of modes of selfobject relationships, painful cultural misunderstandings can arise.

Roland’s thesis is important for this course because globalization has created a need for leaders with an improved awareness of cultural differences and an increased competency in cross-cultural communication and relationship building. Asian societies are relationship-centric and highly in tune with issues of esteem whereas North American society is highly individualistic with an emphasis on self-directedness and self-reliance that results in weakened relationships. Asian people tend to expect superiors to be empathically sensitive to their needs, but North American superiors tend not to provide this. The North American leader to Asian constituents should be more sympathetic and nurturing with a relationship that focuses on candidness, trust, and partnership.

Leaders can adapt their style to be more effective in different cultural settings. We need to be aware of our own cultural biases and preference. Ethnocentrism prevents leaders from guiding their followers to the creation of meaningful work.