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Nations Versus Religions: Which Has a Stronger Effect on Societal Values?

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Abstract

The World Values Survey allows a comparison of the relative contribution of nations versus global religions on the cultural values of nations and in-country religious groups. We analyzed the answers to 16 questions from 2005–2008 about personal values and values for children at the level of 121 in-country religious groups from 56 nations. We found that the national influence is much stronger than the influence of global religions. This results in nationally homogeneous and statistically distinguishable clusters of nominally different in-country religious groups. Global religions do not have a similar effect: their in-country variants do not group together to form homogeneous and statistically distinguishable religious clusters that cut across nations. Our study shows that, with respect to values, a shared national history is a potent cultural factor, whereas a globally shared religion is not. This is true even in recently formed nations such as those of sub-Saharan Africa.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mark Peterson for his valuable and very constructive suggestions for improvement of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International University College, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Michael Minkov

  2. University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Geert Hofstede

Authors
  1. Michael Minkov
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  2. Geert Hofstede
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Minkov.

Appendices

Appendix 1: The Six Personal Values in the 2005–2008 WVS

For each of the following aspects, indicate how important it is in your life. Would you say it is…

  1. 1.

    Very important

  2. 2.

    Rather important

  3. 3.

    Not very important

  4. 4.

    Not at all important

  5. (1)

    v4: family

  6. (2)

    v5: friends

  7. (3)

    v6: leisure time

  8. (4)

    v7: politics

  9. (5)

    v8: work

  10. (6)

    v9: religion

Appendix 2: The 10 Values (Traits) for Children in the 2005–2008 WVS

V12_21. Here is a list of qualities that children can be encouraged to learn at home. Which, if any, do you consider to be especially important? Please choose up to five. (CODE FIVE ONLY)

  1. (1)

    v12: independence

  2. (2)

    v13: hard work

  3. (3)

    v14: feeling of responsibility

  4. (4)

    v15: imagination

  5. (5)

    v16: tolerance and respect for other people

  6. (6)

    v17: thrift

  7. (7)

    v18: determination/perseverance

  8. (8)

    v19: religious faith

  9. (9)

    v20: unselfishness

  10. (10)

    v21: obedience

Appendix 3: Abbreviations of Religious Groups’ Names

The abbreviations after the country names in the figures stand for the following religious groups as provided by the WVS:

  • A = Anglican

  • AW = Ancestral worshipping

  • B = Buddhist

  • C = Catholic

  • Ch = Christian (denomination unspecified)

  • E = Evangelical

  • H = Hindu

  • IAC = Independent African Christian (South Africa)

  • M = Muslim (denomination unspecified)

  • N = Native religion

  • O = Orthodox

  • P = Protestant (denomination unspecified)

  • Pb = Presbyterian

  • S = Sikh

  • Sh = Shia

  • Su = Sunni

  • T = Tao

  • Sw = Church of Sweden

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Minkov, M., Hofstede, G. Nations Versus Religions: Which Has a Stronger Effect on Societal Values?. Manag Int Rev 54, 801–824 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-014-0205-8

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