ABSTRACT
The construct of tightness-looseness was advanced in 2006 by cross-cultural organizational psychologist Michele Gelfand and colleagues. Where Hofstede emphasizes inherent cognitive structures such as risk tolerance, Gelfand’s approach focuses on social norms and rules and their enforcement. Briefly, tight cultures strictly monitor deviance and enforce compliance with social norms. In contrast, loose cultures afford more latitude regarding social norms and mores and are generally more tolerant and less punitive of deviance. Advantages of tight cultures are order and predictability while loose cultures are more open to variation and innovation. Tightness-looseness has captured the popular imagination, so there are currently many sites with different takes on the theory—often from a business or management point of view. The question of whether tight or loose cultures are more conducive to nonconformity, often posited as a precursor to or prerequisite for creativity, can be addressed.
