The Community dimension measures the individual’s beliefs related to how the needs and purpose of a person are balanced against the needs and purpose of the group. Two extremes anchor the continuum — Group on the left, Individual on the right — and every respondent sits somewhere between them.
Note: this “Community” dimension belongs to the Cultural Profile Assessment. It shares a name with a dimension in the Sales Profile Assessment, but they measure different things: this one is about belonging and where the individual locates themselves relative to the group; the sales-side dimension is about how a salesperson builds and relies on networks.
Group
The left extreme (group) characterizes individuals who think of themselves as part of a group and believe that the group — which provides a larger, stable, and dependable structure — is more important than themselves. They consider the group first because it provides help and safety, in exchange for loyalty.
These individuals feel a strong sense of empathy toward others and acknowledge interdependence. They understand the benefits and are willing to maintain this interdependence by doing for others what they expect others to do for them. The group always comes before the individual — but it is important to note that “the group” is not the broad organization. It can be a close-knit group of people that watches over each other within a larger organization.
Individual
The right extreme (individual) characterizes individuals who believe in personal freedom and achievement, and place themselves before the group. They feel it is more important to focus on individual goals and desires, and value independence and self-reliance so that they can contribute to the community as and if they wish.
These individuals see the organization as an enabler, and their relationship with the community exists for mutual benefit and synergy. They believe that individuals must make their own decisions and take care of themselves in order for the broader group to be healthy and prevail.
Reading the extremes
Neither pole is right or wrong. Group cultures build cohesion, loyalty, and safety; individual cultures build initiative, mobility, and achievement. Global organizations frequently sit on top of populations that skew hard in one direction while their leadership skews hard in the other — that mismatch is what the Cultural Profile makes visible.