A Big Fish in a Small Pond or a Small Fish in a Big Pond? Importance of Intra-Versus Intergroup Status Across Cultures

Abstract

This chapter examines the underlying concerns people have for relative status within their group (i.e., intragroup status) and their group's relative status to that of other groups (i.e., intergroup status). I adopt a deductive approach using arguments and evidence in the cross-cultural research and literature. I begin by reviewing the basic findings in social psychology and organizational behavior literatures, which suggest that both intragroup status and intergroup status will have positive impact on important group outcomes such as people's evaluation of, and commitment to, the group. Moreover, consistent with the notion of the fishpond phenomenon, past findings also suggest that those with high-intragroup status and low-intergroup status show more group-oriented reactions than those with low-intragroup status and high-intergroup status (i.e., people prefer to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond). Next, I provide both psychological and structural reasoning to argue that the fishpond phenomenon will be less likely to emerge in collectivistic than individualistic cultures. I close by considering the implications from the cross-cultural analysis to the broader conceptual understanding of mechanisms underlying people's concerns for intragroup status vs. intergroup status in work groups and organizations.

Citation

Chen, Y.-R. (2005), "A Big Fish in a Small Pond or a Small Fish in a Big Pond? Importance of Intra-Versus Intergroup Status Across Cultures", Thomas-Hunt, M.C. (Ed.) Status and Groups (Research on Managing Groups and Teams, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 43-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1534-0856(05)07003-9