Managing Particularism

Particularism is characteristic of South American ways of doing business. A particularist culture looks at every event as a unique case that must be considered individually. The contrasting approach is universalism, which assumes that all cases fall under general rules that apply all the time.

Understanding particularism

In universalist cultures, like the US, the UK, and much of northern Europe, signed contracts are firm commitments. But in particularist cultures, like South America, the specific circumstance must be considered to determine whether a clause still applies. Missing a contracted delivery time could be a point of conflict. The universalist culture expects delivery under any circumstances. This is unreasonable to the particularist. The particularist culture expects delivery as long as there are no unforeseen difficulties. This is irresponsible to the universalist.

Building trust

To manage particularism, partners must trust one another and work together to create alternative solutions. You should ensure that your partners are involved in the success of your organization, and know that the terms of your contract are not arbitrary, but are an essential part of the operation. Involving partners in the whole process, and making them feel a shared responsibility for the total outcome, will encourage them to produce timely solutions to obstacles.

Getting the best service

In particularist cultures, you should ensure that you are at the top of your partner’s list of priorities. One way to do this is to stay on their radar. Don’t wait until 5pm on Monday to check on a delivery that was expected at noon. Call on Friday and ask if everything is on schedule. Call again on Monday morning to remind the partner how important the delivery is. When problems arise, offer help rather than criticism. If you react harshly, partners may only inform you about future problems after they have become critical.

Particularism vs universalism

In the mid-afternoon heat of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a woman sat down at an empty patio table and was met by the waiter who took her drink order. Hungry, she asked for a menu, which the waiter quickly delivered. The woman made her selection and called the waiter back to take her order. The waiter replied, “I’m sorry, the kitchen is closed.” “But if the kitchen is closed, why did you bring me the menu?” The waiter explained simply, “Because you asked.” The woman assumed everyone asking for a menu wants to order food—a universal case. The waiter assumed each person asking for a menu has their own reasons and so complied with the woman’s request—a particular case. The waiter could not be expected to know she was hungry.