Tribalism reflects strong ethnic or cultural identities that separate members of one group from another, making them loyal to people like them and suspicious of outsiders, which undermines efforts to forge common cause across groups.
Interpretation
Tribalism creates divisions based on ethnicity and culture, fostering loyalty within groups while creating suspicion towards outsiders.
The quote by Rosabeth Moss Kanter highlights the concept of tribalism, which is characterized by strong attachments to one's ethnic or cultural identity. This loyalty can be both a unifying force within a group and a barrier to collaboration or understanding with those outside the group. Such divisive identities can hinder collective efforts to tackle broader societal issues, as they promote a sense of 'us versus them' that can obstruct common understanding and cooperation.
In practice
In a discussion on social unity vs. division, this quote can illustrate the challenges of overcoming tribalism.
Organizational structures that allow divisions and departments to own their turf and people with long tenure to take root creates the same hardened group distinctions as Congressional redistricting to produce homogeneous voting blocs - all of which makes it easier to resist compromise, let alone collaboration.
The way innovating companies are designed leaves ambiguities, overlaps, decision conflicts or decision vacuums in some parts of the organisation. People rail at this, curse it-and invent innovative ways to overcome it.
The boomers' biggest impact will be on eliminating the term 'retirement' and inventing a new stage of life... the new career arc.
The middle of every successful project looks like a disaster.
I've found that small wins, small projects, small differences often make huge differences.
Leaders is the new organisation do not lack motivational tools, but the tools are different from those of traditional corporate bureaucrats. The new rewards are based not on status but on contribution, and they consist not of regular promotion and automatic pay rises, but of excitement about the mission and a share of the glory of success.
No one's of Pakistani origin in any British show. That's why every actor of color is here working in the States. It's true.
More than the Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.
We've switched from a culture that was interested in manufacturing, economics, politics - trying to play a serious part in the world - to a culture that's really entertainment-based.
Miami is a melting pot in which none of the stones melt. They rattle around.
By making this wine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back the national debt.
People of color grow up steeped in 'white' culture. The reverse is not true. And, no, listening to hip-hop on the way to work does not count as immersion.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.