Abstract
This chapter explores the cultural determinants of internet infidelity using Hofstede’s criteria for measuring cultural differences across nations. Hofstede identified the determinants of national culture and formulated indices that allow the estimation of cultural differences among countries. In this chapter, we examine differences among countries with regard to the following indices: power distance, individuality, masculinity and femininity , uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation , and indulgence. We correlate these indices to understand and compare the following pairs of countries with regard to internet infidelity—China-India, USA-Canada, UK-Finland, and Brazil and other Latin American countries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ailon, G. (2008). Mirror, mirror on the wall: “Culture’s consequences” in a value test of its own design. Academy of Management Review, 33(4), 885–904.
Atwood, J. D., & Schwartz, L. (2002). Cyber-sex: The new affair treatment considerations. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 1(3), 37–56.
Baligh, H. H. (1994). Components of culture: Nature, interconnections, and relevance to the decisions on the organization structure. Management Science, 40(1), 14–27.
Barak, A., & Fisher, W. A. (2002). The future of internet sexuality. In A. Cooper (Ed.), Sex and the internet: A guide book for clinicians (pp. 267–280). New York: Brunner-Routledge.
Baskerville, R. F. (2003). Hofstede never studied culture. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 28(1), 1–14.
Bing, J. W. (2004). Hofstede’s consequences: The impact of his work on consulting and business practices. Academy of Management Perspectives, 18(1), 80–87.
Carnes, P. (2003). The anatomy of arousal: Three internet portals. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18(3), 309–323.
Chadda, R., & Deb, K. (2013). Indian family systems, collectivistic society and psychotherapy. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55(6), 299–309.
Chen, C. C., Chen, X. P., & Meindl, J. R. (1998). How can cooperation be fostered? The cultural effects of individualism-collectivism. Academy of Management Review, 23(2), 285–304.
Cooper, A., McLoughlin, I. P., & Campbell, K. M. (2000). Sexuality in cyberspace: Update for the 21st century. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 3(4), 521–536.
Cooper, A., Morahan-Martin, J., Mathy, R. M., & Maheu, M. (2002). Toward an increased understanding of user demographics in online sexual activities. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 28(2), 105–129.
Culpan, R. (1991). Institutional dominance model of comparative management. In B. S. Prasad & R. B. Peterson (Eds.), Advances in international comparative management (Vol. 6, pp. 127–142). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Dadaviz. (2015). The 25 cities with the highest number of Ashley Madison accounts. http://dadaviz.com/i/4763/. Accessed August 25, 2016.
Daneback, K., Cooper, A., & Månsson, S. A. (2005). An internet study of cybersex participants. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34(3), 321–328.
Delmonico, D. L., Griffin, E., & Carnes, P. J. (2002). Treating online compulsive sexual behavior: When cybersex is the drug of choice. In A. Cooper (Ed.), Sex and the internet: A guidebook for clinicians (pp. 147–167). New York: Brunner-Routledge.
d’Iribarne, P. (1996). The usefulness of an ethnographic approach to the international comparison of organizations. International Studies of Management and Organization, 26(4), 30–47.
Doherty, D., Dowling, C. M., & Miller, M. G. (2011). Are financial or moral scandals worse? It depends. PS. Political Science and Politics, 44(4), 749–757.
Ferraro, G. (1998). The cultural dimension of international business. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Funk, C. L. (1996). The impact of scandal on candidate evaluations: An experimental test of the role of candidate traits. Political Behavior, 18(1), 1–24.
Ghose, T. (2015). By the numbers: Who are Catholics in America? Live Science. http://www.livescience.com/52236-who-are-american-catholics.html#sthash.lSLoIeEf.dpuf. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Gibbs, S. (2015, 19 August). Ashley Madison condemns attack as experts say hacked database is real. Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/19/ashley-madisons-hacked-customer-files-posted-online-as-threatened-say-reports. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Gonyea, J. L. J. (2004). Internet sexuality: Clinical implications for couples. American Journal of Family Therapy, 32(5), 375–390.
Groothof, H. A., Dijkstra, P., & Barelds, D. P. (2009). Sex differences in jealousy: The case of internet infidelity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26(8), 1119–1129.
Hall, E., & Hall, M. (1987). Hidden differences. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday.
Hatala, M. N., Milewski, K., & Baack, D. W. (1999). Downloading love: A content analysis of internet personal advertisements placed by college students. College Student Journal, 33(1), 124.
Henline, B. H., & Lamke, L. K. (2003). The experience of sexual and emotional online infidelity. In: Poster presented at the 65th annual conference of the national council on family relations, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 19–22 November.
Hern, A., Fishwick, C., & Weaver, M. (2015, 21 July). Ashley Madison customer service in meltdown as site battles hack fallout. Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/ashley-madison-customer-service-meltdown-hack-fallout. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Hertlein, K. M., & Piercy, F. P. (2006). Internet infidelity: A critical review of the literature. Family Journal, 14(4), 366–371.
Hertlein, K. M., & Stevenson, A. (2010). The seven “As” contributing to internet-related intimacy problems: A literature review. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace 4(1), 1.
Hertlein, K. M., & Webster, M. (2008). Technology, relationships, and problems: A research synthesis. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34(4), 445–460.
Hertlein, K. M., Wetchler, J. L., & Piercy, F. P. (2005). Infidelity: An overview. In F. P. Piercy, K. M. Wetchler, & K. M. Hertlein (Eds.), Handbook of the clinical treatment of infidelity (pp. 5–16). New York: Haworth Press.
Hofstede, G. (1983). The cultural relativity of organizational practices and theories. Journal of International Business Studies, 14(2), 75–89.
Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations. London: McGraw-Hill.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hofstede, G. (2002). Dimensions do not exist: A reply to Brendan McSweeney. Human Relations, 55(11), 1355–1361.
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 13–16.
Hofstede, G., & McCrae, R. R. (2004). Personality and culture revisited: Linking traits and dimensions of culture. Cross-Cultural Research, 38(1), 52–88.
Hofstede, G. J., & Pedersen, P. B. (2006). Exploring culture: Exercises, stories, and synthetic cultures. London: Intercultural Press.
Hofstede, G., Neuijen, B., Ohayv, D. D., & Sanders, G. (1990). Measuring organizational cultures: A qualitative and quantitative study across twenty cases. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35(2), 286–316.
Hosseini, S. (2017, 11 March). World day against cyber-censorship. Media Express. https://themediaexpress.com/2017/03/11/world-day-against-cyber-censorship/. Accessed August 22, 2017.
Inkeles, A., & Levinson, D. J. (1954). National character: The study of modal personality and sociocultural systems. In G. E. Lindzey (Ed.), Handbook of social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 977–1020). Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Internet Society. (2013). Global internet maps. http://www.internetsociety.org/map/global-internet-report/?gclid=CjwKEAjwsr-6BRCLvrj785rbhTsSJADjUxak7WC2RS34NXQK-jSn70uHqsT52Khh6yWj67arBqsB3BoCwWLw_wcB#global-internet-penetration. Accessed July 18, 2017.
Javidan, M., House, R. J., Dorfman, P. W., Hanges, P. J., & De Luque, M. S. (2006). Conceptualizing and measuring cultures and their consequences: A comparative review of GLOBE’s and Hofstede’s approaches. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(6), 897–914.
Kirkman, B. L., Lowe, K. B., & Gibson, C. B. (2006). A quarter century of Culture’s consequences: A review of empirical research incorporating Hofstede’s cultural values framework. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(3), 285–320.
Lammers, J., Stoker, J. I., Jordan, J., Pollmann, M., & Stapel, D. A. (2011). Power increases infidelity among men and women. Psychological Science, 22(9), 1191–1197.
Leiblum, S., & Döring, N. (2002). Internet sexuality: Known risks and fresh chances for women. In A. Cooper (Ed.), Sex and the internet: A guidebook for clinicians (pp. 19–45). New York: Brunner-Routledge.
Maheu, M. M., & Subotnik, R. (2001). Infidelity on the internet: Virtual relationships and real betrayal. New York: Sourcebooks.
Mao, A., & Raguram, A. (2009). Online infidelity: The new challenge to marriages. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(4), 302–304.
Mathiak, K., & Weber, R. (2006). Toward brain correlates of natural behavior: fMRI during violent video games. Human Brain Mapping, 27(12), 948–956.
McSweeney, B. (2002). Hofstede’s model of national cultural differences and their consequences: A triumph of faith—A failure of analysis. Human Relations, 55(1), 89–118.
Mileham, B. L. A. (2007). Online infidelity in internet chat rooms: An ethnographic exploration. Computers in Human Behavior, 23(1), 11–31.
Moore, S., & Fricker, J. (2008). Internet infidelity and its correlates. Australian Journal of Counselling Psychology, 9(2), 15–22.
Nelson, E. (2010, 11 September). Virtual infidelity: A ground for divorce. Examiner.com. http://www.examiner.com/article/virtual-infidelity-a-ground-for-divorce. Accessed August 25, 2016.
Nelson, T., Piercy, F. P., & Sprenkle, D. H. (2005). Internet infidelity: A multi-phase delphi study. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 4(2–3), 173–194.
Parks, M. R., & Roberts, L. D. (1998). Making “MOOsic”: The development of personal relationships on line and a comparison to their off-line counterparts. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15(4), 517–537.
Perry, A. J. (2002). The relationship between legal systems and economic development: Integrating economic and cultural approaches. Journal of Law and Society, 29(2), 282–307.
Pothukuchi, V., Damanpour, F., Choi, J., Chen, C. C., & Park, S. H. (2002). National and organizational culture differences and international joint venture performance. Journal of International Business Studies, 33(2), 243–265.
Ramanujam, P. (2007). Floss (Free/Libre Open Source Software): A theme for cultural differences study. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1000892. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Reporters Without Borders. (2006). List of the 13 internet enemies. https://rsf.org/en/news/list-13-internet-enemies. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Reporters Without Borders. (2010, 18 March). Web 2.0 versus Control 2.0. https://rsf.org/en/news/web-20-versus-control-20. Accessed August 22, 2017.
RSVLTS.com. (2016). Ashley Madison hack stats. http://www.rsvlts.com/2015/08/26/ashley-madison-hack-stats/. Accessed August 26, 2016.
Schneider, J. (2003). The impact of compulsive cybersex behaviours on the family. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18(3), 329–358.
Schneider, J. P. (2000). Effects of cybersex addiction on the family: Results of a survey. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 7(1–2), 31–58.
SecurityWeek. (2015, 20 July). Adultery website Ashley Madison hacked in shutdown bid. http://www.securityweek.com/cheating-website-ashley-madison-hacked-user-data. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Shaw, J. (1997). Treatment rationale for internet infidelity. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 22(1), 29–34.
Soble, A., & Power, N. (2007). Philosophy of sex: Contemporary readings (5th ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Steinblatt, J., & Reznik, T. (2015, 20 August). The country with the most Ashley Madison adulterers per capita. http://www.vocativ.com/223675/the-country-with-the-most-ashley-madison-accounts-per-capita/. Accessed July 19, 2017.
Underwood, H., & Findlay, B. (2004). Internet relationships and their impact on primary relationships. Behaviour Change, 21(2), 127–140.
Vossler, A. (2016). Internet infidelity ten years on: A critical review of the literature. Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 24(4), 359–366.
Wegerif, R. (2010). Mind expanding: Teaching for thinking and creativity in primary education. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Whitty, M., & Gavin, J. (2001). Age/sex/location: Uncovering the social cues in the development of online relationships. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 4(5), 623–630.
Whitty, M. T. (2003). Pushing the wrong buttons: Men’s and women’s attitudes towards online and offline infidelities. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 6(6), 569–579.
Whitty, M. T. (2005). The “realness” of cyber-cheating: men’s and women’s representations of unfaithful internet relationships. Social Science Computer Review, 23(1), 57–67.
Witte, A. E. (2012). Making the case for a postnational cultural analysis of organizations. Journal of Management Inquiry, 21(2), 141–159.
World Bank. (2014). Internet users (per 100 people). http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.P2. Accessed August 25, 2016.
Yarab, P. E., Allgeier, E. R., & Sensibaugh, C. C. (1999). Looking deeper: Extradyadic behaviors, jealousy, and perceived unfaithfulness in hypothetical dating relationships. Personal Relationships, 6(3), 305–316.
Yeh, R. S., & Lawrence, J. J. (1995). Individualism and Confucian dynamism: A note on Hofstede’s cultural root to economic growth. Journal of International Business Studies, 26(3), 655–669.
Young, K. S., & de Abreu, C. N. (Eds.). (2010). Internet addiction: A handbook and guide to evaluation and treatment. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Young, K. S., Griffin-Shelley, E., Cooper, A., O’Mara, J., & Buchanan, J. (2000). Online infidelity: A new dimension in couple relationships with implications for evaluation and treatment. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 7(1–2), 59–74.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ramanujam, P., Goyal, Y., Sridhar, S. (2018). Cultural Institutions in New Technology: Evidence from Internet Infidelity. In: Sahni, S., Jain, G. (eds) Internet Infidelity. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5412-9_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5412-9_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-5411-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-5412-9
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)