The cultural dimensions of sustainable development: A cross-country configurational analysis

Our research emphasizes the need to explore the importance of cross-country cultural differences in shaping sustainable development. We employ the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze cross-national data, focusing on the relationship between Hofstede's six cultural dimensions and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) index of 82 countries worldwide. The empirical evidence sustains that the culture influences the modalities through which countries reach sustainable development. We identified four configurations of cultural dimensions associated with high levels of sustainability performance. The analysis informs that there are mainly two possible configurations: the first is characterized by low power distance (PDI) and high individualism, while the second is characterized by high PDI and low individualism. Given the existence of multiple modalities for reaching the same goal, we derive some policy implications to advise policymakers and governments on how to improve the sustainable development of their countries, taking into consideration their cultural characteristics.

Automated summary

This research highlights the importance of exploring cross-country cultural differences in shaping sustainable development, and uses fsQCA to analyze data from 82 countries. The findings suggest that culture influences the modalities through which countries achieve sustainable development.