Intuitively, the culture value of collectivism (rather than individualism) should be beneficial for team cooperation and, as a result, team successes. This is because collectivists prioritise collective interests over self-interests (Triandis, 1989). Indeed, research suggests that collectivism is one of the strongest predictors of team successes (Dierdorff, Bell, & Belohlav, 2011). In this research, I suggest that collectivism impairs rather than benefits team cooperation in hyper-speed decision contexts. The core characteristic of hyper-speed decision contexts is that crucial decisions which determine the successes or failures of teams are made instantaneously (e.g., tenths of a second).

A preliminary archival analysis of 99 years’ of data across 84 nations in 3 major team sports (football, volleyball, and basketball) found that higher levels of individualism at the national level are positively associated with performance in team sports. This finding is robust in both female and male sports, and after controlling multiple country-level indicators. This project will likely make a significant impact in the areas of cross-cultural management, cultural psychology, and sports psychology.