TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of local cultural factors in the achievement of the sustainable development goals
AU - Ordonez-Ponce, Eduardo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are the greatest agreement achieved among countries. However, international policies such as the SDGs usually forget to include local cultural factors that would enable their achievement. Culture and sustainability have been studied in several contexts; however, the role that local culture plays in achieving sustainability has not been fully explored. This research addresses that gap by focusing on the SDGs globally and according to countries' income, continent, and region of origin. Hypotheses are tested through regression models using Hofstede's six cultural dimensions at the country level and the countries' overall and partial SDG scores. Results highlight significant relationships between cultural dimensions and countries' SDG scores in general and for groups of countries, and between cultural predictors and SDGs. Overall, power distance and masculinity contribute negatively to sustainability, whereas individualism, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence affect sustainability positively. However, results vary across regions and SDGs. This article contributes with recommendations for policy and decision-makers to address local SDGs and manage the different cultural dimensions of countries toward the accomplishment of sustainability. Certainly not an easy task.
AB - The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are the greatest agreement achieved among countries. However, international policies such as the SDGs usually forget to include local cultural factors that would enable their achievement. Culture and sustainability have been studied in several contexts; however, the role that local culture plays in achieving sustainability has not been fully explored. This research addresses that gap by focusing on the SDGs globally and according to countries' income, continent, and region of origin. Hypotheses are tested through regression models using Hofstede's six cultural dimensions at the country level and the countries' overall and partial SDG scores. Results highlight significant relationships between cultural dimensions and countries' SDG scores in general and for groups of countries, and between cultural predictors and SDGs. Overall, power distance and masculinity contribute negatively to sustainability, whereas individualism, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence affect sustainability positively. However, results vary across regions and SDGs. This article contributes with recommendations for policy and decision-makers to address local SDGs and manage the different cultural dimensions of countries toward the accomplishment of sustainability. Certainly not an easy task.
KW - Hofstede's cultural dimensions
KW - country SDGs
KW - global SDGs
KW - sustainability
KW - sustainable development goals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141372228&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/sd.2445
DO - 10.1002/sd.2445
M3 - Journal Article
AN - SCOPUS:85141372228
SN - 0968-0802
VL - 31
SP - 1122
EP - 1134
JO - Sustainable Development
JF - Sustainable Development
IS - 2
ER -