Collectivism and Individualism in Estonia: An Exploratory Study of Societal Change and Organisational Orientation

Estonia is currently being confronted by a rapidly changing set of challenges and concerns. Similar to the transformation taking place throughout Eastern Europe, Estonia’s economic, political and cultural environment has changed very rapidly during the last six years. The liquidation of the Soviet Union, combined with the transition from a centrallyplanned and centrally-managed economy to a market-driven one, with escalating inflation and novel forms of competition, have had significant repercussions on the basic fabric and nature of Estonian culture as well as on Estonian organisations, their management and their employees (see, for example, Uksvarav, 1991). Of concern in this chapter are some of the ramifications these changes pose for the management and organisation of Estonian business firms.