Abstract

We identify a new mechanism through which cultural diversity affects economic outcomes, based on a model of culture as shared cognition. Under this view, cultural diversity matters because it increases strategic uncertainty. The model can help better understand a variety of disparate evidence, including why homogeneous societies can be more conformist, why diverse societies may get stuck in a low-trust trap, why companies with a strong culture may fail to adopt superior work practices, and why autocratic rulers in diverse societies may overinvest in state capacity.

中文翻译：

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战略不确定性与文化多样性理论

摘要

我们基于一种作为共同认知的文化模型，确定了文化多样性影响经济成果的新机制。在这种观点下，文化多样性很重要，因为它增加了战略上的不确定性。该模型可以帮助更好地理解各种不同的证据，包括为何同质社会可以更加顺应，为什么不同社会可能陷入低信任度陷阱，为何文化底蕴浓厚的公司可能无法采用卓越的工作规范以及为什么不同社会中的专制统治者可能对国家能力进行过度投资。