What is it about?
This study explores how farmers and bankers in different countries make decisions and how much they trust others in their professional environments. Using survey data from over 1,000 participants across five continents, the researchers compared decision-making styles—whether people rely more on gut feelings or careful analysis—and levels of interpersonal trust. The findings show that cultural background, profession, and economic context all play a role in shaping how individuals approach decisions. For example, farmers in collectivist cultures tend to rely more on intuition, while bankers in individualist societies prefer analytical thinking. Trust levels also vary widely, influencing how people collaborate, share information, and manage risk. By highlighting these global patterns, the study helps organizations, policymakers, and educators better understand how to foster trust and improve decision-making across sectors and cultures.
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Why is it important?
Understanding how professionals make decisions and build trust is crucial for improving communication, cooperation, and policy design in agriculture and finance. This research offers valuable insights for international development programs, cross-cultural business partnerships, and leadership training. It also supports better alignment between financial institutions and farming communities—especially in regions where trust gaps hinder progress.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a great pleasure as it has five co-authors originating from three different cultural realms. Our data set was much more diverse making it a real global study.
Frithiof Svenson
Carl von Ossietzky Universitat Oldenburg
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Decision making styles and trust across farmers and bankers: Global survey results, Decision Analytics Journal, February 2024, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.dajour.2024.100427.
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