ROLE OF NATIONAL CULTURE IN HAPPINESS: CULTURAL DIMENSIONS-HAPPINESS SCORE RELATIONSHIP MODELS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the relationships between the cultural characteristics and happiness levels of countries. In the context of the literature, the cultural dimensions of Hofstede (power distance, individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, long-short term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, tolerance) that have been most frequently discussed constitutes the independent variables of this study. The happiness scores of countries that have been published regularly for 8 years by the United Nations constitutes the dependent variables in the context of the measured dimensions (GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to life choices, generosity, perception of corruption). The models established based on structural equation modeling have been revised with the methods proposed as a result of data. According to the findings, the two dimensions that have a direct effect on the total happiness scores of countries are power distance and individualism. Additionally, it can be stated that the uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation variables also have significant effects on different dimensions of happiness. The explanatory variance values of culture on the happiness scores and happiness dimensions have shown how high the determining effect of culture on happiness could be.

Keywords

• culture
• hofstede cultural dimensions
• happiness
• world happiness report