Exploring Societal Cultural Values and Human Rights and Development

Andy Bertsch,Gillian Warner-Søderholm

doi:10.1177/2158244013502988

Andy Bertsch, Gillian Warner-Søderholm

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013502988

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Abstract

This study is an exploration of the relationships between societal cultural values and various observable societal practices. We drew on extant data sources and explored relationships between societal values and human development indexes of 52 cross-listed societies. Correlations were explored using secondary data from notable and valid sources. Data analysis includes Pearson correlation, stepwise regression analyses, and R2 analyses to explore possible operational models. Statistical analyses offer support for the development of two usable models to explain cultural value dimensions that act as independent variables. This exploratory study identifies relationships between societal values and civil liberties and corruption indexes. These findings add to the debate of which cultural values and traditions may support or hinder human rights and human capital development.

Highlights

There is an ever-pressing need for more effective cross-cultural business research, to improve management and leadership practices, and to improve the human condition
We intuitively believe that cultural values influence behaviors, this study only found this to be true—using the chosen societal values and societal behavior indexes—in two of the five models
Curious is that Performance Orientation (PO) and Power Distance (PDI) each were significantly correlated to only one of the societal behavior indexes and neither survived the regression analysis and R2 threshold test

Summary

Introduction

There is an ever-pressing need for more effective cross-cultural business research, to improve management and leadership practices, and to improve the human condition. Exploring which environmental and cultural factors correlate at the societal level is crucial if we are to work toward discarding practices and prejudices that may hinder sustainable progress in a society. If we are to understand cultural barriers to such sustainable success, a starting point may be to identify specific cultural values that hinder or enhance human development and equality for even the most vulnerable people in a society. Journal editors are renewing the call for manuscript authors to pay particular attention to properly and thoroughly describing the relationships between constructs (Thomas, Cuervo-Cazurra, & Brannen, 2011). The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the relationships between societal cultural values (House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, & Gupta, 2004) and observable societal behavior indexes

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