Managing Russian Factory Workers: The Impact of U.S.–Based Behavioral and Participative Techniques

Abstract

A within-subjects experimental design was used to study the impacts that 3 popular and successful techniques used in US studies had on the performance of workers in the largest textile factory in Russia. The results demonstrate both the potential benefits and problems of transporting US-based human resource management theories and techniques to other cultures. The finding confirmed 2 hyphotheses, which predict that extrinsic rewards and behavioral management interventions will have a positive impact on the performance of Russian textile workers. However, 2 other hypotheses, which predict that a participative intervention will not result in improved performance, was also confirmed. The participative intervention seemed to have a counterproductive effect on the Russian workers' performance. The failure of the participative approach, however, does not mean that this approach will not work across cultures. Historical and cultural values and norms should be recognized and overcome for such a technique to work effectively.