Work value profiles across cultures: an application of the multiple-group latent profile procedure in Switzerland, Spain, the United States and China

Abstract

PurposeThis study explores the differences and similarities of work value profiles in samples of business students from four countries with markedly different cultures and labor markets.Design/methodology/approachWe used multiple-group latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore the differences and similarities in work value profiles across cultures (n = 317 from Switzerland, n = 313 from Spain, n = 326 from the United States and n = 327 from China).FindingsThe latent profiles mostly show similarities across countries: the largest profiles are a want it all and a humble profile with overall high and intermediate levels in all work values. An overall low work value levels profile and one stressing high security and pay emerged in all countries except Switzerland. In the Swiss sample, two unique profiles emerged: the no status and freelancers profiles.Practical implicationsThis study has implications for employee attraction, relations and career counseling with culturally diverse populations.Originality/valueStudies on work values across cultures most often make direct comparisons between samples, which can lead to excessive emphasis on sometimes small differences. By first studying within-culture differences before comparing the results across cultures, we find that there may be more similarities than differences in work values across cultures and that cross-cultural differences may have often been overstated.