Administered the Wolpe-Lazarus Assertiveness Scale to three groups of South African nurses (N = 108)—African, Indian, and European—who were matched in terms of age, sex, education, occupation, and language competence. A significant difference (F = 6.12, p < .01) was found between the three groups: the Europeans (Whites) were the most assertive and the Indians the least. Factor analysis revealed that the scale was multi- rather than unidimensional and that a different factor structure from each group. The culture-bound and situation-specific nature of the concept of assertiveness is discussed.