Uncertainty Avoidance Cultures Research Articles

The cross‐cultural moderators of the influence of emotional intelligence on organizational citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior

AbstractThis meta‐analysis found that the emotional intelligence–organizational citizenship behavior relationship is stronger in long‐term oriented and restraint cultures. However, this relationship does not differ between individualistic and collectivistic cultures, masculine and feminine cultures, high uncertainty avoidance and low uncertainty avoidance cultures, and high power distance and low power distance cultures. The emotional intelligence–counterproductive work behavior relationship is stronger in collectivistic, feminine, high uncertainty avoidance, high power distance, long‐term oriented, and restraint cultures. Emotional intelligence–organizational citizenship behavior/counterproductive work behavior relationships are mediated by both state positive affect and state negative affect. Human resource development professionals from cultures where the effects of emotional intelligence are stronger are especially recommended to hire emotionally intelligent employees and/or provide emotional intelligence training to stimulate organizational citizenship behavior and to restrain counterproductive work behavior. Although there are important cross‐cultural differences, emotional intelligence universally encourages organizational citizenship behavior and almost universally diminishes counterproductive work behavior across cultures.

Inter-temporal and inter-spatial institutional change influencing the duration decision of the Sino-foreign university alliances

Abstract The inter-temporal and inter-spatial institutional change in China have precipitated the internationalisation trends in Chinese higher education, leading to Sino-foreign inter-university alliances. Does the institutional development reflect on the contractual duration differences before and after these institutional changes? This article addressed to answer the duration decision. The inter-temporal institutional development measures the (i) WTO membership and (ii) educational policy in 2003. The inter-spatial institutional change represents the national cultural differences based on indices. The analysis of 717 alliances between 327 foreign partners and 262 Chinese universities shows support for both types of institutional developments. The results on inter-temporal institutional change show that the post-institutional change contractual duration has decreased compared to pre-institutional change. The result of the inter-spatial institutional differences shows mixed results. Power distance predicts longer duration. Likewise, masculine cultures, compared to the feminine culture, show a longer duration of the alliance contract. Instead, the long-term orientation (marginally significant) shows decreased duration. Individualist and uncertainty avoidance cultures show no significant difference, which may be due to the policy changes that have accounted for the individualist and uncertainty avoidance cultures.

Economic policy uncertainty and corporate risk-taking: International evidence

Corporate risk-taking behavior has important implications for firm growth, performance and survival. The extant literature shows that corporate risk-taking is determined by many environmental factors. Recently, economic policy uncertainty has received increasing academic attention, but there has been no research on the relationship between economic policy uncertainty and risk-taking across countries. Using a sample of 151,483 observations across 18 countries over the period from 2005 to 2016, we find that economic policy uncertainty is negatively related to corporate risk-taking. Moreover, we provide additional analysis to examine whether national culture affects the strength of this effect. Our research findings show that uncertainty avoidance culture and individualistic culture make the negative effect of economic policy uncertainty on corporate risk-taking behavior stronger and weaker, respectively.

Understanding trust across cultures: an empirical investigation

PurposeIn today’s business world, trust is an essential ingredient for business success, as it serves as a foundation for enhancing a network of positive relationships among businesses, clients, employees and stakeholders. This study aims to shed light on a deeper and more substantial understanding of trust by examining the casual association between national culture and trust.Design/methodology/approachThe study empirically investigates the extent to which cultural factors promote and constrain the level of trust using a mixed sample of 46 developed and developing countries observed over the period of 1990-2014.FindingsThe study provides new empirical evidence that trusting behavior is explained systematically by national culture. Countries with high individualistic and high long-term oriented cultures are the most favorable environment that fosters trust among people in society. In contrast, individuals from countries with the expression of high power distance and high uncertainty avoidance cultures appear to exhibit less trust in others.Practical implicationsThe study provides managerial implications, especially for managers and management consultants in a global context, regarding the cultural relevance of trust in the new and foreign environment, and the effective management of trust among culturally diverse workforces and business relationships. In addition, the study should serve as a supplemental learning material in the business and management disciplines to demonstrate the essential role of trust in the global business environment.Originality/valueThe study adds to the existing body of knowledge on trust by offering new empirical insights into how culture plays an influential role in the creation of trust. This serves as a good starting point for academic scholars and practicing professionals to further develop appropriate management strategies and execution plans for managing trust across different cultural settings.

DIALEKTIKA IMAN KRISTEN DAN KEBUDAYAAN INDONESIA DALAM KAJIAN GEERT HOFSTEDE

Banyak sisi dari iman Kristen, khususnya Injili dan Konservatif yang bertolak belakang dengan kebudayaan Indonesia berdasarkan hasil kajian dan riset Hofstede. Tujuan studi ini adalah mensintesakan dialektika keduanya menggunakan gagasan Christ above Culture dari Niebuhr. Metode riset ini menggunakan dialektika Hegel untuk mensintesakan hubungan dialektika antara kebudayaan Indonesia dan iman Kristen. Hasil penelitian ini adalah sintesa dari: (1) dialektika antara doktrin keselamatan yang bersifat individualistis dengan kebudayaan Indonesia yang kolektivis; (2) dialektika iman Kristen dengan kebudayaan penghindaran ketidakpastian; (3) dialektika ajaran iman Kristen tentang kesetaraan dan kebudayaan jarak kekuasaan; (4) dialektika nilai maskulinitas-femininitas dalam iman Kristen dengan kebudayaan Indonesia yang feminin; dan (5) dialektika orientasi waktu jangka panjang dan jangka pendek dalam perspektif iman Kristen dan kebudayaan Indonesia. Sejumlah solusi alternatif juga diusulkan sebagai aplikasi praktis sintesa-sintesa tersebut bagi pelayanan Injil di Indonesia yang tidak dapat menghindari interaksi dengan kebudayaan setempat.

Hotel’s online reviews and ratings: a cross-cultural approach

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of cultural specificity on hotel’s online reviews and ratings. Design/methodology/approach Using Hofstede’s scale of cultural differences, it analyzes 1,821 comments about the Catalonia Sagrada Familia Hotel across 77 countries. Logistic regression is used for data analysis. Findings It is found that detailed reviews tend to be provided by the guests who belong to a low-power distance culture, are collectivistic, are masculine, have a low uncertainty avoidance, are long-term orientated or are indulgent. On the other hand, the customers who tend to deviate from the prior average ratings come from high-power distance societies, are individualists, are feminists, belong to a high uncertainty avoidance culture, are long-term oriented or are indulgent. Originality/value These findings extend the hospitality management literature and potentially help the hotel managers to better understand their customers’ behavior in a web-based environment.

A clawback compensation scheme and its effect on method options for earnings management

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the adoption of clawback in reducing the intention of managers to manipulate earnings. This study differs from previous literatures which are mainly conducted in low uncertainty avoidance and high individualism cultures using an archaival method since it is conducted in a country with high uncertainty avoidance and low individualism culture using an experimental approach. This study is important because previous studies indicate that national culture provides important explanations or the variance of the effectiveness of compensation schemes. The respondents are students of postgraduate of accounting who have work experience in the field. The study was conducted between February-March 2018. The result of this study shows that the adoption of clawback reduces managers’ intention to engage in earnings manipulation, especially accrual manipulation. However, the study also finds that clawback motivates managers to engage in earnings management using a method that is more difficult to be detected by regulators and auditors.

Promoting uncommon use of knowledge in information system departments

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain a clear understanding of the impact of uncommon use of knowledge (adaptation and augmentation) on the performance of information systems (IS) departments, and to explore the effects of human-resources management (HRM) practices on uncommon use of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based survey was used to measure the constructs of the research model. A survey package was delivered to project managers or team leads and 133 responses were returned.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that knowledge adaptation has a significant effect on departmental performance, whereas knowledge augmentation is more important to innovation than to routine departmental performance. The results also show that, while knowledge adaptation can be enhanced by communication and an uncertainty-avoidance culture, knowledge augmentation is an outcome of shared decision-making, the use of teams, and innovation-based policies.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the positive impact of uncommon use of knowledge on IS department performance, future research should explore other factors besides HRM practices to boost it.Practical implicationsThe results can serve as guidance for managers looking to select HRM practices to promote uncommon use of knowledge.Originality/valueThis study introduces knowledge adaptation and knowledge augmentation as the component processes of uncommon use of knowledge to the IS discipline, and empirically validates the antecedents and consequences of uncommon use of knowledge using survey data.

Cross-cultural differences in adopting mobile augmented reality at cultural heritage tourism sites

PurposeAugmented reality (AR) is increasingly used in cultural heritage tourism sites for the enhancement of the tourist experience. However, behavioral intention to adopt AR is dependent on cultural traits, and close investigation is required on cultural differences. To explore these cultural differences and the effect on AR acceptance in cultural heritage tourism sites, this study aims to focus on the aesthetic and hedonic characteristics of AR applications.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in two countries with strong contrasts in Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to explore cultural differences in AR acceptance. In total, 145 questionnaires were collected in Deoksugung Palace, South Korea, and 119 questionnaires were collected in the An Post Museum, Republic of Ireland. Data were analyzed using PLS Graph 3.0.FindingsThe findings confirmed that the aesthetics of AR have a strong influence on perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, this study supported the notion that high power distance, collectivism and high uncertainty avoidance culture such as South Korea’s perceives stronger dependence on social influence and the hedonic characteristics of AR.Practical implicationsAR innovation and marketing within the hospitality and tourism industry requires an understanding of cultural differences to ensure successful implementation. In addition, tourism and hospitality managers need to ensure that the needs and requirements of different target markets are met.Originality/valueThis study applied Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to explore the differences between two very distinct countries with regard to AR acceptance. The findings provide important implications for the implementation of tourism AR applications for different countries, especially considering international target markets.

A cross-cultural meta-analysis of how leader emotional intelligence influences subordinate task performance and organizational citizenship behavior

Global human resource managers need to understand which personality characteristics contribute to leadership effectiveness in different cultures for both selection and training purposes. This meta-analysis demonstrates that leaders’ emotional intelligence (EI) demonstrates incremental validity and relative weight in predicting subordinates’ task performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) after controlling for the Big Five and cognitive ability. The relationship between leaders’ EI and subordinates’ task performance is stronger in collectivistic, feminine, and high uncertainty avoidance cultures. The relationship between leaders’ EI and subordinates’ OCB is stronger in high power distance, collectivistic, feminine, high uncertainty avoidance, long-term oriented, and restraint cultures.

Web Design Attributes in Building User Trust, Satisfaction, and Loyalty for a High Uncertainty Avoidance Culture

In this study, we attempt to evaluate the user preferences for web design attributes (i.e., typography, color, content quality, interactivity, and navigation) to determine the trust, satisfaction, and loyalty for uncertainty avoidance cultures. Content quality and navigation have been observed as strong factors in building user trust with e-commerce websites. In contrast, interactivity, color, and typography have been observed as strong determinants of user satisfaction. The most relevant and interesting finding is related to typography, which has been rarely discussed in e-commerce literature. A questionnaire was designed to collect data to corroborate the proposed model and hypotheses. Furthermore, the partial least-squares method was adopted to analyze the collected data from the students who participated in the test ( $n$ = 558). Finally, the results of this study provide strong support to the proposed model and hypotheses. Therefore, all the web design attributes were observed as important design features to develop user trust and satisfaction for uncertainty avoidance cultures. Although both factors seem to be relevant, the relationship between trust and loyalty was observed to be stronger than between satisfaction and loyalty; thus, trust seems to be a stronger determinant of loyalty for risk/high uncertainty avoidance cultures.

Expatriates Perceptions toward Hofstede’s Indonesia Cultural Dimensions

The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of expatriates in Indonesia, related to Hofstede’s Indonesia cultural dimensions. This study applied a phenomenological qualitative study and used purposive sampling to select the participants. Data were gathered using the semi-structured interview with appointments set before the meeting. The interviews were conducted on an individual basis and were recorded. Then, the data were transcribed and analyzed through coding and categorizing until sets of themes occurred. The results show that the majority of participants agree Indonesia has collectivism and low uncertainty avoidance culture. Meanwhile, the expatriates’ experiences toward high power distance dimension in Indonesia vary.

The mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation: A meta-analysis of resource orchestration and cultural contingencies

Building on the resource orchestration literature, we use meta-analytic structural equation modeling to test a model where entrepreneurial orientation (EO) mobilizes resources to influence firm performance. Our results indicate that (1) EO mediates (partially) the human and social capital - firm performance relationships; (2) social capital is positively associated with human capital; (3) the relationship between social capital and firm performance is mediated in two steps, first, by human capital, and then, by EO; and (4) the human capital – EO relationship is stronger in high in-group collectivistic, low future oriented, and high uncertainty avoidance cultures.

The influence of Ghana's national culture on latent entrepreneurs: An application of Social Rule System Theory

The impact of Ghana's national culture on its latent entrepreneurial activities are in frequently studied on - as compare to social, economic and financial influences. The current studyexamined the impact of Ghana's national culture on its latent entrepreneurs amongSmall and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) from the view point of Social Rule System theory. The study employeda simple random sampling technique ineliciting251 respondents from the Business city of Kumasi in Ghana.It employedStructural Equation Modelling statistical technique (SEM) using Amos software version 22 in analysing the data. The results showed that, masculine and high power distance cultures in Ghana have significant positive effects on peoples' intention to become entrepreneurs. High uncertainty avoidance and collective cultures had positive and insignificant effects on latent entrepreneurs. Thestudy presents significant contribution to the existing academic literature on national culture and latent entrepreneurial activities. Italso brings additional step towards a fundamental means of empowering people into SMEs in any developing country. Recommendationsare also providedfor useful suggestionstogovernment and policy makers in Africa towards the improvement of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.

Comparison of national e-health implementation in the United States and South Korea

With the development of the health care industry, there has been growing recognition that e-health implementation is needed to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of care. In addition, a review of previous studies suggests that much can be learned by investigating the difference in national e-health implementation in the United States and in South Korea. To this end, the main objective of this article is to compare the national e-health implementation in the case of the United States and South Korea. The results show that in the United States a decentralized e-health implementation is being followed by individual-level e-health. South Korea is pursuing ubiquitous health u-health after a hospital information system and electronic health were implemented. The United States still lags behind many other countries in the implementation of e-health, possibly due to its low uncertainty avoidance culture. South Korea has been among the frontrunner groups in e-health implementation as a consequence of its highly developed telecommunication infrastructures and high uncertainty avoidance culture. On the basis of these results, we recommend that establishing health care policies be done on a national scale that takes into account the countries' cultures.

Role of trusting beliefs in predicting purchase intentions

Purpose India’s retail sector is going through a significant transitional period with the internet as a new distribution channel becoming more common. Given the barriers to adoption, the purpose of this paper is to understand the role played by trusting beliefs when engaging with an online retailer. In the Indian market, online vending is expected to increase at a rate of 35 per cent per annum, and by understanding trusting beliefs retailers will be able to develop their market share by developing appropriate and/or innovative strategies. Design/methodology/approach The work is based on a sample of more than 200 internet customers in India. In understanding the data and the relationships that emerged from the modelling, the authors used a range of tools to analyse the data, including CFA and structural equation modelling. The authors also used descriptive statistics to provide a holistic overview of response profiles. Findings The study reveals that trusting beliefs are negatively influenced by an uncertainty avoidance culture and positively influenced by a firm’s image and a customer’s price awareness. Moreover, purchase intentions (PIs) are significantly enhanced by trusting beliefs in an online environment. Hence, it leads us to conclude that PIs can be augmented by facilitating and ensuring good quality service by placing special emphasis on timeliness, accuracy and conditions of the order, security and privacy paradigms, aftersales services, etc. Research limitations/implications As can be seen, the internet is an emergent tool for retailers in India. By understanding trusting beliefs, retailers will be able to better understand customers’ behaviour and thus design management strategies accordingly. Although this is likely to take more than a decade, as internet retailing becomes embedded it may have a detrimental effect on the historical channel to market, thus altering the country’s retail landscape which is currently dominated by small retailers. Practical implications The work’s findings are insightful for those seeking to maximize the opportunities presented by the internet as a channel to market. The works shows how the channel is influenced and thus how it can be managed. In making the contribution the authors provide guidance in terms of operational activity to engage with potential customers. Originality/value This paper examines trusting beliefs when using the internet as a channel to market and in doing so it makes a new contribution because it establishes links with culture and other factors. For the research venue the authors use a developing market and therefore the findings are applicable to markets with similar characteristics.

Multiple reference effects on restaurant evaluations: a cross-cultural study

Purpose This paper aims to explore multiple reference effects with regard to customers’ post-consumption evaluations in a cross-cultural context. The authors propose to test an integrative model of three types of reference effects (disconfirmation, attractiveness of alternatives and self-image congruity) and their relationship to customers’ evaluations associated with satisfaction and loyalty. Additional insight into the link between reference points and customer satisfaction is provided by examining the moderating influence of the cultural orientation of customers: South Korean (an Eastern, collectivist and high uncertainty avoidance culture) versus American (a Western, individualistic and low uncertainty avoidance culture). Design/methodology/approach The data for this study were collected through a Web-based survey. Based on a sample of 723 Korean and American consumers, multi-group analysis of structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model and the moderating effect of culture. Findings Overall, the results indicated that American customers’ use of reference points in their post-consumption evaluations is significantly different from that of Korean customers. Specifically, disconfirmation had a stronger effect on Korean customers than on their American counterparts, whereas the attractiveness of alternatives had a stronger effect on American customers than on those from Korea. Moreover, self-image congruity was found to be equally important in both cultures. Research limitations/implications Owing to the comparison of American and Korean participants in this study, these results may not be applied to customers from other countries. Moreover, the study is limited to post-consumption evaluations in restaurants and generalization of the results to other industries may be ill advised. Thus, further research is required to replicate the results and include customers from different countries in more diverse consumption settings. Practical implications The findings provide useful guidance for efficient marketing strategies to generate positive consumer outcomes across borders. Marketers must consider the interaction of cultures and customers to better understand customer perceptions and evaluations about their experiences. This understanding will enable the marketers to more effectively communicate with their target markets and allow them to tailor advertising to different segments of their customer base contingent upon their cultural orientations. Originality/value Although the role of reference effects has begun to attract considerable interest among consumer behavior researchers, much of this research has been conducted in a single cultural context. Because the global economy is becoming increasingly cross-cultural, it is valuable to conduct international consumer research to further the understanding of consumers’ post-consumption evaluation processes using multiple reference points from a global perspective.

FAKTOR PEMBENTUK HARAPAN WISATAWAN; SEBUAH PERSPEKTIF LINTAS BUDAYA (STUDI PADA WISATAWAN PERANCIS, AUSTRALIA, DAN NUSANTARA YANG BERKUNJUNG DI PULAU LOMBOK)

This research aimed to determine the modifier factors of the Australian, France and Indonesian (Nusantara) tourist hope toward Lombok Island, and explain the relation between cultural background of each group according to Hofstede theory and the modifier factors. Method that used in this research was descriptive method with the sample survey approach. Sample for each group was 50 persons. The data were analyzed by descriptive analyze and statistic analyze by using factor analyze. The result shown the Australian with have individualistic culture background was forming the hope dominated by past experience, the France tourist, with uncertainty avoidance culture background, was forming their hope by collecting external information, while Indonesian with their collectivities culture tend to form their hope base on word of mouth. The difference of hope modifier in each tourist group became important thing to payed by the tourist executants to determine the tourism marketing strategy in the future. Keywords : Hope, Hofstede Culture, Past Experience, External Information, Destination Image, Word of Mouth

Organizacijos kultūra, tikslai ir vertybės: socialines paslaugas senyvo amžiaus žmonėms teikiančių įstaigų personalo perspektyva

Straipsnyje pristatomas veiklos tyrimas dalyvaujant (angl. participatory action research), kuris buvo atliktas socialinių paslaugų senyvo amžiaus žmonėms įstaigose. Straipsnyje aptariama organizacijų kultūros apibrėžties problematika, organizacijų kultūros tipologijos ir dimensijos bei remiantis empirinio tyrimo rezultatais diskutuojama, kaip organizacijos vadovų ir darbuotojų pasakojimuose apie organizacijos misiją ir tikslus atsiskleidžia tam tikri organizacijos kultūros aspektai bei vertybės. Tyrimo rezultatų analizė leidžia įvardyti moteriškosios ir vyriškosios bei neužtikrintumo vengimo organizacijos kultūrų tipų raišką biudžetinių ir privačių socialines paslaugas senyvo amžiaus žmonėms teikiančių organizacijų vadovų ir darbuotojų pasakojimuose.

Entrepreneurial Learning and Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Role of National Culture

The present study explores the link between entrepreneurial learning and students’ entrepreneurial intentions, and examines the role of national cultural characteristics in this relationship. We contribute to the existing literature on entrepreneurial intentions by applying the concept of entrepreneurial learning and cross-cultural approach. The hypotheses of the study are tested empirically using a dataset of 84,453 students from 28 countries, collected as part of the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students Survey (GUESSS) research project in 2013–2014. To measure the cultural characteristics of countries, we rely on measures of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Results reveal a positive relationship between entrepreneurial learning from university programs and students’ entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, the relationship was found to be moderated by the elements of national culture, being stronger in individualistic cultures and weaker in high power distance or uncertainty avoidance cultures.