Understanding Cross-Cultural Differences in the Work Stress Process

Author(s):  
Marcus J. Fila ◽  
Morgan S. Wilson

Work-related stress is considered to be a modern-day pandemic. Excessive work stress has costly implications for individuals, their organizations, and societal functioning, due to its links to physical and psychological strains, and unwanted behavioral reactions. Cross-cultural differences in how stressors are appraised and responded to add nuance and enormous complexity to the work stress process. However, it is becoming increasingly imperative for business educators to understand what these differences are as more workers move from one country to another, and more organizations operate across national boundaries. Therefore, this chapter reviews research to date on how work stress is interpreted and responded to differently across national cultures. A theoretical framework of cross-cultural work stress is presented to help inform business educators and practitioners about the influences of national culture on the work stress process. Finally, recommendations for future research and practical implications of cross-cultural work stress considerations are offered.

Author(s):  
Selcen Kılıçaslan Gökoğlu ◽  
Engin Bağış Öztürk

In the last two decades, workplace deviance becomes one of the most important topics to understand negative behaviors at work. However, many of the studies that examine deviance take a universal perspective and undermine cross-cultural differences. To address this gap, this chapter focuses on cross-cultural differences and its relationship with deviant workplace behaviors. The authors claim that cross-cultural differences can play an important role as an antecedent and/or moderator variable in influencing deviant behaviors. In order to discuss these effects, they first summarize recent developments in individualism-collectivism, tightness-looseness, and honor cultures. Based on their interpretations, target-oriented deviance might be highly contextualized in collectivist cultures, form of deviance and contents of deviance could be different from honor to dignity cultures. In addition, deviant behaviors as responses to specific events might differ whether a person belongs in a tight culture or not. The implications of our arguments and future research directions are discussed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 204138662096052
Author(s):  
Tina Urbach ◽  
Deanne N. Den Hartog ◽  
Doris Fay ◽  
Sharon K. Parker ◽  
Karoline Strauss

The objective of this conceptual article is to illustrate how differences in societal culture may affect employees’ proactive work behaviors (PWBs) and to develop a research agenda to guide future research on cross-cultural differences in PWBs. We propose that the societal cultural dimensions of power distance, individualism–collectivism, future orientation, and uncertainty avoidance shape individuals’ implicit followership theories (IFTs). We discuss how these cross-cultural differences in individuals’ IFTs relate to differences in the mean-level of PWB individuals show ( whether), in the motivational states driving individuals’ PWBs ( why), in the way individuals’ enact PWBs ( how), and in the evaluation of PWBs by others ( at what cost). We recommend how future research can extend this theorizing and unpack the proposed cross-cultural differences in PWBs, for example, by exploring how culture and other contextual variables interact to affect PWBs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Nolder ◽  
Tracey J. Riley

SUMMARY: Motivated by the growing cultural diversity of new hires in audit firms, this paper reviews the literature on cross-cultural differences in auditors' judgment and decision making (JDM). The overarching aim of the review is to summarize the current state of knowledge and compare our understanding of cross-cultural auditors' JDM with the broader cross-cultural JDM research in psychology to stimulate applied research. We develop a framework that categorizes those auditor judgments and decisions most likely affected by cross-cultural differences. The categories include auditors' confidence, risk and probability judgments, risk decisions, conflict decisions, and ethical judgments. We contribute to the cross-cultural audit research in four ways. First, we provide a framework by which future research can be synthesized within auditing and compared with psychology. Second, we recommend specific research questions to respond to both the gaps in extant literature and the changing multicultural environment of audit firms. Third, we advocate for an alternative theoretical approach beyond the examination of cultural traits. Finally, we argue that bicultural auditors represent an unexplored boundary condition on prior findings that warrants more immediate attention from audit researchers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-442
Author(s):  
Whitney Dominick ◽  
Kanako Taku

Research shows that some adolescents experience positive psychological changes resulting from highly stressful life events. Because “positive change” is a value-laden concept, there may be cross-cultural differences in this conception of growth. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively assess different perceptions of personal growth across cultures. Adolescents from Japan ( n = 288, Mage = 16.16) and the United States ( n = 155, Mage = 16.21) completed demographic information and wrote three words describing their perception of personal growth. Results showed 443 different words generated, which were condensed into 12 categories. The types of words generated differed between nationalities, with Japanese adolescents generating more words related to social connection, and adolescents in the United States generating words related to change. Gender differences were found in physical change and age differences in the knowledge categories. Results demonstrate cross-cultural differences as well as similarities in the conceptualization of personal growth. Future research may examine how adolescents change the meaning of personal growth after experiencing personal growth resulting from a stressful life event.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Lukaszewski ◽  
Michael Gurven ◽  
Christopher R. von Rueden ◽  
Paul Smaldino

The hypothesis of a human-universal personality structure is undermined by cross-cultural studies in small-scale societies. To explain cross-population differences in patterns of behavioral covariance, we proposed the niche diversity hypothesis, which holds that the degree of behavioral covariation within a population is inversely related to the number and diversity of niches within its socioecology. This hypothesis is formalized as a computational model, and its predictions have been supported empirically. Herein, we respond to several important issues regarding this line of research that were raised in a recent commentary: (1) the study of specific behavioral syndromes should be integrated into the niche diversity model; (2) environmental harshness might alternatively explain our cross-cultural findings regarding effects of niche diversity; and (3) better definitions of behavioral traits are needed for future research. We conclude that the niche diversity hypothesis can be integrated with other explanations for cross-cultural differences in personality covariation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 146045822110382
Author(s):  
Nele A.J. De Witte ◽  
Ingrid Adriaensen ◽  
Leen Broeckx ◽  
Vicky Van Der Auwera ◽  
Tom Van Daele

Digital health applications and interactive technologies increasingly allow organisations to transcend national boundaries and expand the provision of tools and services to communities across the world. Making the transfer beyond the context in which applications were originally conceptualized is challenging, as these have to be tailored towards local end-user needs and regulations. Such information is not always readily available, which risks successful uptake in novel settings. Living labs help to bridge this gap, by performing user experience research and supporting user-centred design for cross-border projects. Dissimilarities in recruitment and participation of end users could however influence study outcomes. Therefore, this study explores to what extent living labs are aware of potential cross-cultural differences. The sample consists of 36 living labs from 20 countries, most focusing on health and care, the silver economy and information technology. Regional differences are reported on participants’ motivation and on the impact of gender, age, professional status and socio-economic status on participants’ contribution. Awareness of potential differences during recruitment and grouping and supporting equal contribution in sessions could improve the quality of user-centred research in international contexts, while still maintaining sufficient standardisation. Further research with larger international samples is needed to replicate and extend these findings.


2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Sayegh ◽  
Bob G. Knight

ABSTRACTBackground:Many minority ethnic (ME) older adults face several culturally associated and systemic barriers to timely dementia diagnoses that may result in delays to dementia care-seeking. We aimed to develop and propose a model illustrating variables that influence dementia care-seeking among ME older adults.Methods:We conducted a literature review on the effects of these barriers on diagnostic delays and impairment levels at initial evaluation. We also strived to provide a basis for the Sociocultural Health Belief Model (SHBM) to guide future research and service planning pertaining to culture and dementia care-seeking.Results:There was consistent evidence that ME older adults with dementia tended to have greater diagnostic delays and higher levels of cognitive impairment and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia at initial evaluation than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. We also found several barriers to dementia care-seeking among ME groups. These barriers included lower levels of acculturation and accurate knowledge about dementia, more culturally associated beliefs about dementia, such as the perception of memory loss as normal aging and stigma associated with dementia, and health system barriers.Conclusions:The SHBM provides an empirically based conceptual framework for examining cross-cultural differences in dementia care-seeking among diverse groups. We provide recommendations for future research, such as the need for research with more diverse ethnic subgroups and the examination of group-specific cultural values. We conclude with a discussion of the clinical and service implications of our review, including potential interventions aimed at facilitating timely dementia diagnoses among ME older adults.


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