The Effects of Individual and National Cultures in Knowledge Sharing

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Wei Chang ◽  
Ping-Yu Hsu ◽  
Wen-Lung Shiau ◽  
Yun-Shan Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Cultural Characteristics ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Organizational Rewards ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The U.S

A major challenge for multinational companies is to motivate employees with different individual cultural characteristics and national cultures to share knowledge. Although comparative studies across different countries have been conducted, little is known about the effects of individual cultural differences in this context. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of individual and national cultures in knowledge sharing. The individual cultural characteristics of power distance, individualism/collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance are incorporated into the model as antecedents of knowledge-sharing motivations (organizational rewards, image, and reciprocal benefits). National cultural differences are examined by subjects conducted in the U.S. and China. Results show that power distance is significantly related to reciprocal benefits for the U.S. but not for China. Individualism/collectivism is related to organizational rewards and image for the U.S. but not for China, while individualism/collectivism is significantly related to reciprocal benefits for China but not for the U.S. Uncertainty avoidance is significantly related to reciprocal benefits for the U.S. but not for China. This study provides knowledge-sharing practices and managements for multinational companies attempting to motivate U.S. and Chinese employees to share knowledge.

The Effects of Individual and National Cultures in Knowledge Sharing

2020 ◽  
pp. 513-532
Author(s):  
Yu-Wei Chang ◽  
Ping-Yu Hsu ◽  
Wen-Lung Shiau ◽  
Yun-Shan Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Cultural Characteristics ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Organizational Rewards ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The U.S

A major challenge for multinational companies is to motivate employees with different individual cultural characteristics and national cultures to share knowledge. Although comparative studies across different countries have been conducted, little is known about the effects of individual cultural differences in this context. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of individual and national cultures in knowledge sharing. The individual cultural characteristics of power distance, individualism/collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance are incorporated into the model as antecedents of knowledge-sharing motivations (organizational rewards, image, and reciprocal benefits). National cultural differences are examined by subjects conducted in the U.S. and China. Results show that power distance is significantly related to reciprocal benefits for the U.S. but not for China. Individualism/collectivism is related to organizational rewards and image for the U.S. but not for China, while individualism/collectivism is significantly related to reciprocal benefits for China but not for the U.S. Uncertainty avoidance is significantly related to reciprocal benefits for the U.S. but not for China. This study provides knowledge-sharing practices and managements for multinational companies attempting to motivate U.S. and Chinese employees to share knowledge.

National Culture on Knowledge Sharing in the U.S. and China

2020 ◽  
pp. 81-108
Author(s):  
Yu-Wei Chang ◽  
Ping-Yu Hsu ◽  
Wen-Lung Shiau
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Cultural Characteristics ◽  
Management Implications ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Organizational Rewards ◽  
The U.S

A major challenge for multinational companies is how to motivate employees with different individual cultural characteristics and national cultures to share knowledge. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of individual and national cultures on knowledge sharing. Individual cultural characteristics are incorporated into the model as antecedents of knowledge-sharing motivations (organizational rewards, image, and reciprocal benefits). National cultural differences are examined by conducting studies with subjects in the U.S. and China. The results show that power distance is significantly related to reciprocal benefits in the U.S. but not in China. Individualism/collectivism is related to organizational rewards and image in the U.S. but not in China, while individualism/collectivism is significantly related to reciprocal benefits in China but not in the U.S. Uncertainty avoidance is significantly related to reciprocal benefits in the U.S. but not in China. This study provides knowledge-sharing practices and management implications for multinational companies.

Outside the Head and Outside Individualism-Collectivism

2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Lamoreaux ◽  
Beth Morling
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Cultural Products ◽  
Cultural Traits ◽  
Meta Analyses

Cultural differences and similarities can be documented not only at the level of the psyche (people’s motivations, beliefs, emotions, or cognitions) but also via shared, tangible representations of culture (such as advertising, texts, architecture, and so on). In this report, the authors present the results of some exploratory meta-analyses of cultural products. Data were sufficient to analyze a variety of cultural traits: positivity, modernity, high (vs. low) context, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance, as well as other dimensions. Thus, this article documents cultural products that measured traits other than individualism-collectivism, the trait the authors analyzed in an earlier article. The data reinforce the value of studying cultural products and fit with recent calls to branch out from the familiar, individualism-collectivism construct into new axes of cultural difference.

scholarly journals An assessment of the moderating role of employees’ cultural orientations amongst foreign manufacturing multinational companies in Kenya

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice A. Dimba ◽  
Robert Rugimbana
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Cultural Orientations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

Orientation: This article investigates the question, of whether culture really matters in implementing international strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices.Research purpose: Specifically, this study sought to investigate the extent to which employee cultural orientations moderate the link between SHRM practices and firm performance in large foreign manufacturing multinational companies in Kenya. Motivation for the study: Large foreign multinational companies have generally applied SHRM practices without adaptation when trying to improve employee performance even though resource based perspectives argue for the consideration of employees’ cultural orientations. Research design, approach and method: SHRM practices were conceptualised as independent variables measured through distinct practices. Organisational performance as a dependent variable was measured using constructs of image, interpersonal relations, and product quality. Cultural dimensions adopted for this study were power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism or collectivism, and masculinity or femininity. The above conceptual framework was tested by the use of both quantitative and qualitative techniques with data from fifty (50) large foreign multinational companies operating in Kenya. Main findings: Findings indicated that the relationship between SHRM practices and firm performance depend to a greater extent on employee cultural orientations when power distance is considered. Power distance (PD) refers to the extent of people accepting that power in institutions and organisations when distributed unequally. The greater the PD, the greater the acceptance of this inequality. Practical/managerial implications: The study supported the notion that the relationship between SHRM practices and firm performance is moderated by power distance through motivation but not by the other three bipolar dimensions namely, Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity or Femininity and Individualism or Collectivism. Contribution/value-add: This is the first large-scale empirical article that has focused on the moderating role of employees’ cultural orientations in large foreign manufacturing companies operating in Kenya.

Developing a Research Method to Analyze Visual Literacy Based on Cross-Cultural Characteristics

2018 ◽  
pp. 19-33
Author(s):  
Felicidad García-Sánchez ◽  
José Gómez-Isla ◽  
Roberto Therón ◽  
Juan Cruz-Benito ◽  
José Carlos Sánchez-Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Visual Literacy ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Characteristics ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Literacy Research

This chapter presents a new approach of a quantitative analysis used to research the understanding of visual literacy issues. The objective of the research is to find common patterns, opinions, and behaviors between different people regarding the use of visual communication and people's state of visual literacy, while also considering the possible cultural differences related. To explain visual literacy and its implications, the theoretical background about the visual literacy research field is presented first. Then, also within the section on background, the chapter presents the main concepts related to culture, and how it and visual literacy can be analyzed together to enable cross-cultural analysis. To conduct these cross-cultural analyses, this chapter proposes a new kind of quantitative questionnaire-based instrument that includes a section to measure the cultural characteristics of the individual and their level of literacy. This instrument proposal is the main result, since the research field of visual literacy lacks this kind of quantitative approach.

On the Need to Include National Culture as a Central Issue in E-Commerce Trust Beliefs

2009 ◽  
pp. 384-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gefen ◽  
Tsipi Heart
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Central Issue ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Trust Beliefs ◽  
International Phenomenon ◽  
The U.S

Trust and trust beliefs (trustworthiness) are key to e-commerce success but depend, to a large extent, on culture. With e-commerce being an international phenomenon, understanding the cross-cultural aspects of trust creation is therefore arguably required although mostly ignored by current research which deals almost exclusively with the U.S. This exploratory study examines whether definitions of trust beliefs as conceptualized and verified in the U.S. apply in Israel which differs markedly in individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance. The data, crossvalidating the scale of trust and its antecedents in both cultures, generally support the proposition that trust beliefs apply across cultures, and may be a relatively unvarying aspect of e-commerce. However, as expected, the effects of predictability and familiarity on trust beliefs may differ across national cultures. Implications about the need to include national culture in the research on trust, in general, and in e-commerce in particular, are discussed.

How do national cultures impact the operations strategy process?

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 1937-1963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Lee Park ◽  
Ely Laureano Paiva
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Operations Strategy ◽  
Manufacturing Strategy ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Aspects

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which different patterns of cross-functional integration and the operations strategy (OS) process may be explained by national cultures differences.Design/methodology/approachPerceptual survey data from 105 manufacturing plants in four countries were used to validate the constructs and to test the hypotheses. The plants are located in two Western and two Eastern countries with different industrialization and development backgrounds (Brazil, China, Germany and South Korea). CFA validated the constructs, and ANOVA andt-tests evaluated the differences between levels of four Hofstede’s elements (i.e. power distance, individualism vs collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and long-term vs short-term orientation) on the OS process enablers (i.e. leadership for cross-functional integration and functional integration) and elements (i.e. manufacturing strategy linkage to corporate strategy and formulation of manufacturing strategy).FindingsResults suggest that different OS and OM processes are present in different national cultures. Leadership for cross-functional integration and manufacturing strategy linkage to corporate strategy differ between levels of power distance, individualism vs collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. Functional integration and formulation of manufacturing strategy also present differences according to the degree of individualism vs collectivism and long-term orientation.Originality/valueResults indicate that national culture is a key aspect for the OS process. Prior studies usually do not consider cultural aspects. Therefore, the OS process varies in different countries and contexts. Managers need to adjust their OS process when they are developing a global OS.

scholarly journals Knowledge Sharing between Multinational Corporation’s Headquarters and Subsidiaries: the Impact of Manager’s Role, Compensation System and Cultural Differences

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 660-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nik Ab Halim
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Compensation System ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Organizational Goals ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Executives And Managers

Knowledge sharing is a systematic process for creating, acquiring, synthesizing, learning, sharing and using knowledge to achieve organizational goals. It is also a source of competitive advantage especially for multinational companies. The objective of this paper is to discuss the impact of subsidiary manager’s role in knowledge sharing, manager’s compensation system, and the level of cultural differences between home and host country on the level of knowledge sharing between the headquarters and subsidiaries of multinational companies. A study has been conducted at a subsidiary of a large manufacturing company in Malaysia. Data were collected via self-administered survey questionnaire. The respondents consist of 100 executives and managers of the company, and all the questionnaires distributed were filled and returned back for data analysis. Findings indicate that all three factors significantly influence the level of knowledge sharing with the manager’s compensation system has the strongest impact. MNC therefore should clearly define the manager’s role in knowledge sharing and provide attractive rewards and remunerations to encourage knowledge sharing. At the same time, cultural differences should not be considered as a barrier to knowledge sharing as this study indicates that it can be a driver for effective knowledge sharing between headquarters and subsidiaries.

Requisite Variety: A Concept to Analyze the Effects of Cultural Context for Technology Transfer

1989 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 765-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Demel ◽  
Najmedin Meshkati
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Requisite Variety ◽  
Law Of Requisite Variety ◽  
The Law

The Law of Requisite Variety states that “the system must possess as much regulatory variety as can be expected from the environment” (Ashby, 1957). This law may have some implications for culture. Specifically, the four cultural dimensions by which national cultures differ (as proposed by Hofstede, 1980a): Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism-Collectivism, and Masculinity-Femininity influence Requisite Variety depending on the country to which the technology is transferred. Therefore, it is proposed in this study that Requisite Variety can be used as a concept to systematically investigate the influence of culture for technology transfer. This approach constitutes the incorporation of Human Factors considerations in technology transfer, as stated by Meshkati (1986 and 1989b) and Wisner (1985).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document