TY - JOUR
T1 - A cross-cultural examination of preferences for work attributes
AU - Woodard, Melissa S.
AU - Miller, Jane K.
AU - Miller, Daniel J.
AU - Silvernail, Kirk D.
AU - Guo, Chun
AU - Nair, Sudhir
AU - Aydin, Mehmet Devrim
AU - Lemos, Ana Heloisa da Costa
AU - Donnelly, Paul
AU - Kumpikaite-Valiuniene, Vilmante
AU - Marx, Robert
AU - Peters, Linda M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
PY - 2016/4/11
Y1 - 2016/4/11
N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between individual- and country-level values and preferences for job/organizational attributes. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 475 full-time employees (average of nine years work experience, and three years in a managerial position) enrolled in part-time MBA programs in seven countries. Findings – Preference for a harmonious workplace is positively related to horizontal collectivism, whereas preference for remuneration/advancement is positively related to vertical individualism. The authors also find a positive relationship between preference for meaningful work and horizontal individualism, and between preference for employer prestige and social adjustment (SA) needs. Research limitations/implications – Although the sample comprised experienced, full-time professionals, using graduate business students may limit generalizability. Overall, the results provide initial support for the utility of incorporating the multi-dimensional individualism and collectivism measure, as well as SA needs, when assessing the relationships between values and employee preferences. Practical implications – For practitioners, the primary conclusion is that making assumptions about preferences based on nationality is risky. Findings may also prove useful for enhancing person-organization fit and the ability to attract and retain qualified workers. Originality/value – This study extends research on workers’ preferences by incorporating a new set of values and sampling experienced workers in a range of cultural contexts.
AB - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between individual- and country-level values and preferences for job/organizational attributes. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 475 full-time employees (average of nine years work experience, and three years in a managerial position) enrolled in part-time MBA programs in seven countries. Findings – Preference for a harmonious workplace is positively related to horizontal collectivism, whereas preference for remuneration/advancement is positively related to vertical individualism. The authors also find a positive relationship between preference for meaningful work and horizontal individualism, and between preference for employer prestige and social adjustment (SA) needs. Research limitations/implications – Although the sample comprised experienced, full-time professionals, using graduate business students may limit generalizability. Overall, the results provide initial support for the utility of incorporating the multi-dimensional individualism and collectivism measure, as well as SA needs, when assessing the relationships between values and employee preferences. Practical implications – For practitioners, the primary conclusion is that making assumptions about preferences based on nationality is risky. Findings may also prove useful for enhancing person-organization fit and the ability to attract and retain qualified workers. Originality/value – This study extends research on workers’ preferences by incorporating a new set of values and sampling experienced workers in a range of cultural contexts.
KW - Individualism/Collectivism
KW - Social adjustment
KW - Worker preferences
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962147344&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/JMP-09-2013-0289
DO - 10.1108/JMP-09-2013-0289
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84962147344
SN - 0268-3946
VL - 31
SP - 702
EP - 719
JO - Journal of Managerial Psychology
JF - Journal of Managerial Psychology
IS - 3
ER -