Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Paquin, A. R.
Right arrow Articles by Sanchez-Ku, M. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

An Investigation of Cross-Cultural Differences on the Impact of Productivity Interventions: The Example of ProMES

Anthony R. Paquin

Western Kentucky University

Sylvia G. Roch

University at Albany, State University of New York

Maria L. Sanchez-Ku

IBM, San Jose, Costa Rica

The success of a productivity intervention may depend on the fit between the intervention and the country in which it is implemented. In particular, a country's horizontal collectivism may influence the intervention's effectiveness. Results based on a database of 90 organizational units from seven different countries in which ProMES, a productivity intervention, was implemented indicated that in general, ProMES is more successful in some European countries than in the United States. Furthermore, results indicate that this effect may be due to an interaction between power distance and social collectivism. The degree of collectivism plays an important role in predicting whether ProMES succeeds in countries with relatively low power distance. In countries that score relatively high in power distance, the intervention succeeds regardless of the degree of collectivism. Lastly, whether a country's level of uncertainty avoidance has implications for the success of ProMES is also explored. Implications are discussed.

Key Words: culture • productivity • collectivism • power distance • uncertainty avoidance

References

  • Adler, N.J. (1986). International dimensions of organizational behavior. Boston: Kent.
  • Adler, N.J. (1991). Cross-cultural motivation. In R. M. Steers & L. W. Porter (Eds.), Motivation and work behavior (5th ed., pp. 320-326). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • Adler, N.J. (2002). International dimensions of organizational behavior (4th ed.). Cincinnati, OH: South-Western.
  • Aiken, L.S., & West, L.S. (1991). Multiple regression. Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Ashkanasy, N.M., Trevor-Roberts, E., & Earnshaw, L. (2002). The Anglo cluster: Legacy of the British empire. Journal of World Business, 37, 28-39.[CrossRef]
  • Aycan, Z. (2000). Cross-cultural industrial and organizational psychology: Contributions, past developments, and future directions. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 31, 110-128.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R.N., Mendonca, M., Yu, K., Deller, J., Stahl, G., et al. (2000). Impact of culture on human resource management practices: A 10-country comparison. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 49, 192-221.[CrossRef]
  • Bakacsi, G., Sándor, T., Karácsonyi, A., & Viktor, I. (2002). Eastern European cluster: Tradition and transition. Journal of World Business, 37, 69-80.[CrossRef]
  • Berrell, M., Gloet, M., & Wright, P. (2002). Organisational learning in international joint ventures: Implications for management development. Journal of Management Development, 21, 83-100.[CrossRef]
  • Buhner, R., Rasheed, A., & Rosenstein, J. (1997). Corporate restructuring patterns in the US and Germany: A comparative investigation. Management International Review, 37, 319-338.
  • Burke, W. (1997). The new agenda for organizational development. Organizational Dynamics, 26, 7-20.
  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S.G., & Aiken, L.S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correction analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Craig, C.E., & Harris, R.C. (1973). Total productivity measurement at the firm level. Sloan Management Review, 14(3), 13-28.
  • Egberts, M. (1985). Some notes on the integrity of human systems: Intervening in and cooperating with other cultures. Organizational Development Journal, 3(4), 30-32.
  • Erez, M. (1997). A culture-based model of work motivation. In P. C. Early & M. Erez (Eds.), New perspectives on international industrial/organizational psychology (pp. 193-242). San Francisco: New Lexington Press.
  • Erez, M., & Earley, P.C. (1993). Culture, self-identity, & work. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Fagenson-Eland, E., Ensher, E., & Burke, W.W. (2004). Organization development and change interventions: A seven-nation comparison. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 40, 432-464.[Abstract]
  • Geroski, P., & Gregg, P. (1994). Corporate restructuring in the UK during the recession. Business Strategy Review, 5, 1-19.
  • Gluskinos, U.M. (1988). Cultural and political considerations in the introduction of Western technologies: The Mekorot project. Journal of Management Development, 6, 34-46.
  • Guzzo, R.A., Jette, R.D., & Katzell, R.A. (1987). The effects of psychologically based intervention programs on worker productivity: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 38, 275-291.[CrossRef]
  • Hamel, G., & Prahalad, C.K. (1994). Competing for the future: Breakthrough strategies for seizing control of your industry and creating the markets of tomorrow. Boston: Harvard University Press.
  • Hanges, P.J., & Dickson, M.W. (2004). The development and validation of the GLOBE culture and leadership scales. In R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. W. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 122-151). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Harzing, A., & Hofstede, G. (1996). Planned change in organizations: The influence of national culture. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 14, 297-342.
  • Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures consequences: International di ferences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  • Hofstede, G. (1983). Motivation, leadership and organization: Do American theories apply abroad? Organization Dynamics, 9, 42-63.[CrossRef]
  • Hofstede, G. (1998). A case for comparing apples with oranges: International differences in values. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 39, 16-31.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Holmberg, I., & Akerblom, S. (2004). "Primus inter pares": Leadership and culture in Sweden. Retrieved March 29, 2005, from http://mgmt3.ucalgary.ca/web/globpriv.nsf/index
  • House, R.J., Hanges, P.J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P.W., & Gupta, V. (2004). Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • House, R.J., Hanges, P.J., Ruiz-Quintanilla, S.A., Dorfman, P.W., Javidan, M., Dickson, M., et al. (1999). Cultural influences on leadership and organizations: Project GLOBE. In B. Mobley (Ed.), Advances in global leadership (Vol. 1, pp. 171-233). Burlington, MA: Elsevier Science/ JAI Press.
  • Hui, M.K., Au, K., & Fock, H. (2004). Empowerment effects across culture. Journal of International Business Studies, 35, 46-60.[CrossRef]
  • Hui, H., & Luk, C.L. (1997). Industrial/organizational psychology. In J. W. Berry, M. H. Segall, & C. Kagitçibasi (Eds.), Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (Vol. 3): Social behavior and applications (2nd ed., pp. 371-412). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Jaeger, A. (1986). Organization development and national culture: Where's the fit? Academy of Management Review, 11, 178-190.[CrossRef]
  • Janssen, P., van Berkel, A., & Stolk, J. (1995). ProMES as part of a new management strategy. In R. D. Pritchard (Ed.), Productivity measurement and improvement: Organizational case studies (pp. 43-61). New York: Praeger.
  • Javidan, M., House, R.J., & Dorfman, P.W. (2004). A non-technical summary of GLOBE findings. In R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. W. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 29-48). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Kendrick, J.W. (1984). Improving company productivity. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
  • Kirkman, B.L., Lowe, K.B., & Gibson, C.B. (2006). A quarter century of culture's consequences: A review of empirical research incorporating Hofstede's cultural values framework. Journal of International Business Studies, 37, 285-321.[CrossRef]
  • Kirkman, B.L., & Shapiro, D. (2001). The impact of team members' cultural values on productivity, cooperation, and empowerment in self-managing work teams. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32, 597-617.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Lau, C., & Ngo, H. (2001). Organization development and firm performance: A comparison of multinational and local firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 32, 95-114.[CrossRef]
  • Lewin, A.Y., Long, C.P., & Carroll, T.N. (1999). The co-evolution of new organizational forms. Organization Science, 10, 535-550.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Lillrank, A.B., Shani, A.B., Kolodny, H., Stymne, B., Figuera, J.R., & Liu, M. (1998). Learning from the success of continuous improvement change programs: An international comparative study. In R. W. Woodman & W. A. Pasmore (Eds.), Research in organizational change and development (Vol. 11, pp. 47-71). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
  • Mitroff, I.I. (1987). Business not as usual. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Naylor, J.C., Pritchard, R.D., & Ilgen, D.R. (1980). A theory of behavior in organizations. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
  • Neal, A., & Hesketh, B. (2002). Productivity in organizations. Handbook of Industrial, Work and Organizational Psychology, 2, 7-21.
  • Ottati, V., Triandis, H.C., & Hui, C.H. (1999). Subjective culture and the workplace: Comparing Hispanic and mainstream naval recruits. In Y. T. Lee & C. R. McCauley (Eds.), Personality and person perception across cultures (pp. 235-253). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Oyserman, D., Coon, H.M., & Kemmelmeier, M. (2002). Rethinking individualism and collectivism: Evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 3-72.[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Paquin, A.R. (1997). A meta-analysis of the productivity measurement and enhancement system. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University, College Station.
  • Paquin, A.R. (1998, April). E fect of incremental informational value of ProMES feedback on productivity. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Dallas, TX.
  • Paquin, A.R., Jones, S.D., & Roth, P.L. (1992, April). The Hawthorne e fect when evaluating productivity gains. Paper presented at the meeting for the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Montreal, Canada.
  • Perlaki, I. (1994). Organizational development in Eastern Europe: Learning to build culture specific OD theories. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 30, 297-312.[Abstract]
  • Pettigrew, A., Woodman, R., & Cameron, K. (2001). Studying organizational change and development: Challenges for future research. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 697-713.[CrossRef]
  • Pettigrew, A.M., & Fenton, E.M. (2000). The innovating organization. London: Sage.
  • Pfeffer, J. (1994). Competitive advantage through people: Unleashing the power of the work force. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
  • Pritchard, R.D. (1990). Measuring and improving organizational productivity: A practical guide. New York: Praeger.
  • Pritchard, R.D. (1995). Productivity measurement and improvement: Organizational case studies. New York: Praeger.
  • Pritchard, R.D., Jones, S.D., Roth, P.L., Stuebing, K.K., & Ekeberg, S.E. (1988). The effects of group feedback, goal setting, and incentives on organizational productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 337-358.[CrossRef]
  • Pritchard, R.D., Jones, S.D., Roth, P.L., Stuebing, K.K., & Ekeberg, S.E. (1989). The evaluation of an integrated approach to measuring organizational productivity. Personnel Psychology, 42, 69-115.[CrossRef]
  • Pritchard, R.D., Paquin, A.R., DeCuir, A.D., McCormick, M.J., & Bly, P.R. (2002). Measuring and improving productivity: An overview of ProMES, the productivity measurement and enhancement system. In R. D. Pritchard, H. Holling, F. Lammers, & B. D. Clark (Eds.), Improving organizational performance with the productivity measurement and enhancement system: An international collaboration (pp. 3-50). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
  • Przygodda, M., Kleinbeck, U., Schmidt, K., & Beckmann, J. (1995). Productivity measurement and enhancement in advanced manufacturing systems. In R. D. Pritchard (Ed.), Productivity measurement and improvement: Organizational case studies (pp. 62-80). New York: Praeger.
  • Ralston, D.A., Gustafson, D.J., Elsass, P.M., Cheung, F., & Terpstra, R.H. (1992). Eastern values: A comparison of managers in the United States, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 664-671.[CrossRef]
  • Randolph, W., & Sashkin, M. (2002). Can organizational empowerment work in multinational settings? Academy of Management Executive, 16, 102-115.
  • Raudenbush, S., Bryk, A., & Congdon, R. (2005). Hierarchical linear modeling (Version 6.1) [Computer software]. Chicago: Scientific Software, Inc.
  • Ricks, D.A., Fu, M.Y.C., & Arpan, S. (1974). International business blunders. Columbus, OH: Grid.
  • Robert, C., Probst, T.M., Martocchio, J.J., Drasgow, F., & Lawler, J.J. (2000). Empowerment and continuous improvement in the United States, Mexico, Poland, and India: Predicting fit on the basis of dimensions of power distance and individualism. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 643-658.[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Rodgers, R., & Hunter, J.E. (1991). Impact of management by objectives on organizational productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 322-336.[CrossRef]
  • Ronen, S. (1986). Comparative and multinational management. New York: John Wiley.
  • Ryan, A.M., McFarland, L., Baron, H., & Page, R. (1999). An international look at selection practices: Nation and culture as explanations for variability in practice. Personnel Psychology, 52, 359-391.[CrossRef]
  • Silverthorne, C.P. (2006). Organizational psychology in cross-cultural perspective. New York: NYU Press.
  • Sinangil, H.K., & Avallone, F. (2002). Organizational development and change. Handbook of Industrial, Work and Organizational Psychology, 2, 332-345.
  • Sully de Luque, M.F., & Javidan, M. (2004). Uncertainty avoidance. In R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. W. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 602-653). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Sully de Luque, M.F., & Sommer, S.M. (2000). The impact of culture on feedback-seeking behavior: An integrated model and propositions. Academy of Management Review, 25, 829-849.[CrossRef]
  • Szabo, E., Brodbeck, F.C., Den Hartog, D.N., Reber, G., Weibler, J., & Wunderer, R. (2002). The Germanic Europe cluster: Where employees have a voice. Journal of World Business, 37, 55-68.[CrossRef]
  • Tainio, R., Korhonen, P.J., & Santalainen, T.J. (1991). In search of explanations for bank performance: Some Finnish data. Organization Studies, 12, 425-445.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Tuttle, T.C. (1983). Organizational productivity: A challenge for psychologists. American Psychologist, 38, 479-486.[CrossRef]
  • Werner, S., & Brouthers, L. (2002). How international is management? Journal of International Business Studies, 33, 583-592.[CrossRef]
  • Wirtenberg, J., Abrams, L., & Ott, C. (2004). Assessing the field of organizational development. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 40, 465-479.[Abstract]
  • Woodman, R.W., & Wayne, S.J. (1985). An investigation of positive-findings bias in evaluation of organizational development interventions. Academy of Management Journal, 28, 889-891.[CrossRef]

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 43, No. 4, 427-448 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0021886307307346
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Journal of Applied Behavioral ScienceHome page
B. Spector, H. W. Lane, and D. Shaughnessy
Developing Innovation Transfer Capacity in a Cross-National Firm
Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, June 1, 2009; 45(2): 261 - 279.
[Abstract] [PDF]

This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Paquin, A. R.
Right arrow Articles by Sanchez-Ku, M. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?