International Management

Running Head: COMPARATIVE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Comparative International Management and cultural Differences

[Name of the writer]

[Name of the institution]

Comparative International Management and cultural Differences

This study is a reflection of the relatively recent drive to acknowledge cultural diversity within psychological research and theory (e.g., Pepitone & Triandis, 2005, p85). Along with Betancourt and Lopez (2002, p11), we assert that a main restriction of popular psychological theories has been that they have ignored culture, and, consequently, have lacked universality. We argue that cultural differences may significantly affect judgments made by researchers and managers when making (a) observations for data collection, (b) performance appraisals in a diverse workplace, and (c) decisions within an international business context.

A common assumption underlying the previous research is that for a given observation target, a group of observers can be selected to meet the requirements of the observational study, regardless of the context. However, when the purpose of the observation is to collect data for cross-cultural studies or to make decisions in international management, this assumption becomes questionable. A single group of observers, no matter how carefully selected, may not satisfy all demands of an observational study. For example, when observing the behaviour of an Asian employee, Caucasian managers might view that employee as too unassertive to be an effective manager (cf. “For Asian-Americans,” 2002, p64), whereas Asian managers may believe that this person is sufficiently assertive for the role. In this situation, a single group of observers, be they Asians or Caucasians, would be insufficient for achieving accurate observation information. Instead, two groups of observers, one composed of Asians and the other of Caucasians, may be needed to collect observation information for appropriate decisions.

Join now!

Given the purpose of observation, the effects of culture should also be considered in the development of rating scale formats. A number of studies have dealt with issues related to the structure, complexity, and subjectivity of these rating formats (e.g., Hartel, 2002, p19). Hartel demonstrated that different scale formats elicit different judgment processes and affect rating acceptability and effectiveness among different observers. However, Hartel neglected to Lest for the effects of cultural differences. We assert that the observer's culture, including his or her language and way of thinking, may affect the acceptability and effectiveness of the scale formats.

Consequently, a ...

This is a preview of the whole essay