Values, Attitudes and Socio-cultural Dimensions of Countries

Damodar Suar

Why to Study Values,Attitudes and cross-cultural Dimensions?

(a) Most theories developed in western culture (Europe, north America, Australia) where 30% of people live. That cannot be applied to the rest of the globe where 70% people live. Understanding and reflecting on values, attitudes and cultural dimensions would help to modify the theories in OB.

(b) It would help to absorb the cultural shock. © Help to deal with the employees from different

cultures.

Values are desirable ideals. They determine how one ought to or ought not to behave or act. According to Rokeach (1973), a value is an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence. Rokeach (1973, p. 24) mentions that the consequences of values are manifested in virtually all phenomena. Values influence every facet of human behavior-- attitude, behavior, ideology, evaluations, social action, moral judgment and justification of self and others, comparison of self with others, presentation of self to others, and attempts to influence others-- because of their centrality to individuals’ personality and cognitive structure (Mindell and Gorden, 1981; Pitts and Woodside, 1991; Schmidt and Posner, 1982). Values, being the intrinsic qualities, guide all our outer activities (Super, 1970, p. 4). Attitudes are evaluative statements. Cognitive, affective and behavioral components. All measures emphasizes on feeling component. Values are spoken up differently by different authors.This is the contextual use of the term, socio-cultural context, socio-culture values, work context, work values, organizational context, organizational values. •Values are fewer in number. Many attitudes stem from a fewer number of basic values.•Both rating and ranking scales are used to measure values. Because there is a hierarchy of values, they are measured in terms of importance. •Attitudes can be positive or negative but values are desirable attributes and positive. •Attitudes are easy to chane than values•Laws: emphasize on don'ts and values on do’s. Ethics is a broader canvas of values.

Values, Attitudes

Sources of Value and Attitude Acquisition

and Change Family,friends, relatives, membership in school, club, organization-

occupational socialization. Organization hires people whose values match with the job profile, such people can be easily groomed.Values and behavioral traits are difficult to change but new knowledge and skills can be learnt easily.

Two processes for value Acquisition: 1. Social Comparison Theory: Everyone wants to hold a positive image of himself/herself and compares with significant others and their moral self concepts.

Congruency-retention of attitudes and values.Incongruence- change. 2.Informational Influence: Gains access to new,

persuasive,valid(true)information and authoritative views on certain issues. Form or change attitudes and values accordingly.

Core values are difficult to change.

Dominant Work Values in Today’s Workforce Cohort Entered the Workforce Approximate Dominant

Current Age Work ValuesVeterans 1950s or early 1960s 60+ Hard working, conservative

conforming; loyality to the organization

Boomers 1965-1985 40-60 Success, achievement, ambition, dislike of authority loyalty to career

Xers 1985-2000 25-40 Work/life balance, team oriented, dislike of rules; loyalty to relationships

Nexters 2000 to present Under 25 Confident, financial success Self-reliant but team oriented loyalty to both self and relationships

Rokeach Value surveyTerminal Values: desirable end states(18) Instrumental Values:preferable modes of behavior(18)A comfortable life Ambitious(hardworking)An exciting life Broad-minded(open-minded)A sense of accomplishment Capable(competent)A world at peace Cheerful(joyful)A world of beauty Clean(neat)Equality CourageousFamily security ForgivingFreedom HelpfulHappiness Honest(sincere)Inner harmony Imaginative(creative)Mature love Independent(self-reliant)National security Intellectual(reflective)Pleasure Logical(rational)Salvation Loving(tender)Self-respect Obedient(dutiful)Social recognition Polite(courteous)True friendship Responsible(reliable)Wisdom Self-controlled(restrained)

Work Values, Super (1968)45 Items 15 Values

AltruismAestheticsCreativityIntellectual StimulationIndependenceAchievementPrestigeManagementEconomic ReturnsSecuritySurroundingsSupervisory RelationsAssociatesVarietyWay of life

Socio-cultural Values, Sinha & Sinha (1974)

Lack of commitment: Wide gap between what one promise and what one actually does.

Lack of team orientation: Preference to work alone rather than to work in a group.

Preference for personalized relationship: Maintaining a strong relationship with own people and distancing from others.

Dependence proneness: Tendency to lean for advice, support, guidance and help and protection from supervisors in a situation which does not warrant such leanings.

Aram: Rest and relaxation without doing any hard work. Showing-off: To show off oneself greater than actual in order to

prove superiority over others.

Socio-cultural Values, Kanungo & Bhatnagar (1978)

Francophone managers-Survival Anglophone managers-Self-actualization

Facets of Societal and Organizational Culture, Sinha & Others (2004)

Four major societal dimensions-hypocrisy, corruption, inaction, and respect to power-were shared across locations. Three additional dimensions-quick rich disposition, face keeping, and non-work orientation-were differently endorsed at different locations.Organizations were perceived to have high dimensions:entrepreneurial, exploitative, familial, bureaucratic, growth-oriented, patronising, professional, and parochial. All managers were positive about their work, although locations had an impact on hoe managers rated their achieving behaviours and job satisfaction.

Organizational Values Suar and Khuntia, 2005

Organizational leadership Organization’s reputation Employee welfare Budget stability   Organizational growth Profit maximization  Product quality Customer service  Quality in personnel Cost consideration  Participative management Obedience to organizational rules Maintenance of physical work conditions Protection of the surrounding environment Reward for employees’ worthy contribution Tolerance for diversity Service to the general public Development of the community Innovation Honesty Sincerity Transparency

Three hundred forty middle-level managers from two private and two public sector companies rated the 22-values as guiding principles to them that identified the personal values. Top-level managers of the same organizations were asked to rate how important such values were to the organization that indexed organizational values. Value congruence was the degree to which value ratings of the middle-level manager matched the value ratings of top-level managers. Value congruency was more in private than in public sector. The important shared values among managers were product quality and customer service in both the sectors. Values of personal virtues more inhibited unethical practices than value congruence. Values embodying organizational excellence and virtues increased work behavior compared to value congruence.

The Kluckhohn-Strodtbeck Framework

1. Relationship to the environment 2. Time orientation 3. Nature of people 4. Activity orientation 5. Focus of responsibility 6. Concept of space

Hofstede’s Framework

(a) Individualism/ Collectivism (b) Power distance (c) Uncertainty avoidance (d) Masculinity/Femininity (e) Long-term vs. short-term orientation,

Confucian dynamism, 1991, Bond and his associates ( Chinese Culture Connection 1987) : Long-term vs. short-term orientation

Characteristics of Organizations in Developing Countries

A.. External Environment : Economic/Political/ Legali) Low predictability of events

ii)Greater difficulty in obtaining resources B. External Environment:Socio-cultural i) High uncertainty avoidance ii) High power distance iii) Low individualism/ high collectivism iv) Low masculinity/ high femininity v) Low abstractive/ high associative thinking C. Internal Environment: Internal Work Culture (a) Descriptive assumptions about what people are like i) External locus of control ii) Limited and fixed potential iii) Past and present orientation iv) Short-term perspective (b) Perspective assumptions about how to behave i) Passive/reactive task orientation ii) Moralistic orientation in judging success iii) Authoritarian/paternalistic iv) Context dependent orientation to environment ___________________________________________________ Kanungo, R.N., & Jaeger, A.M. (1990). Introduction: The need for indigenous management in

developing countries. In A.M. Jaeger & R.N. Kanungo (Eds.),Management in developing countries. London: Routledge.

Globe ProjectDimensions

Assertiveness Future orientation Gender differentiation Uncertainty avoidance Power distance Individualism/Collectivism In-Group collectivism Performance orientation Humane orientation

Types of Attitudes

Job satisfaction: The attitude towards the job. Job involvement: The degree to which a person identifies

psychologically with his/her job and considers his/her perceived performance level important to self worth.

Commitment; continuance with the organization. A willingness to exert high effort, emotional attachment, identification, and involvement; belief and acceptance of values and goals of the organization, OC is a better predictor of turnover than JS. Occupational commitment more important than than OC because of today’s work force.

Value and attitude change Individual:Self talk, Mind –stilling exercise, Ethical

awareness:Training,Discussion on Ethical Dilemmas, Spiritual Knowledge dissemination:Gita, Mahabharat, Ramayana

Group:Awareness about vision and mission-Formulation of vision, discussion and rationalization, Ethical leadership,Group Discussion and decision

Organizational:Reinforcing ethical norms, Ethics code, Ethical benchmarking

Satisfaction-productivity, absenteeism(.40), poor performs stay than superior performers.

Dissatisfaction: Exit, voice, loyalty, Neglect

Next Steps Describe what happens next:

Research the ideas generated? Follow up with larger group?

Generate action items for follow-up: Start turning ideas into reality.