Motivation is a culturally bound topic. In other words, the
factors that motivate employees in different cultures may not be
equivalent. The motivation theories we cover in this chapter are
likely to be culturally bound because they were developed by
Western researchers and the majority of the research supporting
each theory was conducted on Western subjects.
Based on the cultural context, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs may
require modification because the ranking of the needs may differ
across cultures. For example, a study conducted in 39 countries
showed that financial satisfaction was a stronger predictor of
overall life satisfaction in developing nations compared to
industrialized nations. In industrialized nations, satisfaction
with esteem needs was a more powerful motivator than it was in
developing nations (Oishi, Diener, & Suh, 1999).
People around the world value justice and fairness. However,
what is perceived as fair may be culturally dependent. Moreover,
people in different cultures may react differently to perceived
unfairness (Erdogan & Liden, 2006; Mueller & Wynn, 2000).
For example, in cross-cultural studies, it was found that
participants in low power distance cultures such as the United
States and Germany valued voice into the process (the opportunities
for explanation and appealing a decision) more than those in high
power distance cultures such as China and Mexico. At the same time,
interactional justice was valued more by the Chinese subjects
(Brockner et al., 2001; Tata, 2005). There is also some evidence
indicating that equity (rewarding employees based on their
contributions to a group) may be a culture-specific method of
achieving fairness. One study shows that Japanese subjects viewed
equity as less fair and equality-based distributions as more fair
than did Australian subjects (Kashima et al., 1988). Similarly,
subjects in different cultures varied in their inclination to
distribute rewards based on subjects’ need or age, and in cultures
such as Japan and India, a person’s need may be a relevant factor
in reward distributions (Kashima et al., 1988; Murphy-Berman et
al., 1984).
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