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SummaryThe relationship between sex role stereotypes and characteristics perceived as necessary for management success was examined among 361 male and 228 female management students in Japan and the People's Republic of China. The results revealed that males and females in both countries perceive that successful middle managers possess characteristics, attitudes and temperaments more commonly ascribed to men in general than to women in general. These results were compared with previous studies done in the US., Great Britain and Germany, using the same Schein 92-item Descriptive Index, and similar samples and procedures. The comparison supports the view that 'think manager-think male' is a global phenomenon, especially among males. Regardless of country context, there was a strong and similar degree of managerial sex typing among male management students in all five countries. Among females, the managerial sex typing hypothesis was confirmed in every country except the US., in which men and women are seen as equally likely to possess requisite management characteristics. Unlike those of their male counterparts, the females' pattern of outcomes varied across countries, possibly a reflection of their respective opportunities for managerial participation. The implications of managerial sex typing as a global phenomenon are discussed.

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Goal setting is thought to serve a directive function in individuals' estimates of their capacity to perform in their work environment. A series of studies were conducted in which college students performed mathematics problems (n = 100) or worked on a complex game simulation (n = 100) under conditions of easy or challenging goals. In addition, a field study was conducted with junior and senior business students (n = 127) in a management course during a normal semester. Three alternative models combining self-efficacy expectations, performance valence, and personal goals were tested with LISREL VI and hierarchical regression analyses. The results support various aspects of the models and, in general, favor the causal sequencing suggested by Locke and Latham (1990) and Eden (1988) over the model proposed by Garland (1985).As goal-setting research expands into new realms, researchers have increasingly emphasized the need to understand how goals influence task performance (Campbell, 1988; Kanfer, in press;Locke, Shaw, Saari, & Latham, 1981;Wood & Bandura, 1989; Wood & Locke, in press). It has been argued that assigned goals influence an individual's self-efficacy expectations or expectancies, which in turn give rise to personal goals and performance (e.g.,

As the service industry continues to grow, small businesses must decide whether they are going to use new technologies available to them. This article is an exploratory study that examines how the Internet can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attain a global market. Small inns and bed and breakfasts were used as SMEs in this study. The authors developed a survey and sent it to small inns and bed and breakfasts in Canada and the United States to determine the ways these businesses are using the technologies available to them and the pros and cons of using the technologies. The authors discuss managerial implications of using the Internet.