Linking Individual Value Orientations to Employee Attitudes: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

This study tested the relationships of individualism, power distance, and mastery orientation to 2 employee attitudes (organizational trust and organizational commitment) that are associated with employees' psychological benefits within the organization. Results from university employees (N = 706) showed that individualism negatively, whereas mastery positively, related to trust and commitment. Power distance positively related to trust only. The moderating role of mastery was also identified. These findings can help employment or organizational counselors to appreciate value-related factors that facilitate employees in psychologically integrating into the organization and to explore new ways for employers to foster employees' positive attitudes.

Cultural Dimensions in Colombia and Chile According to the Spanish Version of the Dorfman and Howell Questionnaire

“…Furthermore, the inclusion of paternalism as an additional dimension makes Dorfman and Howell [2] instrument particularly suitable to conduct cultural research in societies where such cultural construct has been identified as fundamental in understanding how culture influences work related issues, as is the case of Latin America, India, Turkey, the Middle East and China among other regions and countries [25,26]. Finally, Dorfman and Howell's scales have the advantage of being designed to capture data at an individual unit of analysis facilitating research focusing on the association between individual employees' cultural values and job-related attitudes (e.g., [27,28]). That is, the Dorfman and Howell [2] adaptation of Hofstede's national culture dimensions allows for the study of cultural orientation at the individual level with a reliable psychometric instrument [29].…”

“…There are multiple studies about the relationship between individual level perceptions of cultural dimensions and individual level attitudinal and behavioral outcomes using Dorfman and Howell [2] scales. For example, Jiang [28] showed that individualism negatively correlated to trust and commitment whereas task mastery correlated positively, while power distance is related to trust only. Wu [31] measured Hofstede's cultural dimensions, using Dorfman and Howell [2] instrument, and concluded that work-related cultural values in a specific culture are not static and change over time.…”

“…Culpepper and Watts [32] study supported the unidimensionality, convergent validity and discriminant validity of these four Dorfman and Howell scales. Dorfman and Howell [2] instrument has been widely used to establish relationships between individual level cultural values and several attitudinal and outcome measures (e.g., [28,29,33,34]). For example, Clugston et al [33] found that power distance is related to normative commitment, uncertainty avoidance is associated with continuance commitment and collectivism to workgroup commitment.…”

“…For example, Clugston et al [33] found that power distance is related to normative commitment, uncertainty avoidance is associated with continuance commitment and collectivism to workgroup commitment. Jiang [28] found that individualism is negatively associated with trust and commitment, while power distance is positively related to trust. Durán-Brizuela et al [34] found a negative relationship between power distance and work role performance.…”

Three essays on national and organizational cultures

“…For example, Jiang (2018) show that individual power distance orientation is associated with AC when one's mastery orientation was low but not when it was high.…”