The effects of national culture on the theory and practice of managing R&D professionals abroad

Abstract

Abstract G. Hofstede's research on ‘Culture's Consequences’ (1980) greatly shaped the discussion of cross‐cultural differences in management theory and practice during the 1980′s. And yet, his 4‐D Model's applicability to the management of R&D laboratories and their professionals worldwide remained in doubt due to the fact that his four dimensions of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism, and Masculinity were derived from responses of mid‐level IBM employees with lower levels of formal education than those of typical R&D professionals. This paper reports on results of the first comprehensive follow‐up study that (1) show Hofstede's four dimensions to be equally valid for highly educated respondents from 17 Western European countries, Turkey, and the USA, (2) describe significant similarities between the respondents’ work goals and those of R&D professionals, and (3) suggest implications of cross‐cultural differences along the dimensions for the theory and practice of managing R&D professionals abroad.

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