Hong Kong managers' perceptions of American business values

This report describes empirical research conducted to study the research question, “To what extent do foreign managers' own cultural values influence their perceptions of the corporate values of companies in other cultures?” Using the authors' “Business Values Questionnaire,” business managers from Hong Kong gave their perceptions of publicly stated corporate values of very large U.S. service companies. A similar United States sample was used as a comparison group. Results gave partial support to the authors' hypotheses that an individual's own cultural values influence perceived values of another culture.     

The Role of Risk Perception in Flu Vaccine Behavior among African‐American and White Adults in the United States

Seasonal flu vaccination rates are low for U.S. adults, with significant disparities between African and white Americans. Risk perception is a significant predictor of vaccine behavior but the research on this construct has been flawed. This study addressed critical research questions to understand the differences between African and white Americans in the role of risk perception in flu vaccine behavior: (1) What is the dimensionality of risk perception and does it differ between the two races?  (2) Were risk perceptions of white and African‐American populations different and how were sociodemographic characteristics related to risk for each group? (3) What is the relation between risk perception and flu vaccine behaviors for African Americans and whites? The sample, drawn from GfK's Knowledge Panel, consisted of 838 whites and 819 African Americans. The survey instrument was developed from qualitative research. Measures of risk perception included cognitive and emotional measures of disease risk and risk of side effects from the vaccine. The online survey was conducted in March 2015. Results showed the importance of risk perception in the vaccine decision‐making process for both racial groups. As expected, those who got the vaccine reported higher disease risk than those who did not. Separate cognitive and emotional factors did not materialize in this study but strong evidence was found to support the importance of considering disease risk as well as risk of the vaccine. There were significant racial differences in the way risk perception predicted behavior.     

Control exercised by U.S. multinationals over their overseas affiliates: does location make a difference?

Using data collected through personal interviews with senior managers at U.S. multinational headquarters and their U.K., Thai, Malaysian, and Singaporean affiliates, this study examines whether U.S. multinationals adjust the amount of control they use over their culturally different overseas affiliates. Results showed no overall difference in the amount of control that U.S. multinationals exercise over their U.K. and Southeast Asian affiliates. However, differences emerged between these two cultural groups when industry and affiliate top manager type were taken into account. In particular, U.K. locally run affiliates were given significantly more autonomy than their Southeast Asian counterparts. Locally run affiliates in both countries were also given significantly greater autonomy than were expatriate-run ones. Consumer goods affiliates in Southeast Asia enjoyed more autonomy than the industrial affiliates did.     

Predicting Advancement to Senior Management from Competencies and Personality Data: A Seven-year Follow-up Study

This study tracked the career progress of general managers over a seven-year period. The main aim was to identify those competencies (skills, abilities, values) and personality characteristics assessed seven years ago which are associated with current success and rate of advancement. The sample consisted of 72 out of 100 managers who had been assessed on the Henley General Management Course in 1988/89. Comparisons were made between their current salary and responsibilities and the equivalent data gathered in 1988/89. Factor analysis revealed two main criteria of success: current seniority and rate of advancement. Correlations were computed between these two factors and assessments of competencies (by the managers and their boss) and their personality profiles derived from the occupational personality questionnaire. The sample was also divided into discrete groups of ‘high fliers’ and ‘low fliers’, based on their respective rate of advancement. Almost all of the ‘high flier’ group are now directors, and receive an average salary of £80 000 (compared to the mean for the total group of £29 000 in 1988/89). Ten characteristics differentiated the ‘high-fliers’. These included: willingness to take risks; an exceptional ability to manage and motivate staff; a need to achieve really demanding targets and a strong competitive streak.     

DOES INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT NEED A SEPARATE PERSPECTIVE?

This essay argues that it is difficult to justify intellectually a separate subject of international operations management. Nevertheless, courses with titles like that abound and other professional activities are centered on international operations, at least in the United States. Of course, there are real differences in management activities in different parts of the world that must be contended with. A comparison of European and U.S. managers' exposure to international business suggests that there is a higher startup cost for U.S. managers to do so. Drawing an analogy between the management of operations and the solving of a huge mathematical programming problem implies that there are few new variables introduced by going international, but that the weights on existing variables can change substantially. Therefore, even though difficult to justify intellectually, continuing to treat international operations management separately may provide us some short-term advantages. By helping us focus our attention on the important variables that change, it may provide us the insights to help reduce the startup cost for U.S. managers entering international operations.     

Idiosyncratic deals and individual effectiveness: The moderating role of leader-member exchange differentiation

Extending prior research on idiosyncratic deals (i-deals), in the current study we examine the functioning of i-deals in the context of leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation. To that end, we integrate justice, social exchange, and social comparison theories and hypothesize that employee perceptions of their managers' procedural fairness and LMX quality partially mediate (in sequence) the positive relationship between i-deals and individual effectiveness, including job satisfaction, in-role performance, and helping behavior. Furthermore, we propose that LMX differentiation moderates this mediated relationship, such that the mediation effect becomes stronger when LMX differentiation within the group is greater. Data from a U.S. sample of 961 employees and their managers in 71 restaurants supported our hypothesized model. Results shed light on managerial practices regarding how to gain positive effects from i-deals by considering the influence of LMX differentiation.     

An exploratory analysis of global managerial mindsets: a case of U.S. textile and apparel industry

Increase in business across international borders has led to many studies demonstrating the need for “global” managers. However, few operational frameworks for a global mindset have been proposed. This paper discusses the characteristics of such a global mindset in terms of conceptualization/contextualization abilities. In particular, the paradigm developed by Kefalas [Thunderbird Int. Bus. Rev. 40 (6) (1998) 547-561] was used to determine whether managers in U.S. textile and apparel industries can be defined as “globally minded”. Empirical results indicate that U.S. managers scored higher on conceptualization than on contextualization. The study demonstrates the importance of training on the development of global mindsets and the need for U.S. managers to improve their abilities in adapting to the local context, i.e., contextualization. It is recommended that global corporations should place more emphasis on the training of these skills prior to international assignments of their managers.     

Relationships among JIT practices: an interpretive modeling approach

Abstract

This research develops a model of relationships among components of Total-JIT, including JIT-information, JIT-manufacturing, JIT-purchasing, and JIT-selling, to establish an implementation hierarchy based on relative importance. The data collected relates to the relationships among JIT components and two performance measures, supply chain competency and organizational performance. Two groups are used in the research, one group of five operations management academics and another group of 30 practicing operations managers working in U.S. manufacturing firms. An interpretive structural modelling methodology is used to develop alternative structural models. The academics’ data show JIT-information emerging as lynchpin of relationships, directly impacting all other JIT practices and both performance measures. The practitioners’ data indicates that all JIT practices and performance measures are interactive as components and outcomes. This study is the first to apply interpretive structural modelling to investigate the interplay among total-JIT components and the performance measures of supply chain competency and organizational performance.     

A Longitudinal Study Exploring Value Changes During the Cultural Assimilation of Japanese Student Pilot Sojourners in the United States

This study explored longitudinally the value changes of Japanese student pilot sojourners attending pilot training in the United States for two years. Throughout their stay in the United States they are exposed to the United States Western culture, and assimilate some of that culture, because in order to achieve equilibrium, they will change some of their values, attitudes and behaviors (move toward the similar) and assimilate some of their new culture. This study explored the cultural assimilation of those pilots by exploring value changes using the Rokeach Value Survey; exploring values upon arrival, after one year in the U.S., after two years in the U.S., and one year after return to the Japan. The research results showed significant cultural assimilation as demonstrated by value changes between time of arrival and departure from the U.S., and continuing one year after return to Japan.     

Bringing Japanese Continuous Improvement Approaches to U.S. Manufacturing: The Roles of Process Orientation and Communications*

Continuous improvement (CI) has played a key role in Japan's quality management. U.S. companies have begun to adopt CI in recent years. This paper studies the implementation of CI in seven U.S. manufacturing companies. We view values as the core concept of culture that impacts CI effectiveness. Using both qualitative and quantitative data with a sample of seven companies, we observe empirically a relationship between process-oriented values and CI effectiveness. We also find that communications involving workers is strongly associated with CI effectiveness. Finally, we find an association between process orientation and communication frequency, and argue that communications act as an intervening variable between process orientation and effectiveness.     

Power sharing at senior management levels

The paper presents research findings on decision making and differences in skill perception between 55 dyads of German managers of large organizations. These findings are related to research on carefully matched samples in the U.S. and U.K. The data, while still confined to two variables (two vertical and one horizontal method of measuring power sharing, and two ways of measuring perceptual differences between closely related decision makers), confirm the validity of a contingency model of managerial decision making and power sharing.     

In Good Times but Not in Bad: The Role of Managerial Discretion in Moderating the Stakeholder Management and Financial Performance Relationship

We examine the role of managers in controlling the positive impact of stakeholder management (SM) on firm financial performance (FP) in the long term. We develop and test competing hypotheses on whether managers act as “good citizens” or engage in “self‐dealing” when allowed greater discretion. We test our assertions using dynamic panel data analysis of a sample of 806 U.S. public firms operating in 34 industries over 5 years (2005–2009). Our results indicate a nuanced influence of managerial discretion contexts on the SM‐FP relationship. We infer that given more latitude in decision making, as long as the “going is good” managers act as good citizens, but otherwise they revert to managerial self‐dealing. In light of our results, firms designing governance mechanisms to encourage managers to balance the needs of both shareholders and stakeholders must remain cognizant of contextual contingencies.     

The Rise in Union Wage Premiums in South Africa

The earnings premium received by African, urban, male union members in South Africa, as compared to other regular, urban male employees, is explored using two national sample surveys conducted in 1985 and 1993. The historical setting of this change is of particular interest, in the light of the transformation from the apartheid regime. Union membership grew very rapidly during this interval, as earlier prohibitions on African unions were lifted. Subsequently, the high rates of unemployment and segmentation of the labor force have been issues of central concern to the new government, elected in 1994. In this context, the paper extends prior methodology, by systematically comparing possible approaches to estimation, in addition to contributing fresh empirical results. Four approaches to estimation are adopted, allowing for: a single earnings regime with union dummy variable; the possibility of different earnings regimes among union members as compared to non‐members; endogenous switching between such regimes; sample selection arising from lack of employment and from division between regular and informal work. A series of tests on nested specifications indicate the importance of recognizing endogenous switching between differing pay structures in the covered and uncovered sectors. However (as with previous research on the South African labor market), no sample selection is detected with respect to employment status. The results suggest that collective bargaining resulted in wage compression among the expanding union membership while significantly widening the gap between members and non‐members. The latter widening gap cannot be attributed to the changing composition of union membership as reflected in observed characteristics of employees.     

An empirical investigation of motivation and effective performance: A comparison of Arab and U.S. cultures

This study empirically examines motivational profiles within the Arab culture and compares them with the U.S. culture. The associations of needs for achievement, affiliation, and power with effectiveness (salary, promotion, and GPA) and job satisfaction in the Arab culture are investigated. The need for affiliation is negatively associated with effectiveness for managers and students, and the need for power is positively associated with effectiveness for managers. The Arab culture exhibits higher affiliation need, while the U.S. culture exhibits higher power and achievement needs. However, the two cultures exhibit similar profiles of effective motivation for managers, students, and professionals.     

A Comparative Analysis of Quality Practice in Manufacturing Firms in the U.S. and Taiwan*

The aim of this paper is to determine if there is a causal relationship between multivariate constructs for quality (i.e., customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and employee service quality) and organizational performance. The presence of such relationships, as well as the identification of key indicators within each quality construct for different types of firms, are explored in this empirical study on the perceptions of middle managers in Taiwan and the United States. The study found a significant causal relationship between the quality constructs and organizational performance. These relationships are different, however, for the four types of firms based on age and size. Also, within the same firm types, there are differences among countries. For example, for older firms, Taiwanese managers tend to perceive customer satisfaction as the most important quality construct in improving organizational performance, while U.S. managers tend to perceive employee satisfaction as the most important. For younger firms, U.S. managers perceive customer satisfaction as influencing organizational performance, while Taiwanese managers perceive both customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction as doing so. A further breakdown of the quality constructs identified the key indicators within each construct that separates “better performers'’from “lesser performers'’in both countries for the four types of firms. These indicators are dissimilar, thus suggesting that focus on quality constructs may lead to improvements in organizational performance by focusing on different indicators in different environments. These results have implications for the adoption and implementation of quality practices in different countries.     

An Analysis of Changes in the Risk of Mortality from Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, 1968-1977

Nonlinear hazard models are used to examine temporal trends in the age-specific mortality risks of chronic obstructive lung diseases for the U.S. population. These hazard functions are fit to age-specific mortality rates for 1968 and 1977 for four race/sex groups. Changes in the parameters of these models are used to assess two types of differences in the age pattern of the rates between 1968 and 1977. The first measure of trend in the age-specific mortality rates is the temporal change in the proportionality constant in the function used to model their age variation. By allowing only this proportionality parameter to vary between 1968 and 1977, it is possible to determine an age-constant percentage increase or decrease. The second measure reflects the absolute displacement in terms of years of life of the fitted mortality curves for the two time points. This second index can be interpreted as the acceleration or deceleration of mortality risks over the life span, i.e., the number of years that is needed for mortality rates to achieve the same level as in the comparison group. The analysis showed that the age changes in chronic obstructive lung disease mortality rates differed by race/sex group and for both measures of change over the period. Adjustment of the fitted curves for the effects of individual variability in risk was significant for three of four groups.     

Flexible manufacturing systems performance in U.S. automotive manufacturing plants: a case study

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) philosophy is a key weapon in achieving global manufacturing competitiveness. It encompasses a wide range of dimensions to improve all aspects of operational performance metrics. The aim of the study is to examine the current state of flexibility adoption in U.S. automotive manufacturing facilities and its impact on operational performance metrics. It utilizes survey questionnaire developed based on previous work in U.S. manufacturing industry. The survey was originally distributed to 420 facility managers in the U.S. domestic automotive industry. It was revealed that 70% of the respondents had implemented all 15 flexibility dimensions listed in the questionnaire. The data analysis conducted shows that implementation of certain flexibility dimensions will lead to significant improvement in specific operational performance metrics. This considerable finding can be used as a guide for manufacturing managers to achieve certain objectives in operational performance improvement in a rapidly changing environment.     

The Content of the Psychological Contract

The perceived obligations of the two parties to the employment relationship, the employee and the organization, were explored using the critical incident technique. Incidents were elicited which exceeded or fell below the treatment which each party might reasonably expect from the other; obligations were then inferred from these incidents. Respondents were a representative sample of UK employees (n=184), and a sample of UK managers (n=184) (the organization group).
Twelve categories of organization obligation and seven of employee obligation were inferred from these data. While the two groups identified the same content categories as each other, they did so with different relative frequency. The organization group quoted more relational than transactional forms of organizational obligation, the employee group the reverse. This finding was attributed to a lack of trust of the organization by employees, and to their job insecurity. The groups, however, did not differ in terms of the frequency of the most commonly cited employee obligations; timekeeping, good work and honesty. This was taken to indicate the prevalence of a traditional and input-oriented view of employee obligations. Examples were discovered of a reciprocal element to the contract. It was concluded that, despite the level of agreement between the two parties regarding the elements of the psychological contract, they were in danger of holding different perceptions of its balance; and that organizations should only expect employee commitment if they themselves have fulfilled their side of the contract.     

期望和竞争对管理人员满意和忠诚的影响研究

以我国企业的中高层管理人员为对象,通过实证分析,研究期望和竞争对员工满意和忠诚度的影响,并进一步建立基于期望和竞争的员工满意与忠诚度模型。实证分析显示,员工价值低于期望对满意度评价所带来的负面影响要比员工价值高于期望所带来的正面影响大。此外,本企业的员工价值与竞争对手企业所能提供价值的比较也直接影响到满意度的高低,高层管理人员的满意度更受竞争情况的影响。对于忠诚度,高层和中低层管理人员离职倾向都显著地受到期望与竞争的影响,对2组人员来讲,竞争比期望对离职倾向的影响要更显著,而且中低层管理人员的总体离职倾向要比高层管理人员高。     

Individual differences in the perception of occupational stress and their association with blood pressure status

Casual blood pressure (BP) was recorded in a sample of 217 working adults. A questionnaire was used to obtain subjective reports of job stress. comparisons were made between a group with elevated BP and a normotensive group. The high BP group appeared to perceive more stress. In particular, scores on the role conflict, job versus non-job conflict and type A scales reliably differentiated the groups. In contrast, for the job satisfaction items, no difference between the groups was observed. There appeared to be some association between reported occupational stress and BP level.