Happy to help? Exploring the factors associated with variations in rates of volunteering across Europe

The frequency of formal volunteering varies widely across European countries, and rates of formal volunteering are especially low among Eastern European countries. Why are there such large differences in volunteering rates when it is known that volunteering is beneficial for well-being? Using data from the latest round of the European Social Survey, we test three hypotheses to explain these cross-national differences in volunteering. We ask whether people in countries with low frequencies of volunteering spend more of their time on informal volunteering activities; whether they differ on socio-demographic variables which are known to be linked to volunteering rates; or whether they show less well-being benefit from formal volunteering. Contrary to the first hypothesis, we find a positive correlation between formal and informal volunteering. We further conclude that national differences in rates of volunteering cannot be fully explained by differences in the social, psychological or cultural factors associated with volunteering nor the outcome of volunteering. It is likely that contextual factors, such as a country’s historical background or institutions, determine levels of volunteering to a large extent

Convergence in international business ethics? A comparative study of ethical philosophies, thinking style, and ethical decision-making between US and Korean managers

This study investigates the relationship among ethical philosophy, thinking style, and managerial ethical decision-making. Based on the premise that business ethics is a function of culture and time, we attempt to explore two important questions as to whether the national differences in managerial ethical philosophies remain over time and whether the relationship between thinking style and ethical decision-making is consistent across different national contexts. We conducted a survey on Korean managers’ ethical decision-making and thinking style and made a cross-cultural, cross-temporal comparison with the results presented by previous studies that surveyed Korean and US managers with the same questionnaire at different points in time. Our analysis revealed that Korean managers have become more reliant on rule utilitarianism for ethical decision-making over the last two decades, which is dominantly used by US managers, corroborating our convergence hypothesis built on social contracts theory. However, as opposed to previous research, we found that managers with a balanced linear and nonlinear thinking style do not necessarily make more ethical decisions compared to those with a predominantly linear or nonlinear thinking style. This study contributes to international business ethics literature by presenting a theoretical framework that may explain the convergence of ethical philosophies employed by managers in different national contexts over time, and that the relationship between thinking style and managerial ethical decision-making may not be universal, but contingent on contextual factors

Avoiding uncertainty in Hofstede and GLOBE

This paper compares the Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) dimension of national culture across the Hofstede and GLOBE models, looking at relationships in both data and analysis. Rather than mutual support, we detail major differences and anomalies across the studies. We show how these anomalies are resulting in contradictory explanations in research on national differences across a range of individual-, firm- and country-level phenomena. We clarify the UA measurement in both Hofstede and GLOBE, and find that the two models are measuring different components of the UA construct. We propose a two-component model of UA, namely, UA-stress and UA-rule orientation, and confirm its validity with national culture data from the Hofstede and GLOBE studies, and economic data from the World Bank. We also explain the negative GLOBE UA practices-values relationship using motivational theories. A way forward in future UA-related research is suggested. The Hofstede UA index, the GLOBE UA practices scores and the GLOBE UA values scores should be used within the specific domains that they represent: that is, stress, rule orientation practices and rule orientation aspirations, respectively. Resolving the contradictions in UA between and within Hofstede and GLOBE will help cross-cultural researchers develop more robust theories and more practical recommendations for international business management

Intervention in OSH for SMEs Employers: Influence in Knowledge and Prevention Activities

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face several difficulties compared to large enterprises, such as the lack of human, economic and technological resources. This could lead to difficulties in identifying, assessing and controlling occupational risks and, as a consequence, in having a good Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) performance. Employers of SMEs are responsible for the most part of decision making, namely in OSH. OSH interventions are important to change the behaviors and attitudes to the target group and may encourage both employers and employees to be more active and conscious about OSH in their enterprises. This study aims to design and implement a training session that target employers of micro and small-sized enterprises and analyze its effect on employers’ OSH knowledge and on the preventions activities carried out. The training session was divided in two parts, the first was more theorical and the second more practical. A questionnaire was developed and applied to assess the intervention effect. One month after the intervention, most of participants increased their participation in OSH activities, but were reluctant to invest financial resources to implement measures that promote OSH. The effect of the intervention in employers’ knowledge was limited. This study contribute to the design future OSH interventions in SMEs, suggesting important topics to address and provide information about how to assess its effectiveness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Individualism-collectivism in Hofstede and GLOBE

This paper examines the Individualism-Collectivism (I-C) dimension of national culture in the Hofstede and GLOBE models. We identify major contradictions within and between the two culture models, which result in contradictory relationships with external variables such as economic prosperity. We critically evaluate the content validity of the items used to measure this construct in both models. Based on our analysis, we suggest that Hofstede’s individualism-collectivism index be relabelled as Self-orientation versus Work-orientation, GLOBE’s Institutional Collectivism as Organizational Collectivism, and GLOBE’s In-group Collectivism as Family Collectivism. We demonstrate how the proposed alternative conceptualizations of the Individualism-Collectivism dimensions in both Hofstede and GLOBE models can help reconcile the anomalous relationships between these two models of national culture, and between their dimension scores and other external variables of interest to researchers, such as economic prosperity

Managers' gender role attitudes: a country institutional profile approach

In this paper, we use the country institutional profile to investigate how selected cognitive, normative, and regulative aspects of various countries relate to traditional gender role attitudes of managers from these countries. Our cross-level analyses, using hierarchical linear modeling, control for a number of individual characteristics (i.e., age, education, gender, and social class). Results support our hypotheses that managers' traditional gender role attitudes relate positively to nation-level uncertainty avoidance and power distance. Moreover, the results support our predictions that gender egalitarian normative institutions, degree of regulation, and degree of educational development are negatively related to managers' traditional gender role attitudes. However, results reject our hypotheses regarding nation-level religiosity, assertiveness, and masculinity, not showing the proposed relationship with managers' traditional gender role attitudes. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Journal of International Business Studies (2008) 39, 795–813. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400384