“Culture” And Other Explanatory Variables In Comparative Management Studies

Abstract

A partial survey of the literature of comparative management reveals that there are four major types of explanation of managerial similarities and differences: cultural, economic, psychological, and sociological. Cultural types predominate, but they are generally imprecise regarding the nature and influence of culture; this reduces their credibility. Meanwhile, their popularity reflects the basic assumption that in cross-cultural research, culture is the independent variable.