Abstract
Businesses and the social sciences are increasingly facing calls to further scholarship dedicated to understand sustainability. Furthermore, multinationals are also facing similar calls given their high profile and their role in environmental degradation. However, a literature review shows that there is very limited understanding of sustainability at a cross-national level. Given the above gaps, we contribute to the literature by examining how selected GLOBE [House et al., Culture, leadership and organizations: The GOBE study of 62 societies. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, 2004] cultural dimensions are related to individuals’ propensity to support sustainability initiatives in 33 countries. We use data from the World Values Survey [World Values Study Group, World Values Surveys and European Value Surveys, 1999–2001. Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, Ann Arbor, 2004] and test our hypotheses using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Results support all but one hypothesis. Specifically, uncertainty avoidance is not related to propensity to support sustainability initiatives. In contrast, performance orientation and assertiveness have the desired negative relationship with our dependent variable while collectivism, future orientation, and human orientation have the desired positive relationship. We discuss the conceptual and practical implications of this study.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashkanasy, N., Gupta, B., Mayfield, M. S., & Trevor-Roberts, E. (2004). Future orientation. In R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. W. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership and organizations: The GOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 282–342). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Boele, R., Fabig, H., & Wheeler, D. (2001). Shell, Nigeria and the Ogoni. A study in unsustainable development: I. The story of Shell, Nigeria and the Ogoni people—environment, economy, relationships: Conflict and prospects for resolution. Sustainable Development, 9, 74–86.
Booream, C. D., & Flowers, J. V. (1978). A procedural model for training of assertive behavior. In J. M. Whitely & J. V. Flowers (Eds.), Approaches to assertion training (pp. 15–46). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Bradbury, H. (2003). Sustaining inner and outer worlds: A whole-systems approach to developing sustainable business practices in management. Journal of Management Education, 27(2), 172–186.
Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1989). Methodology for cross-level organizational research. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 7, 233–273.
Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Cullen, J. B., Parboteeah, K. P., & Hoegl, M. (2004). Cross-national differences in managers’ willingness to justify ethically suspect behaviors. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 411–421.
Dunning, J. H., & Fontanier, F. (2007). Multinational enterprises and the new development paradigm: Consequences for host country development. Multinational Business Review, 15(1), 25–45.
Dunphy, D. (2003). Corporate sustainability: Challenge to managerial orthodoxies. Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, 9(1), 2–11.
Gelfand, M. J., Bhawuk, D. P. S., Nishii, L. H., & Bechtold, D. J. (2004). Individualism and collectivism. In R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. W. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership and organizations: The GOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 437–512). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Goodall, A. (2008). Why have the leading journals in management (and other social sciences) failed to respond to climate change? Journal of Management Inquiry, 17(4), 408–420.
Hitt, M. A., Beamish, P. W., Jackson, S. E., & Mathieu, J. E. (2007). Building theoretical and empirical bridges across levels: Multilevel research in management. Academy of Management Journal, 50(6), 1385–1399.
Hofmann, D. A. (1997). An overview of the logic and rationale of Hierarchical Linear Models. Journal of Management, 23(6), 723–744.
Hofmann, D. A., & Gavin, M. B. (1998). Centering decisions in hierarchical linear models: Implications for research in organizations. Journal of Management, 24(5), 623–641.
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures consequences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (Eds.). (2004). Culture, leadership and organizations: The GOBE study of 62 societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
House, R., Javidan, M., Hanges, P., & Dorfman, P. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: An introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37(1), 3–10.
House, R., Javidan, M., Manges, P., & Dorfman, P. (2001). Project GLOBE: An introduction. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 50, 489–505.
Husted, B. W. (1999). Wealth, culture and corruption. Journal of International Business Studies, 30, 339–360.
Husted, B. W. (2000). The impact of national culture on software piracy. Journal of Business Ethics, 26, 197–211.
Husted, B. W. (2005). Culture and ecology: A cross-national study of the determinants of environmental sustainability. Management International Review, 45(3), 349–371.
Kabasakal, H., & Bodur, M. (2004). Humane orientation in societies, organizations and leader attributes. In R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. W. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership and organizations: The GOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 564–601). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kluckhohn, F. R., & Strodtbeck, F. L. (1961). Variations in value orientations. New York: Harper Collins.
Kostova, T. (1997). Country institutional profile: Concept and measurement. In Academy of management best paper proceedings (pp. 180–189).
Kroeber, A. L., & Kluckhohn, C. (1952). Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. Peabody Museum Papers, 42, 12–22.
Nwankwo, E., Phillips, N., & Tracey, P. (2007). Social investment through community enterprise: The case of multinational corporations involvement in the development of Nigerian water resources. Journal of Business Ethics, 73, 91–101.
Parboteeah, K. P., Bronson, J., & Cullen, J. B. (2005). Does national culture affect willingness to justify ethically suspect unethical behaviors? A focus on the globe national culture scheme. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 5(2), 123–138.
Parboteeah, K. P., & Cullen, J. B. (2003). Social institutions and work centrality: Explorations beyond national culture. Organization Science, 14, 137–148.
Parboteeah, K. P., Hoegl, M., & Cullen, J. B. (2008). Managers’ gender role attitudes: A country institutional profile approach. Journal of International Business Studies, 39, 795–813.
Peterson, M. F., & Castro, S. L. (2006). Measurement metrics at aggregate levels of analysis: Implications for organization culture research and the GLOBE project. Leadership Quarterly, 17(5), 506–521.
Poortinga, Y. (1992). Towards a conceptualization of culture for psychology. In S. Iwawaki, Y. Kashima, & K. Leung (Eds.), Innovations in cross-cultural psychology (pp. 3–17). Amsterdam: Swets and Zeitlinger.
Rousseau, D. M. (1985). Issues of level in organizational research: Multi-level and cross-level perspectives. Research in Organizational Behavior, 7(1), 1–37.
Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In M. P. Zana (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 323–349). New York: Academic Press.
Senge, P. M. (2007). Waking the sleeping giant. Business as an agent for consumer understanding and responsible choice. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 26, 25–27.
Singh, J. (1995). Measurement issues in cross-national research. Journal of International Business Studies, 26, 597–620.
Snijders, T. A. B., & Boskers, R. J. (2003). Multilevel analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Sondergaard, M. (1994). Hofstede’s consequences: A study of reviews, citations, and replications. Organization Studies, 15, 447–456.
Triandis, H. C. (1989). The self and social behavior in different cultural contexts. Psychological Review, 96, 506–520.
Trompenaars, F. (1994). Riding the waves of culture. Chicago, IL: Irwin Professional Publishing.
Vitell, S. J., Nwachukwu, S. L., & Barnes, J. H. (1993). The effects of culture on ethical decision-making: An application of Hofstede’s typology. Journal of Business Ethics, 12, 753–760.
Wirtenberg, J., Harmon, J., & Fairfield, K. D. (2007). HR’s role in building a sustainable enterprise: Insights from some of the world’s best companies. Human Resource Planning, 30(1), 10–20.
World Values Study Group. (2004). World Values Surveys and European Value Surveys, 1999–2001. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, Ann Arbor.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Parboteeah, K.P., Addae, H.M. & Cullen, J.B. Propensity to Support Sustainability Initiatives: A Cross-National Model. J Bus Ethics 105, 403–413 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0979-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0979-6