Cultural Values and Ability Flashcards
Culture
Shared values, beliefs, motives, identities, and interpretations that result from common experiences of members of society and are transmitted across generations
Self Reference Effect
People process self reference information significantly better
- Individualism: you = self
- Collectivism: you = self and parents (community)
Hofstede’s 6 Dimensions
Power Distance
Individualism
Femininity/Masculinity
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long-term Orientation
Restraint/Indulgence
Power Distance
How acceptable are inequalities in power among people?
- Low: prefers power distributed uniformly - egalitarian fashion (comfortable challenging/suggesting ideas to manager)
- High: accepts the fact that power is usually distributed unequally (what the manager says, goes)
Individualism
How interdependent are people?
- Individualism: loosely knit social framework - people take care of themselves and immediate family (me and my family, competition)
- Collectivism: tight social framework - people take care of member of and are loyal to broader group (whole community, teamwork)
Uncertainty Avoidance
Should we try to control the future or just let it happen?
- Low: tolerates uncertain and ambiguous situation and values unusual ideas and behaviors (not afraid of risks - deal with it later)
- High: feels threatened by unusual or ambiguous situations and rely on formal rules (more rigid social codes) for stability (not open to new ideas - emphasis on punctuality and efficiency)
Masculinity
Is competition or cooperation more valued?
- Masculine: values assertiveness and acquisition of money and things (competition, cut to the chase, criticism, more business)
- Feminine: Values caring for others and quality of life (cooperation, small talk, praise, more social)
Short/Long Term Orientation
Should we focus on the past/present or the future?
- Short-term: Values that are past or present oriented (tradition, fulfilling obligations, focus on last quarter to this quarter)
- Long-term: Values that are future oriented (persistence, prudence, and thrift, focus on 5 years from now)
Indulgence
Should we gratify or try to control our desires and impulses?
- Indulgence: Allows free gratification of basic and natural human drives to enjoy life and have fun (spending – update tech every 2 years, free coffee, ping pong table)
- Restraint: Suppresses gratification of needs and regulates its means of strict social norms (saving – update tech only when broken; more money in the long run)
Why do these values matter in an organization?
- Expatriates
- Customers
- International employees
(when any of these are from another country or culture)
Ability
Relatively stable capabilities to perform a particular range of different but related activities
3 Types of Ability
- Cognitive
- Emotional
- Physical
Cognitive Ability
acquisition and application of KNOWLEDGE in problem solving
- single strongest predictor of employee’s performance
- dimensions are positively correlated (verbal-quantitative weaker correlation)
Cognitive Ability Dimensions
- Verbal
- Quantitative
- Reasoning
- Spatial
- Perceptual
Verbal (Cognitive Dimension)
- oral and written comprehension
- oral and written expression
Quantitative (Cognitive Dimension)
- number facility
- mathematical reasoning
Reasoning (Cognitive Dimension)
- deductive reasoning
- inductive reasoning
- problem sensitivity
- originality
Spacial (Cognitive Dimension)
- spacial orientation
- visualization
Perceptual (Cognitive Dimension)
- speed and flexibility of closure
- perceptual speed
g-factor/GMA/General Cognitive Ability
overarching factor that underlies or causes all of the more specific cognitive abilities
- strong correlation with task performance (learn better, high for complex tasks)
- verbal and quantitative have weak but positive correlations
Ways to Measure Cognitive Ability
- SAT, GRE, GMAT
- Wonderlic
- IQ Test
Emotional Ability (Emotional Intelligence)
Management and use of EMOTIONS when interacting with others
- critical for jobs that require a lot of emotional labor
Emotional Ability Dimensions
- Self Awareness
- Other Awareness (perspective taking)
- Emotional Regulation (self control)
- Use of Emotions (impression management)
Self Awareness
Ability of an individual to UNDERSTAND the emotions he/she is experiencing, the willingness to ACKNOWLEDGE them, and the capability to EXPRESS them accurately
(one’s ability to understand acknowledge and express their own emotions)
Other Awareness (Perspective Taking)
Ability of an individual to RECOGNIZE and UNDERSTAND the emotions that OTHER individuals are feeling
Emotional Regulation (Self Control)
Ability to quickly RECOVER FROM EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES and CONTROL one’s feelings
Use of Emotions (Impression Management)
Ability of an individual to harness emotions and use them TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCE OF BEING SUCCESSFUL in a given area
Cognitive and Emotional for Job Performance
EI is more important for Job Performance for those with LOW cognitive ability
(High EI – high job performance with low or high cog. ability)
Physical Ability Dimensions
- Strength
- Stamina
- Flexibility
Strength (Physical Ability)
degree to which the body is capable of exerting force (static, explosive, dynamic)
Stamina (Physical Ability)
ability of person’s lungs and circulatory system to work efficiently when a person is engaging in prolonged physical activity
Flexibility (Physical Ability)
ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach (extent, dynamic)
Ability Tests in Business
Personality tests and ability tests are powerful tools
- Personality tests: what people are like
- Ability tests: what people can do (not will do)
