Instrumental values: a five‐nation comparative study

Abstract

Compares the values underlying the behaviour of a sample of 87 US, 56 Jamaican, 42 Bahamian, 106 Colombian, and 12 Israeli managers and professional staff. Refers to literature defining individualism and collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity/femininity; as well as literature establishing these values as instrumental or terminal. Hypothesizes that each country‘s respondents will record different instrumental values, with the US respondents being ambitious, independent, intellectual and logical (vertically individualist); the Colombian, Jamaican and Bahamians being ambitious, cheerful, forgiving, helpful, loving, obedient and polite; and the Israelis also valuing the latter six qualities. Describes the methodology used and data analysis. Indicates expected results from the findings, other than the Jamaicans and Bahamians were found to value ambition and independence more highly than hypothesized, and the Israelis valued love and obedience but not cheerfulness and forgiveness. Discusses the implications of the findings in the light of the high failure rate of expatriate assignments.