Work Goals of Asian Managers

Abstract

In this study, contemporary work-goal priorities of Asian managers are explored. The degree of convergence in the relative importance of work goals across six diverse national contexts undergoing substantial societal and economic changes is investigated. The 11 work-goal categories of the 1980s Meaning of Working Study (MOW) were employed. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1252 managers. This research also incorporated focus groups in each country to revisit the results in a procedure designed to better interpret the empirical findings. Analytic procedures employed in the MOW investigation were used to establish the work-goal priorities of contemporary Asian managers. Results show that, first, there was consensus for prioritization of a number of the work goals in the area of managerial development. Second, there were divergences in the importance of organization-related work goals, both across countries as well as within the investigated demographics of gender, age and managerial level. Last, there were differences in work-goal priorities compared with the earlier MOW study. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship between managerial work goals and a range of organizational issues.