Cross-Cultural Organizational Behavior

TLDR

The review identifies key future research challenges, such as moving beyond values to explain cultural differences, addressing levels of analysis, incorporating social and organizational context, considering indigenous perspectives, and studying cross‑cultural interfaces. The article surveys cross‑cultural OB research, covering work motivation, individual‑organization relations, commitment, justice, citizenship, person‑environment fit, interdependence, negotiation, teams, leadership, and cross‑border management. The review concludes that cross‑cultural OB research is maturing.

Abstract

This article reviews research on cross-cultural organizational behavior (OB). After a brief review of the history of cross-cultural OB, we review research on work motivation, or the factors that energize, direct, and sustain effort across cultures. We next consider the relationship between the individual and the organization, and review research on culture and organizational commitment, psychological contracts, justice, citizenship behavior, and person-environment fit. Thereafter, we consider how individuals manage their interdependence in organizations, and review research on culture and negotiation and disputing, teams, and leadership, followed by research on managing across borders and expatriation. The review shows that developmentally, cross-cultural research in OB is coming of age. Yet we also highlight critical challenges for future research, including moving beyond values to explain cultural differences, attending to levels of analysis issues, incorporating social and organizational context factors into cross-cultural research, taking indigenous perspectives seriously, and moving beyond intracultural comparisons to understand the dynamics of cross-cultural interfaces.