Motivation Across Cultures

Motivation Across Cultures Definition

We all need motivation, as motivation leads to goal-directed behaviors that add purpose and meaning to our lives. Aside from that, motivations guide us in addressing our needs, such as safety or belonging. But, are motivations the same for everyone regardless, for instance, of culture, beliefs, or values?

Fig. 1 - Teacher and students

Imagine you're a teacher with a diverse set of students. How easy it'd be if the same motivational style applied to all of your students, but in reality, what can be motivating to one student, may not have the same impact on another. One reason for this is culture, precisely motivation across cultures. But what do we mean by motivation across cultures?

There is a connection between culture and motivation; one culture may value a need more than another. For instance, in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, one culture might prioritize safety over social needs, changing the original order of the needs in the pyramid, which is heavily based on Western culture.

However, not all motivating factors are culturally specific.

Motivation-Related Values Across Cultures

In understanding the effect of national culture on motivation, first, we must understand what culture means.

Given this definition, motivation-related values across cultures appear through the shared beliefs, perceptions, and values of a group. These values create cultural differences in motivational styles and behavior. Cultural influences impact how people attach meanings to life's many facets, affecting motivation across cultures.

Motivation-Related Values Across Cultures: Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory

Geert Hofstede views culture as a distinctive process by which people learn and acquire beliefs and values collectively in their environment that distinguishes them from another group or culture. In Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, he proposed five dimensions of national culture.

Fig. 2 - Illustration of culture

Power distance

Power distance measures how much tolerance and acceptance individuals of lesser authority in an organization have towards unequal power distribution. Cultures that have high-power distance indicate clear implementation and development of hierarchies in their society, while cultures that have low-power distance would challenge authority more likely.

Individualism vs collectivism

Individualistic cultures tend to have loose relationship bonds between people, and individuals are to care for themselves. In contrast, collectivistic cultures have tight-knit groups that provide lifelong support and protection in exchange for unwavering allegiance.

Femininity and masculinity

Femininity and masculinity measure how much a culture values hard work and achievement or good relationships and quality of life. In a feminine culture, men and women share similar emotional expressions and roles, such as tenderness. In comparison, a masculine culture expects distinct roles for both men and women, such as men being strong and confident and women being humble and caring. Additionally, men and women compete more aggressively in masculine cultures.

Uncertainty avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance refers to a culture's tolerance of the unknown, such as predictability vs. unpredictability or written and unwritten codes. Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance are less willing to take risks and prefer clearly defined rules. In cultures with low uncertainty avoidance, members take more risks and are more open to new or unfamiliar perspectives.

Long-term orientation and short-term orientation

This orientation illustrates a culture's view on tradition where long-term orientation encourages qualities leading to rewards in the future, such as perseverance and adaptation. In comparison, short-term orientation emphasizes preserving tradition and performing social duties.

Motivation Across Cultures Examples

Cultural values influence people's perceptions and preferences for motivation. Here are some examples of specific motivations across cultures.

Fig. 3 - Praise and recognition

Motivation Across Cultures Examples: Achievement Motivation

Cultural values influence how we perceive achievement and how it is used as motivation. In Western cultures, achievement is a motivation for future academic and professional success, while Eastern and Latin American cultures attribute it to fulfilling obligations and honoring one's family. Culture also influences what a person believes is essential to achieve something, such as working in teams versus practicing autonomy.

Motivation Across Cultures Examples: Work Motivation

Motivation for seeking feedback, especially among new employees, is higher in low-power distance countries such as the United States. While positive feedback appears to be more valuable than negative feedback universally, collectivistic cultures regard it even more highly. When it comes to improving performance, individualistic cultures thrive on feedback on individual performance. In contrast, collectivistic cultures are more responsive to feedback on group performance.

Motivation Across Cultures Examples: Learning Motivation

Regarding motivation for learning, Asian cultures emphasize immediate progress through efforts and achieving learning goals. In addition, Asian cultures emphasize commitment and persistence, while Western cultures focus on different learning aspects, such as how people learn (e.g., style of learning) and IQ.

Work Motivation Across Cultures

Like any specific motivation, a culture's impact also extends to work motivation.

Managers primarily focus on extrinsic motivation, as they don't have as much influence on an employee's intrinsic motivation as they do extrinsic motivation. In increasing extrinsic motivation, managers use motivation techniques, also known as motivation compensations. Motivation compensations include material and non-material compensations.

Examples of material compensation include bonuses, training, vacation days, insurance, and training. Examples of non-material compensations include recognition, job redesign, joint setting of objectives, flexible working hours, and feedback.

Given employee diversity, culture is also an important consideration to work motivation because a person's mental programming by their culture influences their work motivation. Every employee has learned patterns of thinking associated with their cultural background. This, in turn, alongside the different cultural dimensions, help determine their needs for them to be motivated.

Given the cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede, let's look at how national culture influences work motivation.

Situational Factors that Predict Motivation Across Cultures

Situational factors refer to all significant environmental influences that affect behavior. These factors depend on the motivation it predicts and the context. Here are some specific motivations across cultures, with some examples of situational factors.

Fig. 4 - Job autonomy illustration

Feedback and Achievement Motivation

The effect of criticism and praise varies across cultures, impacting achievement motivation. In some cultures, negative feedback motivates one to achieve specific goals, such as satisfying the family's expectations. Western cultures place a high value on giving praise to increase self-esteem, thereby increasing achievement motivation.

Job Content and Work Motivation

As culture influences, job characteristics such as autonomy and empowerment also influence work motivation. Autonomy is a highly effective motivation in countries like Germany and Netherlands. Empowerment seems to decrease performance among Asian countries, which are high-power distance cultures.

Advertisements and Buying Motivation

Culture affects what messages will increase their motivation to buy a product. In individualistic cultures (e.g., the United States), promotions that contain messages on personal satisfaction appear appealing. In contrast, promotions with statements that concern the welfare of others is more effective in collectivistic cultures (e.g., Asian countries). However, cultural differences are more apparent in products that tend to be shared or used together than products for individual use (e.g., detergent vs. toothbrush).