International organizational behavior: cultural differences, job characteristics, and satisfaction

International Organizational Behavior

A Comparative Analysis of Three Countries

The intent of this analysis is to evaluate the three nations of China, France and the United States from the standpoint of which is most likely to have higher job satisfaction and motivation among employees. Based on the readings and analysis in this course, the data contained in the CIA Factbook, a comprehensive resource of 267 different global entities, and a literature review of an predicators and factors of job satisfaction in these countries, this analysis was completed.

Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors: China, France and the United States

Comparing China, France and the United States on socioeconomic factors illustrates how significantly different each nation's government approaches the challenges of economic growth. China is the fastest growing economy of the three countries in this analysis with a Gross Domestic product real growth rate of 10.3%, ranked 6th in the world out of 273 different entities that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tracks. The per capita Gross Domestic Product is $7,600 as of 2010, ranking 125th in the world. GDP is comprised primarily from manufacturing (46.2%) followed by services (43%) and agriculture (10%). The unemployment rate is 6.1 with substantial unemployment in rural areas and exceptional economic growth in urban regions including Beijing and Shanghai. China has also been able to attain a 15.7% industrial production growth rate, 9th in the world on this metric. All of these examples point to how solidly China is positioned as the world's production and manufacturing center today, generating more jobs often in just ninety days that other advanced economies including the U.S. generate in a year (Han, Kakabadse, 2009). The Chinese government is galvanized in its commitment to ensuring its industries become global leaders, continually providing investment and joint venture assistance through tariff reductions to trading partners as well.

France has a more socialistic form of government than China or the U.S., and is often protectionist in policies regarding joint ventures and global trade. The agricultural industry in France is the most protected of all, as there continue to be significant investments and subsidies to ensure sovereignty and quality of its output. France is an enigmatic nation from the standpoint of global economic growth strategies. It has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) real growth rate of 1.5%, ranking 160th in the world out of the 273 that the CIA actively analyzes and a relatively high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capital of $33,100, putting France at 39th place globally on this metric. GDP is comprised of Services (79.7%), Manufacturing (18.6%) and Agriculture (1.7%). The unemployment rate nationally is at 9.3% and the Industrial Production Growth Rate is at 5.1%. France's companies are challenged by high costs of compliance to socially-mandated programs and the high costs of health insurance and pension programs. A very nationalistic country, it is one that values individuality yet paradoxically has a very high need for uncertainty avoidance (UAI) as measured by the Hofstede Model of Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede, McCrae, 2004).

The third nation covered in this analysis is the Untied States, the most democratically run political system of the three and also the most affluent. The U.S. GDP growth rate is 2.8%, with a per capita GDP rate of $47,200 with 76.6% being generated from Services, followed by manufacturing (22%) and agriculture (1.2%). The current national unemployment rate is 9.6% and the industrial production rate is 5.1%. The U.S. also has the highest score of any of the nations profiled in this analysis on the individuality (IDV) dimension, scoring well into the 90 percentile level. For an analysis of all countries on the Hofstede Model of Cultural Dimensions, please see Appendix A: Analysis of Nations Using the Hofstede Model.

Analysis and Prediction of Job Satisfaction

Analyzing and predicting which nation will have the highest job satisfaction and motivation of employees can be interpolated using the concepts of Hofstede and McCrae from their studies of cross-cultural values (Hofstede, McCrae, 2004). The one nation creating the most workaholics today that prize intensity of work even to their detriment physiologically is China (Fiksenbaum, Jeng, Koyuncu, Burke, 2010). China's focus on intensive manufacturing strategies and programs is creating a workflow that must concentrate on keeping heir jobs to maintain their standard of living. With a relatively low per capita income level, low score on the IDV dimension of the Hofstede Model score, China is a culture that deeply values the worker's role in society and takes a generational view of progress (Hofstede, 1993). The job satisfaction and motivation levels within China are marked by high compliance and rigid focus on relative role in the hierarchy. As a result, job satisfaction and motivation may not be as high over the long-term as many employees may not get a chance to attain a high level of autonomy, mastery and purpose over their jobs.

French workers also have a unique situation in that their high level of Power Distance Index (PDI) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI), and have a culture and government that is highly supportive of balance of life and socialized programs. For the French, having a balanced life is just as critical as being affluent. What is also paradoxical about French workers is the desire to appear affluent without alienating their co-workers, as evidenced by the values within the Hofstede Model (Hofstede, McCrae, 2004). While the French workers are going to definitely get more time off and a chance to catch up on their sleep compared to the Chinese, their jobs satisfaction and motivation is going to be only slightly better. For all the support of the government, businesses lose the opportunity to have a greater say in their own direction which often leads to resignation while still working (just going through the motions and a bad attitude) (Paille, 2010) or a lack of focus on long-term results.