Country Differences in the Acceptance of Compliance Goals: A US‐Mexico Comparison

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the goal commitment and satisfaction of participants from two different cultures when given a compliance goal versus no goal. Using a sample of 104 Mexican and U.S. participants, we found significant differences in uncertainty avoidance but not power distance between the participants of the two cultures. In addition, uncertainty avoidance had a significant effect on both goal commitment and satisfaction regardless of the goal condition. Finally, there was a significant goal by country interaction, which shows that Mexican participants, rather than U.S. participants, were more committed and marginally more satisfied with a compliance goal than no goal. Despite differences between the cultures in uncertainty avoidance and a direct effect of uncertainty avoidance on individual reactions to goals, the interaction was not explained by uncertainty avoidance.

Citation

Gómez, C. and Gualberto Cremades, J. (2007), "Country Differences in the Acceptance of Compliance Goals: A US‐Mexico Comparison", Management Research, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 7-16. https://doi.org/10.2753/JMR1536-5433050101