Title: A cross-national exploration of the potential cultural antecedents of organisational improvisation

Authors: Piotr Chelminski

Addresses: Department of Marketing, Providence College, 549 River Ave, Providence, RI 02918, USA

Abstract: In this paper, the author extends the existing theory of improvisation in business to an international setting. The author develops a theoretical framework for an analysis of the potential influence of national culture on the propensity for organisational improvisation. Specifically, the author suggests that organisational improvisation may be more likely to occur in low rather than high uncertainty avoidance cultures, in collectivistic rather than individualistic cultures, in low rather than high power distance cultures, and in masculine rather than feminine cultures. Additionally, the author provides a preliminary analysis of the potential for propensity for organisational improvisation in 50 countries and three regions based on their cultural characteristics.

Keywords: cross-cultural management; Hofstede; cultural dimensions; organisational improvisation; national culture; international business; cultural characteristics.

DOI: 10.1504/JGBA.2007.012565

Journal for Global Business Advancement, 2007 Vol.1 No.1, pp.114 - 126

Published online: 22 Feb 2007 *

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