Is culture driving innovation? A multi-national quantitative analysis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Busse, Ronald^{; *}

Affiliations: School of Management at Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), Xi'an, China

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Ronald Busse, School of Management at Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 28, West of Xian Ning Road, Zip Code 710049 Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. Tel.: +49 1573 6444076; E-mail: ronald.busse@fhdw.de

Abstract: Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions and his understanding to determine culture as a collective programming of the mind has inspired myriads of researchers, especially in the fields of (organizational and cross-cultural) psychology and management. This article extends his work and has two main concerns: First, the manuscript critically reviews and recapitulates Hofstede's work on culture in a concise but comprehensive way. Second, the article empirically investigates the correlations between cultural dimensions and several variables indicating innovation. The author emphasizes the significance of culture for businesses and searches for ideal cultural constellations to promote entrepreneurial innovativeness. Criticism is discussed and a potential remedy for Hofstede's main flaw - equaling cultures and nations - is presented and then qualified.

Keywords: Cultural dimensions, innovation, multi-national study, national cultures, quantitative analysis

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-140813

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 91-98, 2014