The Like It or Not Proposition: Implications of Societal Characteristics for the Cultural Expertise and Personal Values of Organization Members

Extensive statistical discussion about societal and individual levels of analysis continues in international organizational behavior (IOB). This discussion can be improved by drawing from other social science fields, particularly anthropology, sociology, and experimental psychology. We use such literature to develop a cultural expertise and personal values or “like it or not” proposition about the implications that societal culture has for individuals. This proposition suggests that a society's culture strongly shapes its members' cognitive structures and moderately influences its members' support for the society's prevailing value orientation. We use the family of individualism and collectivism values to illustrate the differences and relationships between levels of analysis. We conclude by reconsidering how to study societal culture and psychological dimensions in IOB.