How congruent are managers' perceptions of cultural distance with objective reality?

Article

Azar, G. 2014. How congruent are managers' perceptions of cultural distance with objective reality? Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal. 21 (4), pp. 400-421. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCM-03-2013-0041
TypeArticle
TitleHow congruent are managers' perceptions of cultural distance with objective reality?
AuthorsAzar, G.
Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which managers’ perceptions of cultural distance – one of the most important explanatory factors in the field of international business – are congruent with objective reality.

Design/methodology/approach
By subjecting a sample of 242 export ventures to correlation and confirmatory factor analyses, managers’ perceptions of the cultural distance (i.e. perceived cultural distance) between 29 international markets and Sweden (the home market) were compared, with “objective” cultural distance gauged using Hofstede's (1980) scores for dimensions of national culture.

Findings
A statistically significant correlation was found between managers’ perceptions of cultural distance and “objective” cultural distance.

Originality/value
Despite the importance of perceptual data in many theoretical and practical domains, few studies analyze the validity of such data. The present findings validate the congruence of perceptual data regarding cultural distance with “objective” cultural distance.

KeywordsUncertainty; Internationalization; Perception; Cultural distance
PublisherEmerald
JournalCross Cultural Management: An International Journal
ISSN1352-7606
Electronic1758-6089
Publication dates
Print30 Sep 2014
Publication process dates
Deposited01 Mar 2024
Output statusPublished
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1108/CCM-03-2013-0041
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84907498392
Web of Science identifierWOS:000343321600002
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