THE MANAGEMENT OF PEOPLE ACROSS CULTURES: VALUING PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY.

The cultural perception that human beings are a resource to be used in the pursuit of shareholder value may be challenged by a view that people have a value in their own right. The two classic world systems of management, American and Japanese, may provide the archetypal distinction between two ways of valuing people in organizations and the basis of the ideal types which are referred to in the international management literature as Western and the converse non-Western management practices. There is a growing interest in the relationship between indigenous and Western cultures in the practice and development of management and organization internationally. If organizations are regarded as fulfilling collective social needs such as providing full employment, or serving the needs of people as part of a collective in-group, this may be reflected in the level to which organizations are seen to be fulfilling the needs of their people. Going against this type of view within individualistic societies may be a belief that the corporation has only a contractual obligation to its employees. In a society with collectivistic socio-cultural values, individuals may be valued as part of the wider collective.