National culture, employee empowerment and advanced manufacturing technology utilisation: A study of Nigeria and New Zealand

With manufacturers seeking investment opportunities in Africa, it is timely to explore the interaction of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and human resource management approaches there. Because research elsewhere suggests that the effects of the interaction differ across national boundaries,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of management & organization 2020-07, Vol.26 (4), p.460-482
Main Authors: Obi, Chris Nwachukwu, Leggett, Chris, Harris, Howard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advanced manufacturing technologies
Corporate culture
Cultural values
Decision making
Employee empowerment
Human resource management
Innovations
Managers
Manufacturing
Political leadership
Power
Research methodology
Studies
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Summary:With manufacturers seeking investment opportunities in Africa, it is timely to explore the interaction of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and human resource management approaches there. Because research elsewhere suggests that the effects of the interaction differ across national boundaries, we investigated empowerment approaches and AMT utilisation in Nigeria and New Zealand. Using operational-level survey data from 153 manufacturing managers/CEOs in both countries, we explored the role of national culture on managerial attitudes towards employee empowerment during AMT adoption. Drawing on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, our results suggest that the observed differences in AMT–empowerment interface are attributable to different national values. The results specifically indicated that during AMT adoption, New Zealand’s liberal culture encourages managers to empower employees more than does Nigeria’s authoritarian one. The results would particularly assist practitioners to recognise the traditional/conservative nature of African values when practicing HR in a country like Nigeria.
ISSN:1833-3672
1839-3527
DOI:10.1017/jmo.2017.70