Personality and Culture: Learning Goals and Their Impact on Performance of Global Firms

Alsua, C. ( 2005 ). Personality and culture : Learning goals the performance of global firms . International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management, 4 pp. 460-465. (AR95)

Goals and Performance of Global Firms

Carlos J. Alsua Associate Professor of Business Administration (Management) College of Business and Public Policy University of Alaska Anchorage Dr. Alsua’s research interests include developing markets, cross-cultural issues, goal orientation, leadership and intrinsic motivation in an international context, and the implementation of quality-related business practices in developing economies. He has worked as a consultant for several organizations and institutions in the US and Latin America, including the US federal government and has started some small businesses in Western Europe.

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Dr. Carlos J. Alsua Assistant Professor College of Business and Public Policy University of Alaska Anchorage 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage, AK 99504 USA [e-mail] Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

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Personality and Culture: Learning Goals and Their Impact on Performance of Global Firms
The paper presents several hypotheses on the influence of distal factors, such as cultural dimensions, with dispositional goal orientation, and individual performance. Cultural values can influence in two ways: They can transform an individual’s disposition, and they can determine a way in expressing those dispositions. At the same time, personality and dispositional goal orientation are integrated through a hierarchy of goals where personality is associated with higher order goals (values), which affect intrinsic motivation. The link to performance is hypothesized through the impact of goal orientation. Under a performance orientation, individuals are less likely to increase effort when they encounter difficulty because they assume that if they do not possess the ability to solve the situation, an increased effort will do little to help.

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