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How Individualism‐Collectivism Moderates the Effects of Rewards on Creativity and Innovation: A Comparative Review of Practices in Japan and the US
Author(s) -
Eisenberg Jacob
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
creativity and innovation management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.148
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1467-8691
pISSN - 0963-1690
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8691.00144
Subject(s) - collectivism , individualism , creativity , psychology , marketing , social psychology , business , economics , market economy
Recent research has shown that the relationship between rewards and creative performance is complex: while rewards increase creativity in some situations, they are detrimental to creative performance in others. The present paper explores the role of cross‐cultural differences in moderating some effects of rewards on creativity and innovation. I focus on individualism‐collectivism and its related differences in motivation, cognition and emotion. I then propose five ways in which differences in I‐C between Japan and the US moderate the effects of incentives on creative performance and innovation in these nations. Specifically, I claim that organizations in individualistic and collectivist cultures differ on: Effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation, effects of in‐group versus out‐group controlled rewards, effects of group vs. individual based incentives, reactions to in‐group and out‐group competition, and the effects of members’ identification with the organization on their innovation efforts. The notion of ‘congruence’ is offered as a theoretical framework for explaining the proposed ideas. Recommendations and implications of these prepositions for management of creativity in a cross‐cultural work force are discussed.