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Managers need to adequately motivate employees. The trend is toward increased globalization and technological advances; therefore, you have to know how to motivate people who speak different languages and who have different cultural contexts. The motivation theories you have learned were developed in North America and may present cultural limitations in the global village.

Cultural differences suggest that the order of hierarchy may vary across cultures. In risk-averse countries such as Japan, Greece, and Mexico, security needs would be at the top of the needs hierarchy. In countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Finland, which prefer quality of life (relationships) over quantity of life (possessions), social needs would be at the top. As related to two-factor theory, the intrinsic motivation of higher-level needs can be more relevant to wealthy societies than to poor societies.

Cultures also differ in the extent to which they value need for achievement. The concern for high performance is common in high quantity-of-life countries, including the United States, Canada, and Great Britain; it is almost absent in high quality-of-life countries, including Chile and Portugal.

Equity theory as it relates to fairness tends to be a value upheld in most cultures. However, equity can call for higher producers to be paid more. This tends to be more of a motivator in individualistic countries than it is in collective countries, where people tend to prefer equality and all are paid the same regardless of output. On the other hand, U.S. unions, including teachers, also tend to prefer equal pay to merit pay.

Expectancy theory holds up fairly well cross-culturally because it is flexible.
It allows for the possibility that there may be differences in expectations and valences across cultures. For example, societal acceptance may be of higher value than individual recognition in collective societies. So managers in different countries can offer rewards that are of value to their employees.

Reinforcement theory also holds up well cross-culturally. People everywhere tend to use behavior that is reinforced. We all can be told or can figure out what behavior is rewarded and use the behavior to our benefit.
Management everywhere tends to set up rules and penalties for breaking them. However, how well the punishment fits the offense can vary. In the United States it is much easier to fire employees than it is in Europe.

Motivational goal setting relies on a need for achievement and high levels of performance, and it is based on quantity-of-life issues. Thus, the United States sets challenging objectives and achieves them. However, goal setting is less motivational to cultures in which achievement is not important and quality of life is important, such as Portugal and Chile. Cross-cultural differences matter in motivation.