A causal model of job satisfaction under two different cultures

This research examines job satisfaction and sales performance of salespeople working at firms originating from different countries but functioning in the same country. Using a causal model and a sample of firms operating in Taiwan, the cultural emphases of Japanese and Taiwanese firms were compared. The data fits the model for the two cultural groups, with the model effectively explaining the variance between the groups. Besides, culture appears to moderate the relationships among constructs. The relation between valence for rewards and job satisfaction is more important to Taiwanese firms than to Japanese firms, and job congruence influences job satisfaction more in Japanese firms than in Taiwanese firms. These findings confirm that pay level is more crucial in the more masculine culture of Japanese firms than in Taiwanese firms. Furthermore, the influence of both social and family support on job satisfaction is salient in Japanese firms, as Japanese culture values family-related benefits very highly.