The Differences in Values Between Managers of the European Founding Countries, the New Members and the Applicant Countries

• Published in: European management journal Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 132 - 145
• Main Authors: Reynaud, Emmanuelle, Egri, Carolyn P., Ralston, David A., Danis, Wade, Starkus, Arunas, Dabic, Marina, Wangenheim, Florian, Dalgic, Tevfik, Castro, Francisco B., Potocan, Vojko V., Kavoossi, Masoud, Molteni, Mario, Girson, Ilya, Elenkov, Detelin, Pla-Barber, José, Maignan, Isabelle, Weber, Mark, Wallace, Alan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2007
• Subjects: Managerial values; Social or market-oriented strategies; Sustainable development; Sustainable development; Social or market-oriented strategies; Managerial values
• ISSN: 0263-2373; 1873-5681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2007.02.005

Advocates for a social Europe are worried that the accession of ex-Eastern Bloc countries into the European Community would lead European corporations to emphasize a financial orientation rather than a societal orientation. We examined this question in a study of the values orientations of 3,836 managers in 16 countries representing established EU, new EU, and candidate EU country groups. Within-Europe managerial values convergence was found in a relatively high openness to change and low self-enhancement values. However, we found divergent values such that managers in established EU countries were more self-transcendent and less conservative than their counterparts in new EU and candidate EU countries. Implications for the convergence of future values within the Europe region are discussed.