Culture, Self and Managerial Attributions : A Modesty Bias in Collectivism

Abstract

The tendency for individuals to take greater personal responsibility for success than for failure, commonly referred to as the self-serving bias in

attribution theory research, is one of the most robust findings in social psychology (Bradley, 1978; Miller & Ross, 1975; Zuckerman, 1978). This bias has been found in a wide variety of settings, including the management of

organizations {Mitchell, Green, & Woods, 1981; Staw. McKechnie. & Puffer. 19831. It has been found. for instance. that U.S. managers often tend to avoid responsibility for poor corporate performance while claiming credit for success.

Although the existence of the self-serving bias is well documented, it is important to note that almost all prior management researches have been carried out in the United States. This leaves unanswered the question of whether a similar bias would be found in non-Western countries having different cultural orientations.