ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a study to find answers to the research questions: Are the relationships of power bases to criterion variables found in the U. S. generalizable in countries other than the U. S.? and Are the power bases possessed by supervisors in the U. S. similar to those in another country? Since the study compared power bases and their relationships with compliance and satisfaction between the U. S. and S. Korean managers and employees, it is appropriate to discuss cultural differences between the U. S. and S. Korea. The French–Raven power bases are: coercive power; reward power; legitimate power; expert power; and referent power. The factor structure of the power bases in the U. S. sample was remarkably similar to the one in the S. Korean sample. The structural equations model was fitted to the country data and compared to the a priori relationships. Individualistic cultures allow more position power to the supervisors than collectivistic cultures.