Effects of national culture on organizational innovativeness

Introduction The increasing demands of globalization, competition and consumers has made business environment very dynamic. This dynamism requires organizations to continuously innovation and offer value added products to consumers and develop some competitive advantage. Innovation is effected by national culture and countries with different cultures ranked accordingly on innovation index. Culture is an international phenomenon; it is impossible for organization to survive in this world without culture. Culture is driven by political, social, lawful and spiritual values, morals and tradition which are inherited in the society. It shapes the behavior so that individual can act consequently in dissimilar situations in all cyclic of life. Cotgave (1978) viewed culture as shared system of norms and values. Organizational culture has certain misconception with national culture. It should not be mislead with a term National culture. National culture is particularly different. Organizational culture categorizes identical breed of group within same country, while the National culture characterizes parallel sort of citizens, group and communities in the globe. Businesses are not operating in hallow world, they must have social and cultural atmosphere. These surroundings then influence the performance of a person and organizations. Most researches have been paying attention on executive level culture and its influences on organizational conduct. This study has been analyzed to fulfill the gab by investigating the effect of national culture on organization innovativeness. Organization does exist in hallow world, but they flourish in specific social and cultures settings. Numerous researches have been carried out to examine the effects of cultural impact. But less attention is given to see the influence of national culture on groups and individuals which are taken as an account of organizations. This paper has been design to fulfil this distance, by scrutinizing the consequence of culture on organizational innovativeness. The study has been focused on certain agenda: • To elaborate the characteristics of Pakistani national culture. • How does it influence organizational innovativeness? Figure1, represents the national culture Pakistan having high points of power distance dimension. The differential level of social classes existed in the society. There is uneven allocation of assets. Differential types of standard of living, edification, medicinal and residential amenities are enjoying by high level of society. We can find little individualism and high collectivism in the society. Groups are recognizing on the origin of their societal levels, through their cast system and religions. Ascendency of masculinity exists in the society. There is a high level of uncertainty avoidance which explains the behavior of individual who have aversion to risks. INSEAD report has also confirmed it. In its recently published edition of international Innovation Index 2008-2009, this scales innovative economies of the world. It has ranked Pakistan at 93 out of 130 countries. Pakistan has short term orientation, which is visible through the adhoc policies of government. Lack of long term approach has caused disastrous crises of electricity, water, sugar, patrol, gas, and like wise. Figure I: Geert Hofstede’s – Pakistan’s Cultural Dimensions