For the American, achievement and progress are the inevitable results of effort and mastery of self and nature. Americans typically seek tangible results that can be measured. Many non-Western people are more likely to find satisfaction in aesthetic or spiritual values which involve the inner experiences of man. It is no accident that the American attitude stresses control, progress and materialism, the three interact with one another to constitute the dominant behavior pattern of American society. Personal Success .
Social status is a key dimension in understanding human motivation.
The members of a traditional society are likely to regard their role as fixed and not to be questioned. In American culture, where individual responsibility is stressed, it is assumed that the locus of decisions resides within the individual. In non-Western cultures decisions are more likely to be made by a group or someone in authority. A difference between American culture and many others is the degree to which individuals should by cultural standards take action on their own initiative or seek authorization from others. Non-Western people often do not understand Americans sharp separation of work and play or, in another sphere, their impartial sense of duty and service to others.