Chinese and American Arbitrators: Examining the Effects of Attributions and Culture on Award Decisions
34 Pages Posted: 24 May 2005
Date Written: June 1, 2005
Abstract
Most arbitration research has been conducted in United States, despite the growth of arbitration internationally. In this study, we examine differences between Chinese and Americans arbitrators. First, we examine general levels of leniency versus punishment when arbitrators make awards. We predict, and find, that Chinese arbitrators punish bad performance more heavily than do American arbitrators. Second, we examine the effects of attributions on awards. Prior theory suggests that Chinese tend to have more external attributions for events, which should make Chinese arbitrators more lenient than American arbitrators. We find the opposite - that Chinese arbitrators have more internal attributions for poor performance than do Americans. Moreover, where evidence is mixed (evidence is provided for both internal and external attributions), American arbitrators pay more attention to external causes, while Chinese arbitrators pay more attention to internal causes.
Keywords: Arbitration, attribution, cross-cultural,Chinese,cognition
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