Introduction
Much interest has been placed on culture in business in the last two decades, and it has never been as important in business terms as it is today. The study of the field began in earnest with the work of Hofstede with his landmark study of IBM (Hofstede 1980), and with Peters and Waterman who started the organisation culture sensation with "In Search of Excellence" (Peters and Waterman 1982). Preceding these studies however, was the work of Bartels (1967) who was one of the first to relate the importance of culture, illustrating the concept in decision-making and business ethics. Bartels identifies several criteria for the identification of cultural differences, including:
Law
Respect for individuality
Nature of Power and Authority
Rights of Property
Concept of Deity
Relation of Individual to State
National Identity and Loyalty
Values, Customs and Mores
Culture is important for many aspects of business life especially when a business must interface with people, either as customers, employees, suppliers or stakeholders. Cross-cultural research has had most value therefore when it has been able to provide substance to modern management practices and techniques. Many cross-cultural researchers, including Hofstede, have been criticised for not providing this valuable guiding intelligence. Michael and College (1997) state that literature tends to lack specificity and is expressed in broad behavioural terms. This paper concentrates on the research provided by Hofstede, not on its applicability, however, it is important to note the potential for maladaptive application.