Cultural values matter: Attractiveness of Japanese companies in Malaysia

Abstract

As the economic footprint of developing countries increases, talent management grows in importance for foreign multinational companies in emerging markets. Multinational companies, however, face fierce competition for local talent, and competitive recruiting calls for practical knowledge about the personal traits of job applicants. The present study applies a cross-cultural perspective to this issue, exploring how individually held cultural values influence the attractiveness of Japanese companies in Malaysia. Drawing on similarity-attraction theory and person–organization fit theory, the study quantitatively analyses data from a paper-based survey of 245 prospective jobseekers. The findings indicate that an individual cultural value fit with the foreign company’s country of origin is significant predictors of employer attractiveness. Specifically, the study finds that potential Malaysian jobseekers who are lower in power distance and higher in risk aversion and long-term orientation view Japanese companies as attractive future employers and have higher job-pursuit behavior. Based on this finding, the study discusses theoretical and practical contributions to corporate employment strategies.