Orientations of the Managers, Culture and Gender: Cross-cultural Study of Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship

This study investigated differences in the attitudes toward workplace practices between male and female managers from Serbia and Macedonia. There were included 200 managers, 100 managers from Macedonia and 100 managers from Serbia. The analyses is aimed at determination differences of orientations toward cultural dimensions collectivism-individualism and power distance, paternalism, and affective, instrumental, contractual and obligatory supervisor-subordinate relationship between male and female Macedonian and Serbian managers. The results suggest significant differences in orientation toward power distance and collectivism-individualism, contractual and obligatory supervisor-subordinate relationship among managers from Serbia and Macedonia. Macedonian managers score higher on collectivistic orientation, and contractual supervisor-subordinate relationship than Serbian managers. But Serbian managers score higher on orientation toward power distance and obligatory supervisor-subordinate relationship. The study showed that there are no differences according to gender and there is no interaction effect of culture and gender on orientations toward collectivism-individualism and power distance, paternalism and supervisor-subordinate relationship. The results of the study lend support for the notion that the culture influences on organizational practices. With increasing knowledge about the differences of attitudes of managers with different cultural background, increases the possibility of developing open and productive relations in the business world.