THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON WORK-RELATED ETHICAL VALUES, DECISION-MAKING, AND BEHAVIOUR: A CROSS-NATIONAL/SUBCULTURAL STUDY OF NIGERIA AND THE UK

This research aims to investigate how culture influences work-related ethical values, decision-making, and behaviours in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The study responds to the need for a more nuanced understanding of subcultural differences within national contexts. Expanding the research landscape dominated by Hofstede’s national culture approach, this research utilises the GLOBE cultural dimensions to account for subcultural and ethical variations that exist within the national borders of Nigeria and the UK. The research is presented in three papers. The first paper focuses on the subcultural variations within Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba), analysing how in-group collectivism, power distance, and assertiveness influence ethical relativism, integrity, ethical decision-making, and corruption. The second paper explores subcultural differences across the four UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), investigating how institutional collectivism and assertiveness shape ethical values and decision-making. The third paper offers a comparative cross-cultural study between Nigeria and the UK, examining the broader cultural influences in work-related ethics across these two national contexts. A quantitative approach was employed to collect data from 928 Nigerian and 612 UK participants. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and MANOVA were used to assess the relationships between the cultural dimensions and ethical outcomes. The findings reveal significant subcultural differences within both Nigeria and the UK. However, contrary to prior research, ethical relativism and corruption levels did not consistently align with cultural dimensions such as collectivism and power distance. Instead, the results suggest a more complex interaction between globalisation, multiculturalism, and ethical behaviours in both countries. This research contributes to the literature on subcultural variation by providing empirical evidence that challenges the homogeneous view of national culture. It further advances the understanding of how specific cultural dimensions influence ethical decision-making in diverse organisational settings, offering valuable insights for businesses operating in multicultural environments. The thesis concludes with theoretical and practical implications, emphasising the need for culturally aware business ethics frameworks and providing recommendations for future research on cross-cultural ethics.