Title: Self-management and work performance: an exploratory cross-cultural study

Authors: Jane V. Wheeler; Amelia S. Carr; Steven H. Cady; Lillian Schumacher

Addresses: Department of Management, College of Business, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA ' Department of Management, College of Business, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA ' Department of Management, College of Business, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA ' Tiffin University, 155 Miami Street, Tiffin, OH, 44883, USA

Abstract: Without understanding one's self, individuals blindly and with a minimal amount of consciousness, go about their lives and their businesses. Understanding one's self and how it can influence work performance offers individuals the opportunity to more meaningfully carry out their duties and fulfil their work requirements. Sri Aurobindo, an Indian spiritual philosopher and advocate of self-management, argued that man is not the last step in the evolutionary process; rather, man is a transitional being with the capacity to collaborate in its own evolution. The international township of Auroville, India was founded with Aurobindo's vision in mind. We administered a questionnaire to people in Auroville and a comparable group in Ohio, USA. This cross-cultural study allowed us to test hypotheses and compare the samples. Results suggest that practicing self-management on a moment-to-moment basis can help a person become more self-aware, thereby enhancing the individual's work performance. Results and implications are provided.

Keywords: self-management; work performance; introspection; extrospection; Auroville; non-profit.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2020.108922

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2020 Vol.20 No.4, pp.510 - 533

Received: 29 Apr 2019
Accepted: 09 Jun 2019
Published online: 07 Aug 2020 *

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