Response Categories and Potential Cultural Bias: Effects of an Explicit Middle Point in Cross‐cultural Surveys

The present study investigated whether questionnaires using explicit midpoints produce different results for different cultural groups. We hypothesized that managers from China, Japan, and Hong Kong (CJH) respond differently to Western management scales than do managers from the US., Germany, and United Kingdom (UGU). We found differences in central tendency (the likelihood of choosing the midpoint in overall variance between these groups). Using scales with even numbered response categories (thus removing the explicit midpoint) decreases the central tendencies of the CJH group and increases the variance in the responses to Western management questionnaire. Results suggested that when survey questionnaires are used in CJH cultures, careful consideration should be given to the choice between scales with even‐numbered response categories and those with odd‐numbered response categories.