A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Need for Uniqueness in Malaysia and the United States

It has been hypothesized and empirically supported that an individual's need for uniqueness is a factor that leads to the expression of innovative behavior. This need for uniqueness has been hypothesized to be environmentally, or culturally, based, raising concerns as to its stability across cultures. This study was conducted to investigate the possibility that the need for uniqueness varies in form across cultures. The results suggest that for collegiate business students the need for uniqueness does vary among cultural settings. This finding raises questions concerning the cross-cultural transferability of innovative behavior models that incorporate this need.