ciological constraints, Farmer and Richman considered a culture's attitude toward the scientific method as most important. This attitude determines a country's level of acceptance of modern managerial techniques. If a culture is deeply rooted in traditional religious or mystical beliefs that exhibit prejudice toward science, it will be virtually impossible for that culture to develop the skilled work force needed to support high technology industries.
Under political and legal characteristics, Farmer and Richman believe that the reliability of the business legal structure is the critical element. This legal structure is described as the rules of the game. Firms in foreign countries often do business under legal codes that differ from those found in the United States. For instance, companies in the Middle East adhere to business law that is derived from their holy book, the Koran.
As a single category, economic factors carry more weight than political and legal characteristics, sociological characteristics, or educational characteristics. The most
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