Cross-cultural biases Every rater holds expectations about human behavior that are based on his or her culture. When people are expected to evaluate others from different cultures, they may apply their cultural expectations to someone who has a different set of beliefs or behaviors. In Denmark, for example, many employees and organizations resisted the use of formal performance appraisals for many years on the grounds that they were inappropriate for Danes. In many Asian cultures the elderly are treated with greater respect and are held in higher esteem than they are in many western cultures. If a young worker is asked to rate an older subordinate, this cultural value of"respect and esteem" may bias the rating. Similarly, in some Arabic cultures women are expected to play a very subservient role, especially in public. Assertive women may receive biased ratings because of these cross-cultural differences. With greater cultural diversity and the movement of employees across international borders, this potential source of bias becomes more likely.