Premium Essay

Intercultural Management

In:

Submitted By Niccaval
Words 3836
Pages 16
12-ICIT 9-11/4/07 in RoC

Going for Gold ~ Best Practices in Ed. & Public Paper # : 07-08

Page- 1 /7

Challenges of Intercultural Management: Change implementation in the context of national culture
Prof. Taina Savolainen
School of Business, Management and Leadership, University of Joensuu, Finland taina.savolainen@joensuu.fi ABSTRACT This keynote address considers change implementation in the globalizing business environment in the context of culture. Organizations seek ways to cope with new situations in order to survive and be competitive. The primary strategic challenge in multicultural change processes is managing and implementing change successfully. The paper discusses the means of creating readiness for change and challenges they present to intercultural management. Keywords: Change, coping, culture, intercultural, implementation, middle management, readiness

1.0

Introduction

Sustaining competitiveness force business organizations to adapt major changes and seek strategies that may be realized in varying, different cultural environments. This presents challenges to multicultural management, in general, and change implementation processes, specifically. Change implementation does no more concern organizational culture only. It is also dependent on understanding different national cultures and having behavioural skills accordingly. Organizations face, thus, constant challenge of change in management (Ascari, Rock & Dutta, 1995). Economic and social forces create a necessity for internal changes in organizations. Globalizing marketplace and fast technological changes force organizations to be superior and be proactive in identifying and evaluating impacts of change (Paton & McCalman 2003). In today’s turbulent work environment, change is a means to keep in competition, to renew continuously organizational structures, directions, and

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Intercultural Management

...Topic Review: General Management Effective cross-cultural management has to be grounded in a detailed knowledge of individual cultures. Discuss using examples from two multinational companies. I/ Introduction: In times of rapid globalisation and economic development growth, the environment of business has become more and more complicated as a huge number of firms want to globally expand their businesses. Subsequently, the managerial implications of cross-cultural management is the challenge of this development. As Abbe (2007) states, cross-cultural leadership has developed as a way to understand leaders who work in the global markets. Culture is the “software of mind” that can influence people’s patterns of thinking and behaving. (Hofstede, 1997). Referring to a work of He and Liu (2010), different characteristics of culture result in thinking, understanding and communication diversity. These diversities more or less make organisational development and management difficult. Therefore, multicultural managers should create cross-cultural training in their companies in order to increase effectiveness across culture. This essay will be discussing whether effective cross-cultural management has to be grounded in a detailed knowledge of individual cultures with examples of two multinational companies: Wal-Mart and Alfa Laval. II/ The Debate on Cross-Cultural Management: Globalisation has increased the awareness of consumers, and made nations more inter-dependent. In...

Words: 2139 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Intercultural Management

...Chapitre 1 : Branches de droit Objectif : Section 2 : le droit privé : Le droit privé est celui qui régit les rapports des particuliers entre eux. Ces particuliers peuvent être des personnes physiques ou morales. Le droit privé est celui qui régit les rapports entre les particuliers ou avec des collectivités privées, telles que les associations, les sociétés et qui assurent prioritairement la sauvegarde des intérêts individuels. Le droit privé comprend trois matières principales : Droit civil, droit commercial et droit des affaires. Le droit civil : Le droit civil constitue le droit commun. Cela signifie qu’il s’applique à tous les rapports de droits privé, sauf si un droit spécial indique autrement. Il est le tronc commun de tous les droits. Il régit essentiellement, le droit des obligations et les droits réels. Le droit commercial : Le droit commercial contient les règles dont l’application est réservée, soit aux particuliers qui affectent des actes de commerce, soit aux commerçants. Il régit donc aussi bien les sociétés, que le fonds de commerce du simple commerçant. Ces principales règles sont codifiées dans le Code de commerce. Le droit international privé régit les rapports des particuliers entre eux lorsqu’il existe un élément étranger. Le droit des affaires : Le droit des affaires marocain est une branche du droit privé qui comporte un ensemble de droits relatifs aux affaires des entreprises. Il repose sur les dispositions de droit civil concernant les obligations...

Words: 1187 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Intercultural Management

...Globalization Competencies Intercultural Management Lecture by Melanie Hiller Faculty of Mathematics and Economics University Ulm polymundo - Consultancy for Globalization Intercultural Management ISP Melanie Hiller 06.07.2010 1 Content 1. Globalization and Culture?! 2. Culture – What is that? 3. Intercultural Management! Intercultural Management ISP Melanie Hiller 06.07.2010 2 Intercultural Management ISP Melanie Hiller 06.07.2010 3 World Production World Trade World Market Forms of Globalization World Communication Economy World Information World Standards Technique Environment Environmental Consciousness Ecology Environmental Crisis World Politics Politics World Society World Culture Intercultural Management ISP Melanie Hiller 06.07.2010 4 Definition Globalization "Globalization is the continuous interlinking process of different worldwide happening occurrences in the fields of economy, technique, politics, culture and social aspects of nations with interlinked interdependencies and consequences.“ Stehr, C. (2003), p. 47 Intercultural Management ISP Melanie Hiller 06.07.2010 5 Multi-dimensional Process Economy Politics Ecology Technique Social Culture Cp: Teusch, U. (2004) Intercultural Management ISP Melanie Hiller 06.07.2010 6 The cultural Process? Cultural Homogenization? World Culture? Cultural Heterogenization...

Words: 1686 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Intercultural Management

...Bachelor degree in Accounting & Finance; I started my career path working as an external auditor with Deloitte Beirut working on auditing financial statements for major clients. In Late 2007 I had the opportunity to join the Enterprise Risk Services within Deloitte Middle East based in Kuwait; I was able to prove my capabilities and to be promoted annually; I was able to create my own business portfolio supervising a team reporting to me and played an important role in developing the career path for my team members by providing the necessary support and trainings. I was exposed to different type of industries gaining a huge exposure in the Middle East market. In 2013 I was approached by one of my clients I used to handle to lead the risk management and compliance department within the firm and within a short period of time I had the opportunity to be licensed by Dubai Financial Services Authority to manage the compliance function in one of the subsidiaries within the group bases in Dubai. 2. Why are you interested in our particular program, and how do you see it helping you to reach your future goals? I am interested to pursue my MBA from GGSB as it is one of top universities recognized internationally and triple accredited; that will enhance my resume and will add an international exposure taste to my career path and to expand my global network. I have the trust that GGSB will develop my capabilities and learning skills to grasp a unique professional opportunity that will...

Words: 517 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Intercultural Conflict Management

...Intercultural Conflict Management How should we define an intercultural conflict? Is there any difference between a conflict and an intercultural one? The following chapter, which is a summary of the chapter “Constructive Intercultural Conflict Management” (Stella Ting-Toomey, Communicating Across Cultures, 1999, pages 194-197), attempts to answer these two questions. At the end of the chapter, we also include an extract of the “Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory” (Mitchell Hammer, 2002) 1. Definition of intercultural conflicts “Intercultural conflict is defined as the perceived or actual incompatibility of values, norms, processes, or goals between a minimum of two cultural parties over content, identity, relational, and procedural issues. Intercultural conflict often starts off with different expectations concerning appropriate or inappropriate behavior in an interaction episode.” (Ting-Toomey, 1999, p.194). Another author holds a similar view: “Conflicts are always cultural, since we are all cultural beings. Yet the very definition of conflict is challenging because of our cultural ways of seeing”. (Michelle Le Baron and Venashri Pillay, Conflict across Cultures, 2006, page 13). According to Le Baron, conflict occurs at ← the material level, or the “what” of the conflict; ← the symbolic level, the meaning of issues to the people involved, especially those meanings that resonate with peoples' identities, values, and worldviews; ← and the...

Words: 1761 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Intercultural Management Term Paper

...1. Provide  a  brief  description  of  your  company,  its  origins  and  its  operations  (Size,  industry,   products,  etc.)  and  give  reasons  for  your  decision  to  go  international   2.  Decide  on  an  appropriate  country  in  which  to  operate  and  give  your  rationale  for  this   3.  Give  a  precise  cultural  profile  of  the  local  area  you  will  be  operating  in  abroad.  What  are   the  workers  going  to  be  like?  What  kind  of  reception  do  you  anticipate?  How  does  this   profile  differ  to  your  own  and  what  do  you  have  to  be  especially  careful  about?   4.  Elaborate  on  which  cultural  variables  will  influence  the  communication  process  the  most   between  employees  from  your  home  and  host  country.  Explain  how  you  plan  to  overcome   them.   5. Which  differences  in  non-­‐verbal  behavior  do  you  have  to  be  conscious  of  in  your   international  venture?   6. Draw  up  an  organizational  chart  showing  the  company  and  its  overseas  operations  and   describe...

Words: 1739 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Kfc’s and Mcdonald’s Intercultural Managements

...KFC’s and McDonald’s Intercultural Managements Natasha Martin American InterContinental University Abstract In this paper I have chosen the differences in cultures with United States of America and China. In the Western civilization, business is often about the fundamentals when dealing with the idea of marketing. These are usually six different fundamentals such as, strategy for sound marketing, research for professional marketing, development for a world-class product, prices’ that are effective, motivation for promotion, and distribution that is appropriate. With a focus on the basic, makes for a successful outcome in competitive marketing. Even so, when business collides with Western (America) and China, differences in culture can become a problem. This becomes an issue that is more than just fundamentals. For a worldwide view, factors have to be considered in order to be successful. This factor would be culture. Cultural views and expectations are crucial in business. Westerner marketers have to come with the knowledge of awareness to the background of the culture, and in which the world they live in. This is the ability that can affect business ethics. USA and China have different ethical behaviors in the way they conduct business. The USA foundation of ethics is based on the origins of Puritan’s. They tend to be based on a foundation of traditional Judeo-Christian and Western socio theological laws and principles (Iseberg, S. 1999). This...

Words: 1127 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Term Paper

...ARTICLE IN PRESS International Journal of Intercultural Relations 28 (2004) 577–594 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijintrel Learning styles and their impact on cross-cultural training: An international comparison in France, Germany and Quebec Christoph I. Barmeyerà ´ IECS—Ecole de Management de Strasbourg/Universite R. Schuman, CESAG (Centre d 0 Etude des Sciences ´es ` ˆt Applique a la Gestion), 61, Ave de la Fore Noire, F 67085 Strasbourg, France Abstract Every person has his or her own individual way to learn and to solve problems in day-to-day situations. These personal cognitive strategies, acquired in a long socialization process are called ‘‘learning styles’’ and may differ depending on gender, age or culture. In this study, the learning styles of over 300 students in business administration in France, Germany and Quebec are examined with the Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Representative and significant learning differences where found. This is why the LSI can be used in a first step for the illustration and comparison of typical patterns of learning. In a second step the results may be of use to international trainers in making decisions about course design and methods of cross-cultural training in relation to the learning profiles of the participants. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Learning styles; LSI; Culture; Cross-cultural management; Socialization; Intercultural training; Cultural differences; Training methods ÃFax:+33 3 90...

Words: 6757 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

Colgate Case Study - Intercultural Management

...Intercultural Management Colgate’s distateful toothpaste Table of contents Introduction 3 Colgate’s distateful toothpaste 4 Overview of the company 4 Strategic and ethical issues 5 The recommendation 6 The toothpaste advertising 7 Negotiation in China/ Taiwan 9 Hofstede’s analysis 9 Asian countries 9 Taiwan 9 China 10 Hofstede’s scores 10 Power Distance Index 10 Individualism 10 Masculinity 10 Uncertainty Avoidance Index 10 Long-Term Orientation 11 Communication strategies 11 Negotiation strategies 11 Few tips 12 Conclusion 13 Bibliography 14 Introduction « I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man. “ Thomas Jefferson Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products (including toothpaste and toothbrushes). In 1985, they build a partnership with Hawley and Hazel, a Taiwanese company specialized in healthcare such as Colgate. One of their best product was the Darkie, a toothpaste, with a Black man with ultra white teeth as image. This product was the core of one of the most disaster for the brand Colgate. In order to understand how this product hit significantly the brand image of Colgate, we will first try to analyze what was the major strategic and ethical issues that Colgate had to face...

Words: 3508 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Cross-Cultural Competence in Ib

...Journal of International Business Studies (2006) 37, 525–543 & 2006 Academy of International Business All rights reserved 0047-2506 $30.00 www.jibs.net Cross-cultural competence in international business: toward a definition and a model James P. Johnson1, Tomasz Lenartowicz2 and Salvador Apud3 Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, Winter Park, USA; 2Deparment of Management, International Business and Entrepreneurship, College of Business, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, USA; 3LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas, Austin, USA Correspondence: Dr James P. Johnson, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, Office number 204, Winter Park, FL 32789, USA. Tel: þ 1 407 646 2486; Fax: þ 1 407 646 1550; E-mail: jpjohnson@rollins.edu 1 Abstract Many international business failures have been ascribed to a lack of crosscultural competence (CC) on the part of business practitioners. However, the international business literature appears to lack an adequate conceptualization and definition of the term ‘CC’, focusing instead on the knowledge, skills and attributes that appear to be its antecedents. In this conceptual study, we propose a definition of CC as it applies to international business and develop a model for understanding how CC is nurtured in individuals, linking our definition to the concept of cultural intelligence. We discuss the components of the model and suggest that there are environmental and contextual impediments...

Words: 13004 - Pages: 53

Free Essay

Student

...Walker University of Southern California Measuring culture is a central issue in international management research and has been traditionally accomplished using indices of cultural values. Although a number of researchers have attempted to identify measures to account for the core elements of culture, there is no consensus on those measures. This article uses an alternative method—discourse analysis—to observe what actually occurs in terms of communication practices in intercultural decision-making meetings, specifically those involving U.S.-born native English speakers and participants from East Asian countries. Previous discourse studies in this area suggest that differences in communication practices may be attributed to power differentials or language competence. Our findings suggest that the conversation style differences we observed might be attributed to intergroup identity issues instead. Keywords: intercultural communication; intercultural communication; group communication; discourse analysis; intercultural management; group decision making; communication accommodation theory In an increasingly global economy, multicultural work teams are becoming more commonplace, and fostering teamwork in multicultural teams is a growing challenge. The growing body of intercultural research suggests important Jolanta Aritz is an Associate Professor of Clinical at the Center for Management Communication at the Marshall School of Business at USC. She teaches business communication courses...

Words: 8915 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Training

...each company’s culture. (Kreitner, 2009, p. 107) In doing this, I could focus on each aspect of the business and how it is interpreted in a foreign country. For example, I would have them watch the previous day’s news on the Web so if a client wanted to talk about current news, my sales personnel and executives would know what they are talking about. It is important to know what the current events are. It can be local sports news, the weather, or entertainment new. It is very important to know what is going on. You cannot afford to sound like you don’t know anything about the foreign country you are doing business with. I would also try to get my employees familiar with the other culture through exposure to a series of simulated intercultural incidents, or typical problem situations. (Kreitner, 2009, p. 107) An example would be an incident when you have to answer why people in a certain culture respond a certain way. You could have several answers to choose from and you find pick until you find out the correct answer. When you pick the correct answer, the feedback is extensive, describing similarities and differences between the two cultures. Gradually, the trainee starts thinking like the people from the other culture. In a way, the trainee learns to get “into the shoes” of the people from the other culture. The result is a training program that makes people more comfortable in working in the other culture. Another training technique I would use is language instruction...

Words: 2053 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Tourism; an Efficient Dynamic on Intercultural Dialogue

...Tourism; An Efficient Dynamic on Intercultural Dialogue Saulat Ali Department of Communication Studies, College of Applied Sciences Salalah. Ministry of Higher Education. PO BOX: 119 Salalah P.C: 211 Sultanate of Oman Tel: +968-98932578 Email: saulatali@gmail.com Abstract The last quarter of a century has witnessed rapid development of the intercultural field. These days, intercultural dialogue is not only a regional or national necessity but it is crucially global. Human being is social creature who needs dialogue; so wisdom of human is the wisdom of dialogue. Tourism industry is one of the accomplishments of cultural dialogue which not only is a kind of industry but also it is a science, art and knowledge. The primary objective of this research revolves around impact of cultural tourism on intercultural communication. Have our own cultures, discussed with other cultures; and among these discussions and interactions we can complete and revise our culture and exchange it with others. Cultural tourism paves the way for intercultural dialogue. Intercultural dialogue should be enhanced to improve intercultural acceptance. Tourism extends our knowledge and information in two ways: better understanding of ourselves and others. Keywords: Globalization; Intercultural Communication; Cultural Tourism; Cultural Dialogue; Oman 1. Introduction: For the past decade or so, events such as September 11 terrorist attacks, Bali bombings, London bomb attacks, shooting...

Words: 6310 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

Cross-Cultural Communication Essay

...Communication Essay Different cultures lead to different way of thinking and behaviors (Hofstede 1991). For this reason, many problems in communication across countries occur when people are unaware of culture differences, especially to high-context culture. Hall (1976) suggested that one must put great efforts to understand the message from a context-dependent communication. It is essential that business people bear in mind that learning cultures and intercultural communication are vital. In the current increasingly diverse world, intercultural communication obviously plays an important role (Germaine, 2006). As a developing country with high-context culture, Vietnamese workers should be well prepared to overcome difficulties when dealing with other cultures in global business integration process. This essay will look at specific aspects of cultural elements of communication in Viet Nam and compare barriers in Viet Nam to those in the UK. Through these boundaries, the essay suggests several intercultural competencies that Vietnamese managers should train their employees in order to work well under multi-cultural environment. Communication in Viet Nam According to Das and Kumar (2010), Viet Nam’s culture, which is among Asian countries, is classified as high-context. In this system, communication style has many specific characteristics. The first element is that one should look deeply at not only non-verbal behavior of speaker but also the context in...

Words: 1899 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Intercultural Communication

...PREFACE Thank to God who has given grace and mercy to the author so we can successfully complete this paper timely, with title "Intercultural Communication". We would like to thank our friends who have been taking part in the making this paper until finish eating, and also to all those who helped in the completion of this paper. We realize that in the preparation of this paper there are still many flaws and is far from perfection. Therefore, critics and suggestion is needed here for the improvement of this paper.. The writer hopes that this paper will be useful not only for the writer but also for the readers. Bandung, September 2015 Author Table Of Contents Preface 1 Chapter 1 3 Introduction 3 1.1 Issue background 3 1.2 Purpose of the paper 4 Chapter 2 5 Theory and Discusion 5 2.1 Notion and Principle of Intercultural Communication 5 2.2 Misinterpretation Intercultural Communication in the Lecture 7 2.3 Obstacle in Intercultural Communication 9 Chapter 3 12 Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Issue background The world today is filled by an ever growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Not just happen out of the country, Indonesian society has always been known to be very heterogeneous in many aspects, such as the diversity of ethnicity, religion, language, etc. Is common as an Indonesian citizen with...

Words: 2535 - Pages: 11