...Cross Cultural Management of Japan & United States One concern of the merger between these two companies involves group interaction and sense of space. People in the United States take great pride in themselves on individualism and informality. The Japanese culture values groups and formality. People in the United States admire a person who excels above everyone else. If this merger takes place and it makes the price of stock to rise, the American company might want to buy more stock and the Japanese might not agree with this and be more cautious which could result in a cross-culture conflict. Cultural differences and cross culture conflicts is the biggest challenge in terms of cross-cultural management that will arise in the merger of these two companies (Chen, 2013). Due to differences in culture in terms of beliefs, priorities and lifestyles, management of cross culture operations will be difficult for both companies. It is because cultural differences affect the human thinking, feeling, acting and behavior that can result in cross culture conflicts within the organization (Adekola and Sergi, 2012). For example, in terms of language, religion, value, and attitudes, there are several cultural differences in both countries: U.S. and Japan, which can affect decisions and choices of employees or people from these countries and can cause to cross culture conflicts (Yoder, 2011). The women who are employed at Tokyo Electron worry that their jobs might be eliminated...
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...the market or look for resources or reduce cost etc. However, Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) not only need to know the political, legal and regulatory environment in host country but also the culture difference which is very important to lessen the cultural problems and know how to solve it wisely. Companies may be abandoned by customers or spend a lot of money to recover their reputation if MNEs’ managers do not understand the cultures of the countries they deal with. The influence of international trade liberalization has presented not only substantial opportunities but also some challenges for domestic and international companies (Watchravesringkan 2011). The aim of this essay is to discuss the importance of culture difference to MNEs. In this essay, culture and society will be discussed in the first part. The following part is about the importance of cultural difference to international managers. Finally, it will discuss the methods to understand cultural difference. Dowling & Liesch (2009) state that culture is a system of values and norms those is shared among a group of human beings and form a pattern for living when brought together. Culture is gained knowledge that human beings use to explain experience and develop social behaviour and this knowledge forms values, generates attitudes, and affects behaviour (Luthans and Doh 2012). Moreover, culture influences the way of people’s thoughts and behaviour, for instance, the type of handshake is very different to western...
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...Review Key issues in cross-cultural business communication: Anthropological approaches to international business Tian Guang* and Dan Trotter Shantou University, Shantou City, Guangdong Province, Southern China. Accepted 8 March, 2012 Cultural factors have long been known to influence the communication and success potential of competition. Cultural awareness shapes how business firms behave in cross-culturally reflected international markets. It is broadly recognized that cultural factors act as invisible barriers in international business communications. Understanding cultural differences is one of the most significant skills for firms to develop in order to have a competitive advantage in international business. This paper probes some key elements of cross-cultural issues in international business communication and provides a framework for creating competitive advantage for firms engaged in international business. Culture affects many aspects of international business communication. It impacts free trade policies, localization and standardization strategy decisions, advertising, brand effectiveness, business relationships, international business management, international marketing, international negotiation, and consumer behavior. Seven themes are suggested as guidelines for further research: Cultural impacts of markets, international versus domestic business communication, standardization versus adaptation in cross-cultural communication; cross-cultural dimensions of business...
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...usually neglect the need to decrease inconvenience aroused by cultural diversity, which may makes it difficult to broaden their business or win market share in other countries with different cultural contexts. In multi-domestic phase, firms begin to cater to the needs of each market segment with different cultural backgrounds since they realize that cultural diversity is a huge challenge in business expansion. Multinational phase witnesses the expansion of global market, where a large majority of multinational firms providing identical products emerge. Thus, the need to differentiate subtle cultural differences is weakened since cost control becomes an effective way to gain profits. In global phase, cultural difference is again emphasized. The way to quickly respond to customers’ needs in any market segment in a cost-efficient production mode dominates, which makes the ability to handle multicultural interaction essential for multinational firms. 2. Identify and describe Hofstede's dimensions of cultural differences. According to Hofstede, the five important dimensions of cultural differences include individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, career success/quality of life, and Confucian dynamism. Individualism, influencing individuals through external moral bounds, is contrary to collectivism that exerts influence via inner pressures. In individual culture, people value personal freedom, advocate individualism and behave with their...
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... Student’s name Lecturer’s name Institution Date Introduction One of the greatest tasks individuals face is communicating across differences resulting from different cultural diversity. There is always fear that exists that what an individual will intend to say will be understood in a way that they never meant it to be due to cultural differences in a team (Chauvet 2009, p. 221). My research team was composed of seven members that were four local students and three Chinese. Through the group activity, I have personally gained a lot from working with my research team on diversity management. The paper analyzes my self-awareness on cross-cultural issues and provides an insight into our chosen research topic ‘benefits and challenges of a cross-cultural team’. The paper further analyzes the implications of diversity management in an organization as a manager. My self-awareness on cross-cultural issues From the group activity, I was able to learn that cultural awareness is the base of communication and it entails the ability of individuals to stand back and become aware of their cultural values, beliefs, perceptions and differences. It is essential for individuals to understand the reason why they do things differently, why they react differently in a particular ways and perceive the world in different ways. Cross-cultural awareness is central when individuals interact with people from different cultures as individuals will evaluate and interpret things in different...
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...cultures Sarahi Alvarenga 05 July 2013 Walden University Cultural diversity refers to the process through which different cultures respect other people’s differences and the variety of human cultures or societies. In general, cultural diversity therefore refers to the existence of different value systems and multiplicity of subcultures in a multicultural or plural society or any other setting. Cultural diversity therefore calls for people to appreciate other people’s culture by respecting their way of life and the way they perform their different rituals, taboos and other cultural practices (Lee, et al, 2011). One of the most important developments in the history of Human service has been the realization that many overall markets are up of significantly different groups Culture may be defined as ‘ The way of life of a people ,including their attitudes , values , beliefs , arts, sciences, modes of perception , and habits of thought and activity .Culture defines how individuals live and behave in an environment and how their perceptions are shaped which affect the mutual relationship between both the individuals who are part of that environment and those who interact with that environment .For organizations , cultural differences are becoming more and more important . With globalization, workforce diversity has increased and cultural impacts are shaping organization‘s performance. These cultural differences have profound impact over Human service practices such as training;...
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...HUMAN AND CULTURAL VARIABLES IN GLOBAL ORGANIZATION. This episode is one of the many other similar ones which underscore the HR Challenges in preparing people for Cross Cultural working. Organizational culture is one of the latest concepts in the fields of management and Organizational Theory. Culture which is popularly called as "Shared values and Beliefs" fulfills important functions. 1. It conveys the sense of identity for organizational members. 2. It enhances social system ability. 3. It facilitates the generation of commitment to some thing larger than self. 4. It serves as a sense of making device that can guide and shape behavior. As business become more globalize, developing and training people across cultural boundaries is becoming increasingly important. Culture of the country is an important determinant of behavior of people, and not being sensitive to these differences can often result in misunderstanding and embarrassments and even in loss of efficiencies. For instance cultures differ widely in terms of concepts of time. Besides the obvious implications for punctuality, the difference also lies in how people from different cultures use their time. An understanding and sensitivity to such cultural differences in behavior and orientations is necessary perquisites to develop cross cultural competencies. The roots of cultural differences in the business practices lie much deeper. Business cultures in different countries are molded not just by the behavior of...
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...addressing the relationship between culture and consumption is exponential [Ogden D., Ogden J. and Schau HJ. Exploring the impact of culture and acculturation on consumer purchase decisions: toward a microcultural perspective. Academy Marketing Science Review 2004;3.]. However culture is an elusive concept posing considerable difficulties for cross-cultural research [Clark T. International Marketing and national character: A review and proposal for an integrative theory. Journal of Marketing 1990; Oct.: 66–79.; Dawar N., Parker P. and Price L. A cross-cultural study of interpersonal information exchange. Journal of International Business Studies 1996; 27(3): 497–516.; Manrai L. and Manrai A. Current issues in the cross-cultural and cross-national consumer research. Journal of International Consumer Marketing 1996; 8 (3/4): 9–22.; McCort D. and Malhotra NK. Culture and consumer behavior: Toward an understanding of cross-cultural consumer behavior in International Marketing. Journal of International Consumer Marketing 1993; 6 (2): 91–127.; Nasif EG., Al-Daeaj H., Ebrahimi B. and Thibodeaux M. Methodological problems in cross-cultural research: An updated review. Management International Review 1991; 31 (1): 79–91.; Lenartowicz T. and Roth K. A framework for culture assessment. Journal of International Business Studies 1999; 30 (4): 781–98.]. This article examines different approaches to...
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...this statement with reference to contemporary research on cross-cultural negotiation and use examples to illustrate your analysis Introduction: Former President and charismatic leader of the United States John F. Kennedy once stated that, “We cannot negotiate with people who say what's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable” (Kennedy, 1961). This timeless quotation epitomizes and typifies in essence what can commonly be regarded as cooperative negotiation. Formally, the term negotiation is commonly defined as two or more parties or groups deliberating amongst each other endeavoring to achieve a decisive result, which is mutually beneficial for both entities. When considering the process of negotiation across contrasting geographic locations or countries, negotiators have to understand the repercussions which heterogeneous cultures have in the final outcome of a potential deliberation. Culture is defined as the ‘unwritten rules of society’ (Hofstede et al, 2010) and most typically refers to those characteristics or values, which are unconsciously embedded in a large group of citizens through the ongoing processes of tradition and various forms of education. Understanding the pertinence of cultural differences and the significance which they bare in terms of cross-cultural negotiation, is essential to reaching an eventual agreement which is mutually beneficial between parties. However, an over-emphasis on cultural discrepancies may also lead to negotiations becoming protracted...
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...Author’s name: Le Thi Tuyet Minh A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF DAILY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VIETNAMESE AND AMERICANS OUTLINE Introduction Vietnamese - American cross-cultural communication: 1. Theories of intercultural communication 2. Vietnamese vs. American perceptions and communication styles 2.1 Vietnamese vs. American perceptions 2.1.1 Individualistic vs. collectivistic cultures 2.1.2 High- vs. low-context cultures 2.1.3 Face-saving 2.2. Vietnamese vs. American communication styles 2.2.1 Ways of greetings 2.2.2 Topics for conversation 2.2.3 Silence and Eye contact 2.2.4 Touching 2.2.5 Other nonverbal gestures 3. Cross-cultural communication strategies Conclusion Introduction Cross-cultural encounters have long provided a great source of interest for research. Globalization has increased contact between people from different cultures, but it has not evened out cultural differences as much as expected. The divergence of perspectives continues to survive in communication between people from different cultures such as Vietnamese and American. This paper aims to address the issues of intercultural communication between the Vietnamese and Americans in daily life. By juxtaposing the main traits of the two cultures while some common cultural misinterpretations are listed, I wish to give a comprehensive look at the Vietnamese- American...
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...THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING FOR EXECUTIVES IN OIL & GAS COMPANIES WITHIN THE KLANG VALLEY A Master’s Project submitted in partial fulfilment Of the requirements for the degree of Master of Human Resource Management The Effectiveness of Cross-Cultural Training for Executives in Oil & Gas Companies within the Klang Valley ABSTRACT Cross-cultural interactions are rapidly increasing. Globalisation and cultural diverse communities are lending themselves to daily intercultural exchanges. With greater diversity, we require greater open-mindedness, tolerance and sensitivity. Those in direct contact with culturally different members are in greater need of such skills, and often require training to become more cross-culturally sensitive. Cross-cultural training program for individual going abroad, address such issues and prepare participants to work and live overseas. Cultural conflicts affect the efficiency of the employees’ performance at workplaces and it is believed that employees from different cultural backgrounds will have to improve their communication skills. An intercultural training programme is needed in order to prepare multicultural employees for surprises that could arise in complex cultural situations without being frustrated, stressed, and puzzled. TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE PAGE ABSTRACT ii ABSTRAK ...
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...research addressing the relationship between culture and consumption is exponential [Ogden D., Ogden J. and Schau HJ. Exploring the impact of culture and acculturation on consumer purchase decisions: toward a microcultural perspective. Academy Marketing Science Review 2004;3.]. However culture is an elusive concept posing considerable difficulties for cross-cultural research [Clark T. International Marketing and national character: A review and proposal for an integrative theory. Journal of Marketing 1990; Oct.: 66–79.; Dawar N., Parker P. and Price L. A cross-cultural study of interpersonal information exchange. Journal of International Business Studies 1996; 27(3): 497–516.; Manrai L. and Manrai A. Current issues in the cross-cultural and cross-national consumer research. Journal of International Consumer Marketing 1996; 8 (3/4): 9–22.; McCort D. and Malhotra NK. Culture and consumer behavior: Toward an understanding of cross-cultural consumer behavior in International Marketing. Journal of International Consumer Marketing 1993; 6 (2): 91–127.; Nasif EG., Al-Daeaj H., Ebrahimi B. and Thibodeaux M. Methodological problems in cross-cultural research: An updated review. Management International Review 1991; 31 (1): 79–91.; Lenartowicz T. and Roth K. A framework for culture assessment. Journal of International Business Studies 1999; 30 (4): 781–98.]. This article examines different approaches to conceptualising and...
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...Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Paper Aspectsof Culture in PsychologyCultural context is a major element in understanding human behavior and psychology. Berger (2011) explains, “Culture affects every action—indeed, every thought” (p. 13). The culture that an individual lives in along with the similarities and differences between cultures provide vital information in understanding psychological processes. Cultural Psychology Cultural context is not separable from the person; it is a vital part of individual psychopathology. Shiraev and Levy (2010) explain that cultural psychology studies the individual within a specific culture. The cultural psychologist seeks out meaningful links between a specific culture and the individual in that culture. The cultural psychologist examines the individual in a cultural norm. Cultural Influences on the Individual According to Shiraev and Levy (2010), “Before reaching adulthood, most of us do not choose a place to live or a language to speak” (p. 2). These cultural elements influence many aspects of human developmental processes. From the moment of birth, cultural elements play an important role in human development, development of personality, and individual psychological aspects. It is impossible to separate human behavior from cultural experiences because cultural exposure forms individual value systems,belief systems, and knowledge bases for each individual within any specific culture. The goal of cultural psychologists...
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...------------------------------------------------- Assignment 12407210 - Hang Nguyen Title Compare and contrast cultural frameworks developed by Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars. I - Introduction Different national cultures comprise different cultural value systems. The value systems are generated from a conception, or as noted previous beliefs, of existing means or resources, and necessities. Cultures have various standards and some factors such as behaviors, traditions or communication of one culture can be observed as irrelevant or sometimes even threatening by other cultures. These uncertainties can bring into being cultural gaps between people within a workforce. Not only do the variety of cultural structure interacting together increase the potential for conflict or disagreement, but also methods of control disputation among the cultures. The project manager must be able to handleconfrontation using different styles, depending on the circumstances, in order to effectively manage a diverse team. This paper discusses the most well-known and accepted theories of cultural differences and illustrates them with cases from international project management. Two leading studies of cross-cultural management have been conducted by Geert Hofstede and FonsTrompenaars. Both frameworksoffer a set of cultural dimensions along which core values can be obtained. These structures influence on human thinking, feeling, performance, and the behavior of organizations...
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...MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES OF EASTERN EUROPEAN ECONOMIES Darryl J, Mitry and Thomas Bradley National University School of Business and Technology http://marketing.byu.edu/htmlpages/ccrs/proceedings99/mitrybradley.htm Key Factors: ~ Global Business, Colliding cultures & Changing Economies ~With the accession of the 21st Century, the developing globalization of business and other expanding pluralistic organizations we need to reconsider the topic of managerial leadership within a much larger perspective than has been the usual practice. Therefore, we offer some observations from empirical research and suggest theoretical directions. We review the subject as it relates to the challenges of transnational business and more specifically with reference to business operations in the emerging and transforming economies of Eastern Europe such as the newly independent regions of the former Soviet Union (FSU). The observed “globalization” of business is the precursor to the growing interdependency of peoples around the world; the development of a “Global Community.” This appears to be an inescapable and major event that is contributing to the dissolution of boundaries between customary disciplines of knowledge, information, technology, countries and peoples around the world. Associated with this phenomenon is an intensifying need to provide a strategic global approach in management education.(Mitry & Thomas, 2000) ~ In the new era of...
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