...Journal of Comparative International Management 2009, Vol. 12, no.2, 73-89 ©2009 Management futures Printed in canada Cross-cultural Communication and Multicultural Team Performance: A German and American Comparison by Steven W. Congden University of Hartford, U.S.A. Alexei V. Matveev College of Staten Island – CUNY, U.S.A David E. Desplaces College of Charleston, U.S.A. This study builds on work by Matveev & Nelson (2004) which investigated the relationship between cross-cultural communication competence and multicultural team performance using American and Russian managers. This study examines the impact of national culture on German and American subjects. While a relationship between cross-cultural communication competence and multicultural team performance was found, it did not differ by overall national culture. Of the four dimensions of cross-cultural communication competence, only Cultural Empathy was found to be significantly different between Germans and Americans. No differences were found for the dimensions of Interpersonal Skills, Team Effectiveness, and Cultural Uncertainty. 1. Introduction Worldwide intercultural cooperation drives corporate growth and development across the globe resulting in a heightened demand for a qualified but diverse workforce. researchers have documented that the successful performance of multicultural teams is a vital and contributing factor to organizational success (Jackson, may, & Whitney, 1995; Snow, Snell, davison, & hambrick...
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...de Woot (2000), companies in the industrial, financial and service sectors have to cleared most obstacles in the globalization process: that of size, that of time, that of complexity, and finally that of information and communication. Because of the differences in cultures, there might be some kind of misunderstanding among people working in the same organization due to their different values, beliefs, backgrounds, etc. To avoid cultural misunderstanding and turn cultural diversity to advantage, in this workshop we will provides a general definition for “culture” as well as for “diversity”, discusses the benefits of diversity in the workplace, the challenges of managing a diverse workplace, and presents effective strategies for managing diverse workforces. Definition of culture According to Kroeber und Kluckhohn (1952, p. 357) “Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups,.., the essential core of culture consists of tradition, ideas and their attached values, culture systems may considered as products of actions and also as conditioning elements of future action” Furthermore, managers often see culture as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguish the members of one human group from another… the interactive aggregate of common characteristics that influence a human group’s response to its environment” (Adler, 2002, p. 17) Cultural...
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...merger between two of the giants are remarkable achievement. There are no cultural differences. "Although the integration of the team spent after the merger of DaimlerChrysler, several million dollars has work on cultural sensitivity seminars for their staff on topics such as sexual harassment in the American and German restaurants etiquette, larger errors in business practice and management settings remain unchanged. So both brands could contain preserved different cultural class: • James Holden, the President of Chrysler from September 1999 to November 2000 described what he saw as "married up, marry down" phenomenon. "Mercedes, perceived as a fantasy, a particular brand, and Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and...
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...billion and sold 4 million cars and trucks in 1998. Schrempp and Eaton jointly led the merged entity, as co-chairmen and co-CEOs. | | DCX sources were confident that the new company was well poised to exploit the growth opportunities offered by the global automotive market in terms of geographical and product segment coverage. (Refer Exhibit II for Daimler Benz and Chrysler's product ranges) | However, analysts felt that to make the merger a success, several important issues needed to be addressed. The most significant of these was organizational culture. German and American styles of management differed sharply. A cultural clash would be a major hurdle to the realization of the synergies identified before the merger. To minimize this clash of cultures, Schrempp decided to allow both groups to maintain their existing cultures. The former Chrysler group was given autonomy to manufacture mass-market cars and trucks, while the Germans continued to build luxury Mercedes. However, analysts felt that this strategy wouldn't last long. When Chrysler performed badly in...
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...and Organizational Behavior during the spring semester at Touro University International. COVERAGE: I will use background information, combined with outside research to strengthen this paper. I will begin by identifying at least three specific ways that cultural differences would affect doing business internationally. Next, I will discuss some specific skills that global managers need to address the cultural differences. I will then discuss my views regarding expatriate and foreign-national managers by stating the reasons why a combination of managers is the most effective way to deal with these challenges. Finally, I will conclude with a brief summary that highlights the key points made throughout the paper. DISCUSSION: Many foreign markets are considered an untapped resource. The potential for growth in these markets is very high; however the potential can not be fulfilled without strong human resource applications, effective organizational structure, and efficient cultural understanding. The company’s corporate culture has to be modified to take cultural differences into consideration. The ability to evolve the organization by enveloping these cultural differences into the corporate culture can severely affect an organization’s success in the global marketplace. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss some organizational...
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...Culture Project | U.S. | Germany | Greeting | In the U.S., when you greet another person, you can typically offer a handshake. This is a very common form of greeting. There are some instances where you may be meeting a friend of a friend or a family member of your friend where they will ask for a hug, but is not seen very often. Hugs are typically reserved for family or feminine friends while kisses are reserved for couples. Eye contact is also a sign of respect. Avoiding eye contact usually shows weakness, timidness, or even a lack of self-esteem.www.nativeforeignermag.com/2012/06/4-ways-to-greet-an-american/ | The German culture actually has very few differences when it comes to greetings. You can’t really go wrong with a firm handshake and good eye contact. The biggest difference between the two cultures comes between hugs and kisses. Most German men consider hugs too feminine whereas some males in the U.S. could turn a handshake or “fist bump” into a brief hug with a pat on the back. Kisses are very unusual in Germany. Kisses are almost always reserved for people VERY fond of you.German.about.com/od/vocabularytips/a/Learn-German-Greetings.htm | Homes | In the U.S. many people are pretty open and this is even seen in your home. Many homes are designed in an open way and often without many doors. Typically the only time you find doors closed in an American home is when they want privacy in the bathroom or bedroom. In some U.S. households, your street shoes are taken off...
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...Culture Impact on German Negotiation Style Chen Shuqi SEIB Abstract As the increasing frequency of international trades， international negotiation skills draw a lot of attention. Regarded as a major barrier for cross-cultural communication, understanding culture difference is of signification . This essay will firstly introduce the study history and relevant definitions of international negotiation and how culture factors impact on negotiation style. Considering the gradual closed trade relationship between Germany and China and the commonly acknowledged differences of national cultures between them, this essay would firstly analyzes images of Germans for the general Chinese in a book, Die Langnasen . Further, it clarifies German negotiation style basing on analysis from Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. We find out that some of German business behaviors from the theory don’t fit with our general impression as the book concludes. After discussion about the deficiency of the theory or possible stereotype of the book, we try to present a modification of the prevalent impression about German negotiation style, and give some suggestion about how to carry out a better international business negotiation with Germans. It may be possible to provide us a better understanding in successful negotiation process with Germans. Key words: International negotiation, German culture, German negotiation style 德国文化对其谈判风格的影响 陈舒祺 国际商务英语学院 2011级国际商务管理 摘 要: 随着跨国贸易的频率迅速增长，国际商务谈判技巧尤为重要。...
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...University, LDSL 724, Cultures & Values I. Executive Summary Globalization can be defined as the inevitable integration of markets, nation-states, technologies and people in a way that is enabling individuals, organizations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before. Culture has become a highly significant factor in determining the success in today's international business environment. In particular, organizations entering the foreign markets either by expansion or mergers and acquisitions (M&A’s) are known to suffer at a high failure rate due to not understanding and preparing for cultural differences. Studies suggest that failure is due to different and often controversial relationships between cultural differences, integration and performance. The purpose of this white paper is to examine the cultural concerns when American corporations/organizations enter foreign markets and the impact cultural understanding or the lack thereof has on their success or failure. II. Culture “Culture is not only all around us but within us as well”. Each individual within an organization comes with a unique background and culture. Culture can be defined as the blending of values, politics, beliefs, behaviors, customs and attitudes that distinguishes one society from another. Since culture is a learned behavior that encompasses life-long experiences, it is adaptive. When merging cultures, this is an important...
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...paper Wal-Mart’s culturally and institutionally flawed entry into the German retail market Joakim Holsten Leren s105710 Julianne Øien s106222 Mirko Wichmann s145433 Lara-Caterina Buggert s145400 Eloise De Bont s145611 22 pages Table of Contents Introduction 2 Case presentation 2 The Wal-Mart concept 3 Institutional challenges [to be deleted] 4 Cultural challenges [to be deleted] 4 German market 5 Theoretical Background 5 The cultural perspective 6 The institutional perspective 9 Case Analysis 12 The cultural perspective 12 The institutional perspective 15 Recommendations 19 Cultural 19 Institutional 20 Limitations 22 Cultural 22 Institutional 22 Conclusion 23 References: 25 Introduction The purpose of this paper is to address and analyze the challenges Wal-Mart faced during its entrance into the German market in the late 1990s. We have analyzed this with the following problem in mind: “Which aspects, both cultural and institutional, led to Wal-Mart’s failure in Germany and what should they have done instead?” We will approach this problem by outlining theoretical frameworks for analyzing cultural and institutional aspects of a company. We will then employ said theories in order to analyze the case of Wal-Mart’s failure in Germany. Finally, we will come to a conclusion concerning what they should have done as they entered into the German market. Different forms of distance CAGE, Taste and deep-seated preferences...
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...This merger would join together Germans and American to create synergy to dominate the world automotive market. In theory, this was a brilliant idea to bring together the best engineers and auto stylists in the world. However, differences in culture which was thought to be a minor barrier turned out to be a major underlying factor behind the failure of DaimlerChrysler. Separate cultural ideals on business practices, communications and management destroyed this endeavor. In this case analysis, we will evaluate and understand how cultural differences, organizational structure, management styles, integration strategy and stakeholders played a role in this failure. The cultures of these two companies were totally different; Daimler Benz was aggressive and believed in gaining every advantage possible to be the top automotive company in the world. Chrysler was a firm that was non-aggressive and progressed slowly. They believed that they gained most of their success from production and operations flexibility. In addition to this, the procedures for compensation and decision-making cause severe friction between top level managers of the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. At lower levels, employees bickered about items such as working hours, dress code and smoking while working. Language barriers definitely became a major point of emphasis between the two different factions of the new company. Chrysler veterans had almost no ability to speak or write in German. Meanwhile, Daimler managers could...
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...and efficient system of manufacturers. Germans pride their country on national products produced. Germans have achieved success by hard work and efficiency. The quality of products is recognized throughout the world. Moran, Harris, Moran (2011) In today’s global business environment, developing successful business strategies and valuable business relationships, based on an awareness of this German culture, is essential. To be successful obtaining the great results from a business relationship with a German company, we have to observe and understand their social rules, etiquette and values in order to deal with them better. It is important to observe and understand many of the social rules in order to make a positive impression on your German hosts. It is probably a good idea to understand how Germans view business. Germans maintain a stronger separation between home and office than Americans do. ‘Work is work and play is play’ is an important distinction in their culture. Randlesome (1994) Germans have a reputation for being industrious, hard-working, reserved. They are meticulous and exact and often very militaristic in the preciseness of their actions. The Germans are not an outward people. They tend to be very private. Moran et al. (2011) Though their daily routine brings them into close contact with many different people, they are close to only a very few. Randlesome et al. (1994) The Germans make a strong distinction between acquaintance and a friend. The handshake...
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...to generate greater profits and become household names internationally. This essay will look at how American born company Wal-Mart Stores, Inc has grown and seen successes and failures in the international environment. It also will look at reasons behind the failures in relation to culture, using the venture into the world’s third largest retail market, Germany as the main focus for the essay. Firstly, this essay will look at culture and some theories that surround it and also look at different dimensions that make up culture. The definition of culture according to the Oxford Dictionary (1992) is: “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively or a refined understanding or appreciation of culture”. The theory that has been chosen to outline culture is Geert Hofstede’s five dimensions. The reason Hofstede’s theory has been used as an example in this case is because of the extensive research that he has put into developing his theories, as well as its relevance to the Wal-Mart failure in Germany. Between the years of 1967 and 1973, while Hofstede was working at international company IBM as a psychologist, he did a survey of over 100,000 employees in 40 different countries. From these results he was able to come up with four dimensions that can help people to understand the intercultural differences within regions and between counties. The four dimensions that Hofstede came...
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...one country. Business dealings with partners and customers from other countries entail communication with those from different cultural backgrounds. The following paragraphs provide an example of a corporation's failure to research a country's cultural pattern and how one seemingly innocent action comes close to ending a thriving business. Examination of the corporation’s near-fatal business decision provides a better understanding of the important role effective intercultural communication plays in today’s business. By clearly defining each country’s cultural patterns and taxonomies, one can begin to determine where communication fails, and how best to correct the problem. Suggestions for improvement of intercultural communication between the two countries are provided by applying communication theorists Kluckholm and Strodbeck’s Value Orientation theory to the example situation. Further examination of this corporation’s poor intercultural communication, clearly demonstrates the need for countries to be constantly aware of and respect each other’s beliefs, values, social practices, and socially shared expectations. Puma’s Near-Fatal Mistake Puma is a large supplier of sporting apparel, footwear, and accessories. The company, “distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 10,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany” (PUMA, 2013, p. 1). The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is second only to Saudi Arabia in Germany’s export...
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...series of qualitative interviews with Japanese managers and German managers and workers in thirty-one Japanese-owned companies in the Dusseldorf region of western Germany, this article discusses differences in cultural patterns and organizational styles between the German and Japanese employees and the problems these pose for communication, cooperation, and morale. First, we deal with cultural contrasts: language issues, interpersonal styles (personability and politeness), and norms regarding the taking of responsibility. Second, we examine the impact on cross-nationality relations of established organizational practice: for example, German specialism vs. Japanese generalism; direct and vertical vs. indirect and incremental decision making. We also discuss efforts by these firms to find compromise systems that would meet the needs and interests of both sides. The third focus is the reactions of Japanese companies in North Rhine-Westphalia to German unions, works councils, and codetermination regulations. In the labor view, Japanese firms overall do no better or worse than comparable German firms. Japanese direct investment in Western economies is concentrated in North America and the United Kingdom. In consequence, a rich journalistic and scholarly literature examines the Japanese experience in the Anglo-American countries, the management styles and organization structures of the subsidiaries, and the relations between the Japanese management and the local workforce (see, e.g...
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...times per week at more than 8,416 retail units under 53 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Wal-Mart employs more than 2.1 million associates worldwide. Nearly 75% of its stores are in the United States (“Wal-Mart International Operations”, 2004), but Wal-Mart is expanding internationally. The Group is engaged in the operations of retail stores located in all 50 states of the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom, Central America, Chile, Mexico,India and China Wal-Mart’s entry and operation in Germany Wal-Mart’s initial entry into German market was through the acquisitions of renowned 21 store Wertkauf chain for an estimated $1.04 billion in December 1997.It was followed one year later by the acquisition of In-terspar’s 74 hypermarkets from Spar Handels AG, the German unit of the French Intermarché Group , for €560 million. Thus Wal-Mart immediately became the country’s fourth biggest operator of hypermarkets. However, with a turnover of around €2.9...
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