CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT

Cross-Cultural Management

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Discussion5

Validity of National Cultures5

Theoretical Models for Analyzing Cultural Differences5

Hofstede's dimension of culture6

Individualism6

Power distance7

Uncertainty avoidance7

Masculinity/Femininity8

Trompenaar's perspective of cultural difference9

Neutral versus effective9

Specific versus Diffusive10

Achieved Status versus Ascribed Status10

Sequential versus Synchronous10

Internal Control versus External Control11

National Management Style11

Other Barriers in Cross-Culture Businesses11

Decision Making Authority12

Hiring Process12

Cultural Prejudices12

Non Verbal Communication Process13

Managing Cultural Differences13

Ways to Combat Cross-Cultural Issues13

Creating a Positive Environment13

Implementation of Communication Strategy14

Development of Competencies15

Three Strategies of Ignoring, Minimising or Utilizing16

Ignoring17

Minimizing17

Utilizing17

Conclusion18

Cross-Cultural Management

Introduction

Globalization is a phenomenon that is in vogue nowadays. In this rapidly changing world, to succeed it is imperative for an organization to adopt the phenomenon of globalization. On one hand, globalization cultivates scores of benefits for the organization. On the other hand, it also generates various dilemmas for management. This phenomenon of globalization presents challenges of understanding and managing different facets of cross-culture. According to Stephen Roberts:

“Culture is the framework in which we communicate”.

This suggests that various factors give rise to the various problems of cross-cultural. These factors include language, environment, technology, social organization, the perception of authority and nonverbal communications. Having the ability to assess these variables is vital in ensuring for managers to convey messages and conduct business across a wide range of cultures. This paper addresses various problems and dilemmas within multicultural project teams. This paper also pays emphasis on the significance of leadership in the management of cross-cultural differences. The aim of this paper is to reveal different ways or skills that managers need to smooth operation of business in multicultural teams. Furthermore, this paper sheds lights on variegated solutions that the managers adopt to conduct all the business activities smoothly, effectively and efficiently.

Discussion

Validity of National Cultures

Culture is a shared set of meanings among community of people who develop a common model from shared experiences (Zapf 1991, 106). This statement of Zapf one can say that culture for a different region must be different. This difference of culture plays a vital part in conducting the business smoothly while operating in multicultural teams.

Culture is the first expression of a nation, the expression of its preferences, of its taboos and its patterns. It is at every stage of the whole society that other taboos, values and patterns are formed. A national culture is the sum of total of all these appraisals; it is the result of internal and external tensions exerted over society as a whole and also at every level of that society.

The nation is not only the condition of culture, its fruitfulness, its continual renewal, and its deepening. It is also a necessity. It is the fight for national existence which sets culture moving and opens to it the doors of creation. The nation gathers together the various indispensable elements necessary for the creation of a culture, those elements which alone give it credibility, validly, life and creative power. In the same way, it is the national character that will make such a culture open to other culture and which will enable it to influence and permeate other ...