Defining CC Framework As It Applies In International Business

The need for well-built cross-cultural competence [CC] (Lenartowicz and Apud, 2006) in the world of work is intensifying than ever before. Globalization and the shifting demographics in most of world leading nations have caused a significant increase in multicultural workplace. With the economic downturn and the opportunities offered by the ICT, many firms are also venturing into international business (IB). Academic scholars and business writers alike have identified CC as one of key ingredient in IB success. Culture as a concept and as a reality is wide and complex. On a regular basis, culture influences our existence — as an individual, people, societies, professions, organizations, industries and nations — as well as how we relate with one another in and across regional and national boundaries. In local and global workplace environment, individuals in organizations depict their respective cultural upbringings. In today globalized workplace, cross-cultural competence is essentially the capabilities that employees must have in order to function at the level of performance required in employment. CC is crucial for IB; the lack of it makes many MNEs to fail, their failure is not because of lack expertise and technical know-how but due to cross-cultural competence of the host country. Therefore, for firms to effectively manage their diverse workforce depends on the structure they have in place.

Defining CC Framework As It Applies In International Business

The prescribe journal, revealed CC was derived from behavioural adaptation that people engage in so as to relate effectively with individuals from different cultures (Lenartowicz and Apud, 2006). The academic authors, after series of examination of earlier definitions of...

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...ral workplace. It aims at managing multi-cultural stakeholders. In future, globalization will persistently to intertwine human populations in cultural, ecological, economic and political terms. An organization that appreciates and values international diversity and the cultural nature of its business environment is well positioned to develop cross-cultural competencies for effective IB relationships.

Works Cited

Cardy, R.L. and Selvarajan, T.T (2006) ‘Competencies: Alternative frameworks for competitive advantage’, Business Horizons 49, 235—245

Johnson, J.P., Lenartowicz, T. & Apud, S. (2006) ‘Cross-cultural competence in international business: toward a definition and a model’, Journal of International Business Studies, 37 (4), pp. 525–543. [Online]Retrieved February 17, 2010 from http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400205