Introduction
A critical Review of Okoro, Ephraim, "Cross-Cultural Etiquette and Communication in Global Business: Toward a Strategic Framework for Managing Corporate Expansion." International Journal of Business and Management 7.16 (2012): 130-8. ProQuest. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Using Hofstede’s renowned cultural dimensions, Okoro (130-8) explores the effect of culture on globalization. The author starts by taking note of the increasingly growing trend towards globalization alongside the manner in which it has affected modern business operations. Okoro (130) further reports that there are manifold benefits related to the trend and that modern businesses must develop cultural competency in order to survive in their endeavors. Global workforce
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The three countries are located in different places and practice unique business etiquette. For instance, he observes that most Chinese are reserved unlike their United States counterparts. Business relationships in the U.S. are considered separate from friendship. Personal relationships are swiftly formed and dissolved. Therefore, many regard the U.S. business relationships as weak and short-term, whereas in China business relationships are viewed as lifelong commitments (Moll 88). Moreover, the business etiquette in China is directly related to sensitivity to face. This is the assessment of a person’s self image, integrity, and credibility. Some of the tactics used to give or receive face include shaming, requests, praising, intermediaries, and indirectness. The Chinese also value saving face through avoiding public confrontations. They also value win-win negotiation approach that accords negotiators equal treatment in order to enhance the scope and strength of …show more content…
He achieves the objective through review of current practices alongside the manner in which they are related to success in global business environment. According to him, there is a direct link between effective communication and organizational success. To achieve effective communication, the author recommends two approaches that are widespread in most parts of the world: upward and downward forms of communication. He also gives examples of places where the tactics are the predominant means of communication. In terms of effective business etiquette, the article explores a number of practices commonly used in three different geographical
The modern world has experienced tremendous changes, which have contributed to changes in people living in the global world. These changes have mainly been brought by globalization, which is a major phenomenon in the 21st Century. Leaders across various professions, businesses, and governments need to cope with globalization since it forces them to cross borders more often and communicate or conduct business with people from other cultures. This process involves developing necessary skills for working effectively in the modern complex world. Actually, the ability of these leaders to work effectively not only requires the development of essential skills but the application of leadership principles in the global work environment. In essence, leaders must develop their ability to apply leadership principles across culturally diverse workforce in today’s global work environment.
Constant technological and global changes create challenges that forces leaders to manage different cultures in different countries. People, goods, services, and ideas are moving today at greater speeds which mean our labor force is becoming more diverse and multicultural by the day. Effective leaders need to understand such global dynamics in order to successfully manage organizational cultures. The cultures of leaders and their core assumptions might be different from the values and assumptions of employees in a different country. Two managers working for the same global company might see things differently due to their backgrounds and cultural values. The different countries, in which the organization operates, will have different cultures depending on the social, economic, and political history of the country. Managing and understanding these differences need an effective cross-cultural thinking leader (Yukl, 2013). Some research questions that Yukl, 2013 suggests are: 1) how behavior differs across cultural values and for different countries? 2) How values and behaviors are influenced by personality across company and country? 3) What types of traits, skills, and experience are most useful to prepare a leader being assigned to a new country? 4) How does the fast-changing culture in developing countries affect and relate to
Globalization can be defined as “making worldwide in scope or application”(1). In this comparison of the global corporate culture of Northwest Airlines and American Airlines several areas will be addressed. The strength of the global culture with-in the companies. The fit of the company to the global marketplace, and the adaptive ness or the empowerment of the employees will be examined and compared. Perhaps more important, than whether they currently have a global atmosphere, is whether they can improve or create this atmosphere. A comparison between the two airlines will be made on their mission statements, information dissemination, global-mindedness, career paths, and the use of cultural differences as an asset and if a worldwide training system is in place. A conclusion will then be made as to which corporation has the best organizational composition to compete in the global market.
Wild, J. J., Wild, K. L., & Han, J. C. (2008). (CH2)Cross-Cultural Business and (CH5)International Trade,. International business: the challenges of globalization (4th ed., pp. 48, 61-62, 132, 136, 147). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
middle of paper ... ... titutions, and organizations across nations", Thousand Oaks, 2001 Hofstede, Geert H.: "Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind", New York, 1997 Marx, Elisabeth: "Breaking through culture shock: what you need to succeed in international business"; London, 1999 Mendenhall, Mark E./ Kühlmann, Torsten M../ Stahl, Günther K./ Osland, Joyce S.: "Employee Development and Expatriate Assignments" in Gannon, Martin J./ Newman, Karen L. (Editors): "The Blackwell Handbook of cross-cultural management", Oxford, 2002 Simpson, J.A./ Weiner, Edmund S.C. (prepared by): "Oxford English Dictionary", 2nd edition, Oxford, 1991 Wagner, W.: "Kulturschock Deutschland", Hamburg, 1996 Ward, Colleen: "Acculturation" in Landis, Dan/ Bhagat, Rabi S. (Editors): "Handbook of Intercultural Training", Thousand Oaks, 1996
The rest of the book is spent discussing each of the countries in detail. For each country the authors give a brief explanation of the history of the culture. Then they give tips on what each country expects from a visiting businessman. This includes tips on whether or not it is okay to be late for meetings, proper behavior during a business lunch or dinner, and how to properly address people you come in contact with during your business trip. They also give a guide t...
With the proliferation of the internet international Business transactions are more common today than ever. Globalization is now a key factor when creating a business strategy for most companies whether they are small family own businesses or huge corporations. Globalization however does not just involve selling a product in other countries. There are legal and cultural concerns that must be addressed. The legal aspects are fairly simple because in most places the laws are spelled out. It's the local customs, and regional way of doing things that can be tricky. Research on globalization has shown that it is not an omnipotent, unidirectional force leveling everything in its path. Because a global culture does not exist, any search for it would be futile. It is more fruitful to instead focus on particular aspects of life that are indeed affected by the globalizing process. (1). In this new economy, as it has been in the past, it will be the people not the machines who will determine a company's success. Having an effective Human Resource Management team that effectively analyze your company's current and future personnel needs is key in any business organization.
It would be very easy to refer to international human resource management as little more than HRM on a national scale with some additional features that indeed similarities in the role of human resource management within national and international organizations; however, there are also some significant differences, not least of which is the development and deployment of staff in different national and regional locations around the world. The somewhat overused maxim encouraging the imperative to ‘think globally and act locally’, if nothing else, illustrates the importance of looking at the management of global organization at two, sometimes distinct, levels. The first of these may take the form of a management strategy based upon the concepts of standardization and universalism where the principal aim is to create a management culture that is recognizable to a specific organization wherever it operates around the globe. The second level of strategy may involve taking different approaches to management in different locations around the world. This second approach may be particularly important where there are significant cultural differences, brought about by national and organizational culture, between one location and another. The role of the international human resource manager is, therefore, that of setting the tone of management for the organization as it conducts business across the globe dependent upon cultural variation and variety and market needs from one region to another. Put perhaps more theatrically, the international human resource manager is the conscience of the international firm. （Wildish,C.2002,pp.207-208）
As companies grow and put heavier weight on the importance of globalization, the need for companies to partake in cultural learning becomes more and more vital. With the various cultures worldwide, companies will find it highly beneficial to not only learn what makes the people within these cultures tick, but more importantly, apply it to their business strategies. In order to successfully manage, merge, or trade with other countries, one must understand how cultures differ from each other and what steps they need to take to be successful when conducting business with these cultures. The use of cultural anthropologists has proven beneficial for companies like Google, Intel, and Microsoft in implementing their business
In international management, culture is acquired knowledge that peoples use to interpret experiences and generate social behavior. This knowledge forms values, creates attitudes and influences behavior. Because different cultures exist in the world an understanding of the impact of culture on behavior is critical in the international management. There are many way of examining culture differences and their impact on international management. Culture can affect technology transfer, managerial attitude, managerial ideology and even business-government relations. Cultural affects a host of business-related activities, even the including the common handshake. For example, in the United States, the standard greeting is a smile, often accompanied by a nod, wave and it may sometimes include verbal greeting. In business situations, a firm handshake is used. Feeble handshakes are viewed as negatively as weakness. Men usually wait for women to offer their hand before shaking. As in the Czech Republic, shake hands, firmly but briefly, with everyone (including children) when introduced. It is also customary to shake hands once again upon departure. Men should wait to see if women extend their hands in inter-gender meetings. Also, avoid keeping the left hand in one's pocket while shaking hands with the right. In the Czech Republic, politics and other complicated ...
In recent decades, the process of globalization has accelerated and the world economy has become increasingly interdependent. The rise in the number of businesses that extensively operate in more than one foreign country, which is known as multinational corporations, plays an important role in the ongoing procedure of globalization. The United Nations has reported that multinational corporations hold one-third of world’s productive assets and control 70 percent of world trade (Schermerhorn et al., 2014). As there is a considerable growth in international businesses, worldwide economy is becoming more highly competitive. The global economy not only offers great opportunities for multinational enterprises but also on the other hand, creates many difficulties for them. Therefore, success in the large-scale economy requires a number of elements. One of the major determinants is dependent on global managers. In the operation of organizations, managers may encounter different international management challenges that restrict their business development. These challenges often include issues associated with the host countries, the global workforce diversity management, management across cultures, difficulties in competitive global business environment as well as in the process of global planning and controlling. This essay is going to discuss the above international management challenges in a broad sense and giving illustration in aspects of each challenge.
Nowadays, the phenomenon of globalization has massively affected the social and cultural values and has made an assembled standard of uniqueness and obstacles. Moreover, international organizations such as multinational companies, corporate brandings, non-governmental organizations, and global media play a critical part by quickening communications among social societies worldwide (Ghodrati, Joorabchi & Muati, 2015). Especially for the effect of globalization, world has started become more culturally diverse and incorporated each and another. In today’s workplace, a constructive effect of cultural diversity in the work environment is that employees having a place
The differences in other cultures vary from beliefs to ways of life, or norms, of the different societies. The importance of understanding and sensitivity to other countries’ differences is crucial to a business’ success. “Lack of familiarity with the business practices, social customs, and etiquette of a country can weaken a co...
To be successful in today’s global market, managers and leaders need to understand more than just technical skills. Managers and leaders should also understand globalization and organizational behavior. Globalization is the tendency of businesses, technologies, or philosophies to spread throughout the world, or the process of making this happen. The global economy is sometimes referred to as a globality, characterized as a totally interconnected marketplace, unhampered by time zones or national boundaries (Search CIO). Organizational behavior is a field of study that studies individuals groups, and structure. Organizational behavior applies the knowledge gained about individuals, groups, and the effect of structure on behavior in order to make organizations work more effectively (Robbins,2014).Gaining an understanding of globalization and its effect on organizational behavior is crucial to interacting effectively in the modern global economy. Globalization affects an organization’s behavior in several ways like stimulating hyper competitive pricing for a product or service, perpetuating continuous operations and communicating around the clock and globe, capitalism is replacing governmental control and organizations are no longer constrained by borders, and corporations are becoming more heterogeneous and adapting to people who are from different nationalities and cultures. To be successful in a global economy, professionals should have a thorough knowledge of sociology, psychology, communication, and management.
Sonderberg, A-M & N Holden. (2002), Rethinking cross cultural management in a globalizing business world' International Journal of Cross Culture Management 2(1): 103-121