Master's Thesis from the year 2002 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1 (A), University of Brighton (Management), language: English, abstract: Introduction The member countries of the European Union are becoming more and more integrated, but, as the above extract shows, cultural differences among the individual states still remain and can pose problems. Effective cross-cultural management and communication between the countries is essential in order to work efficiently together and build a strong union. We encounter cross-cultural issues in all areas of our life, but in this dissertation I will concentrate on cross-cultural communication and management in a business context. Today, numerous businesses operate on an international or European level, mergers between companies from different countries have become very common and for these businesses to work efficiently management and employees have to be aware of cultural differences and understand how to use them to their advantage, instead of seeing them as an obstacle. Having worked in an international environment for several years, I have become aware of differences between nationalities and interested in exploring where these differences come from and how to accept and deal effectively with them. Over the summer of 2001 I was working as a coach for several European teams within American Express Customer Relations and encountered difficulties with some of my trainees, which, as I realised later, were triggered by cultural differences. In this paper I will attempt to give a brief overview of the work of three major theorists, who have researched cross-cultural management and communication. In the second chapter I will outline the consequences cultural differences can have on the workings and organisation of business. Due to the parameters of this project I have chosen only three areas to look at - communication, leadership and meetings. The next chapter will include details about a survey I conducted at American Express Customer Relations, the results of which I will critically evaluate and compare to the theories mentioned in Chapter 1. [...]

Cross Cultural Communication is a practical handbook for those who regularly deal with other cultures in their day-to-day work.

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 2,0, Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, course: Cross Cultural Management, language: English, abstract: The recent 20 years have been the era of globalization with enormous growth in international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI). In former times, most Western companies did not engage in international business. On the hand their domestic market seemed to be attractive enough and there were sufficient opportunities for growth. On the other hand, companies did not have to take into consideration the specific features of foreign markets, such as foreign languages and “strange” cultural behaviour. Nowadays, however, the changing business environment has forced most companies to seek opportunities in foreign markets as well. (Compare: Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders, Wong; Page 166) This development has led to the existence of so - called MNCs - multinational companies, which conduct business globally. Nowadays, there is no economy in which foreign companies are not active. In those companies, employees, suppliers and customers come from many different cultures, which has led to an increasing awareness about questions related to Cross Cultural Management (Compare: Bergemann, Sourisseaux; Page 9) In my essay, I will concentrate on this topic and I will try to describe cross cultural management in France. Concerning the structure of this essay, I want to start off by trying to give an explanation of the term "culture". Afterwards, I will explain one of the best known models to describe cultural dimensions -Hofstede's 5-D-Model- and point out French and German cultural elements. But my main goal is to show how culture influences the management process and the business behaviour of the French company leaders and to compare these elements to the German business people. I will explain some differences between German and French business people, as far as management and leadership are concerned, by the help of an investigation of small and medium – sized companies. By describing three important features – values and objectives, internal leadership and external leadership I will point out the main differences between German and French company leaders, as far as leading and representing the firm, but also behaviour in daily business life and the relationship to business partners is concerned. Finally, I will point out, what German business people have to consider when they do business with French companies, how they can avoid mistakes in business decisions, how Germans should behave in a French company and draw a conclusion of this essay.

ÔPrimecz, Romani, and Sackmann provide managers and educators with a powerful framework that goes beyond simple categorization of national and cultural differences in business. Their framework of negotiated meaning systems, and the rich cases that illustrate the Òin-the-momentÓ experiences of global managers as they conduct business in culturally unfamiliar milieus provide managers and educators with a powerful tool for developing global managerial skills. This is a book every global manager and cross-cultural educator should have on his or her bookshelf.Õ Ð Mark E. Mendenhall, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, US ÔThis is a unique, alternative view of culture that has both practical and theoretical significance. The creative analysis of cases from around the world moves the field beyond the sophisticated stereotyping that can result from relying solely on cultural value dimensions to decode interactions. The cases address significant cross-cultural issues, providing useful lessons and richer perspectives on culture.Õ Ð Joyce Osland, San JosŽ State University, US ÔThis book is an excellent collection of practical and useful cases in cross-cultural management, with some that are very different from what we would call ÒtraditionalÓ cases in cross-cultural management. They are excellent teaching material with an introduction and a conclusion that show students and practitioners how meanings are negotiated in diverse and complex cross-cultural situations.Õ Ð Marie-Therese Claes, Louvain School of Management, Belgium ÔA fascinating book for both the diversity of cultures that are touched upon (from Asia and Africa to Europe and America) and the cultural analyses that are made of various management situations resulting from the transfer of management techniques across countries or the encountering of those embedded in different cultures.Õ Ð Philippe dÕIribarne, CNRS, France ÔA group of multidisciplinary authors from various countries and cultures bring rich experience to this volume. The focus on real-life situations offers a fresh perspective on culture in organizations and management through in-depth case studies including both academic and pedagogical sides. It addresses multi-level cross-cultural issues of international strategic importance for globalizing workplaces. This insightful book is excellent reading for practitioners as well as scholars and students interested in applications in the field of cross-cultural management.Õ Ð Cordula Barzantny, Toulouse Business School, France ÔThis volume offers an insightful introduction to qualitative field research aiming to understand the dynamics in intercultural business interactions. Based on the findings provided in ten rich cases from Asia, Europe, North Africa, USA and Latin America, the editors also propose strategies for more effective collaboration in challenging multiple-cultures contexts. The authors and editors have succeeded in transforming the field studies into cases that are stimulating and thought provoking readings, both for practitioners and students of cross-cultural management.Õ Ð Anne-Marie S¿derberg, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark Based on the view that culture is dynamic and negotiated between actors, this groundbreaking book contains a collection of ten cases on cross-cultural management in practice. The cases draw on field research revealing challenges and insights from working across nations and cultures. Each case provides recommendations for practitioners that are developed into a framework for effective intercultural interactions as well as offering illustrations and insights on how to handle actual cross-cultural issues. This enriching book covers various topics including international collaborations across and within multinational companies, organizational culture in international joint ventures and knowledge transfer. Based on empirical fieldwork and qualitative analyses, this path-breaking book will appeal to graduate and postgraduate students in international management as well as practitioners.

For those who do business overseas, this book is a valuable insurance policy', commented The Good Book Guide on The Cross-cultural Business Pocketbook. 'It sets out not only examples of local attitudes and thinking but a whole way of planning and executing international communication and business dealing', continued the Guide. This Pocketbook is for anyone doing business outside his or her country, whether attending or organising a multinational conference, making a presentation to a group of managers from different countries, or being relocated abroad. Starting with a look at culture and its effects on working behaviour, the book then reviews ways of developing communication skills across the culture gap. Finally there is a section of specific material covering, amongst others, Europe, the Arab world and North America. A review of this book on Amazon.co.uk states: 'This little pocketbook is a gem. It is written clearly and has an easy to use section for identifying problem areas'.

And, as multinational corporations (MNCs) and Transnational Corporations (TNCs) spread their wings across nations with numerous employees of different nationalities, with their different cultures, different mores and different behaviours, organizations have to reconcile these differences and have to forge a unified organizational culture to achieve their mission, vision and objectives. This book eminently suits as a text to address these goals. Divided into 14 chapters, this comprehensive and well-organized text discusses in detail the many cultural issues facing organizations. Professor Bhattacharyya, with his expertise and wealth of experience, provides a masterly analysis of the subject, harmoniously blending the theory and practice of cross-cultural management, making it a unified whole. Not only does the text give a thorough understanding of culture, showing that it is an amalgam of shared values and behaviours of groups as well as a phenomenon applicable to individuals, it also delineates the many facets of corporate culture. The text discusses the entire gamut of organizational culture, cultural differences, diversity management, cross-cultural management, globalization, impact of culture on globalization, and the impact of technology and culture on organization. In addition, it focuses on cross-cultural communication, cultural issues in mergers and acquisitions, resource management, cross-cultural decision making, and ways and means of managing cross-cultural teams.

How has cultural diversity affected the business climate of the growing European Union? What are European institutions and enterprises doing to manage it? In 'EuroDiversity, ' Dr. Simons gathers issue-centered perspectives on how Europe's entwined past, present, and future have made it the most strikingly diverse part of the world and what this means for doing business there. 'EuroDiversity' provides: * Insights into Europe's cultural challenges of globalization, diversity dilemmas, and opportunities * Case studies, best practices, and resources for finding the common ground and developing the competence needed to succeed 'EuroDiversity' addresses how cultural diversity affects the business climate of the growing European Union and describes what European institutions and successful organizations are doing to manage it. The book's multinational team of authors gives us issue-centered perspectives on how Europe's entwined past, present and future have made it the most strikingly diverse part of the world and what this means for doing business there. They address Europe's cultural challenges of globalization and provide abundant insights into diversity dilemmas and opportunities. They point to the best practices and resources that will assist both European enterprises and those actively present in or trading with Europe to find the cultural common ground and competence they need to succeed. Contributors: Arjen Bos, Marie-Thérèse Claes, Ph.D., Elena A. A. Garcea, Ph.D., Nigel Holden, Ph.D., Michael Stuber