Abstract
In this paper, we use the work of the philosopher, Charles Taylor, to investigate the role of culture on internationalization decisions. Using parameters related to key constructs such as positive liberty, social ontology, expressivism, civic republicanism and common spaces, we look at how culture influences the decisions regarding corporate international expansion. This framework was applied in a multi-interview design in four firms from the food processing industry from France and Canada. Results showed an obvious sensitivity to cultural difference and that managerial practices surrounding this issue tended to be intuitive and emergent. These practices were not crystallized in the form of a conscious and deliberate organizational strategy for dealing with cultural difference when planning foreign market entry. Our findings triggered further reflections on managerial implications such as the importance of searching more explicitly for cultural and organizational anchors when reviewing location factors.
Highlights
Because of growing internationalization of corporate activities, individuals from different cultures are in more frequent contact than in the past
This suggests further opening research to contributions from disciplines other than management. We test this intuition by constructing a grid inspired by the work of philosopher Charles Taylor. We apply it to the internationalization strategies of four firms in the food processing industry
Our results show an obvious sensitivity of executives for the issue of cultural difference, and show that managerial practices surrounding that issue tend to be an intuitive and emergent process and are not crystallized in the form of a conscious and deliberate organizational strategy for dealing with cultural difference when planning foreign market entry
Summary
Because of growing internationalization of corporate activities, individuals from different cultures are in more frequent contact than in the past. Few have tried to open the black box of decision-making to see how the cultural variable influences the formulation of decisions regarding corporate penetration of foreign markets. We must drill down to the level of the values that lie underneath the decision maker’s attitudes toward culture. This suggests further opening research to contributions from disciplines other than management. We test this intuition by constructing a grid inspired by the work of philosopher Charles Taylor. We apply it to the internationalization strategies of four firms in the food processing industry. Though cautiously, that management scholarship can gain from opening itself up to contributions from other fields
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