Multicultural Business Environment Research Articles

Interaction of intercultural service encounters

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to better understand the impact of intercultural communication and personality on customer satisfaction and loyalty in grocery retailing. In this endeavour, this study illustrates the unique context of intercultural communication to highlight several improvements in the literature and to encourage the advancement of the intercultural communication in the literature.Design/methodology/approachTo initiate the research, a survey approach was taken. In total, 681 questionnaires were returned out of 1,100 that were distributed within selected grocery retailers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The measurement of the constructs and their interrelationships is examined based on partial least square-structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings validate the proposed framework with statistically significant relationships among all constructs. Furthermore, it exposes additional insights into some practical and conceptual solutions for addressing the intercultural communication of culturally diverse encounters in the Malaysian grocery retail industry. These contributions postulate an impetus for future research in various service settings.Originality/valueBased on role, interdependence and cognitive consistency theory, this study assesses the role of the personality of grocery retail consumers on intercultural communication competence (ICC) and its impact on inter-role congruence (IRC) and interaction comfort (IAC). It is anticipated that by filling this knowledge gap, the research will assist in strengthening retail communication strategies, which require intercultural communication adjustments in a multicultural business environment. The ICC is expected to improve the retail industry competitiveness when it positively influences IRC and IAC among customers.

Executive coaching and national culture in the United Arab Emirates: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

ObjectivesThis study explores the interaction between national culture and coaching methods that executive coaches use in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objective is to develop understanding regarding whether executive coaches varied methods or approaches depending upon a coaching recipient being an Expatriate or a UAE National citizen.DesignThe research took place in the UAE, using semi-structured interviews with four participants. The participants were executive coaches with experience and understanding of different approaches and methods used in coaching psychology practice.MethodsA qualitative method of data collection and analysis, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was used to examine the lived experience and making sense of rich individual narratives. The double-hermeneutic approach of IPA generated understanding via interpretation of the participant’s perceptions.ResultsCultural Values, Business Environment and Approach and Methods were three themes that emerged from the study. National culture is a significant feature of life in the UAE, is omnipresent in the complex, multicultural business environment and manifests itself in differences of cultural values and dimensions. Whilst national culture is important, it is only one of many layers that shape an individual. Participants prioritise and customise their coaching approach based upon the coachee as an individual and their current contextual situation. Only small differences are identifiable in the utility of certain coaching methods due to national culture, however, the approach to coaching is adjusted to address higher expectations of direction, different motivational factors, different value systems and the higher emphasis on relationships and trust amongst Emiratis.

Bi-Cultural Reflections of HR Strategies of Pakistani-Owned Enterprises in the UK

This paper explores bi-cultural reflections of HR strategies and practices of Pakistani-owned enterprises in the UK. The study was aimed to discover some facts about Pakistani entrepreneurs' rationale in hiring and keeping talent with them in the UK's multicultural business environment. The topic of the research was investigated through questionnaire-based field survey around randomly selected 50 enterprises and 165 respondents located in major cities of the UK. The study revealed that Pakistani origin entrepreneurs are playing their role as bicultural mediators to grow, compete and succeed in the UK. Their dual socialization as Pakistani and UK citizens helped them to make their business entities attractive for both Asian and white British communities. Their HR practices were particularly influenced by cultural factors. They were inflexible, formal, professional and disciplined like white British, and flexible, tolerant, informal and social like Asians. Bi-cultural reflections of these enterprises provided them a wider platform to ensure more and more acceptability and adjustability in a highly competitive market of the UK. Despite financial and administrative limitations, Pakistani enterprises are moving forward in managing knowledgeable and skilled people with them. The findings of the study provide some practical lessons to SMEs in the UK in general and ethnic minority SMEs in particular. :

Мултикултурна бизнес-среда – управленски подходи, ценности, тенденции и стереотипи

The article explores the setting up of a system of management procedures and approaches under the conditions of a multicultural business environment. The trends, the stereotypes and the impact of cultural differences on the values in the work process are identified. An analysis is made of the tools for an evaluation of the challenges, facing the management in the organisation and society. The focus is on assessment of the five determinants (5-D model) of Geert Hofstede for measuring and comparing national cultures. The research justifies the argument that knowledge of cultural values, stereotypes and cultural trends is not sufficient for the effective leadership and management of human capital in a multicultural organisation. It is necessary to apply this knowledge in practice by different models of management and methods of motivating people to achieve optimum efficiency in the work process. Based on this, conclusions and recommendations are formulated to increase the effectiveness of management in a multicultural environment.

Oczekiwania pracodawców a kształcenie kompetencji międzykulturowych przyszłych ekonomistów i menedżerów

The article aims to insight intercultural competence training of economic universities students. The main thesis of the paper is to emphasize training of these competencies at universities what influences higher education effectiveness and suits educational offer to labor market requirements. This constitutes the main source of competitive advantage of a given university graduates in a multicultural business environment thus their employment agencies. The essence of competence of intercultural communication and tools to develop it during a formal education process at university as well as free time. Keywords: intercultural communication competence, higher education, competence management, employers’ expectations.

THE INFLUENCE OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF ENTERPRISES

To be competitive in the EU market, Lithuanian companies must effectively manage and use their production factors and resources. As exclusive production factors are the intellectual capital, the scientific-technical progress, the production concentration and specialization, and its combination. According to the results of the investigation, every company which seeks to compete successfully in markets should adapt the sophisticated methods to approve and use effective criteria of competition. Trying to do this is used the common model for the study, which evaluated principles of the industry and competitive strategies. Summarizing the results of the survey, the business personnel's ability to act in the broader EU internal market to ensure competitiveness in the capital reflects the intellectual influence. Typically, this occurs as a factor: orientation to the final performance; the ability to align corporate objectives with the interests of different social groups; ability to understand and practically apply the latest management skills and practices (change management, global quality management, knowledge management, etc.); ability to operate in the multicultural business environment; orientation to the people and the recognition that the negotiations in the company are as important as the negotiations with external partners and others.

BARRIERS IN MULTICULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF SLOVENIA AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Companies that work in multicultural environments face several challenges in their everyday business life. In this article we focus on the communication aspect of working in multicultural business environments. We test the hypothesis that companies that work in multicultural environments are subject to communication barriers due to different cultural backgrounds of people that engage in these types of communication. We test the hypothesis through a case study of two companies, one from Bosnia and Herzegovina and one from Slovenia, that engage in mutual multicultural communication. Through an in-depth interview with the project manager who takes part in this communication every day and a survey with the employees, we identify and analyse the communication barriers that the employees perceive as relevant to their business processes. We overcome these barriers through the application of the fruitful intercultural business communication model. The main contribution of this work lies in demonstrating the applicability of this model to practical cases and the demonstration of the fact that cultural barriers can exist and inhibit successful business even in environments in close sociocultural and geographic proximity.

Cultural determinants of media choice for deception

In today’s business environment, deception is commonplace (Blumberg, 1989; Ruane, Cerulo, et al., 1994). Historically, individuals were limited in their media options, however recent technological advances have given individuals more ways in which to communicate and deceive. The use of these new media change the communication dynamic substantially. Previous studies have found that deception detection differs across media, as media vary in their ability to transmit cues, convey emotion and reversibility, among others. Researchers are beginning to understand the dynamics between media characteristics, individual characteristics and media choice in a deceptive communication context.Not only is deception commonplace in today’s multicultural business environment, communication participants can come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Taking this into account, the current study seeks to use media synchrony theory to derive a model of media choice based on an individual’s espoused national culture. In this study a scenario-based media choice task was given to subjects in the United States and China, and the results indicate that espoused national culture does influence media choice for deception. Specifically, individuals who scored highly on collectivism preferred to lie using text-based media, individuals who scored high on power distance preferred to lie using audio media and individuals who scored high on masculinity preferred to lie using visual media. Implications for research and practitioners are discussed.

A TECHNICAL COLLEGE'S RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR INTERNATIONALIZING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Part of the mission of the American Association of Community Colleges addresses the need for a curriculum emphasis on international and intercultural education (Wismer, 1994, p. 77). Considering that (a) 2‐year colleges exist primarily to prepare students for jobs, (b) many American businesses operate in an international environment, and (c) a growing proportion of companies in the United States are foreign affiliated, the internationalization of our curriculums is necessaryforthe fulfillment of institutional missions of preparing the workforce for businesses. However, to fully internationalize college programs and services, the focus must be on more than courses and curriculums. The everyday life of college students, faculty, and staff must present evidence of cultural diversity. Internationalization, therefore, must be infused at every level of college activity. Such an infusion is occurring at Florence‐Darlington Technical College in Florence, South Carolina. There are four broad categories within which activities are planned or are underway: (a) resource development, (b) awareness development and information dissemination, (c) faculty and staff development, and (d) curriculum development. The importance of the need for this South Carolina college to undertake internationalizing initiatives is underscored by the multicultural business environment that exists in the state. For many years, international investment has created record levels of new employment opportunities for South Carolinians and has contributed significantly to statewide economic and industrial growth. The economic impact of international business in the state is apparent. However, there is also a cultural impact that is less obvious, yet profound. These factors present some definite implications for the need to internationalize technical college programs and services.