Multicultural Business Research Articles

Hambatan Komunikasi dan Penyelesaian Konflik Dalam Negosiasi Bisnis

Modern business, whether in trade of goods or services, is experiencing rapid growth that contributes to the global economy. However, globalization and technological advancements have brought challenges in communication and conflict resolution, especially in cross-cultural negotiations. This research aims to investigate communication barriers and conflict resolution strategies in the context of multicultural business negotiations, focusing on factors influencing intercultural communication and effective approaches to conflict resolution. A literature review approach is employed in this study. Data is collected from various related literature, including books, scientific journals, and articles discussing communication barriers and conflict resolution in business from 2015 to 2024. The data is critically analyzed to identify the relationship between communication barriers and conflict resolution in business negotiations. The research results indicate that language differences, communication styles, social norms, business ethics, and perceptions of time are major barriers in intercultural communication that can disrupt business negotiations. These barriers often lead to misunderstandings and conflicts that can damage business relationships. Additionally, interest-based approaches and Pancasila-based deliberation are identified as effective conflict resolution strategies, emphasizing the values of democracy, kinship, and mutual cooperation.

Student-Teacher Experience and Teacher-Student Exchange in Times of Uncertainty: Lessons From Covid-19

Remote learning is increasingly normalized in the education sector after the global coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, multicultural business schools can only adapt to the “new normal” if they globally understand how students and teachers are experiencing remote education. Recognizing the new dynamic between students and teachers is thus becoming ever more relevant. We conducted two studies to (1) explore the students’ and teachers’ experiences of remote learning and teaching and (2) examine the influence of teacher-student exchange on key outcomes previously explored. The first study is a netnographic exploration of the remote learning-teaching experience through 397 observations from eighty-three countries during Covid-19. Our first study’s findings suggest that students-teachers are experiencing remote learning-teaching through six dimensions operated within a three-axis framework. Considering these findings, the second study tests the impact of teacher-student exchange on students’ emotional exhaustion, learning performance, and emotional consonance in a business school multicultural sample. Our findings suggest that social exchange reduces students’ emotional exhaustion and increases their emotional consonance differently across cultures.

Emotional and cultural intelligences: a comparative analysis between the United States of America and Romania

Abstract Cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) represent key competencies of multicultural leadership in the new normal global business environment. This paper aims to present a comparative quantitative study concerning emotional and cultural intelligences in USA and Romania, backed by a brief geo-linked bibliometric literature review. The bibliometric analysis is performed with VOSviewer for the works focusing on these two variables published in USA and, respectively, in Romania. Inspired by the findings of this comparative analysis, it is performed a quantitative research based on 604 questionnaires distributed to managers in USA and in Romania, and on statistical processing using SPSS software. The statistical results show that both CQ and EQ constitute significant vectors in developing multicultural leadership and organizational performance in a multicultural business environment for both USA and Romania. The comparative study reveals a higher level of CQ and EQ in the Romanian business environment than in USA. The difference could be explained by the focus on rationality and profit maximization in the American business education. The contribution of the paper comes from these findings and they can help researchers and practitioners to stimulate their efforts in improving CQ and EQ competences.

The Interrelation of Politeness, Culture, and Speech Acts in Multilingual Corporate Communication

This article examines the relationship between politeness, culture, and speech acts in multilingual corporate communication. It emphasizes the role of second language acquisition (SLA) practices in teaching politeness strategies, with a focus on explicit instruction, immersion programs, and authentic language practice. The article also offers suggestions to enhance communication in such environments, using Luxembourg as an example of a multicultural business environment and highlighting the importance of understanding cultural norms and expectations surrounding politeness. By examining the interplay between these factors, this study aims to contribute to improved communication practices in multilingual corporate settings.

Faculty development initiatives critical to navigate multicultural Business Schools

Due to the increasing complexity of higher educational institutions and the rising mobility of students from new nations and cultures entering higher education, business school environments and their faculty are experiencing greater challenges in providing an inclusive learning experience across multiple classrooms and instructional formats. Business schools need to rise to the occasion to develop their faculty to meet these new challenges, rather than the onus being on faculty alone. This paper reviews the literature and ends with recommendations for business school administrators and management to help foster a business school culture of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance for faculty, staff, and students.

Embracing Complexity and Diversity in Business History: A Latin American Perspective

The boundaries of Business History, as a discipline, are constantly revisited. There have been contradictory views on the nature of our field for many decades, and they still exist today, reformulated by new generations and interest groups. As if these differences were not enough, there are also substantial disparities on when and how the subject has evolved worldwide. The discipline has expanded to new geographies recently, and several signals point to a more multicultural business history setting. However, some critical aspects still need to be addressed. How can we reinterpret and overcome the perpetuation of some hierarchies in our field? What are possible key insights from embracing an even more inclusive, global, and pluralistic vision of business history? My proposition is that these issues can be reinvigorated as part of a broader epistemological debate on humanistic and social sciences. This brief article considers possible alternatives for embracing even more diversity and complexity in our field from a Latin American perspective.

INTERNET AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION TO GENERATION Z

Generation Z can be regarded as a generation that since they were born have grown up with the internet. The digital generation's reliance on information and communication technologies in both personal and professional affairs may be at an all-time high. Because they are "technologically proficient," they have some competitive advantages over previous generations. As a result, Gen Zers are prepared and motivated to work in a multicultural business environment, contributing to the advancement of globalization and interconnection. Without a doubt, in today's environment, the transformation of the global workforce is the most globally oriented. With globalization and technology continuing to have an impact, Gen Zers' way of thinking supports cross-cultural social engagement and communication, making bridge leadership skills and strategies increasingly more crucial for CEOs of large and small businesses.

Trends and issues in multicultural business communications in South A'frica

In South Africa we have lived in a society where separation ofcommunities and racial groups has been the norm. Since 1994 theseparation is being bridged as more individuals encounter people withdifferent attitudes, value systems and cultural behavioural patterns insocial and business environments. This leads to new avenues ofunderstanding, but also to a wider scope for misunderstanding andunintentional miscommunication, especially in the business context.The way in which people communicate in a business setting, varies fromculture to culture. Such variation occurs in all stages of development andat all levels of culture. whether from one corporate culture to another, orfrom one region, state or country to another. Although most rules ofbusiness communication apply to the domestic business environment,Intercultural business communication requires knowledge and skills thatdiffer from those within a specific culture. It is impossible to know all thevariations in business communication in a multicultural business societylike South Africa, but businesspeople can and should prepare themselvesfor those experiences they are most likely to face in employee andcustomer relations when conducting business in more than one culture.This article probes the possibility of diminishing businessmiscommunication in South Africa, by focussing on awareness of barriersto multicultural marketing and management communication. Businesscommunication is defined as consisting of management as well asmarketing communication. A pilot survey on existing businesscommunication strategies in a large South African province is discussed.This has pointed towards a more comprehensive research project, with
 the aim of providing a three-tier model for effective multicultural marketingcommunication strategies in a post-Mande/a South Africa.

Global mindset as a predictor of life satisfaction of non-Western multicultural individuals: The mediational role of self-efficacy

The social and economic processes of the 21st century, related to globalisation, have provoked an increase in the number of multicultural individuals, the children of expatriates on overseas posts. Further, a rise of multicultural societies, like one of the United Arab Emirates without a dominant cultural frame can also be observed. These spur the necessity to seek mechanisms supporting cross-cultural individuals’ functioning in an increasingly globalised world. Global mindset, a notion rooted in international leadership studies, has been an evidenced predictor of achievement in a multicultural business environment. Furthermore, self-efficacy has demonstrated a positive impact on organisational and personal success and enhanced self-concept. In the present study, we combine these two variables in one model to explain the mechanism of the global mindset’s impact on life satisfaction for international students of Asian origin (N=277) with self-efficacy as a mediator of such a relationship. Our model explained 30% of the variance in life satisfaction with the mediational analysis supporting self-efficacy as a mediator in a positive effect of global mindset on well-being. Our study, therefore, fed into a better understanding of the mechanism of global mindset enhancing the impact on the life satisfaction of cross-cultural individuals and hence contributed to the postmodern psychological knowledge. Accounting for the dynamic characters of self-efficacy and global mindset, we further set a new field of exploration for possible interventions targeting international students’ flourishing.

Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets

This research aims to understand the role of cultural awareness in a multicultural business environment. 24 managers were interviewed. 10 of them are non-Turkish managers who run British companies in Turkey and 14 of them are non-British managers who run Turkish companies in the UK. A predefined questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with open-ended questions designed to research cultural awareness indicators, derived from the analysed literature, and cumulated under the 4 main spheres: 1) multiple perspective abilities, 2) culture reading skills, 3) intercultural communication development and 4) adapting cultural flexibility. The answers of the study’s subjects were analysed through the indicators defining cultural awareness and therefore lead to conclusions related to the understanding and coping with a cross-cultural context in the business environment, aspects of cultural adaptation, as well as linked strategies of management. Results show that companies tend to rely on their managers’ knowledge and professional background in coping with issues related to a multicultural environment. Furthermore, most entities follow home-country practices on the host country market or prefer the use of one-size-for-all strategies while attempting to adapt their operations locally.

Multicultural leaders from emerging markets: transforming international acquisitions and corporate social responsibility

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the influence and advantages of leadership multiculturalism on global strategy development through cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) from emerging market multinational companies (EMNCs) expanding into emerged markets. The key contribution of asymmetric multiculturalism is a novel finding based on inductive research. We fill a gap by further linking business leader characteristics and corporate strategic actions and examining how multicultural business leaders from emerging markets can be highly effective at CBA and CSR.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on in-depth interviews, observations and documentary evidence analyzed with iterative coding, construct definition and thematic development to understand how leadership multiculturalism affects CBA and CSR in an EMNC over time.FindingsThe new construct of leadership asymmetric multiculturalism describes strategic advantages accruing to leaders from developing markets who are culturally fluent in both emerging and emerged market milieus. The construct contributes to emergent research on the rise of multicultural leaders and their strategic advantages and delineates a pathway toward identifying advantages of emerging over emerged market business leaders.Research limitations/implicationsThe research addresses specific CBA and CSR strategies within one emerging market region and EMNC. Future research should further articulate and validate the key construct of asymmetric multiculturalism, further examine its sources, draw more explicit comparisons with data from emerged market leaders, and explore the applicability of these findings to strategic actions and advantages in both emerging and emerged markets.Practical implicationsEmerging market corporate leaders should identify and develop pertinent aspects of their own asymmetric multiculturalism in enacting CBA and CSR strategy with respect to EMNCs and firms from developed markets. Emerged market leaders should become more aware of and cultivate their own multiculturalism.Social implicationsAsymmetric multiculturalism can be accompanied by heightened awareness of global citizenship — including codes of ethics, environmental challenges, community outreach and fair labor practices — which, in tandem with CBA, can strengthen emerging market firms’ performance and reinforce their global stature and reputation.Originality/valueAsymmetric multiculturalism is a new explanatory construct in the sociological, economic and management disciplines. Emerging markets corporate leaders utilize their multicultural competence to accelerate global CBA and CSR activity and advance strategic opportunities for their firms. The identification of advantages deriving from emerging market leadership capabilities is an unusual finding given the more typical emphasis on the privileges of emerged market leaders and firms.

Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness In A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish And British Markets

Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness In A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish And British Markets

Analysis of the Export Potential of Small and Medium Enterprises in the Republic of Serbia

The long-term stagnation of Serbia's exports is a limiting factor for further economic growth. Therefore, increasing exports is seen as a development necessity. The trend of international networking and multicultural business environment represents a new type of requirement for the management of Serbian companies, both at the national and local level. Their main goal is to contribute to a more efficient integration of the domestic economy into global trade and production flows. In this way, exports become one of the most important determinants of successful and sustainable economic development. Only 30% of companies in the tradable sector of the Serbian economy are active exporters, while the remaining 70% of companies are oriented exclusively to doing business in the country. Although most small and medium-sized companies in the tradable sector are exporters, a relatively small number of micro-enterprises have managed to expand their business abroad, which has had a significant impact on the relatively low share of exporters in the total number of companies in Serbia. In general, exporters are more successful and dynamic, as well as twice as productive, as non-exporting companies. The main goal of this paper is to identify the sector of small, medium enterprises and entrepreneurs (SMEs) with development potentials to increase exports and thus create the conditions for these potentials to be used to a greater extent than before. In this way, SMEs can be helped to increase their competitiveness in the international market. This will enable SMEs to make and make a greater contribution to the development of the domestic economy, as well as to broader economic and social priorities. In addition, this paper should indicate which sectors have obvious market potential but at the same time difficulties in achieving their goals and fully realizing that potential. The results of this research should help to design various actions whose implementation would provide adequate support to the identified sectors while minimizing the constraints faced by these sectors.

Перспективи крос-культурної бізнес-взаємодії в контексті європейської інтеграції України

The research is aimed at studying and analyzing the attitude of the Ukrainian generation Z to potential cooperation with partners from the countries of the European Union. The article identifies and analyzes the priority of choosing specific countries for cooperation, as well as the motives of such a choice. To verify the hypotheses formulated in the course of research, empirical data collection was carried out by conducting an online survey using the survio.com. 403 respondents took part in the survey: 97 boys (24.1%) and 306 girls (75.9%). The respondents were students of Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman (n = 130), Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko (n = 108), Kharkiv National Economic University named after S. Kuznets (n = 165). The results of the research showed that the vast majority of respondents are positive about cooperation with partners from the European Union countries. The research displayed that Ukrainian students are most interested in cooperation with partners from Germany, Sweden, Austria, France and Italy. It is worth noting that the countries that took the two highest positions in the overall ranking (Germany and Sweden), as well as France, which shared the overall third place with Austria, were in the top 5 according to the survey results in each of the three cities where it was conducted, i.e.: Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv. The respondents who have no experience of cross-cultural interaction also expressed a desire to interact with partners from the EU countries. At the same time, the top 5 countries that are interesting for potential interaction, according to these respondents, completely coincide with the overall top five. Among the main motives for choosing countries priority for business interaction, the respondents defined the following: «General positive impression of the country», «High level of economic development of this country», «Reliability of partners from this country», and «High probability of profit from interaction with partners from this country». Ukrainian youth are interested in cooperation with business partners from the countries of the European Union, which is extremely important in view of the European integration of our country. Among the countries that students have identified as priorities for business interaction are both lower-context Germany, Sweden and Austria, and higher-context France and Italy. This once again demonstrates the importance of professional preparation for cross-cultural interaction and the acquisition by Ukrainian students of the competencies of doing business in a global multicultural business environment.

Teaching Dialogue and Polylogue to Non-Linguistic Students: Competence-Based Approach

Competence-based approach to the use of practice-oriented technologies and the creation of an innovative learning environment is the current trend of Russian higher education. The task of developing graduates’ communicative competence for the implementation of effective corporate communication and labor interaction in a multicultural business environment is still relevant. Being obligatory components of modern professional activity, dialogue and polylogue in English provide information exchange, promote joint decision-making, effective interaction and creative cooperation between specialists of different nationalities as well. Mastering the correct strategy in foreign language communication in the business world makes it possible to overcome language and communication barriers. It has a positive effect on building trust in multinational teams, on which the performance of the entire company depends. The authors analyze a number of difficulties associated with the teaching of these types of communication in the classroom. The article examines the foreign and domestic experience of teaching dialogue and polylogue and describes innovative methods of training students for professional communication. The authors of the article investigate the readiness of students for foreign language communication in professional discourse and describe the practical experience of teaching dialogue and polylogue to non-linguistic students using alternative methods simulating real communicative situations in business communication. It is concluded that the competence-based approach is effective in developing the communicative competence of non-linguistic students in the classroom bilingualism.

Making The Connection: Cross-cultural Management Course and Cultural Intelligence

Purpose - The purpose of the present paper is to examine the impact of Cross-cultural management course on the four primary factors of cultural intelligence (CQ) - Metacognitive CQ, Cognitive CQ, Motivational CQ, and Behavioral CQ and their inter-correlation. Design/Methodology/Approach - This paper is based on questionnaires on two separate occasions that were three months apart. Findings - The empirical findings show that all four aspects of CQ increase during Cross-cultural management courses with a parallel increase of correlations amongst the four CQ factors. Research Implications - As the world economy has become substantially interconnected for recent decades largely due to the advancement of transportation systems and communication networks, an increasing number of companies have begun to expand their business overseas beyond domestic markets and actively operate across national borders. These companies, which are often referred to as multinational corporations (MNCs) in literature, are likely to rely heavily on expatriates to run their foreign operations. Accordingly, there has been a growing recognition about CQ as the key predictor of expatriate success and one of the main selection criteria for international assignments. Taken together, the importance of CQ becomes more apparent than it has ever been before in today’s multicultural business environment. Notwithstanding such emerging interests, still little attention has been devoted to understanding the development of CQ. More specifically, the question of how Cross-cultural management courses contribute to the enhancement of CQ in a balanced way has not been answered. Furthermore, the relationship between CQ development and correlational changes in CQ factors has not yet been extensively studied. In this sense, this paper provides a more accurate interpretation of the effects of Cross-cultural courses on CQ development particularly in terms of changes in the degree of relatedness among CQ dimensions.

RELEARNING HOW TO DRIVE

AbstractThe author notes that one trait that successful leaders have in common is the ability to save and honor face for others. “Saving Face” is a universal concept, beyond its origins in China, and it is a key factor in leadership for building positive relationships, motivating and rewarding others. Leaders can navigate through a new or unfamiliar situation and still manage to save and protect face; an ability the author calls, “Relearning how to drive.” For instance, working in a new environment is a lot like driving in a foreign country for the first time. Go on autopilot too quickly can lead to a loss of face, whether it's a new team or a new country you're working in. A detailed corporate example is provided about a videoconference with managers from a factory in Dongguan, China, illustrating a concept the author refers to as The Cultural Iceberg. The BUILD model is also outlined, with five keys that are crucial building blocks to forming strong, productive business relationships: Benevolence and Accountability, Understanding, Interacting, Learning, and Delivery. Leaders can view complex issues in a multicultural business environment from four different perspectives: first person, second person, meta position, and helicopter.

Exploring the applicability of SERVPERF model in Indian two-wheeler industry: a CFA approach

For over the years, after-sales service (ASS) has assumed its importance in an automotive industry. Although, an adequate number of scales and model sexist to measure ASS quality, yet extant literature provides evidences in support of two established and well known models/scales viz. SERVQUAL and SERVPERF. But, researchers have raised concerns related to its applicability in a multi-cultural business environment like India. Thus, this study attempts to examine the applicability of original SERVPERF model in Indian two-wheeler industry. Combinations of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques have been used to understand the item structure, dimensionality and psychometric properties of the scale. Results in this study fail to support the item structure of original SERVPERF model as proposed by Cronin and Taylor (1992). We strongly suppose that this variation is context specific and less generic as originally contended. These results suggest that relying service quality assessment on the original SERVPERF items can be misleading in Indian context. As such, context-specific 18-items are therefore needed to assist Indian automobile companies in their service quality improvement programs. If this fit is achieved, the general welfare of consumers' vis-à-vis service quality may be enhanced.

A study of the attitude of generation z to cross-cultural interaction in business

Background and Purpose: In a digitally globalized world cross-cultural interaction in social and business environment has become more widespread than ever before. The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitude of Generation Z representatives to different aspects of cross-cultural interaction.Design/Methodology/Approach: We used an online questionnaire to collect data for our study. A sample of 324 young adults from three countries: Germany (n=113/34.9%), Romania (n=107/33.0%) and Ukraine (n=104/32.1%) participated in the online survey. The sample consists of university students aged less than 23 years to match the criteria of being representatives of Generation Z. Different statistical tools were used to check the hypotheses.Results: The results of the study indicate that Generation Z representatives consider cross-cultural communication skills as highly important both in their private and business life. The main motivation factors to work in a multicultural business environment have been identified as well as major barriers for effective cross-cultural interaction.Conclusion: This paper illustrates that Gen Zers are willing to work in a multicultural business environment; moreover it can give them additional motivation. This trend along with ongoing processes of globalization and digitalization fosters further interconnection of countries and regions of the world, making cross-cultural communication and cross-cultural management techniques even more important.

Teamwork Soft Skill Development In Facing The Globalization

The globalization has impacted to creating the multicultural business environments that tend to make some handicaps in establishing an effective team in the working area. Teamwork is one of the crucial soft skills that professionals must have in contributing to the succession of a business in the globalization era. This study aims to explore the evidence of the learning process as a contribution to developing the teamwork soft skill for the students as the agents of change for future. The lecturer must play an important role in facilitating the learning process in order to achieve the target. To collect the data, the researhers execute the research by using classroom observation, distributing the questionnaires to the students and interviewing the students and lecturers. The data will be analyzed by using descriptive qualitative analysis. The results show that the students are enthusiastic in developing their teamwork soft skill through implementing the discussion group and finalizing the project group assignment in order to achieve the high scores of assessments. This implies that the students must possess the teamwork soft skill in order to develop an effective team working in facing the multicultural business environment as impacts of the globalization era.