Multicultural Business Research Articles

Storytelling and cultural learning—An expatriate manager's narratives of collaboration challenges in a multicultural business setting

Abstract This paper focuses on cultural learning processes in an international business context. The empirical material is an in-depth narrative interview with a European expatriate manager who emplots challenging cultural encounters in an Asian subsidiary of a Western European multinational company. We seek turning points and discoveries in her stories to show how and what she learned from her critical incidents. We found that the new business and cultural context posed a huge challenge during the early stages of her assignment and that prior (explicit) knowledge and international experience did not ensure smooth collaborations. Successful collaborations required creating new context-specific (tacit) knowledge embedded in organizational culture and locals' behaviors. We found that extrapolating from social interactions led to cultural misinterpretations and inhibited cross-cultural interactions and learning, but continued interactions led to better understandings of cultural others' behaviors as their attributions could be renegotiated. Moreover, we found transformative potential of storytelling for expatriate post-experiential learning. We contribute methodologically to the narrative approach in cross-cultural research. We found that collecting stories by the interviewer who shares a nationality, language, and culture with the interviewee may impose an ethnocentric lens on the experiences related and limit the interviewee's reflection on cross-cultural communication and collaboration.

Strategic approach to managing human factors risk in aircraft maintenance organization: risk mapping

Purpose Aviation has multi-cultural business environment in all aspects as operational and management. Managing aviation requires high awareness on human factor risk which includes organizational behavior-related topics. The greatest risk to an enterprise’s ability to achieve its strategic goals and objectives is the human factor. Both organizational behavior and corporate culture behavior with social psychology are the most vital aspects of management and strategy in terms of human resources. Related risks, including organizational behavior and culture, have the potential to directly impact on both business performance and corporate sustainability. Therefore, in this paper, the most prominent risks were determined in accordance with social psychology, and after identification of human factor-based risks, these have prioritized and prepared risk mapping with fresh approach. For this reason, this study aims to develop risk mapping model for human factors that takes into account interrelations among risk factors three dimensional based new approach. This approach includes both identification of human factor based risks, prioritization them and setting risk mapping according to corporate based qualifications via tailoring risk list. Developed risk map in this paper will help to manage corporate risks to achieve improved performance and sustainability. Design/methodology/approach This new organizational behavior- and culture-focused risk mapping model developed in this study has the potential to make significant contribution to the management of the human factor for modern management and strategy. In enterprise risk management system, risk mapping is both strong and effective strategic methodology to manage ergonomics issue with strategic approach. Human factor is both determinative and also strategic element to both continuity and performance of business operations with safely and sound. In view of management and strategy, vitally, the human factor determines the outcome in both every business and every decision-making. Findings It is assumed that, if managers manage human risk you may get advantages to achieving corporate strategies in timely manner. Aviation is sensitive sector for its ingredients: airports, airlines, air traffic management, aircraft maintenance, pilotage and ground handling. Aim of this paper is to present risk management approach to optimize human performance while minimizing both failures and errors by aircraft maintenance technician (AMT). This model may apply all human factors in other departments of aviation such as pilots and traffic controllers. AMT is key component of aircraft maintenance. Thus, errors made by AMTs will cause aircraft accidents or incidents or near miss incidents. In this study, new taxonomy model for human risk factors in aircraft maintenance organizations has been designed, and also new qualitative risk assessment as three dimensions is carried out by considering the factors affecting the AMT’s error obtained from extensive literature review and expert opinions in the field of aviation. Human error risks are first categorized into two main groups and sub three groups and then prioritized using the risk matrix via triple dimension as probability, severity and interrelations ratio between risks. Practical implications Risk mapping is established to decide which risk management option they will apply for managers when they will look at this map. Managers may use risk map to both identify their managerial priorities and share sources to managing risks, and make decisions on risk handling options. This new model may be a useful new tool to manage ergonomic human factor-based risks in developing strategy in aviation business management. In addition, this paper will contribute to department of management and strategy and related literature. Originality/value This study has originality via new modeling of risk matrix. In this study, dimension of risk analysis has been improved as three dimensions. This study has new approach and new assessment of risk with likelihood (probability), impact (severity) and interrelations ratio. This new model may be a useful new tool to both assess and prioritize mapping of ergonomic-based risks in business management. In addition, this research will contribute to aviation management and strategy literature and also enterprise risk management literature.

Muslim customer’s shopping experiences in multicultural retail environment

PurposeThis study aims to understand better the impact of intercultural communication, social environment and personality on customer satisfaction and post-purchase stage in retailing from Muslim customers’ perspective. In this endeavour, this study illustrates the unique context of intercultural communication to highlight several improvements contributing towards the advancement of intercultural communication literature.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a survey approach where 450 questionnaires were obtained among selected grocery retailers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The measurement of the constructs and their interrelationships were examined based on partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe findings partially validated the proposed framework with statistically significant relationships among all constructs. Furthermore, it exposed additional insights into some practical and conceptual solutions for addressing intercultural communication of religiously and culturally diverse service encounters in the Malaysian grocery retail industry. These contributions postulated an impetus for future research in various service settings.Originality/valueBased on the theories, this study assessed the role of the social environment and personality of grocery retail customers on intercultural communication competence (ICC). It also examined the impacts of ICC on inter-role congruence and interaction comfort. It is anticipated that by filling this knowledge gap, the research assisted in strengthening retail communication strategies, which require intercultural communication adjustments in a multicultural business environment. ICC is expected to improve the retail industry’s competitiveness when it positively influences inter-role congruence and interaction comfort among customers.

Managing organizational communications in the multicultural environment

The study is aimed at analyzing the issues of managing organizational communications in the multicultural business context and revealing the main difficulties in providing effective cross-cultural communications at enterprises in terms of organization and staff development. Methodology: the research can be defined as executing an investigation to acquire additional knowledge on the issue of managing organizational communications in the multicultural environment. In the study, a combination of critical analysis, synthesis and comparison was applied as the basic research principles. The subject matter of this paper is organizational communications in multi-national business environment. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to increase the effectiveness of cross-cultural organizational communications at domestic enterprises in order to provide their development and successful functioning in the multicultural environment. Currently, cross-cultural business communications are given much importance, since they require more thorough planning and strict control, compared to internal communications. Under such conditions, the success of interaction depends on reaching an agreement on the rules and methods of communication acceptable to representatives of various cultures. The most important issue in the study of cross-cultural professional communication is research of its effectiveness dependence on the level of intercultural competence of communicants. Intercultural competence, including the knowledge and skills, refers to most problematic aspects of managing communications of companies operating in the multicultural environment. Adaptation of management to the conditions of the environment can result not only in gaining congruence in the various cultures the organization operate in, but also in increasing the communications effectiveness to the extent ensuring performance efficiency at the cross-cultural level. In today’s multicultural business environment companies frequently encounter cultural differences, which can impede effective performance and successful achievement of organizational goals. Increased globalization of business processes has set the task not only to correctly identify differences in the national cultures, but also to adequately use them to overcome the intercultural difficulties while establishing and developing relations with foreign partners. Optimizing cross-cultural professional communications and increasing the intercultural competence of personnel becomes essential to the organization’s performance effectiveness. Ensuring effectiveness of the organization’s performance in a multicultural environment is closely related to exploring the ways of increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian enterprises globally. The present research contributes to this area by offering valuable insights into cross-cultural communications in organizations with a multicultural environment and the ways of optimizing communications management. JEL classification: M10, M12, M14, M19

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-a-vis service quality may be enhanced.

Factors of Intercultural Communication Competence in Multicultural Business Environment

Factors of Intercultural Communication Competence in Multicultural Business Environment

Marketing information system and risk reduction in managing a company on foreign markets

Motivation: The need to develop marketing information systems results from the generally accepted need act according to marketing concept. When defined as a specific type of management information, marketing information refers to any kind of data that can be used in the process of marketing management in order to attenuate the uncertainty of decisions undertaken in the context of strategic marketing and operational marketing. The dynamic character of market processes and phenomena causes that decision-making always entails a certain dose of risk. Risk reduction is possible, for instance, by means of deploying relevant marketing information. One may, therefore, say that a role of information in a decision-making process could be perceived in terms of both uncertainty reduction and rendering undertaken decisions a privilege of correctness understood a priori. Aim: Any expansion beyond the scope of domestic market and searching for competitive advantages in the diversified international business environments are necessitated by taking decisions which involve greater risk than routine decisions based on experiences derived from the corporation’s domestic market. Likewise, decision-making process require a more profound informational support when they refer to international markets. By placing an emphasis on the sub-system of marketing research undertaken in a multicultural business environment, this paper aims to categorize and provide an in-depth insight into theoretical bases of marketing information systems with regard to companies functioning on foreign markets. The text elaborates upon the role of information in marketing management as well as upon selected approaches to the formation of marketing information systems. Moreover, the significance of international marketing research and its role in the process of corporate internationalization are explained. Likewise, basic forms of organization with regard to international marketing research are also characterized and explained from a perspective of involved spatial variables. Results: Globalization processes and the increase in the internationalization of enterprises pave the way for the development of marketing information systems which are utilized by contemporary business ventures seeking to internationalize their operations. Hence, one may postulate that the development of conceptualizations referring to international and global marketing is a motivating factor leading to the increase in the significance of well-constructed systems of marketing information with a special emphasis placed on the subsystem of marketing research. At this point, one has to bear in mind the international marketing research cannot be treated simply as an extension of domestic studies. When investigating international business environment, one is in a position to take a plethora of specific methodological problems into account at all stages of research procedures. The fundamental problem of international marketing research, which may be conceived as a context for further research, is equivalence of studies on diverse foreign markets and diverse cultures.

“Direct selling pioneered the concept of the Sharing Economy”

Leszek Krecielewski, Managing Director Amway Europe, leads the 30-market multi-language and multi-cultural business. In this interview, Leszek discusses modern economic trends and related challenges, exclusively for this Entreprendre & Innover special issue:– How mature modern direct selling companies are positioned in the quickly changing world of New Economy.– If and why Hybrid Entrepreneurship can boost self-employment.– What skills people seeking a self-employed career should possess.– How political, economic, scientific and educational institutions can support potential entrepreneurs in receiving the help they need most to start their own business and enhance the entrepreneurial spirit.

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.

Media Choice in Multicultural Business Interactions

The aim of this study was to identify which media is chosen for Computed-mediated Communication (CMC) in multicultural business interactions when the main language of communication is English as a lingua franca. The second aim was to determine how the results of this study should be taken into consideration at Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in curriculum development. The analyses employed in this survey followed Media synchronicity theory (MST), originally proposed by Dennis/Valacich (1997) and later refined by Dennis et al. (2008). This study was conducted using a mixed method approach with data from a quantitative survey regarding media usage of 274 respondents and qualitative theme interviews of five working life representatives. The findings indicate that the choice of media varies between different countries and is dependent on the different capabilities and synchronicity of the media. The team structure, communication processes, choice of language, cultural diversity and ethical rules of the company play an important role in communication and are meaningful when choosing the media for communication. The main conclusion is that the ability to choose the media that is suitable for varying communicative situations in working life has become essential and therefore needs to be developed as part of curriculum development work at HEIs.

The Multicultural Business of CSR: How to Ensure a Positive Consumer Response

Though widely considered to be a force for good, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs can spark negative fallout. What the leaders of a particular firm assume to be beneficial to society may not necessarily be perceived as such by their current and potential customers. In today's globalized market, consumers from varied cultural backgrounds are likely to espouse different norms, values, and beliefs, which will certainly influence their response to CSR programs. To ensure that social responsibility programs further organizational objectives without alienating customers, the leaders of profit‐making entities working in multicultural environments must learn to distinguish between the normative and instrumental grounds for CSR initiatives, factor in the cultural concerns of their stakeholders, and strategically assess the legitimacy of their CSR efforts early in the design and implementation stages. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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.

다문화 대상 비즈니스 모델 개발에 관한 연구

다문화 가정의 증가는 전세계적으로 일어나고 있는 현상이다. 이에 정부와 자방자치단체에서도 다문화 관련 정책을 시행 및 지원을 하고 있다. 그러나 다문화 구성원에게 필요한 서비스라기 보다는 정책적인 사항으로 진행이 되고 있어 정작 수요자인 다문화 구성원들이 정부나 지방자치단체가 지원하고 있는 정책에 대해 얼마나 필요성을 느끼고 하고 있으며, 필요한 서비스가 무엇인지 등에 대한 욕구를 전혀 파악하지 못하고 있는 실정이다. 또한 다문화와 관련된 연구들은 많이 진행되고 있으나 아직까지 다문화 비즈니스 모델에 관한 연구는 거의 없는 실정이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 국내의 다문화 정책 및 사례를 전문가 인터뷰와 다문화 구성원 인터뷰를 통해 다문화 구성원에게 필요한 비즈니스 모델을 설계하고 이를 비교 분석하여 최종적인 비즈니스 모델(교육기관 다문화구성원 간 자녀학습 관리 온라인 서비스 사업, 다문화 자녀 대상 학습 콘텐츠 제공 사업, 다문화 구성원 간 온라인 소통서비스 사업, 다문화 콘텐츠 공유/교류 서비스 지원 사업, 다문화 구성원 직업역량 개발 콘텐츠 제공 사업)과 전략 방안을 제시하였다. The number of multicultural families is on the rise worldwide. In this respect, the central government and municipal governments are also implementing and supporting multicultural-related policies. However, they are in progress, not as services needed for multicultural members but as policy issues. This causes multicultural members to fail to figure out the need of policies supported by the government or local governments, as well as to grasp the desire for what services in need are. In addition to this, many studies regarding multiculture are under way but few studies have been known so far as to multicultural business models. This study has suggested a final business model and strategy methods by designing, comparing and analyzing a business model needed for multicultural members through interviews with professionals and multicultural members with regard to mulcultural policies and examples in Korea.

Entrepreneurial culture: Some initial assessments in Vietnam

The business community is a social force which has had a great influence on all aspects of life and the socio­economic conditions of every country. In the context of today's globalization, particularly in international economic integration and the multi-cultural business climate, the current study will offer a theoretical model of entrepreneurial culture in order to identify, measure and evaluate the essential entrepreneurial culture of the business community. The paper introduces an entrepreneurial culture model through a cultural value system approach. The value system approach, also known as the table of cultural stratification values, helps model the entrepreneurial culture created by value factors. Such factors can be measured, they are easy to reproduce and help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the business community.

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.

When distance is good: A construal level perspective on perceptions of inclusive international language use

Virtual work has become an increasingly important part of the international business environment. In particular, two components of virtual work; workplace mobility and distributed work, depicting physical and psychological distance to the workplace, have gained substantial scholarly attention. However, while the main stream of the international business literature, studying global virtual teams, has used mobility and distribution as predictors for negative work outcomes, there are indications that virtual work can have positive implications for the organization. In this study, we explore how workplace mobility and distributed work can affect employees’ perceptions of their colleagues and of managerial activities. More specifically, we focus on inclusive language use by managers and employees since this is a theme of growing interest in international business research. Relying on responses from 676 individuals from five Danish multicultural business organizations, we demonstrate a positive association between workplace mobility and perceptions of employees’ openness to language diversity as well as between distributed work and perceptions of consistent common corporate language at management level. This is consistent with construal level theory predicting that distance between employees and the organization will lead to more objective and goal-oriented perceptions whereas individuals that are more emerged in organizational social life will view issues more in relation to goal irrelevant factors.

Integrating Workforce Diversity in Global Business: A Psycho-spiritual Perspective

The present paradigm on management of diversity in global business is not very much interested in integrating diversity or in creating unity in diversity. The main aim of corporate diversity management strategies is to harness the diversity for sustaining or enhancing organizational effectiveness. This is an absolutely legitimate aim for business. However, there can also be deeper and broader perspectives on diversity management, which can be pursued simultaneously with the present paradigm in a mutually complementing manner. One of them could be the evolutionary paradigm which views the multinational and multicultural global business as a representative slice of humanity and an evolutionary laboratory for forging the psychological and spiritual unity of mankind. The aim of this evolutionary approach is to forge an inner fraternity of consciousness which embraces and harmonizes diversity in a creative spiritual synthesis, which, according to this view, is one of the ultimate goals of human and terrestrial evolution. This article examines the issue of diversity management in global business in this psychological, spiritual and evolutionary perspective.

Inclusive Language Use in Multicultural Business Organizations: The Effect on Creativity and Performance

Few studies have dealt with inclusive language use in multicultural organizations. This is unfortunate because it has been hypothesized that such organizations will be more creative and will perform better than mono-cultural organizations if communication issues are dealt with correctly by managers. In this study, we test the general hypothesis that inclusive language use by managers and employees in formal and informal situations will increase the creativity and performance in multicultural organizations. By use of responses from 676 individuals employed in privately owned multicultural companies, we found that management common language communication was strongly associated with performance but not with creativity. Openness to language diversity among employees, however, had strong relations with both creativity and performance. This indicates that management communication may provide information and a shared identity that can increase the performance of an organization. Yet in order to increase creativity, there is a need to also facilitate inclusive group processes. The findings provide new insights into the theoretical idea that diversity leads to creativity and performance if communication is managed correctly.