Cross Cultural Management

Cross cultural management with special focus on evolution of our understanding of national culture and other cultural changes. In this analysis phase of assignment, basically the given three types of action items will be critically considered.

- Concept of national political culture & it’s importance to drive management practice - Culture for managers of business organizations - Theories of culture and cross-cultural management

Firstly, the article ‘Is National Culture still relevant to Management in a Global Context?’ clearly describes the impotency of considering the national culture in global economic context.

First analyze the national culture with surrounded by political approach to it which the employees to evaluate the legitimacy of management practices.

Secondly the level of national political culture and its’ features discuss through the case of Switzerland.

Thirdly the article discussed the Swiss political culture and the management practice in the country.

Also the purpose of the same article to propose an alternative approach to national culture calls political culture. Under which discussing & refers to various social groups and context. It is noted that it’ll not produce the same meaning given in a social situation but they may sometimes use the same templates and references also known as ‘Cultural paradox’.

- Type of accounts for different kind of people - Their behavior & living together - Their opinion in a same given country

When we define & study the characteristics of national political culture; Smircich (1983) pointed out that the ‘culture serves as a sense-making device to interpret daily experience’ (Chevier 2009). The social life is the most significant shared template for management activities in the symbolic method of national level. Now days with growing need of the people, the core values of human beings are destroyed. As a result of that, every society is facing numerous challenges and the efforts are been putting to control them and make the life peace for every citizen of population. That’s why the management practice is so important in US whereas ‘in the United Sates, the notion of contract is widely used for social regulation; it creates some cohesion in social action through defining mutual obligations and at the same time maintains individual freedom’. (Chevrier 2009)

Further to analyze the culture if a nation, national concepts highlighted mostly since the political culture always part of national state. Say for example, even though the effort putting to enforce new political, social, educational and law of culture while creating of a new sector or state in any country, it is become fail project as it always adapts to the existing pattern what it exists. In the nutshell political culture can be ‘a set of references that a society has developed and promoted through myths to deal with the tensions it faces and to dismiss the fundamental threats it fears most’. (Chevrier, 2009).

In the case of Switzerland, there are following specific features found with the case of Switzerland against the topic National culture.

- A country with cross-cultural/ religion background with common political culture

- People always respect to each other and helping them without any extent.

- Collection of different religions makes the population as a shield of Corporation & unity.

- Also the strict regulations are empowered and offences will be pushed severely.

- Strong believes of their political system and have a common perception.

Culture for managers & managing of business organization:

i. Employers and the industries singed for an agreement which the solutions can be made for office issues after discussions. It’s PEACE AT WORK’

ii. Both men & women are sharing the work & especially the trade unions are so matured enough in Swiss to understand the concepts like justice, human, dignity, equality & liberty

iii. Rather different from other countries, workers are deeply think about the company & it’s future. Making the place clean & care and also neat arrangements for ease of usage. Following the best practices for improving the quality of products.

iv. Proper structure of companies where the decision making have been decentralized and everybody have treat like a partner & gave them a proper responsibilities.

Likewise the given examples show the exemplary case of Switzerland and the generalization of the unity of national political culture.

Beyond Switzerland, some of the diverse countries like United States, China and India are also following the common political culture in some scenarios. Therefore, it is better analyzing few of the points from that as well since the analysis should be varied & the following key qualities found from the article for the same countries.

- ‘In US, the political culture is rooted in the fear of losing control of one’s destiny’ (Chevrier 2009). The regulations of contracts shows like individuals are not obliged to obey rules that have not singed.

- ‘In China, the common culture stems from the fear of chaos and disorder, the search for the best way forward and trends to foster a strong central authority that imposes social order’. (Chevrier 2009)

- Even in India it is found the entire social life is influenced by the fear of impurity. Since the caste system is prioritize in India; all social classifications including the famous castes are marked by the fundamental opposition between purity and impurity.

Most importantly it is recommended to identify the national political culture for managers in few ways.

• In cross-cultural situations where the managers have to understand the concepts and the measures of each culture in order to treat them equally

• Especially for international managers, they have to think it deeply since the national culture will not in the discussion at that situation.

• Considering all factors, managers have to apply dos’ and don’t in a manner which provides the key element for interpreting social practices and meanings.

Finally to complete the analysis, found this interesting topic with regard to the cross-cultural management and its behavior towards the globalization based on the article published by Allan Bird.

Mainly the article try to elaborate about what globalization means for cross cultural management with considering the national culture and it’s change. In 19th century, Sir Francis Galton introduced the importance differences of cultural groups. He further says ‘Cultural groups could not be considered truly independent from one another because the processes of cultural transfusion created relationships that cannot be easily disentangled’ (Lindridge 2005).

After carefully monitoring the article for cross cultural management, it is observed that the many articles were published to discuss and compare the same topic by different time periods. But depending on the time to time, the qualities might be changed but the cultural differences are remains same. Therefore the duty of international managers and who ever enjoying the cultural business to understand and respect to each of them. Especially with the rapid development and the globalization people intend to easily forget the cultural values and its core qualities. That’s why the author invited all the readers to joint this conversation and make it forward.

References:

01). Mead R & Andrews T G (2009) International Management, 4th edition. WILEY publications (Chapter 1 & 13, pp1-20 & pp229-244) accessed on 08th December 2010

03). University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education (2010). Lecture notes on International Management & Culture (online). Available from: https://elearning.uol.ohecampus.com/bbcswebdav/xid-65847_4 (Accessed: 08th November 2010)

04). Bird, A. & Fang, T. (2009) 'Editorial: cross cultural management in the age of globalization ', International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 9 (2), pp. 139–142, Sage Premier Database [Online]. DOI: 10.1177/1470595809335713 (Accessed: 07th December 2010).

05). Chevrier, S. (2009) 'Is national culture still relevant to management in a global context? The case of Switzerland ', International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 9 (2), pp.169–181, Sage Journals [Online]. DOI: 10.1177/1470595809335723 (Accessed: 07th December 2010)

References: 01). Mead R & Andrews T G (2009) International Management, 4th edition. WILEY publications (Chapter 1 & 13, pp1-20 & pp229-244) accessed on 08th December 2010 03). University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education (2010). Lecture notes on International Management & Culture (online). Available from: https://elearning.uol.ohecampus.com/bbcswebdav/xid-65847_4 (Accessed: 08th November 2010) 04). Bird, A. & Fang, T. (2009) 'Editorial: cross cultural management in the age of globalization ', International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 9 (2), pp. 139–142, Sage Premier Database [Online]. DOI: 10.1177/1470595809335713 (Accessed: 07th December 2010). 05). Chevrier, S. (2009) 'Is national culture still relevant to management in a global context? The case of Switzerland ', International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 9 (2), pp.169–181, Sage Journals [Online]. DOI: 10.1177/1470595809335723 (Accessed: 07th December 2010)