Managing Across Cultures Summary Chapter 1 Till 9
CS2 Chapter one – The Undertow Of Culture
Our argument is that culture is the most neglected part of management; culture matters. Converging cultures While everyone starts growing into the same habits, culture is hard to be detected. In large cities however people with different cultures get together (NYC). Management is not just a set of principles and techniques than can be universally applied. It is different in every country and culture depending on its habits. The argument is due to an economic or technological lag. Convergence is supported by management educations. National pride can stop or prevent foreign occupation due to the desire to develop their own style of management. By comparison, the difference in management approaches can be seen. We need to consider how culture can be a powerful source, undermining or shoring up our effectiveness as nations, as businesses and as managers. Culture knowledge can be used as a competitive advantage. Culture as a source of competitive advantage / disadvantage Michael Porter has argued that nations derive competitive advantage from a set of countrylevel factors such as the availability of resources, the size and sophistication of the market, the nature of government intervention, and the type of strategic linkages or networks. Each country has its unique advantage at one point, only to become liabilities when the environment changes. Managers therefore need to evaluate the extent to which national culture can interfere with their company’s efforts to respond to strategic requirements, now and in the future. Every cross-border alliance has its conflicts and misunderstandings, however this may be unrecognized. The trouble is to recognize what matters and how much it does. Recognizing culture We only perceive our culture when we step out of it. Culture serves as a lens through which we perceive the other. Recognizing cultural differences is the necessary first step to anticipating potential threats and
Our argument is that culture is the most neglected part of management; culture matters. Converging cultures While everyone starts growing into the same habits, culture is hard to be detected. In large cities however people with different cultures get together (NYC). Management is not just a set of principles and techniques than can be universally applied. It is different in every country and culture depending on its habits. The argument is due to an economic or technological lag. Convergence is supported by management educations. National pride can stop or prevent foreign occupation due to the desire to develop their own style of management. By comparison, the difference in management approaches can be seen. We need to consider how culture can be a powerful source, undermining or shoring up our effectiveness as nations, as businesses and as managers. Culture knowledge can be used as a competitive advantage. Culture as a source of competitive advantage / disadvantage Michael Porter has argued that nations derive competitive advantage from a set of countrylevel factors such as the availability of resources, the size and sophistication of the market, the nature of government intervention, and the type of strategic linkages or networks. Each country has its unique advantage at one point, only to become liabilities when the environment changes. Managers therefore need to evaluate the extent to which national culture can interfere with their company’s efforts to respond to strategic requirements, now and in the future. Every cross-border alliance has its conflicts and misunderstandings, however this may be unrecognized. The trouble is to recognize what matters and how much it does. Recognizing culture We only perceive our culture when we step out of it. Culture serves as a lens through which we perceive the other. Recognizing cultural differences is the necessary first step to anticipating potential threats and