INTRODUCTION

TO
INTERCULTURAL
MANAGEMENT
Session 7
Lecturer: Claire Sancelot
Academic Year: 2023
INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTUREL MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATION
ACROSS CULTURES
Even our own companies need to be careful when they try
to change their culture.
Simon Sinek: How to start a cultural transformation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zClAdLw4yRI
INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTUREL MANAGEMENT
Some recap' 1/4
Different levels of cross cultural differences and management
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Some recap' 2/4
The different layers of culture
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Some recap' 3/4
National, professional, and corporate culture
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Some recap' 4/4
High- low context
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Few reminders
A broad mixture of local, national, and global markets and organizations
characterizes the current global economy. For companies three prominent
changes are occurring, namely: From Intermittent to continual change, From
isolation to interconnectedness and from biculturalism to multiparty.LVMH, major partner to China Intern
Import Expo (CIIE)
The study of culture often begins with a comparison of different countries 2019
using several cultural dimensions. A number of such models are available and
have been widely adopted, such as the work of Edward T. Hall, Robert
House and his GLOBE project, Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars
One of the more intriguing modern studies of leadership behavior across
borders was conducted by a multicultural team of researchers who led the
GLOBE Project. The GLOBE researchers categorized their findings into several
relatively distinct leadership dimensions: autonomous, charismatic/value
based, humane, participative and self-protective.
team-oriented.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Review
A broad mixture of local, national, and global markets
and organizations characterizes the current global
economy. For companies three prominent changes are
occurring, namely: From Intermittent to continual
change, from isolation to interconnectedness and
from biculturalism to multiparty.
The evolution from a principally biculturalism
business environment to a more multicultural or
global environment presents managers with at least
three challenges, which are: Intercultural meetings
increasingly occur virtually instead of face-to-face,
Little time to learn about other cultures and it is
sometimes unclear to which culture to adapt.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Review: Mintzberg Organizational Structure
In his 1978 book entitled The Structuring of Organizations, author and management expert Harry Mintzberg explained that
the “structure of an organization can be defined simply as the sum total of the ways in which it divides its labor into distinct
tasks and then achieves coordination among them.”
Understanding Mintzberg’s model of organizational structure
Mintzberg’s model of organizational structure posits that the structure of a company emerges from the interaction of three
core dimensions and their various sub-factors.
While earlier organizational structure models were based on function, product, or strategy, Mintzberg posited that
structure could be differentiated along three basic dimensions:
The key part of the organization – the part of the organization with the most critical role in determining its success or
failure.
The prime coordinating mechanism – the predominant method that the organization utilizes to coordinate activities.
This encompasses factors such as direct supervision and standardization of skills, outputs, and work processes.
The type of decentralization – to what extent does the organization involve subordinates in decisions? Decentralization
may be vertical (chain of command), horizontal (the extent to which non-administrators make decisions), or selective
(the extent to which decision-making responsibility is delegated to other units).
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Review: Mintzberg Organizational Structure
The key parts of an organization according to Mintzberg
The five key parts of an organization are:
1. The strategic apex – directors and senior executives who define and
interpret the organizational mission and ensure it is aligned with strategic
objectives.
2. Middle line – the managers who translate strategic objectives into feasible
plans. This may require them to set budgets, monitor performance, take
corrective action, or purchase equipment.
3. Operating core – who carry out day-to-day activities that deliver outputs.
Working under senior managers, the operating core deals with external
stakeholders and is responsible for the maintenance of quality and
efficiency standards.
4. Technostructure – a cohort comprised of individuals and teams working in
key functions such as HR, training, and finance.
5. Support staff – these are individuals who work in support functions such as
research and development, legal, and public relations. Support staff output
does not contribute directly to the organization’s key objectives, but they
do increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the middle line, operating
core, and strategic apex.
INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Greet Hofstede
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Review of few concepts
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2016) compare the various models of cultural dimensions, and five dimensions emerged as bein
the most commonly used by researchers and managers alike in trying to differentiate cultures. The five dimensions are: power
distribution, social relationships, environmental relationships, time and work pattern and uncertainty and social control.
Most people within one culture belong to multiple, and often conflicting, subcultures. Subcultures can include levels of education
(intellectual culture), professions or specializations (professional culture), places of work (organizational culture), geographic
locations within a country (regional culture) and normative beliefs about right and wrong and organized religion (religious culture).
Charismatic/value leadership and team-oriented leadership are strongly endorsed in all regional country clusters.
The characteristics of participative leadership are active listening, non-autocratic, flexible.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Hall and Hall, 1990
Culture is also context. Hall and Hall (1990) established two groups of culture, called high and low context.
In the low context cultures: the information of any message is contained in the message itself.
Contingency (a future event or circumstance which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty) Impact example:
‘There are no universals in describing effective leadership, thus a successful leader in New York may fail in Tokyo or Paris if they are unable to modify
their behaviors to suit the unique local environments’. This statement refers to which approach.
Erin Meyer, 2017
Making a clear distinction between attitudes toward authority and attitudes toward decision-making goes a long way in helping
leaders become more effective in a global context.
Consensual and egalitarian
Consensual and hierarchical
Top-down and hierarchical,
Top-down and egalitarian.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde
Managers can learn a great deal about both the strategy and structure by studying local or regional trends in organization design.
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2016) present four of the more common models, which are: Investor model, Family Model,
Network Model and Mutual Benefit Model.
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2016) present four regional models of organization. The trend in decision-making regarding the
family model is top-down centralized management, often with government involvement and support.
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2016) recognize four organizational leadership dimensions,
which are strategic leadership, ethical leadership, managerial leadership and team leadership
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2016) mention three contemporary approaches to cultural
leadership, which are Universal approach, Normative approach, Contingency approach.
Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2016) mention that focusing on two issues could advance our
understanding of the leadership processes. The first issue refers to the meaning of leadership as a
cultural construct and the second one refers to the variations in local expectations regarding the
leader behavior.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Example of Intercultural Management
When a member of one culture sends a message to a
member of another culture, intercultural
communication takes place.
The message contains the meaning the encoder
intends.
When it reaches the receiver, however, it undergoes a
transformation in which the influence of the decoder’s
culture becomes part of the meaning.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Example of Intercultural Management
Attribution of behaviour differs.
The process by which people look for an explanation
of another person’s behaviour. When they realize that
they do not understand another person, they tend, say
Hall and Hall, to blame their confusion on the other’s
“stupidity, deceit, or craziness.”
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Example of a deal involving a German, French and Indian team
The vice president for operations of a German
manufacturing company headquartered in Munich
became concerned about satisfying an important
client in France with an order that he had outsourced
to a subsidiary in India.
He decided to visit the local manager and confirm the
importance of delivering the order on time.
The following is what transpired in his interaction
with the local production manager
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 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Example of a deal involving a German, French and Indian team
The German returned to his office in Munich, confident that the project would be completed on
time and the order delivered on schedule, which he conveyed to the client.
After four weeks, the customer called to complain that he had not received the order. The
German VP immediately called the Indian manager:
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Business meetings in Saudi Arabia
INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Business meetings in Saudi Arabia
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Impact on the world of "Dallas"
Some assumptions and beliefs are fairly stable and resist change. We may notice changes in behavorirs,
but the meanings and assumptions behind these behaviors are often deeply rooted in cultural values taht
are fairly stable. A good exmaple of this can be found in studies of the impact of televison broadcasting
around the world. Television series that are aired wo
rlwode are supposed to influence the lives of large populations across cultures with dominant Western,
principally American, values. One particular study is interesting in this regard. When it was released, the
mini series Dallas reached hundred of millions of people in almost ninety countries.
As a result:
The annual migration of the tuareg in the SaharaDessert was postponed for ten days so that local
people could watch the final episodes. Still, the migration occured anyway and little changed after
that.
The Dutch audience saw not so much the pleasures of conspicuous consumption, but a reminder
that money and power do not protect people from tragedy.
Israeli Arabs saw confirmation that women abused by their husbands should return to their fathers.
Black South Africans focused on the risks associated with sexual encounters during late teens.
Ghanian woemn confirmed that men are not to be trusted.
One mini series, but many different interpretations.
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Cultural Complexities and Contradictions
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GLOBAL
ORGANIZATION
DESIGNS
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REGIONAL
MODELS OF
ORGANIZATION
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Four Steps to Hone Your Cross-Cultural Skills
1|BROADEN YOUR MIND.
Expand your cultural knowledge through multiple channels, includ- ing newspapers, movies, books, traveling and working
abroad, or simply surrounding yourself with people from different cultures. This is the awareness-raising phase.
2. Develop cross-cultural skills through practice.
The best way of improving your cross-cultural skills is through experiential learning. Working and traveling abroad is the
obvi- ous choice, but there are other ways to interact and engage with foreign cultures without leaving home. Most
workplaces will have expatriate colleagues or foreign visitors, or you may find yourself working as part of a global virtual
team. These afford numerous opportunities to hone your cross-cultural skills through trial and error.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Four Steps to Hone Your Cross-Cultural Skills
3-. BOOST YOUR CULTURAL META-COGNITION.
This involves consciously monitoring your own behavior in intercultural interactions. Pay close attention to how you act and react
in diverse situations. Reflect on successful as well as unsuccessful intercultural interactions. “Mind- fulness” exercises – i.e.,
making nonjudgmental observations, devoting your full attention, being present in the moment – can be useful in this process. It is
often a good habit to keep a journal of your reflections, writing down what knowledge and skills you gleaned from each
interaction. Then, you can discuss these reflections with a trusted mentor. This helps you decide what action to take next, and
gives you some reference points to evaluate whether your behavior is achieving desired goals.
4. Cultivate Cognitive Complexity.
Cognitive complexity requires being able to view issues from more than one frame- work, and somehow integrating or
rationalizing multiple, competing frameworks.
So, having monitored your own behavior, you need to apply the same level of conscious, proactive analysis to appreciating the
differences and similarities between seemingly conflicting perspectives and systems. To see things from another perspective
ultimately involves qualities such as empathy, sympathy, flexibility and honest communication.
 INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Four Steps to Hone Your Cross-Cultural Skills
3-. BOOST YOUR CULTURAL META-COGNITION.
This involves consciously monitoring your own behavior in intercultural interactions. Pay close attention to how you act and react
in diverse situations. Reflect on successful as well as unsuccessful intercultural interactions. “Mind- fulness” exercises – i.e.,
making nonjudgmental observations, devoting your full attention, being present in the moment – can be useful in this process. It is
often a good habit to keep a journal of your reflections, writing down what knowledge and skills you gleaned from each
interaction. Then, you can discuss these reflections with a trusted mentor. This helps you decide what action to take next, and
gives you some reference points to evaluate whether your behavior is achieving desired goals.
4. Cultivate Cognitive Complexity.
Cognitive complexity requires being able to view issues from more than one frame- work, and somehow integrating or
rationalizing multiple, competing frameworks.
So, having monitored your own behavior, you need to apply the same level of conscious, proactive analysis to appreciating the
differences and similarities between seemingly conflicting perspectives and systems. To see things from another perspective
ultimately involves qualities such as empathy, sympathy, flexibility and honest communication.
INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT