Nowadays conquerors are big companies, hedge funds, the so-called “Global-Players”, etc. Mergers between companies from different countries have become very common. One of the most recent and most discussed is DaimlerChrysler. Not only globally, but also on a European level, we have experienced the urge of companies to expand their business operations into different parts of the EU with the result of settling on the targeted ground where they try to expand their market share. For this reason companies encounter more and more cultural diversity within their own borders. Therefore an effective cross-cultural-management becomes essential in order to work efficiently and build a strong union with the “foreign” branches.
Throughout numerous vacations abroad, I have experienced cultural differences between nationalities. Having stayed in the U.S.A. with a host family I have started to investigate these diversities where they have their roots and how to deal with them effectively. Having worked on an internship program for a German company in the U.K. I have experienced what the specific problems were when the two national cultures clashed. Even having a “corporate culture” could not prevent the faut pas being made for example during meetings. These faux pas were triggered by cultural diversity. The complexity of this topic is immediately clear, if only from the number of definitions for the word „culture“, and from the number of theories trying to explain the problem. I have chosen to lay my focus on the work of three major theorists on the topic that best fit my experiences.
In this paper I will therefore introduce the theorist’s works and their view of culture to the reader and then apply the results to several situations one will encounter while doing business in either one of the countries.
Already several theorists have explored cross-cultural issues affecting the business environment. One theorist will always be outlined when talking about cross-culture: Geert Hofstede, but also will I briefly describe the work of Fons Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 Introduction
- Power distance
- "Individualism vs. collectivism"
- Masculinity vs. femininity
- Uncertainty avoidance
- Analysed Specifics vs. Integrated wholes
- 2 Introduction
- 3 All works on this topic will describe tendencies within the different cultures.
- Geert Hofstede
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to introduce the reader to the work of prominent theorists on cultural dimensions and their application to business situations, specifically focusing on the comparison between British and German business cultures. It aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of how these cultural differences influence business practices and interactions.
- Cross-cultural management in a globalized business world
- Cultural dimensions and their impact on business behavior
- Theories of Hofstede, Trompenaars, and Hampden-Turner
- Comparative analysis of British and German business cultures
- Examples of cultural differences affecting business interactions
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter introduces the concept of cultural differences in the context of globalized business and highlights the importance of cross-cultural management. It provides a brief overview of the theoretical framework and key dimensions of cultural analysis.
- Chapter 2: Introduction This chapter further elaborates on the pervasiveness of cultural differences in the business world, particularly emphasizing the significance of cultural diversity within companies and the need for effective cross-cultural management strategies.
- Chapter 3: All works on this topic will describe tendencies within the different cultures. This chapter delves into the general tendencies and variations in cultural dimensions, suggesting that cultures exhibit a range of characteristics, with certain aspects being more prevalent than others. It also discusses the concept of culture as a multi-layered phenomenon, often depicted as an "onion" or an "iceberg," with visible and invisible levels.
- Chapter 4: Geert Hofstede This chapter introduces the work of Geert Hofstede, a renowned theorist in the field of cross-cultural management. It explores Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions, including the five dimensions of Power Distance (PDI), Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV), Masculinity vs. Femininity (MAS), Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI), and Long-Term Orientation vs. Short-Term Orientation (LTO). The chapter also discusses the methodology behind Hofstede's research, involving the analysis of work values of IBM employees across numerous countries.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper primarily focuses on the keywords: cross-cultural management, cultural dimensions, Hofstede, Trompenaars, Hampden-Turner, British business culture, German business culture, power distance, individualism, collectivism, masculinity, femininity, uncertainty avoidance, cultural differences, business interactions.
- Quote paper
- Dennis Henners (Author), 2005, British and German business culture, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/72609
