Upload
charles-reynolds
View
240
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Cultural ConflictCultural ConflictCultural ConflictCultural Conflict
Edward Lu & Joe SampselEdward Lu & Joe Sampsel
The Literature• Broad Review
• Diversity between Asia and West• Problems to recognize as an English
Speaker• Avoiding language traps
– In business, online
• Multi-national advertising• Suggestions for business-people
The Challenge• How do international corporations
avoid conflict brought on by differences in cultures?
• Stereotypes• Geographic
– Business Style
• Values– Relativism
• Communication
Stereotypes
• Stereotypes need to be unlearned– They are the most damaging in
creating cultural conflict
• Stereotypes impede progress– Lead to conflict– Misunderstanding– Breakdown
Geographic Conflict
• Differences abound– Business style
• East and West– Emotional vs. Logical– Yes and No
• Nationalism– West and West– East and West– East and East
Values• Relativism
– Different cultures value things differently• Life• Family• Money and Possessions• Autonomy
Communication• Clear communication solves problems with conflict caused by
miscommunication• Verbal
– Small talk vs. 5W’s and H– Yes and No are not always clear– Progress is viewed differently– Time
• Meetings• Phone• Time zones
– Agenda– Superiority
• Non-Verbal– Sight-seeing– Smoking– Eye-contact– Physical Contact
The DaimlerChrysler Merger
• Daimler-Benz luxury vehicles had captured less than 1% of the American markets.
• Chrysler's primary reason for teaming with Daimler-Benz is to extend its international reach
The goal of the merger
• Expected huge savings by combining purchasing and other operations
• Reduce total research and development costs
The DaimlerChrysler Merger
• Provide Culture Workshops for employee
• No Culture Clash at manager level
The DaimlerChrysler MergerThe DaimlerChrysler MergerThe DaimlerChrysler MergerThe DaimlerChrysler Merger
-- James Holden, President of -- James Holden, President of Chrysler Chrysler
““Mercedes was universally perceived as the fancy, Mercedes was universally perceived as the fancy, special brand, while Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and special brand, while Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and Jeep were the poorer, blue collar relations”Jeep were the poorer, blue collar relations”
Our Analysis
• Corporate Structure • Corporate Cultures• Customer proposition • Value chain • Leadership
Corporate Cultures• Daimler
Management processes of planning, organizing and controlling. More conservative, efficient and safe.
• Chrysler Setting goals, directing and monitoring
implementation. Known as the risk-taking underdog
Customer proposition• Daimler
The driving image and experience associated with the highest quality available in the market
• Chrysler Attractive, eye-catching design at a very
competitive price
Value chain• Daimler
Emphasis on engineering, design, quality and after sales service
• Chrysler High volume, low cost manufacturing
and distribution
Leadership• Daimler
Jürgen Schrempp - with independent personality and South African overlay
• Chrysler Robert Eaton - broke the Chrysler
tradition of commanders
Conclusions
• Recognize the differences in the corporate contexts – will this merger work?
• Channels of communication must be open– Consider a mediator at meetings – hired help (if you
are a multi-billion dollar company)– Goals, goals, goals?
• Avoid cultural stereotyping– Trade employees – a major failure
• Resolve cultural stereotypes• Contextual differences - $• Share knowledge• Exploit the merger
References• Cox Jr. T.H. (1996) “Intergroup conflict”, in: Shafritz, J. M. & Ott, S.
J., Classics of Organization Theory, 4th edition, 192-202.• Dou, W. & Clark Jr., G.W. (1999). “Appreciating the diversity in
multicultural communication styles,” in: Business Forum, Vol. 24, Is.. ¾, pp. 58.
• Finkelstein, S. (2002). The DaimlerChrysler Merger. Retrieved Mar. 2, 2006 from http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pdf/2002-1-0071.pdf
• Strebel, P. (2002). Focus on Corporate Specifics Not National Cliché Cross-Border Lessons from the DaimlerChrysler Merger. Retrieved Mar. 2, 2006 from http://www01.imd.ch/news/research/perspectives/index.cfm?art=2325
• Wan, K. (2004). “Bridging Cultural Gap Through Communication” in: Korea Herald. January 1, 2004.