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Uppsala University
Department of Business Studies
Master Thesis
18/01/2007
Influence of national cultural differences on communication and transmission channels
in cross-border knowledge transfer
A case study of Q-Med AB
Supervisor: Rian Drogendijk
Authors: Therése Martinsson
Sabrina Suikki
Acknowledgements
This master thesis is the result of ten weeks hard and interesting research. However, it could not
have been done without help. First, we would like to thank our supervisor Rian Drogendijk for
her guidance, assistance and above all for her great patience. Secondly, we would like to thank
Q-Med AB and its Director Human Resources Thomas Holmberg, Manager Internal
Communications Annelie Lundell and Corporate HR Manager Christina Toth for their time and
effort to make this thesis possible. We are also grateful to our fellow students who have been
helpful in providing feedback and useful comments on our work in process. Last but not least, we
would like to thank our families and friends for their support and understanding during this time.
Uppsala University, Sweden
The 18th of January, 2007
Therése Martinsson & Sabrina Suikki
I
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to develop an understanding of if/how national cultural differences
influence communication and transmission channels in cross-border transfer of organizational
knowledge. To develop such an understanding a single case study has been conducted on
Q-Med AB, a Swedish knowledge intensive biotechnology/medical device company. The case
study is based on two theories; Gupta & Govindarajan’s (2000) work of four forces that affect
effective knowledge transfer and Project GLOBE’s nine cultural dimensions. Our findings
confirm that national cultural differences do influence communication and transmission channels
when transferring knowledge cross-borders. More specifically, our case study shows that the
cultural differences influencing Q-Med AB’s communication and transmission channels are:
Power Distance, Institutional Collectivism, In-Group Collectivism, Assertiveness and
Performance Orientation. Also language differences are regarded as an important factor by
Q-Med AB. However, the results of this thesis are specific for the company studied. Therefore
our study only contributes with insights, regarding the influence of cultural differences on
communication and transmission channels when transferring knowledge cross-borders, for other
knowledge intensive companies facing global challenges. Our findings and conclusions are
summarized in our own theoretical model, which brings together the two internationally well-
acknowledged theories mentioned above and the results of our case study.
II
Sammanfattning
Syftet med denna uppsats är att skapa en förståelse för om/hur nationella kulturella skillnader
påverkar kommunikation och överföringskanaler i gränsöverskridande organisatorisk kunskaps-
överföring. För att skapa denna förståelse har vi genomfört en fallstudie på Q-Med AB, ett
svenskt kunskapsintensivt bioteknologiskt/medicintekniskt företag. Fallstudien baseras på två
teorier; Gupta & Govindarajan:s (2000) studie om fyra faktorer som påverkar effektiv
kunskapsöverföring och Project GLOBE:s nio kulturella dimensioner. Våra resultat bekräftar att
nationella kulturella skillnader i hög grad påverkar kommunikation och överföringskanaler vid
gränsöverskridande kunskapsöverföring. Mer specifikt visar vår fallstudie att de kulturella
skillnader som påverkar Q-Med AB:s kommunikation och överföringskanaler är: Power
Distance, Institutional Collectivism, In-Group Collectivism, Assertiveness och Performance
Orientation. Språkliga skillnader anses också vara viktiga enligt Q-Med AB. Dock är resultaten
från denna studie specifika för det undersökta företaget. Därmed bidrar vår uppsats endast med
insikter om hur kulturella skillnader påverkar kommunikation och överföringskanaler i
gränsöverskridande kunskapsöverföring för andra kunskapsintensiva multinationella företag.
Våra slutsatser är sammanställda i vår egen teoretiska modell som kombinerar de två ovan
nämnda, internationellt erkända teorier och resultaten från vår fallstudie.
III
Table of contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................ 1
1.1 Background .................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem statement and research purpose .................................. 2
2 Literature review .................................................................... 4
2.1 Concept of knowledge................................................................... 4 2.1.1 Importance of effective cross-border transfer of knowledge..........5
2.2 Communication and transmission channels............................... 7
2.3 Concept of culture ......................................................................... 9 2.3.1 Project GLOBE and cultural dimensions.........................................10
2.4 Conceptual framework ................................................................ 14
3 Methodology......................................................................... 15
3.1 Research purpose and approach ............................................... 15
3.2 Research strategy, data collection and analysis of data ......... 16
3.3 Sample selection.......................................................................... 17
3.4 Quality standards......................................................................... 18
3.5 Operationalization of the theory ................................................. 21
4 Case study of Q-Med AB ..................................................... 23
4.1 Communication and transmission channels............................. 23
4.2 Cultural differences – Nordic European vs. Latin European and Anglo cultures ....................................................................................... 26
4.2.1 Nine cultural dimensions from Project GLOBE ..............................27
5 Case analysis ....................................................................... 29
5.1 Communication and transmission channels............................. 29 5.1.1 Intensity of communication ..............................................................30
5.2 Cultural differences – Nordic European vs. Latin European and Anglo cultures ....................................................................................... 31
5.2.1 Nine cultural dimensions from Project GLOBE ..............................32
IV
6 Final discussion................................................................... 35
6.1 Findings and conclusions........................................................... 35
6.2 Limitations of our study and implications for future research 37
References ................................................................................. 38
Appendix I – The GLOBE countries in 10 cultural clusters Appendix II – The GLOBE societal cultural scores for Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo clusters Appendix III – Interview guide in English Appendix IV – Interview guide in Swedish
V
Table of figures Figure 2.1 Effectiveness of cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge……… 6
Figure 2.2 Inter-relations between culture, communication and knowledge transfer… 6
Figure 2.3 Communication process ………………………………………………………. 7
Figure 2.4 Matching process for effective communication ……………………………… 9
Figure 2.5 Conceptual framework ………………………………………………………… 14
Figure 6.1 Theoretical model developed by the Authors………………………………... 36
VI
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
1 Introduction
In this chapter background, problem statement and research questions are presented.
Furthermore, the main reasons and motivation for this study are discussed.
1.1 Background
Javidan, Stahl, Brodbeck & Wilderom (2005) point out that globalization of economic activities
is continually increasing and cross-border transactions are becoming more and more important
for companies. For instance, the number of cross-border mergers and acquisitions has augmented
significantly during the past 20 years. In line with the increasing globalization, the need for
effective cross-border knowledge transfer has also enlarged. Gupta & Govindarajan (2000) state
that a company’s knowledge base has the greatest ability to serve as a source of sustainable
differentiation and therefore become the company’s competitive advantage. Since knowledge
transfer is complex, an understanding of this process is not only increasingly crucial for the
success of the company, but also critical for transferring any organizational knowledge across
national and cultural boundaries (Javidan et al. 2005).
When the competition among international companies intensifies, the role of an effective cross-
border transfer of organizational knowledge becomes more crucial, as Javidan et al. (2005) point
out. Since knowledge is embedded in individuals or in organizations and knowledge transfer is
about how individuals and groups communicate and learn from each other, it is highly likely that
the knowledge transfer and communication are influenced by national culture. But cultural
differences do not per se create problems; rather it is the way the cultural differences are
managed that causes problems (ibid). Hence, the fact that the business world is becoming more
and more global does not mean that cultural differences are disappearing or diminishing. As
Doug Ivestor, the former CEO of Coca Cola Corporation has pointed out “as economic barriers
come down, cultural barriers go up, presenting new challenges and opportunities in business”
(Javidan & House, 2001, p. 291).
1
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
Substantial and high quality communication is an imperative for any form of knowledge transfer
(Javidan et al., 2005). In cross-border transfer effective and high-quality communication is even
more important, but also harder to achieve. Differences in culture are likely to be a main factor
causing problems in multinational corporations, since they lead to communication gaps, as
Pahlberg (1997) states. However, communication is more than just choosing the right words to
express something and interpreting the message carefully (Lengel & Daft, 1988). Effective
communication depends on the selection of an appropriate transmission channel, which can be
described as a matching process and the transmission channels should be selected to fit the nature
of the message (ibid).
1.2 Problem statement and research purpose
We believe that the impact of national cultural differences in cross-border transfer of
organizational knowledge is an important aspect to study, since it involves all international
companies and it is an aspect that all managers should consider carefully. Knowledge transfer is
always complex, but the complexity increases even further when a transnational aspect is added.
Furthermore, effective and good communication between parties is an important aspect for
knowledge transfer. It can, if managed properly, reduce both risks and costs since both money
and time can be saved when misinterpretations and misunderstandings are avoided. The choice of
appropriate transmission channels and the effective matching process are a central part of the
communication process. Cultural differences and their possible effects on communication
methods are therefore important aspects to bear in mind when transferring knowledge cross-
borders.
To comprehend the impact of national culture in cross-border transfer of organizational
knowledge, the purpose of this thesis is to develop an understanding of if/how national cultural
differences influence communication and transmission channels in cross-border transfer of
organizational knowledge. We will therefore investigate which cultural differences have an
impact on these and why. Our aim is to develop a theoretical model which combines two
existing, internationally well-acknowledged theories within the research area and the results of
our case study.
2
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
More particularly, we will relate our study to Gupta & Govindarajan’s (2000) work of the four
forces that affect effective knowledge transfer and to nine cultural dimensions developed Project
GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness). These theories are
recently developed, contemporary, and are built on earlier well-reputable research; therefore we
chose to use them in our study. However, we will only focus on one of Gupta & Govindarajan’s
(2000) four forces: Existence and richness of transmission channels. Previously not much
research exists on the combination we aim to study. However, there are a lot of studies both in
cross-border knowledge and cultural differences as separate research areas, which gives a good
basis for our thesis. To develop our model we will conduct an in-depth case study on one
Swedish knowledge intensive international company. This will allow us to develop insights on
if/how national cultural differences influence communication and transmission channels in cross-
border transfer of organizational knowledge.
3
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
2 Literature review
In this chapter a selection of literature and existing research is presented. At the end of this
chapter, the theories reviewed are used to develop a conceptual framework, which then will be
used as a basis for the data collection.
2.1 Concept of knowledge
Davenport & Prusak (1998) define knowledge as a fluid mix of framed experience, important
values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and
incorporating new experiences and information. Furthermore, according to Bhagat, Kedia,
Harveston & Triandis (2002) knowledge originates from unique experiences and organizational
learning. It is often embedded not only in written documents, but also in the routines, tasks,
processes, practices, norms and values of organizations. Just as information is derived from data,
knowledge is derived from information by contextualizing it and comparing it with an existing
standard. Knowledge can also be derived by examining the consequences a given body of
information may have for immediate and long-term organizational actions and decisions. (ibid)1
Since knowledge is embedded in individuals and in the organization, it is a product of human
reflection and experience (De Long & Fahey, 2000). Knowledge can thus be both explicit and
codified in formal rules or tacit and not easily articulated or explained. Since knowledge is
embodied in language, stories, concepts, rules and tools, it results in an increased capacity for
decision making and action to achieve a company’s goals. Knowledge is therefore an important
competitive tool for international companies and effective knowledge management determines
the companies’ performance. The purpose of knowledge management is hence to improve
organizational performance by explicitly designing and implementing tools, processes, systems,
1 Hereafter, when the reference is set outside the dot after a sentence, it means that the whole text between this reference and the former one comes from the same source. Furthermore, when the reference is set outside the dot after a sentence at the end of the paragraph and other references are not mentioned in that paragraph, it means that the whole text in that paragraph comes from that source.
4
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
structures and organizational cultures to improve the creation, sharing and use of knowledge that
is important for decision making. (ibid)
2.1.1 Importance of effective cross-border transfer of knowledge
A multinational corporation is a network of capital, product and knowledge transactions among
units located in different countries according to Gupta & Govindarajan (1991). Multinational
corporations are in general more effective and efficient in transferring knowledge through
internal mechanisms rather than through external mechanisms. Internal mechanisms are seen as
more reliable since the firm-specific knowledge is only internally recognized and not exposed to
the competing companies. In this way the company diminishes the risks of loosing the firm-
specific knowledge. However, the transfer of knowledge is, even within the company, a
complicated process. A company which desires to transfer knowledge effectively and efficiently
throughout the organization must emphasize its value, motivate the target unit involved, and give
the parties opportunities and tools to communicate. (ibid)
Gupta & Govindarajan (2000) suggest that effective cross-border transfer of organizational
knowledge is a function of following forces:
1. Value of the source unit’s knowledge stock: The greater the value of knowledge, the
greater is its attractiveness and relevance for other units.
2. Existence and richness of transmission channels: Clear communication channels, as well
as open and frequent communication among parties facilitate the knowledge flows across
the organization.
3. Motivational disposition of the target unit: Ignorance and underestimation of the value of
the knowledge, as well as ego-defense and power struggles might lead to resistance of
adopting the new knowledge from the source unit.
4. Absorptive capacity of the target unit: The target unit’s capability to assimilate and apply
the new knowledge, determines the success in adopting the incoming knowledge. The
greater the similarities are between the source and target unit, the higher is the absorptive
capacity of the target unit.
5
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
Effectiveness of cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge
1. Value of source unit’s knowledge
stock
2. Existence and richness of transmission channels
3. Motivational disposition of the target unit
4. Absorptive capacity of the target unit
Figure 2.1 Effectiveness of cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge Source: Authors’ own construction (2006) based on Gupta & Govindarajan (2000)
According to Javidan et al. (2005) barriers to knowledge transfer can appear in any or all of these
four areas mentioned above and illustrated in the Figure 2.1. The knowledge transfer from and to
geographically dispersed units is likely to be influenced by differences in national cultures (ibid).
Since knowledge transfer is about how individuals and groups behave, communicate and learn
from each other, it is likely that the knowledge transfer and communication reflect the
individuals’ national culture by the ways of thinking, practices, norms and values (ibid).
Furthermore, according to De Long & Fahey (2000) it is essential to acknowledge the importance
of cultural differences and to understand how the culture actually influences communication and
knowledge-related behaviors, as illustrated in Figure 2.2 below. This is an essential step before
deciding how to overcome problems related to cultural differences (ibid).
Communication and knowledge-related behavior
Knowledge creation, sharing and use
Cultural elements: • Practices • Norms • Values
Figure 2.2 Inter-relations between culture, communication and knowledge transfer Source: De Long & Fahey (2000), modified by the Authors (2006)
6
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.2 Communication and transmission channels
As Krone, Jablin & Putnam (1987) and other researchers have observed, the communication
process can be described as any basic two-person communication. This process can be defined as
an inter-relation between a sender and a receiver, where a message is first created and coded by
the sender, then transmitted through a communication channel and thereafter decoded and
interpreted by the receiver (ibid). While the message is coded and decoded barriers like cultural
differences and communication problems may influence the transmission of the message. The
communication process is illustrated in Figure 2.3.
Sender Receiver
Message is created and coded by the sender
Message is decoded and interpreted by the receiver
MESSAGE
Transmission channels
Barriers Barriers
Figure 2.3 Communication process Source: Authors’ own construction (2006)
Successful and effective communication requires adequate information-processing capacity,
which in its turn is a function of the intensity of communication, according to Gupta &
Govindarajan (1991). The higher the intensity of communication, the greater becomes the
company’s information-processing capacity. In the case of communication between
organizational units the Intensity of communication consists of four different dimensions. The
first three dimensions are, according to Jablin (1979) and Tushman (1977): Frequency (i.e. how
often the communication occurs), Informality (i.e. how formal/informal the communication is)
and Openness (i.e. how easy the communication is). The fourth dimension is, according to Gupta
& Govindarajan (1991): Density of communication (i.e. the number of people involved in the
communication).
7
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
Transmission channels can be both formal and informal (Gupta & Govindarajan, 2000). They can
be divided into formal integrative mechanisms and informal corporate socialization mechanisms.
Formal integrative mechanisms are for example liaisons positions, task forces and permanent
committees. The greater the subsidiary’s embeddedness in the global company network through
formal integrative mechanisms, the greater is the density of the communication between the units,
which in turn contributes positively to media richness. Informal corporate socialization
mechanisms, on the other hand, are defined as organizational mechanisms that build interpersonal
familiarity, personal solidarity and convergence in the mentality among personnel from different
subsidiaries. The greater the participation in informal corporate socialization mechanisms, the
richer the transmission channels become and the more open the communication turns out to be.
(ibid)
According to Lengel & Daft (1988) communication is more than just choosing the right words to
express something and interpreting the message carefully. Effective communication depends on
the selection of an appropriate transmission channel that has the best capacity to engage both the
sender and the receiver for mutual understanding of the message. Effective communication is a
matching process (see Figure 2.4) and the richness of transmission channels should therefore be
selected to fit the nature of the message. Communication failures occur when the matching
process is working poorly. (ibid)
The matching process for effective communication is successful when rich transmission channels
are used for complex messages (Lengel & Daft, 1988). Complex messages are influenced by
personal feelings and subjective beliefs and a common frame of reference does not exist between
the sender and the receiver. Complex messages require therefore rich transmission channels that
allow rich exchange of information and knowledge, as well as more personal, direct and
unfiltered contact between the receiver and the sender. Furthermore, communication is successful
when lean transmission channels are used for routine messages. This type of messages are more
impersonal, detached and convey hard data like conclusions, statistics and plain directives. A
common frame of reference does, in this case, already exist between the sender and the receiver
and the routine communication does not require rich exchange of information and knowledge.
(ibid)
8
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
RIC
HN
ESS
OF
TRA
NSM
ISSI
ON
C
HA
NN
ELS
Physical presence
Face-to-face
Interactive media Telephone, electronic media
Personal static media
Memos, letters, tailored computer reports
Impersonal static media
Flyers, bulletins, generalized computer reports
High
Low
Communication failure
Overly rich
communication causes confusion
Effective communication
Rich communication
for complex knowledge
Communication failure
Too little information and sensitivity leads to mistrust and lack
of commitment
Effective communication
Routine
communication for routine knowledge
Routine ComplexKNOWLEDGE
Figure 2.4 Matching process for effective communication Source: Lengel & Daft (1988), modified by the Authors (2006)
Javidan et al. (2005) point out that substantial and high quality communication between the
parties is an imperative for any form of knowledge transfer. In cross-border transfer effective and
high-quality communication is even more important, but also harder to achieve. Differences in
culture are likely to be a main factor causing friction between units in multinational corporations,
since they lead to communication gaps according to Pahlberg (1997). One of the most
fundamental barriers to overcome in these cases is language, both spoken and unspoken.
Language barriers may especially cause communication barriers when the contact is not face-to-
face. However, face-to-face communication is not possible in all situations, since it is relatively
time and capital consuming (Javidan et al., 2005).
2.3 Concept of culture
The concept of culture is complex and definitions of culture vary. The anthropologist Edward
Tylor defined culture in the late 1800s as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief,
art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities acquired by a man as a member of a society”
(Hill, 2005, p. 91). More recently, Hofstede has defined culture as “the collective programming
of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group or category of people from
9
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
another” (Hofstede, 1984, p. 21). Furthermore, De Long & Fahey (2000) describe culture more
generally as a system of values, norms, and practices that are shared among a group of people
and that, when taken together, constitute a design for living. Values are ideas about what a group
believes to be good, right and desirable. This is the deepest level of culture since values are often
embedded in tacit preferences as well as they are difficult to articulate and change. Norms are
derived from values and can be described as social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate
behavior in particular situations. Therefore, they are more observable as well as easier to identify
and change. Practices are the most visible symbols and manifestations of culture. They are a way
of understanding any widely understood set of repetitive behaviors and they also include repeated
types of interaction that have identifiable roles and social roles. In other words, values, norms and
practices are fundamentally interrelated, since values are manifested in norms which in turn
shape specific practices. (ibid)
2.3.1 Project GLOBE and cultural dimensions
House, Javidan & Dorfman (2001) describe Project GLOBE2 as a multi-phase, multi-method
research program designed to understand the relationship between culture and organizations. It
was set up to investigate the impact of national and organizational culture on organizational
practices and leadership. Approximately 160 social scientists and management scholars from 62
cultures representing all major regions throughout the world are engaged in this long-term
programmatic series of cross-cultural leadership studies, which is still going on. (ibid)
Project GLOBE defines culture as “shared motives, values, beliefs, identities, and interpretations
or meanings of significant events that result from common experiences of members of collectives
and are transmitted across age generations” (House et al., 2001, pp. 494-495). According to
Javidan & House (2002) a useful way of exploring cultural similarities and differences is to study
cultural clusters. By dividing countries into clusters Project GLOBE has been able to identify the
extent, nature, and dynamics of cultural similarities and differences around the world. (See
Appendix I – The GLOBE countries in 10 cultural clusters for an overview of these clusters.) A
group of countries that shares many similarities can be defined as a cultural cluster: the countries 2 More information is available on GLOBE’s public website: http://www.thunderbird.edu/wwwfiles/ms/globe
10
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
in a cluster are more similar to each other than to any other country outside the cluster. As
Javidan & House point out, the understanding of cultural similarities and dissimilarities will help
managers be aware of the process of cultural development. Practical studies have also shown that
the greater the cultural difference between two clusters the greater is the differences in both
organizational and knowledge transfer practices. (ibid)
Moreover, Project GLOBE has developed a scale of scores to quantify cultural differences that
are based on cross-cultural theory. These scores measure both cultural practices (as they are) and
cultural values (as they should be) within the different clusters with respect to nine societal
cultural dimensions also developed by Project GLOBE (House et al., 2001). As Javidan et al.
(2005) point out the double nature of these nine dimensions is of particular relevance. Cultural
practices describe the current perceptions of each culture, while cultural values tap the feelings
about cultural aspirations and the direction the individuals want their culture to develop in the
future (ibid).
The nine societal cultural dimensions developed by Project GLOBE are defined as follows
(House et al., 2001). The data for comparisons below between Latin Europe, Anglo and Nordic
Europe clusters3 originates from House et al. (2004). (See Appendix II – The GLOBE societal
cultural scores for Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo clusters for more detailed
information about the scores used for these cluster comparisons.)
1. Uncertainty Avoidance refers to the extent to which members of an organization or
society strive to avoid uncertainty by relying on established norms, rituals and practices.
E.g. most people lead highly structured lives with few unexpected events in a lower
degree both in Latin Europe and Anglo clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
2. Power Distance is the degree to which members of an organization or a society expect
and agree that power should be concentrated and unequally shared. E.g. the followers are
3 Only data for these clusters are presented here, since they were the most representative selection of clusters for our case study. For more information about the other seven clusters, see House et al. (2004).
11
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
expected to obey their leaders without question in a higher degree both in Latin Europe
and Anglo clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
3. Institutional Collectivism reflects the degree to which individuals are encouraged by
institutions to be integrated into broader entities and collective action. E.g. leaders
encourage group loyalty even if individual goals suffer in a lower degree both in Latin
Europe and Anglo clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
4. In-Group Collectivism reflects the degree to which individuals take pride in and feel
loyalty towards their families, organizations and employers. E.g. individuals feel great
loyalty toward their organization in a higher degree both in Latin Europe and Anglo
clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
5. Gender Egalitarianism refers to the extent to which organization or society minimizes
gender role differences and gender discrimination. E.g. groups try to minimize gender
inequality in a lower degree both in Latin Europe and Anglo clusters than in the Nordic
Europe cluster.
6. Assertiveness is the degree to which individuals in organizations or societies are self-
confident, confrontational and aggressive in social relationships. E.g. individuals are
dominant in their relations with each other in a higher degree both in Latin Europe and
Anglo clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
7. Future Orientation reflects the degree to which individuals in organizations or societies
engage in future-orientated behaviors such as planning, investing in the future and
delaying gratification. E.g. individuals live for the present rather than for the future in a
lower degree both in Latin Europe and Anglo clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
8. Performance Orientation reflects the degree to which an organization or society
encourages and rewards group members for performance improvement and excellence.
12
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
E.g. individuals are encouraged to strive for continuously improved performance in a
higher degree both in Latin Europe and Anglo clusters than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
9. Human Orientation reflects the degree to which individuals in organizations or societies
encourage and reward individuals for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring and
kind to others. E.g. individuals are tolerant of mistakes in a lower degree in the Latin
Europe cluster than in the Nordic Europe cluster but in a higher degree in the Anglo
cluster than in the Nordic Europe cluster.
House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman & Gupta (2004) state that the first six societal cultural
dimensions used by Project GLOBE have their origins in the dimensions of culture identified by
Hofstede (1984). The first three dimensions reflect Hofstede’s dimensions Uncertainty
Avoidance, Power Distance, and Individualism. However, Hofstede’s original dimension
Collectivism was divided in two within the Project GLOBE: Institutional Collectivism and In-
Group Collectivism. This distinction was made to separate societal emphasis from individual
emphasis. Furthermore, Hofstede’s Masculinity dimension was developed in two separate
dimensions: Gender Egalitarianism and Assertiveness. This was done to broaden the conception
of masculinity. Future Orientation on the other hand was derived from Kluckhohn &
Strodtbeck’s (1961) dimension which focuses on the temporal mode of a society. This dimension
has furthermore some similarities to the dimension Long-Term Orientation developed by
Hofstede later on. Performance Orientation in its turn was derived from McClelland’s (1985)
work on Need for Achievement, which was assumed to be a non-conscious motive and was
measured by the use of projective tests. However, it was measured in Project GLOBE by the use
of closed-end questionnaire items and as a variable of economic performance. Finally, Human
Orientation was a mixture of three different conceptualizations. The first one of these was
Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck’s (1961) dimension Human Nature as Good versus Human Nature as
Bad. The second one was McClelland’s (1985) conceptualization of the Affiliative Motive (i.e.
humans’ need to be accepted and liked) and the third one was Putnam’s (1993) work on the Civic
Society (i.e. humans in modern societies care less for each other).
13
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.4 Conceptual framework
We have brought together Gupta & Govindarajan’s (2000) model of effective cross-border
knowledge transfer and the nine societal cultural dimensions developed by GLOBE. However,
we will only focus on one of Gupta & Govindarajan’s (2000) four forces: Existence and richness
of transmission channels. We wanted to focus on this factor since effective communication is a
prerequisite for successful cross-border knowledge transfer and transmission channels are an
important part of the communication process. By combining these two models we will be able to
investigate which of the nine cultural dimensions developed by GLOBE have an impact on
communication and transmission channels in cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge
and find out why these cultural differences may or may not have an impact. Figure 2.5
summarizes our conceptual framework.
Communication and transmission channels
9. Human Orientation
1. Uncertainty Avoidance
4. In-Group Collectivism
6. Assertiveness
2. Power Distance
3. Institutional Collectivism
5. Gender Egalitarianism
7. Future Orientation
8. Performance Orientation
Figure 2.5 Conceptual framework Source: Authors’ own construction (2006)
14
CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
3 Methodology
In this part the methodology used for conducting this research will be presented. First the
research purpose will be discussed, followed by what kind of research approach is used. After
this the research strategy and data collection method is being discussed, as well as sample
selection and analysis of data. Finally, the quality standards and operationalization will be
discussed.
3.1 Research purpose and approach
This thesis is descriptive since the purpose is to develop an understanding of if/how national
cultural differences influence communication and transmission channels in cross-border transfer
of organizational knowledge. The descriptive research purpose suits well for our study since the
problem is well structured and we aim to develop an understanding of the problem area by using
an if/how-problem formulation (Winter, 1992). Furthermore, we will investigate which aspects of
the problem area are relevant and we will describe these more thoroughly (ibid). The conclusions
of our study will then be derived from the description of the examined aspects and variables
(ibid).
The qualitative approach is appropriate for our thesis, since a deeper and broader understanding
about the problem area is desired (Jacobsen, 2002). The qualitative approach is less formal and
based on unsystematic and unstructured observations (Holme & Solvang, 1997). Furthermore, it
is more flexible than a quantitative one (ibid). Since the aim of this thesis is to study knowledge
and culture which are highly based on the company’s and the interview respondents’ attitudes
and perceptions, it is easier to demonstrate the data in qualitative words instead of quantitative
statistics. Therefore the flexible and informal qualitative approach suits well our study.
Furthermore, our thesis follows a deductive approach, i.e. the existing theories within the
research area have been studied and the research problem and research questions have then been
drawn from these recognized theories. Through an empirical research we will build a deeper and
broader understanding of our conceptual framework.
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3.2 Research strategy, data collection and analysis of data
We have chosen to conduct an in-depth case study as research strategy. As Eriksson &
Wiedersheim-Paul (2001) point out, a case study involves investigating one entity but many
variables in order to get an in-depth situational picture. Moreover, the case study method is useful
when the purpose is to study a certain process and to identify the factors which influence this
particular process (Bell, 2000). The case study in this thesis is conducted on a knowledge
intensive Swedish biotechnology/medical device company, Q-Med AB4, hereafter only referred
to as Q-Med. In order to reach our purpose and our aim to develop a model, our case study will
in-depth investigate if/how national culture influence communication and transmission channels
in cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge within this knowledge intensive company.
Thus, we will study which cultural dimensions have an impact on Q-Med’s cross-border
knowledge transfer and why.
In this thesis both secondary and primary data have been collected. The secondary data for our
case study has been collected through different documents. We have studied Q-Med’s website
and its financial reports to get more information about the company and its activities as well as to
get an overview of the company’s knowledge intensity and its grade of internationalization.
Furthermore, the primary data for our case study has been collected through a personal interview.
The fact that the information we searched and needed for our study regarded mostly internal
organizational knowledge and that it was not available on the website or in the financial reports,
influenced our choice of conducting a personal interview. According to Davidson & Patel (2003),
qualitative verbal analysis is often used to gain better understanding of the research problem,
which also suited well for our purpose. We also wanted to pose complex questions and explain
possible misunderstandings during the interview. Moreover, we considered it important to let our
interview respondents freely describe the research area from their point of view. Considerable
efforts were made, in cooperation with Q-Med and Director Human Resources Thomas
Holmberg, to find suitable and knowledgeable respondents, who were capable to answer our
questions.
4 More information is available on Q-Med’s website: http://www.q-med.com
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
Our one-hour in-depth interview was conducted with two respondents from Q-Med’s
headquarters on the 14th of December 2006 at the head office in Uppsala, Sweden. We had the
opportunity to interview Manager Internal Communications Annelie Lundell and Corporate HR
Manager Christina Toth. Annelie Lundell is responsible for all internal communication within the
entire Q-Med Group and for a new project that aims to improve the information sharing and
communication within the company during the year 2006. The internal communication has
become more and more important for Q-Med while the company rapidly has been growing. For
this reason Annelie Lundell’s post was established only six months ago, although she has been
working at Q-Med since 2002. Christina Toth, on the other hand, is responsible for all
international assignments at Q-Med. This includes responsibility for Q-Med’s expatriates and
therefore even contacts and communication with the subsidiaries and public authorities abroad.
She has been working at Q-Med since 2000. (Personal interview with Annelie Lundell and
Christina Toth)
Moreover, within-case analysis is used in this thesis, since only one specific case study has been
conducted. The data collected from our case study was then compared to the relevant conceptual
framework in order to find particular similarities and dissimilarities, also described as theoretical
generalization by Yin (2003).
3.3 Sample selection
We decided to study a rapidly growing, profitable Swedish biotechnology/medical device
company, Q-Med. The biotechnology/medical device industry in Sweden is well-known for its
international knowledge intensive features and Q-Med suits therefore well for our case study.
Furthermore, Q-Med was chosen as a subject for our case study since knowledge and competence
management are important for the company and Q-Med promotes continuous development,
growth and understanding. Q-Med’s competence development is not only an instrument for
attaining the short and long term goals that have been set in the business plan, but also an
instrument for ensuring that the co-workers take in the new knowledge that is necessary for the
continuous development of the company. (www.q-med.com)
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
Q-Med was started in 1987 by Bengt Ågerup with the view to commercialize the research he had
carried out. Since the end of 1995 the company has run its operations in its present form (www.q-
med.com). The company develops, produces, markets and sells advanced medical products (ibid).
All products in Q-Med's portfolio5 are based on the company’s patented technology NASHA™
(Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid6) (ibid). The products are sold internationally through
the company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, which are situated in Spain (31 employees), Germany
(24), France (23), Italy (22), United Kingdom (19), USA (18), Australia (11), Canada (8), Brazil
(8) and Mexico (7) (Q-Med Årsredovisning 2005). However, we have chosen to study only the
subsidiaries in the Latin Europe and Anglo clusters, since the majority of the subsidiaries can be
put in these clusters and are therefore the most representative selection for our case study.
We found it interesting to study how national culture influences the company’s communication
process and transmission channels, since Q-Med has co-workers with different nationalities in
over 10 countries and interaction between different parts of the organization is essential for the
knowledge transfer (www.q-med.com). Since Q-Med promotes the importance of knowledge
management and sells its advanced medical products internationally via several culturally
dissimilar subsidiaries abroad, we found it interesting to study the company’s product knowledge
transfer. An effective product knowledge transfer is a fundamental part of successful sales and
therefore also an essential basis of Q-Med’s profitability. Our decision to concentrate on product
knowledge transfer was moreover supported by Q-Med’s Director Human Resources Thomas
Holmberg.
3.4 Quality standards
It is difficult to ensure reliability and validity when conducting qualitative research (Davidson &
Patel, 2003). Thus, it is always an important task to verify the reliability of a source, no matter
5 Q-Med’s product portfolio: RESTYLANE, for filling out lips and facial wrinkles and for facial contouring; DUROLANE, for treatment of the osteoarthritis of hip and knee joints; DEFLUX, for treatment of children’s vesicoureteral reflux (a malformation of the urinary bladder) and ZUIDEX, for treatment of women’s stress urinary incontinence. (www.q-med.com) 6 Hyaluronic acid is a natural sugar which is found in all organs of the body and it looks the same in all living organisms. This kind of acid binds water and gives volume to the skin, acts as a lubricant for joints and other movable parts of the body as well as protects cells. (www.q-med.com)
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
what the information is going to be used for. During the working process of our case study we
have faced two primary problems which we had to deal with. The first problem relates to the fact
that we have used secondary data. Such data has normally passed through several filters; i.e.
persons may have interpreted the information and put their own perceptions on it (Wiklund,
1999). The second problem relates to the primary data used in this thesis. The persons who have
been interviewed may have been governed by the company’s policies and confidentiality.
Therefore the information they have given us may have been biased, ambiguous or even
incorrect. This does not necessarily have to be based on the respondents’ involuntariness; rather it
can be a result of the fact that the respondents do not remember the exact course of the event of
the topic for the interview. However, we did not experience this kind of problems during the
interview and the respondents were giving complete and detailed answers to all of our questions.
The respondents behaved very professionally and they also seemed comfortable and eased with
the interview situation. Nevertheless, we are conscious about the fact that subjectivity might have
affected our respondents’ answers, but this problem cannot be completely excluded since
subjectivity always have some influence on individuals.
An advantage of collecting primary data through a personal interview is that it is possible to bring
the questions in line with our actual problem statement. However, problems can occur due to
“interviewer effects” which may influence the respondents and which are caused by the physical
presence of the interviewer. If the interaction between the interviewer and the respondents does
not work there is a risk that the quality of the answers decreases (Jacobsen, 2002). In order to
ensure the reliability of our research and to facilitate the interaction between us and the
respondents, Swedish was used as the interview language. We wanted to avoid language barriers
and to let the respondents freely and thoroughly answer to all of our questions. However, it
should be noted that some unintentional translation interpretations may have occurred when
doing translation but we have tried to handle all translations very carefully. During the evaluation
and handling of the data collected, we have also tried to be as objective as possible to ensure the
reliability of our thesis. However, it should be taken into consideration that the same interview
guide and the same respondents still might not lead to the exact same result as in this thesis. The
subjectivity has always some influence in an interview and a research. We have been conscious
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
about this problem and we have strived after not to let our own subjective thoughts and feelings
influence the evaluation and the handling the data collected.
According to Holme & Solvang (1991) problems may further occur during the operationalization,
when the conceptual framework is turned into appropriate interview questions. Especially
problematic is the aspect of how these questions should be formulated so that the respondents can
comprehend them and give concrete answers to them. To ensure the validity of this research, our
interview guide was formulated from the emerged conceptual framework; this in order to answer
to our research purpose. The interview guide was then read and commented by other persons to
test the comprehension of the questions and to improve the formulation of them. (See Appendix
III for the English version of the interview guide and Appendix IV for the Swedish one.) A
preview of the Swedish interview guide was sent to the respondents by e-mail few days before
the actual interview. This in order to let the respondents get an insight and a more complete
picture of what the interview was to be about, since the subject of our research is complex and the
time for the interview was limited. The interview was then conducted face-to-face in order to
gain better understanding of the situation and to be able to explain the possible
misunderstandings of the questions. The aim of the personal interview was to obtain
comprehensive answers from the respondents’ side and to let the respondents describe the entire
research area from their point of view. In order to ensure the validity the interview was recorded
with permission by the respondents. Furthermore, both researchers made their own notes, which
then later on were conducted together. After the text was written it was sent back to our interview
respondents by e-mail so that they could read it through and correct possible misunderstandings.
Finally, we are aware of the fact that our single case study contributes with low transferability,
since the results of this thesis are specific for the company studied. Therefore our study only adds
insights, regarding the influence of cultural differences on communication and transmission
channels for other multinational knowledge transferring companies. We only had the opportunity
to conduct one one-hour in-depth interview with two respondents, since the time and the
company’s resources were limited for our study. However, we are conscious about the fact that
the respondents’ answers might have been less biased if they had been interviewed separately, but
we did not have the possibility to do this. Furthermore, we only had the possibility to study the
headquarters’ point of view in our case study, since the research period was limited and during
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
this time no representatives from Q-Med’s subsidiaries were available for a personal in-depth
interview.
3.5 Operationalization of the theory
The interview questions were formulated in a relatively general way to trigger a deeper
discussion around the subject in question. In this way we could, during the interview, focus on
the parts which turned out to be the most interesting for our research. The definition “product
information” was used in the questions instead of the definition “product knowledge” since the
former definition is used by the company to equivalent product knowledge. Even though the first
definition includes both information and knowledge, the focus in our interview was laid on
product knowledge and this was clearly expressed to our respondents. Furthermore, the cultural
clusters developed by Project GLOBE are referred to as “cultures” in the English version of the
interview guide and as “länder” (i.e. countries) in the Swedish one in order to make the
questions simpler and easier to comprehend.
To begin with, we formulated some questions to get some general information about the
respondents’ background and their position in the company (Questions 1.1-1.4). Furthermore, we
formulated some more questions around the subjects of communication and transmission
channels (Questions 2.1-2.8), since this was of the central interest for our study. In order to
measure if/how cultural differences influence communication and transmission channels in cross-
border transfer of organizational knowledge, it is important to first investigate what type of
communication exists and which transmission channels are used within the company. Questions
2.1-2.2 are therefore intended to be more general about both communication and richness of
transmission channels; for example how the headquarters communicate with the subsidiaries and
why. With Questions 2.3-2.8 we wanted to measure the company’s communication intensity:
frequency, formality/informality as well as the company’s socializations mechanisms, openness
and density of communication; for example how often and with how many persons the
headquarters have contact with in the subsidiaries.
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
Our aim with Questions 3.1-3.7 was to investigate which cultural dimensions have an impact on
the company’s cross-border transfer of product knowledge and why. The nine cultural
dimensions developed by Project GLOBE were used as a base for discussion, but as we did not
want to exclude other possible cultural factors that might have an impact, we formulated the more
general Questions 3.1 and 3.7 about what kind of cultural differences the headquarters had
experienced in general. With Questions 3.2-3.6, on the other hand, we wanted to go in-depth and
investigate the influence of the existing cultural differences between the Latin Europe, Anglo and
Nordic Europe clusters. For example, if the headquarters recognize some of the nine cultural
differences developed by Project GLOBE and how these differences have influenced the
transmission channels used.
The definitions of the nine cultural Project GLOBE dimensions that are used in our interview
guide come from House et al. (2001) and the data for comparisons between Latin Europe, Anglo
and Nordic Europe clusters come from House et al. (2004). (See Appendix II – The GLOBE
societal cultural scores for Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo clusters.) The scores and
comparisons used for Questions 3.2-3.6 are developed and used by Project GLOBE. Since all
scores already are measured by Project GLOBE and commonly acknowledged, there was no need
for us to re-measure the scores. Since it only was interesting to use as a basis for our study the
scores that showed how cultural practices in fact are and not how they should be, i.e. cultural
values, we have only used the scores for cultural practices (referred to as “as is” in the Appendix
II) for the comparisons between Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo clusters.
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CHAPTER 4 – CASE STUDY OF Q-MED AB
4 Case study of Q-Med AB
In this chapter the empirical data collected during the personal interview with our interview
respondents from Q-Med’s headquarters will be presented.
4.1 Communication and transmission channels7
Q-Med uses different transmission channels for its communication between the headquarters and
the subsidiaries regarding product knowledge. These transmission channels are used for different
purposes and the headquarters describe them as follows:
• Electronic General Management System, hereafter referred to as GMS, that only the
higher level of management and administrative personnel have access to.
• Direct Materials and Brochures that are distributed within the company by graphic
designers.
• Personal Contacts like congresses, seminars, meetings and training.
The GMS transmission channel is primarily used for fast and easy information sharing about the
company’s policies and goals, as well as for routine knowledge about Q-Med’s products. GMS is
a tool that management and administrative personnel apply in their daily work. However, the
access may vary depending on the hierarchal structure in the subsidiaries. Direct Materials and
Brochures are mostly used for product knowledge sharing and financial reports and they are used
for more basic knowledge shearing and learning. Personal Contacts like congresses, seminars,
meetings and training are mostly used for more complex and advanced knowledge sharing and
are commonly used within management and during training periods. The transmission channels
mentioned above are equally used towards subsidiaries and no other variation than language used
is remarked.
7 All data in Chapter 4.2 comes from the in-depth interview with Annelie Lundell and Christina Toth.
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CHAPTER 4 – CASE STUDY OF Q-MED AB
The main company language at Q-Med is English, but even other languages are used if the
situation requires that or if it is otherwise appropriate. Beside English even French, German,
Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish are used in communication within the Q-Med Group. Exceptions
are especially made when subsidiary representatives are visiting the headquarters; then their
mother tongue is used if possible. However, GMS is only available in English, but in a near
future it will be possible for the subsidiaries to link sites to GMS, which then can be used even
with other languages. Moreover, the direct materials and brochures are translated in 25 different
languages which facilitate the use of these for the co-workers with different language
backgrounds in different countries.
Frequency of communication: The regularity of the contacts between Q-Med’s headquarters and
its subsidiaries is quite high. The subsidiary managers have almost daily contact with the
headquarters and they are often on meetings, seminars and trainings at the headquarters.
Regarding the administrative personnel the contact is not as regular as the managers but still quite
frequent. The sales personnel, on the other hand, from the subsidiaries has almost no contact with
the headquarters, except for the introductive training period, that always takes place in the
beginning of their employment at the headquarters in Uppsala, Sweden.
Informality of communication: The communication regarding product knowledge is formal in a
quite large extent, since there are many legal and other formal restrictions which regulate what
kind of knowledge has to be shared to ensure the safety and quality of the products. Therefore,
the direct documents and brochures, as well as the product knowledge in GMS are held quite
formal. However, even informal communication is used to ensure that the complex product
knowledge is understood and interpreted in a proper way and to enhance deeper understanding
for these advanced and highly regulated products. Informal communication occurs also when
having other types of contacts between headquarters and the subsidiaries, especially more
personal ones. Furthermore, Q-Med encourages open conversation and discussions between their
coworkers, different socialization forms and familiar atmosphere within the company. The
subsidiary general managers are often at the headquarters for different reasons and socialize
therefore regularly with their colleagues from the headquarters. One yearly conference for
business controllers and one yearly conference for general managers are held at the headquarters.
The introductive training course about product sales and product knowledge for new sales
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CHAPTER 4 – CASE STUDY OF Q-MED AB
employees from the subsidiaries abroad is also held at the headquarters and includes different
forms of socialization with the colleagues from the headquarters and from other subsidiaries.
Openness of communication: In general, the headquarters at Q-Med find the communication
between them and the subsidiaries to be uncomplicated, fast and open. The familiar and relaxed
company culture facilitates the communication. However, the headquarters are unsure if the
subsidiaries experience the communication in the same way. It is probably not as easy for the
personnel from the subsidiaries to pick up the phone and contact the headquarters, as it is for the
headquarters to contact the subsidiaries. The headquarters are although optimistic that the
subsidiaries experience the communication in the same positive way as no major problems in
communication have occurred.
Density of communication: All general managers are involved in the communication both at the
headquarters as well as in the subsidiaries. Most of the administrative personnel, controllers and
personnel at logistics are also involved in the communication. Only the sales personnel are not
involved in the direct communication between headquarters and subsidiaries, which makes it
harder for the headquarters to recognize their needs of product knowledge.
Communication satisfaction: The communication is overall working well between the
headquarters and the subsidiaries and the existing transmission channels are used effectively.
However, the headquarters feel that the communication earlier has been too concentrated on
management levels. The contact with other levels of the subsidiaries abroad has therefore been
nearly non-existing. Q-Med has started a new program for improvement of information sharing
and communication during the year 2006. The headquarters hope to get better overall contact
with all levels of the organization within a near future. Earlier it has been up to the subsidiary
managers to share and forward the knowledge they have received from the headquarters to their
employees. This might have resulted in that the product knowledge has not always reached out to
all levels of the subsidiaries. As some knowledge may have remained only at the management
level in the past, Q-Med plans to implement a global internal electronic network in English,
which all personnel will have access to.
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CHAPTER 4 – CASE STUDY OF Q-MED AB
4.2 Cultural differences – Nordic European vs. Latin European and Anglo cultures8
Q-Med recognizes that some cultural differences exist between the headquarters and the
subsidiaries. However, most of the problems are derived from language differences and
variations in the use of tones. For example there exist large language problems in all subsidiary
levels in the Latin European cultures. However, it is easier to socialize with them and correct the
possible misunderstandings and misinterpretations, since the colleagues from the Latin European
subsidiaries are more apt to tell if there is something that they do not understand. The
misunderstandings and misinterpretations due to language problems have caused some
communication failures according to the headquarters; especially within e-mail correspondence
but sometimes even in personal contacts. The misunderstandings and misinterpretations are time-
consuming and therefore the headquarters seek to avoid them.
There do not exist that much language problems with subsidiaries in the Anglo cultures according
to the headquarters. However, it is harder to get a close contact with personnel from these
countries, since they are more disciplinary and dominant in their relationships. Q-Med’s
headquarters have especially noticed that the American leadership differs from the Swedish one.
In the USA it is not common to reach consensus and since the Swedes are more used to discuss
before the decisions are made these differences have caused problems in the communication. A
fact that has diminished the cultural gaps between the headquarters and the Anglo subsidiaries is
that Q-Med has placed out some Swedish general managers there, more precisely in United
Kingdom and Australia.
Since the headquarters enhance the cultural diversity within the company, Q-Med’s subsidiaries
have had the possibility to retain their national cultural features and their hierarchic structure,
even if these differ from the headquarters’. This fact has had both positive and negative
influences on communication, but the headquarters consider the positive ones more important.
According to the headquarters the diversity contributes to valuable interaction between research,
business and organizational culture within the company. On the other hand, the headquarters
8 All data in Chapter 4.3 comes from the in-depth interview with Annelie Lundell and Christina Toth.
26
CHAPTER 4 – CASE STUDY OF Q-MED AB
wish at the same time to implement Q-Med’s overall company culture in the subsidiaries in order
to facilitate the communication. This Q-Med’s company culture, at least at the headquarters, is
characterized by familiarity, relaxed atmosphere, respect and openness.
4.2.1 Nine cultural dimensions from Project GLOBE
Q-Med’s headquarters feel that some of the nine cultural differences from Project GLOBE have a
larger influence than others on its communication with the subsidiaries in Latin European and
Anglo cultures and therefore also on the transmission channels used for communication. As
important cultural differences that influence both of these aspects the headquarters consider:
Power Distance, Institutional Collectivism, In-Group Collectivism, Assertiveness and
Performance Orientation. Hence, the headquarters consider that Uncertainty Avoidance, Gender
Egalitarianism, Future Orientation and Human Orientation have no impact on these, since no
communication problems related to these are recognized by the headquarters.
Power Distance is seen as a significant aspect for Q-Med’s communication and transmission
channels used since the more hierarchal structure in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries
differs from the Nordic European headquarters lateral structure and the leaders have more
authority in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries. This influences the communication
between the Q-Med’s headquarters and its subsidiaries in the way that it is often up to the
subsidiary managers to share and forward the knowledge they get from the headquarters to their
employees.
Institutional Collectivism is an important factor for Q-Med’s communication and transmission
channels used since the Nordic European headquarters encourage team-work and group loyalty
more than the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries. The communication at the headquarters is
therefore more time consuming since the personnel from the headquarters is used to reach
consensus by discussing, which is not often the case in the subsidiaries.
In-Group Collectivism is considered important for the communication and transmission channels
used, since different socialization mechanisms are more commonly used in the Latin European
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CHAPTER 4 – CASE STUDY OF Q-MED AB
and Anglo subsidiaries than at the Nordic European headquarters. For example the personnel
from these subsidiaries socialize with their colleagues more often in their spare time. In this way
they have a greater solidarity and cohesion towards each other and their organization. They are
also more apt to appreciate the personal contacts and communication.
Assertiveness is a significant factor and influences Q-Med’s communication and transmission
channels used, since the personnel in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries are more
dominant and confrontational in their relations than the personnel at the Nordic European
headquarters. For example in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries the individuals do not
hesitate to say what they think and they are more straightforward than the individuals at the
Nordic European headquarters. On the other hand, at the Nordic European headquarters the
individuals are not too self-confident and they are more reserved. These cultural differences have
caused misunderstandings and misinterpretations, for example problems with personal contacts
Performance Orientation is seen as an important aspect that influences Q-Med’s communication
and transmission channels used. For example in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries the
individual is praised more when performing well, which in turn encourages the individual to
perform even better. At the Nordic European headquarters, on the other hand, the individuals
have difficulties both in giving and receiving encouragements. These cultural differences have
caused problems when communicating within Q-Med, since the individuals are used to different
kinds of appraisal at work.
Overall Q-Med’s Nordic European headquarters are aware of that several cultural differences
exist between them and the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries and the headquarters do not
ignore these differences. Some measures have been used to diminish and to be aware of cultural
barriers. For example two cross-cultural seminars have been organized at the headquarters in
Uppsala, Sweden, regarding the American and the Chinese cultures. This has been a result of past
communication problems and misunderstandings according to the headquarters.
28
CHAPTER 5 – CASE ANALYSIS
5 Case analysis
In this chapter the case analysis is presented. The data collected is here analyzed and compared
to our conceptual framework.
5.1 Communication and transmission channels
Javidan et al. (2005) point out that substantial and high quality communication between the
parties is an imperative for any form of knowledge transfer. However, when the international
aspect is added the effective communication becomes even harder to achieve (ibid). According to
Pahlberg (1997) communication gaps and barriers are often caused by differences in national
culture between different units in Multinational Corporations. We believe it is essential for Q-
Med to acknowledge the importance of effective knowledge transfer and communication within
the organization, since the company deals with advanced medical products and needs to transfer
this complex product knowledge to its subsidiaries abroad.
Q-Med uses different transmission channels and, in our opinion, the company matches them
effectively with the type of product knowledge they want to transfer. According to Lengel & Daft
(1988) communication is successful when rich transmission channels are used for complex
messages and when lean transmission channels are used for routine messages. In our case study
we have observed that Q-Med’s complex product knowledge is transferred with personal contacts
like training, seminars and other meetings, while routine product knowledge is transferred with
direct materials and brochures. Furthermore, Lengel & Daft (1998) point out that effective
communication depends on the selection of an appropriate transmission channel and the creation
of mutual understanding between the both parties involved in the communication.
Furthermore, we have noticed that Q-Med does not adapt its communication towards the different
subsidiaries abroad, except for the language used in some personal contacts and in the
translations of direct materials and brochures. In this way the grade of misinterpretation and
misunderstandings are avoided, or at least diminished, when important and advanced product
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CHAPTER 5 – CASE ANALYSIS
knowledge is transferred. We have also observed that this is done to emphasize the mutual frame
of reference between the parties involved in the communication. Q-Med’s subsidiaries have also
had the possibility to retain their national cultural features and their hierarchic structure, since the
headquarters enhance the cultural diversity within the company. However, the headquarters at the
same time wish to implement Q-Med’s overall company culture in the subsidiaries abroad to
facilitate the communication between different units. This is, in our opinion, somewhat
contradictory since it ought to be difficult to retain national cultural features in the subsidiaries
abroad and to implement Q-Med’s company culture there simultaneously.
5.1.1 Intensity of communication
According to Gupta & Govindarajan (1991) successful and effective communication requires
adequate information-processing capacity, which is a function of intensity of communication.
Intensity of communication consists of frequency, informality, openness, and density of
communication as described earlier in Chapter 2.2. Depending on what kinds of mechanisms and
in what extent they are used, this influences how the communication turns out to be (ibid).
The frequency of communication, i.e. how often the communication occurs, is relatively high
within Q-Med in our opinion. The subsidiary managers have almost daily contact with the
headquarters and the administrative personnel’s contact is quite regular. However, the sales
personnel from the subsidiaries have almost no contact with the headquarters. We can therefore
argue that the high regularity of contacts remains only on the higher levels of the organization
and cannot be generalized on all levels.
We have also observed that the communication regarding product knowledge is quite formal
within Q-Med, since there are many legal and other formal restrictions which regulate what kind
of knowledge has to be shared to ensure the safety and quality of the products. However, to
ensure that the complex product knowledge is understood and interpreted in a proper way, also
informal communication is used. Moreover, Q-Med encourages open conversation and
discussions between co-workers. We believe that Q-Med’s familiar and relaxed company culture
facilitates the informality of communication. The general managers of the subsidiaries are often at
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CHAPTER 5 – CASE ANALYSIS
the headquarters and socialize regularly with their colleagues from there. Therefore, in our
opinion, the informal corporate socialization mechanisms that are used between the general
managers contribute to the informality of communication.
Overall the communication between Q-Med’s headquarters and its subsidiaries is working well
and the headquarters find it mostly to be uncomplicated, fast and easy. We believe that this
contributes in a high degree to the openness of the communication. However, the headquarters
still hope to improve the contact with all levels of the organization, which as we can see will
develop even further the openness of communication.
We believe that the density of communication, i.e. the number of people involved in the
communication, is quite high within Q-Med, since all general managers are involved in the
communication both at the headquarters as well as in the subsidiaries. Thus, we consider the
general managers as the main transmission channels, since all subsidiaries are relatively small;
i.e. within the range of 7-31 employees.
As a result of all these four factors discussed above, we argue that the intensity of communication
is high within Q-Med on the higher levels of the organization, but low between the headquarters
and the subsidiaries’ lower organizational levels. As Gupta & Govindarajan (1991) have pointed
out, the higher the intensity of communication, the greater becomes the company’s information-
processing capacity, which in its turn is a prerequisite for successful and effective
communication. In our opinion, Q-Med is proficient in communication between higher
organizational levels, although improvements remain to be done on other levels within the
organization.
5.2 Cultural differences – Nordic European vs. Latin European and Anglo cultures
Barriers like cultural differences and communication problems influence the transmission of the
message during different phases of communication process according to Krone et al. (1987). One
of the most important barriers to overcome is therefore language, especially when the contact is
31
CHAPTER 5 – CASE ANALYSIS
not face-to-face (ibid). However, as Javidan et al. (2005) state, face-to-face communication is not
always possible given that it is relatively time and capital consuming. We have noticed that
Q-Med’s headquarters are aware of that cultural differences exist between the headquarters and
the subsidiaries abroad. We have also observed that most of the communication problems within
Q-Med are, at least in some extent, influenced by language differences. Especially large language
problems exist in all organizational levels in the Latin European subsidiaries. However, language
problems do not exist in the same way with the Anglo subsidiaries and the communication is
therefore less troublesome with personnel from these subsidiaries.
5.2.1 Nine cultural dimensions from Project GLOBE
A useful way of exploring cultural similarities and differences is to study cultural clusters
(Javidan & House, 2002). In this way it is possible to identify extent, nature, and dynamics of
cultural similarities and differences around the world (ibid). This type of cultural differences can
be measured by using the nine societal cultural dimensions developed by Project GLOBE:
Uncertainty Avoidance, Power Distance, Institutional Collectivism, In-Group Collectivism,
Gender Egalitarianism, Assertiveness, Future Orientation, Performance Orientation and Human
Orientation (House et al., 2001). The greater the cultural difference between two clusters the
greater are the differences both in organizational and knowledge transfer practices (Javidan &
House, 2002).
In our case study we have discovered that Q-Med’s headquarters consider the following five
cultural differences from Project GLOBE to be of importance. We believe that the cultural
differences described below are considered important since they have led to misunderstandings
and misinterpretations in the past. These in turn have caused communication failures between Q-
Med’s headquarters and its subsidiaries abroad.
• Power Distance influences, according to us, the communication and the transmission
channels used between Q-Med’s headquarters and its Latin European and Anglo
subsidiaries, since it is often up to the subsidiary managers to share and forward product
32
CHAPTER 5 – CASE ANALYSIS
knowledge. Moreover, the more hierarchal structure of these subsidiaries prevents the
open communication and therefore also the product knowledge transfer, in our opinion.
• Institutional Collectivism is considered as an important factor for the communication and
the transmission channels used in our opinion, since Q-Med’s headquarters encourage
team-work and group loyalty more than the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries. We
believe that this can create a perception gap and misunderstandings between parties
involved in the communication, which may affect the product knowledge transfer in its
turn.
• In-Group Collectivism influences, according to us, Q-Med’s communication and
transmission channels used, since different socialization mechanisms are more commonly
used in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries than at the headquarters. We presume
that these socialization mechanisms increase the familiarity between the parties and
therefore facilitate the communication between them. However, this may also create
perception gaps for the communication since personal contacts are more valued in the
Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries than in the Nordic headquarters.
• Assertiveness is an important factor for Q-Med’s communication and transmission
channels used in our opinion, since the personnel from the Latin European and Anglo
subsidiaries are more dominant and confrontational than at the Nordic European
headquarters. We think that this may lead to misunderstandings and conflicts between the
parties involved in the communication and it may be harder to cooperate.
• Performance Orientation is, according to us, seen as an important factor for Q-Med’s
communication and the transmission channels used, since individuals are used to different
kinds of appraisal and communication in the Latin European and Anglo subsidiaries than
at Q-Med’s headquarters in Sweden. We believe that a possible lack of appraisal and
recognition might lead to miscommunication and cause friction between the parties
involved.
33
CHAPTER 5 – CASE ANALYSIS
Our case study confirms that cultural differences do influence Q-Med’s communication and
therefore also the transmission channels used for communication in the cross-border knowledge
transfer. However, not all of the nine cultural dimensions developed by Project GLOBE have an
impact on these according to Q-Med’s headquarters. Hence, the headquarters consider that
Uncertainty Avoidance, Gender Egalitarianism, Future Orientation and Human Orientation have
no impact on the communication, since no communication problems related to these are
recognized. We believe that these cultural differences were excluded, since they do not have
special relevance for the communication and the transmission channels used. Uncertainty
Avoidance is more about how people live and plan their lives to avoid risks and uncertainty.
Gender Egalitarianism, in its turn, is more about minimizing gender inequality in general.
Furthermore, Future Orientation explains only that individuals live more in the present than in
the future. Finally, Human Orientation describes in general the individuals’ tolerance for
mistakes.
34
CHAPTER 6 – FINAL DISCUSSION
6 Final discussion
In this chapter a short review of the purpose of our thesis is presented, followed by the main
findings and conclusions of our research. Finally, limitations of this study and implications for
future research will be presented.
6.1 Findings and conclusions
The purpose of this thesis was to develop an understanding of if/how national cultural differences
influence communication and transmission channels in cross-border transfer of organizational
knowledge. We have investigated which cultural differences have an impact on these aspects and
why. Thereafter we developed our theoretical model by combining theory and our results. The
data collected on Q-Med was analyzed and compared to existing theories, which brought us to
certain conclusions that we present below. Our in-depth analysis of Q-Med has shed light on
cultural differences influence on communication and transmission channels in cross-border
transfer of organizational knowledge, which deserves consideration.
Our case study confirms that cultural differences are important to recognize when transferring
knowledge cross-borders and our findings show that communication and the transmission
channels used for this are influenced by the national cultural differences. Furthermore, we believe
in line with other researchers that it is important to be aware of the fact that national cultural
differences influence knowledge-related behaviors and communication in order to overcome
problems related to these. The problems that cultural differences create when knowledge is
transferred cross-borders may be caused by the company’s inability to recognize such
differences. Therefore, in our opinion, the understanding that cultural differences do have an
impact on communication and transmission channels can provide insights to managers facing
global challenges, given that cross-cultural knowledge transfer is complex and a fact of daily life
for most international companies.
35
CHAPTER 6 – FINAL DISCUSSION
In line with other researchers, we believe that effective cross-border knowledge transfer is
becoming more and more important, since globalization is constantly increasing. However, the
growing globalization does not come with a guidebook. Our study can therefore contribute with
insights for companies which find themselves in similar situations as Q-Med, i.e. knowledge
intensive multinational companies. Our findings confirm that national cultural differences do
influence communication and transmission channels when transferring knowledge cross-borders.
More specifically, our findings show that the cultural differences influencing Q-Med AB’s
communication and transmission channels are: Power Distance, Institutional Collectivism, In-
Group Collectivism, Assertiveness and Performance Orientation. Also language differences are
regarded as an important factor by Q-Med AB. Our conclusions are summarized in Figure 6.1.
We believe that the other cultural dimensions developed by Project GLOBE were excluded, since
they do not have special relevance for the communication and the transmission channels used.
Therefore these cultural differences were also excluded from our theoretical model in Figure 6.1.
Communication and transmission channels
Assertiveness
Institutional Collectivism
In-Group Collectivism
Performance Orientation
Power Distance
Effectiveness of cross-border knowledge
transfer
Language barriers
Language barriers
Figure 6.1 Theoretical model developed by the Authors Source: Authors’ own construction (2007)
36
CHAPTER 6 – FINAL DISCUSSION
6.2 Limitations of our study and implications for future research
We are aware of the fact that our single case study contributes with low transferability, since the
results of this thesis are specific for the company studied. Therefore, our study only adds insights
about which cultural differences influence communication and transmission channels for other
multinational knowledge transferring companies. We are conscious about the fact that a more
complete picture of the research would have been possible to accomplish if both headquarters’
and subsidiaries’ points of views were investigated. We also believe that the possible perception
gaps between these could have affected the outcome of our study. However, we only had the
opportunity to study the headquarters’ point of view as the time frame for our research was
limited. Therefore, our findings and conclusions can serve as a basis for further research and be
added to what has been examined and described in previous research.
Nevertheless, this thesis has provided some insights to a field of study where it still remains a
great deal of areas in which to conduct additional research. Our addition to theory is based on a
single empirical study and therefore we believe that the following areas could be of interest for
further study:
• Make the same study, but investigate both the headquarters’ and the foreign subsidiaries’
point of views to get a more complete picture of the situation.
• Make a similar study on a larger sample of companies and investigate if the results may
vary between these and if there are other additional cultural differences that affect the
companies’ communication and transmission channels.
• Make a similar study but investigate a larger sample of cultural clusters.
• Study the impact of cultural differences on all four factors from Gupta & Govindarajan’s
(2000) model and therefore investigate more complete influence of cultural differences
on the effectiveness of cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge.
37
REFERENCES
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GLOBE – An Introduction to the Special Issue, Journal of World Business, 37, pp. 1-2
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Internet GLOBE’s public website: http://www.thunderbird.edu/wwwfiles/ms/globe, 03/11/2006
Q-Med’s website: http://www.q-med.com, 15/11/2006
Interview Personal interview with Manager Internal Communications Annelie Lundell and Corporate HR
Manager Christina Toth on the 14th of December 2006 at 9.00-10.00 at the Headquarters of
Q-Med AB in Uppsala, Sweden.
Other references Q-Med Årsredovisning 2005
41
APPENDIX I
Appendix I – The GLOBE countries in 10 cultural clusters1
Anglo Australia Costa Rica Canada Ecuador (English speaking part) El Salvador Ireland Guatemala New Zealand Mexico South Africa Venezuela (white sample) United Kingdom United States Latin Europe France Israel Italy Confucian Asia China Portugal Hong Kong Spain Japan Switzerland South Korea (French speaking part) Singapore Taiwan Middle East Egypt Kuwait Eastern Europe Albania Morocco Georgia Qatar Greece Turkey Hungary Kazakhstan Poland Nordic Europe Denmark Russia Finland Slovenia Sweden Germanic Europe Austria Southern Asia India Germany Indonesia (former East) Iran Germany Malaysia (former West) Philippines Netherlands Thailand Switzerland (German speaking part) Sub-Sahara Africa Namibia Nigeria Latin America Argentina South Africa Bolivia (black sample) Brazil Zambia Colombia Zimbabwe 1 Dorfman et al. (2004)
APPENDIX II
Appendix II – The GLOBE societal cultural scores for Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo clusters1
Nordic Europe As is Should be 1. Uncertainty avoidance 5,19 3,76 2. Power distance 4,54 2,55 3. Institutional collectivism 4,88 4,08 4. In-Group collectivism 3,75 5,65 5. Gender Egalitarianism 3,71 4,82 6. Assertiveness 3,66 3,56 7. Future Orientation 4,36 4,76 8. Performance Orientation 3,92 5,84 9. Human Orientation 4,17 5,64
Latin Europe As is Should be 1. Uncertainty avoidance 3,62 4,98 2. Power distance 5,33 2,52 3. Institutional collectivism 3,86 5,32 4. In-Group collectivism 5,52 6,06 5. Gender Egalitarianism 3,41 4,77 6. Assertiveness 4,15 3,54 7. Future Orientation 3,54 5,75 8. Performance Orientation 3,85 6,24 9. Human Orientation 4,03 5,33
Anglo As is Should be 1. Uncertainty avoidance 4,42 4,09 2. Power distance 4,97 2,86 3. Institutional collectivism 4,46 4,32 4. In-Group collectivism 4,30 5,84 5. Gender Egalitarianism 3,40 4,91 6. Assertiveness 4,14 3,89 7. Future Orientation 4,08 5,33 8. Performance Orientation 4,37 6,03 9. Human Orientation 4,20 5,40
1 House at al. (2004)
APPENDIX II
Nordic Europe cluster's societal cultural scores
1234567
1. Uncertainty avoidance
2. Power distance
3. Institutional collectivism
4. In-Group collectivism
5. Gender Egalitarianism6. Assertiveness
7. Future Orientation
8. Performance Orientation
9. Human Orientation
As isShould be
Latin Europe cluster's societal cultural scores
1234567
1. Uncertainty avoidance
2. Power distance
3. Institutional collectivism
4. In-Group collectivism
5. Gender Egalitarianism6. Assertiveness
7. Future Orientation
8. Performance Orientation
9. Human Orientation
As is
Should be
Anglo cluster's societal cultural scores
1234567
1. Uncertainty avoidance
2. Power distance
3. Institutional collectivism
4. In-Group collectivism
5. Gender Egalitarianism6. Assertiveness
7. Future Orientation
8. Performance Orientation
9. Human Orientation
As is
Should be
APPENDIX II
Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo Nordic Europe: As is Latin Europe: As is Anglo: As is1. Uncertainty avoidance 5,19 4,18 4,422. Power distance 4,54 5,21 4,973. Institutional collectivism 4,88 4,01 4,464. In-Group collectivism 3,75 4,80 4,305. Gender Egalitarianism 3,71 3,36 3,406. Assertiveness 3,66 3,99 4,147. Future Orientation 4,36 3,68 4,088. Performance Orientation 3,92 3,94 4,379. Human Orientation 4,17 3,71 4,20
Mixture of Nordic Europe, Latin Europe and Anglo clusters' societal cultural scores
1234567
1. Uncertainty avoidance
2. Power distance
3. Institutional collectivism
4. In-Group collectivism
5. Gender Egalitarianism6. Assertiveness
7. Future Orientation
8. Performance Orientation
9. Human Orientation
Nordic: As isLatin: As isAnglo: As is
APPENDIX III
Appendix III – Interview guide in English
1. Respondents’ background:
1.1. Name and title?
1.2. Work assignments?
1.3. Years of working in the company?
1.4. In what way are you involved in the communication and the transfer of Q-Med’s product knowledge to the
subsidiaries?
2. Communication and transmission channels:
2.1. How do the headquarters communicate with the subsidiaries regarding product information1? Why do the
headquarters use these transmission channels? Are there some variations between different subsidiaries?
2.2. Are you satisfied with this type communication or would you prefer something else? Why?
2.3. How often have the headquarters contact with the subsidiaries? Do you feel it is enough/not enough? Why?
2.4. What language do the headquarters use when communicating with the subsidiaries? Is this always the case
or are there some exceptions?
2.5. How formal or informal is the communication regarding product information? Why?
2.6. How often do you meet with your colleagues from the subsidiaries and in what circumstances? How do
you experience the solidarity and cohesion between the headquarters and the subsidiaries?
2.7. How many persons at the headquarters are involved in the communication with the subsidiaries? With how
many persons do the headquarters have contact in the subsidiaries?
2.8. How easy is it for you to contact the subsidiaries and them you?
3. Cultural differences:
3.1. What kind of cultural differences have you experienced in the contact with your subsidiaries? How have
these influenced the communication and therefore the transmission channel used? Please give some
examples.
3.2. Do you recognize the nine cultural differences from Project GLOBE presented below? In what way?
3.3. How have the cultural differences that you recognize from Project GLOBE influenced the communication
between the headquarters and your subsidiaries located in Latin European and Anglo cultures? Why/why
not? Please give some examples.
1 The definition “product information” includes here both information and knowledge as the definition is used in this way in the company, but the focus in this interview is on the product knowledge.
APPENDIX III
3.4. Have some of these differences caused miscommunication or communication failure? How/why? Please
give some examples. If Yes, what did you do to overcome the problems?
3.5. How have the cultural differences that you recognize from Project GLOBE influenced the headquarters and
the transmission channels used for the transfer of product information to your subsidiaries located in Latin
European and Anglo cultures? Why/why not? Please give some examples.
3.6. Have some of the differences that you recognize had a larger or less influence than others? Why?
3.7. Are there some other cultural differences, which have not been mentioned here, that you find important?
How have these influenced the communication and the transmission channels used? Why?
According to Project GLOBE2:
• Uncertainty Avoidance: most people lead highly structured lives with few unexpected events in a lower
degree both in Latin European and Anglo cultures3 than in Nordic European cultures.
• Power Distance: the followers are expected to obey their leaders without question in a higher degree
both in Latin European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• Institutional Collectivism: leaders encourage group loyalty even if individual goals suffer in a lower
degree both in Latin European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• In-Group Collectivism: individuals feel great loyalty toward their organization in a higher degree both
in Latin European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• Gender Egalitarianism: groups try to minimize gender inequality in a lower degree both in Latin
European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• Assertiveness: individuals are dominant in their relations with each other in a higher degree both in
Latin European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• Future Orientation: individuals live for the present rather than for the future in a lower degree both in
Latin European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• Performance Orientation: individuals are encouraged to strive for continuously improved performance
in a higher degree both in Latin European and Anglo cultures than in Nordic European cultures.
• Human Orientation: individuals are tolerant of mistakes in a lower degree in Latin European cultures
than in Nordic European cultures but in a higher degree in Anglo cultures than in Nordic European
cultures.
Thank you for your time and cooperation!
2 The definitions of the nine GLOBE dimensions can be found in House et al. (2001). The data for comparisons between Latin European, Anglo and Nordic European cultures can be found in House et al. (2004). 3 The cultural clusters developed by Project GLOBE are here referred to as “cultures” in order to make the questions simpler and easier to comprehend.
APPENDIX IV
Appendix IV – Interview guide in Swedish
1. Respondenternas bakgrund:
1.1. Namn och titel?
1.2. Arbetsuppgifter?
1.3. Antal år i företaget?
1.4. På vilket sätt är ni involverade i Q-Meds kommunikation och överföring av produktkunskap till
dotterbolagen?
2. Kommunikation och överföringskanaler:
2.1. Hur kommunicerar ni på huvudkontoret med dotterbolagen angående produktinformation1? Varför
använder huvudkontoret dessa överföringskanaler? Finns det några skillnader mellan olika dotterbolag?
2.2. Är ni nöjda med denna typ av kommunikation eller skulle ni föredra något annat sätt? Varför?
2.3. Hur ofta har huvudkontoret kontakt med dotterbolagen? Tycker ni det är tillräckligt? Varför/varför inte?
2.4. Vilket språk använder ni på huvudkontoret när ni har kontakt med dotterbolagen? Finns det några
undantag? Varför?
2.5. Hur formell eller informell är kommunikationen angående produktinformation? Varför?
2.6. Hur ofta träffar representanter från huvudkontoret sina kollegor i dotterbolagen och i vilka sammanhang?
Hur upplevs sammanhållningen?
2.7. Hur många personer på huvudkontoret är inblandade i kontakten med dotterbolagen? Med hur många
personer har ni kontakt på respektive dotterbolag?
2.8. Hur enkelt är det för er på huvudkontoret att kontakta dotterbolagen och för dem att kontakta er?
3. Kulturella skillnader:
3.1. Hurdana kulturella skillnader har ni upplevt i kontakten med era dotterbolag? Hur har dessa påverkat
kommunikationen och därmed användandet av överföringskanaler? Ge gärna några exempel.
3.2. Känner ni igen de nio kulturella skillnader nedan som är framtagna av Project GLOBE? På vilket sätt?
3.3. Hur har de kulturella skillnader som ni känner igen från Project GLOBE påverkat kommunikationen
mellan huvudkontoret och era dotterbolag i latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska länder? Varför/varför inte?
Ge gärna några exempel.
1 Begreppet ”produktinformation” innefattar här både information och kunskap såsom brukligt i företaget, men fokus ligger på produktkunskap i denna intervju.
APPENDIX IV
3.4. Har några av dessa skillnader orsakat kommunikationsproblem eller misslyckad kommunikation?
Hur/varför? Ge gärna några exempel. Om Ja, hur gjorde ni för att komma till rätta med problemet?
3.5. Hur har de kulturella skillnader som ni känner igen från Project GLOBE påverkat användandet av
överföringskanaler för att flytta produktinformation till era dotterbolag i latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska
länder? Varför/varför inte? Ge gärna några exempel.
3.6. Har några av dessa skillnader som ni känner igen haft en större eller mindre inverkan än andra? Varför?
3.7. Finns det några ytterligare kulturella skillnader, som inte nämnts här, som ni anser viktiga? Hur har dessa
påverkat kommunikationen och användandet av överföringskanaler? Varför?
Enligt Project GLOBE2:
• Uncertainty Avoidance3: individer lever strukturerade liv med få oväntade händelser i lägre grad både i
latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska länder4 än i nordiska länder.
• Power Distance: individer förväntas lyda sina ledare utan att ifrågasätta dessa i högre grad både i
latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• Institutional Collectivism: ledare uppmuntrar grupplojalitet även om individuella mål får lida på grund
av detta i lägre grad i både latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• In-Group Collectivism: individer känner stor lojalitet för sin organisation i högre grad i både
latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• Gender Egalitarianism: grupper försöker jämna ut könsskillnader i lägre grad i båda latineuropeiska
och anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• Assertiveness: individer är dominanta i sina relationer med andra i högre grad i både latineuropeiska
och anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• Future Orientation: individer lever mer i nuet än för framtiden i lägre grad i både latineuropeiska och
anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• Performance Orientation: individer uppmuntras att sträva efter kontinuerligt förbättrade prestationer i
högre grad i både latineuropeiska och anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
• Human Orientation: individer är toleranta för misstag i lägre grad i latineuropeiska länder än i nordiska
länder, men i högre grad i anglosaxiska länder än i nordiska länder.
Tack för er tid och medverkan!
2 Definitionerna av de nio GLOBE dimensionerna kommer från House et al. (2001). Data för jämförelser mellan latineuropeiska, anglosaxiska och nordiska länder kommer från House et al. (2004). 3 Benämningarna på de nio kulturella dimensionerna framtagna av Project GLOBE har inte översatts för att undvika missledande översättning. 4 “Länder” syftar i detta fall på de kulturella kluster som är framtagna av Project GLOBE. Detta för att göra frågorna enklare och för att underlätta förståelsen av frågorna.