Intercultural Communication Case Study

Culture is an observable, powerful force in any organization. “Made up of its members’ shared values, beliefs, symbols, and behaviors, culture guides individual decisions and actions at the unconscious level. As a result, it can have a potent effect on a company’s well-being and success” (One Page, n.d.).

This paper aims to define cultural foundations in Denmark, and examine their effects on various business practices in this country from management practices to communication, conflict management, performance appraisal, leadership styles, relationship between managers and employees, ethical behavior, and motivation and reward systems. Understanding the basis of the culture helps to form better business relationships, effectively communicate with companies and workers in this country, and become a more efficient trading partner. Danish companies have different approaches in business management compared to US companies, and emphasize on distinct core values. The relationship between companies and consumers in Denmark also affects the values and behavior of these companies. The method of communication, conflict management, and motivation in Danish companies is not the same as US companies and understanding these differences can help better navigate and achieve results when dealing with Danish trading partners. Various sources, including the official website of Denmark, journal articles and papers by Danish universities have been used to collect information about cultural differences and their effects in business environment in Denmark.

“Culture consists of the symbols, rituals, language, and social dramas that highlight organizational life, including myths, stories, and jargon. It includes the shared meanings associated with the symbols, rituals, and language. Culture combines the philosophy of the firm with beliefs, expectations, and values shared by members. It contains the stories and myths about the company's founder and its current leading figures. Organizational culture consists of a set of shared meanings and values held by a set of members in an organization that distinguish the organization from other organizations. An organization's culture determines how it perceives and reacts to the larger environment (Becker, 1982; Schein, 1996). Culture determines the nature

Culture is largely invisible to individuals just as the sea is invisible to the fish swimming in it. Even though it affects all employee behaviors, thinking, and behavioral patterns, individuals tend to become more aware of their organization’s culture when they have the opportunity to compare it to other organizations.

Our four bordering cultures clearly all have very different business orientations. Though German business culture might anticipate explicit instructions from their management concerning what their roles and functions involve, the French business culture might prefer an implicit understanding of their roles´ function and the responsibility attached to it. The Italian culture would appreciate a manager with whom they can have a reciprocal relationship in an environment where responsibility, obligation and loyalty are needed within working relationships. Last, British business culture would value indirect and diplomatic communication, along with the qualities of modesty, reservedness and fair play.

Culture affects and governs all facets of life by influencing values, attitudes and behavior of a society, while organizational culture relates to the unique modes of carrying out their activities (Dartey-Baah, 2013). Furthermore, the nature of organizational culture is largely influenced by the cultural orientation of the individual forming

Culture is a major aspect of daily life, whether it is in personal life or business life. The Japanese look for a community of unity and mutual trust when engaging in many aspects of business, because they were taught from young children to manage themselves harmoniously and cooperatively with others. Many of the Japanese are very conservative in their culture and look for long term stability with trusted partners in business.

As our world becomes increasingly globalized, a term used by marketing guru Theodore Levitt to depict extensive developments and advancements in communications and technology, resulting in an emerging worldwide cultural homogeneity (N. Asgary and A. Walle, 2002, The Cultural Impact of Globalization: Economic Activity and Social). With the diversification of our workforce, in terms of culture, gender and ethnicity, the argument of whether organizational culture is more crucial than national culture, or vice versa, in our current period of rapid globalization arises. In this essay, I shall

Organisational culture, also known as corporate culture, encompasses the principles, backgrounds and views of all the employees of an organisation (Homburg & Pflesser 2000 pp.449-462). This often provides each company with their unique corporate identity, as no two businesses or employees are the same. The idea of individuality leads to companies striving to achieve a ‘strong culture’, which involves the entire work cohort sharing consistent goals and motivations, in hopes of potentially garnering higher profit margins as there many advantages that come with a stronger culture. Such benefits include greater productivity levels, loyalty and the unity of all of an organisation’s employees. While having a ‘strong culture’ is

The meaning of culture in terms of the business world is a social interpretation or meaningful communication with common ways of transmitting information amongst people. This comes from the understanding that “culture is the way in which groups of people solve problems and reconcile dilemmas” Woolliams, P & Trompenaars, F (2004). Culture as a theory which consists of different levels; the highest level of national or regional society, followed by the corporate or organisational and finally ending with the professional and ethical level.

Organisational culture is shaped not only by technologies and markets, but also by the cultural preferences of its leaders and employees.Each organisation have different fundamental about how they operated base on their beliefs, values and activities.Culture is a key component in business which have an impact on the strategic direction of the organisation that influences management, business decisions and organisation functions such as meetings, negotiation and formalities.Therefore organisational culture is related to behaviour, ethics, etiquette that included as an organisation’s values, hierarchical system, working style, beliefs and habits.The rising presence of globalisation have led to a more global market which means that its mandatory for an international organisation to be aware of cultural differences.Fons Trompenaars argued that there are universal dilemmas or problems that every country and the organisations within that country faces ;relationships with people, time and in relations between the individual and the natural environment. It just how different cultural nations approach these dilemmas that at the end would lead to the same kind of response.

This assignment will examine two famous multi-national companies on their application of cultural aspects and analyze how successfully they have applied those aspects and reasons for their success.

Analysis of Japanese Business Culture Along with recent globalization, the business market is now diffused everywhere in the world. Consequently, mega-competition and international co-operation are promoted simultaneously in the field of business. Under this circumstance, learning and understanding the business culture each country has is important to succeed in global business. As business culture is indivisible from a country’s cultural uniqueness, American-style business is formed in the United States, and British-style business is adopted in England.

An organization ' 's culture encompasses everything it does and everything it makes. That is, it not only affects the manner

1. Introduction including definitions of national and 3 - 4 organizational culture. Comment on the link between national culture