With More Important Than National Culture. Discuss And Essay Example

places an emphasis on group members protecting and supporting each other, whereas Americans prioritize looking after their own interests as well as their immediate family's interests (S. Robbins, R.).

According to Bergman, I. Stagg, and M. Coulter's Management 4th Edition (2006), if Americans maintain their individualistic culture, Chinese employees integrating into the American workplace may experience culture shock. Such unfamiliarity could cause discomfort and difficulties in adapting to the new environment. This, in turn, could provoke disagreements and conflicts between Chinese and American coworkers as a result of conflicting cultural beliefs and values.

Within a single country, national culture and acceptable behavior may differ across states. Hence, in the absence of a robust organizational culture, no shared vision or common purpose exists. This can lead employees to view themselves as individuals from diverse cultural and national backgrounds working for the same company. Consequently, they may not perceive themselves as equally skilled colleagues with identical objectives regardless of their race or nationality.

To address this challenge, building a strong organizational culture that centers around teamwork and people orientation can foster cooperation, trustworthiness, and teamwork among staff. In today's world where globalization is on the rise and diversity in the workforce is increasing daily, cultivating such a culture has never been more critical.

A strong organizational culture is essential for fostering unity and comprehension among employees from varying cultural backgrounds. It allows them to share common values, thoughts, and actions that can counteract the adverse impacts of marked distinctions in national cultures that may set non-locals apart from locals. As a result, this can forestall potential misunderstandings and conflicts that could impede an organization's long-term progress. Moreover, it's vital to acknowledge

that each person is distinct due to their upbringing and social limitations, as Hofstede (1993) highlighted in Cultural Constraints in Management Theories.

The behavior and reactions of individuals towards different situations are shaped by social conditioning, which varies based on nationality and society. Hofstede's four-culture dimension model demonstrates that societies with high uncertainty avoidance, such as the Japanese, avoid risks and feel uncomfortable with uncertainty. Conversely, those from low-uncertainty avoidance societies like Americans embrace change and are willing to explore new areas. Therefore, even employees from the same company with diverse backgrounds - for instance, a Japanese and an American employee - would exhibit significant differences in their work approach.

Due to their culture of high uncertainty avoidance, Japanese individuals tend to follow traditional norms and may have a low tolerance for Americans' bold and open-minded attitudes. To mitigate friction resulting from these cultural differences, it is important to establish a shared organizational culture that promotes common goals and beliefs. As stated by Robbins et. al. (2004), organizational culture shapes the way procedures are carried out within a company.

According to Robbins et. al. (2006, Pg 100), companies engage in socialization to establish and modify behavior standards for their employees. This aids workers in assimilating to the organization's culture. However, it must be recognized that individuals' national cultures affect their perspectives on appropriate conduct, values, and beliefs.

The increasing globalization of workplaces, with individuals from diverse societies and countries having varying perceptions of national cultures, calls for the need to establish a new system consisting of shared values and goals. This is essential in creating an organizational culture that promotes effective cooperation among employees by bridging the differences

created by national cultures and upbringing environments. Despite the influence of national culture on certain aspects of organizational culture, it remains significant in this context as globalization continues to grow. (E.)

According to P. Sweeny and G. Hardaker (1994), the significance of organizational and national culture is notable. National cultures vary, especially among Western and Eastern countries.

Although European countries share similarities in their national cultures, there are distinct differences in power distance and masculinity as assessed by Hofstede's framework. Germany scored only 35 points for power distance, while France, their neighbor, scored a high 68 points. This suggests that in German organizations, employees hold respect for their superiors but are not fearful of them.

The way a company is structured can be affected by the national culture of its host country. Robbins et al. (2006, Pg 141) suggest that in France, employees tend to have great respect for their superiors and bosses are given complete authority. As a result, companies in Germany would likely have different organizational cultures than those in France.

S. C. Schneider and A. De Meyer (1991) observed significant variations in behavior concerning problem-solving, decision-making processes, and collaboration with colleagues among French and German employees, supervisors, and top-level managers.

Considering strategic issues and the significance of national culture is crucial. Globalization has led to a rise in the number of foreigners entering German companies from various countries worldwide. The newcomers come with their own values and ideas about organizational culture, which are often shaped by their home country's culture. According to Hofstede (1993), every nation has its distinct theories of 'management' and organizational culture varies across different countries. Nevertheless, multinational corporations' cross-border operations have

brought employees and managers into proximity with diverse cultures. Sweeney et al.

According to al., 1994, organizational expectations and manager/staff behavior and roles vary depending on the culture in which they work and are socialized. Sweeny and Hardaker (1994) suggested that national culture influences the values, beliefs, and behavioral norms within an organization.

The adaptation of foreign workers to a company's organizational culture in an overseas country also entails adapting to the host country's culture, emphasizing the impact of national culture on organizational culture in today's globalized world. National culture may be equally or more essential than organizational culture in shaping shared values and beliefs. Personality is likewise influenced by national culture, which then impacts a person's attitudes and values, ultimately leading to a system of shared work values and beliefs that forms an organizational culture.

In 2001, Helms and Stern asserted that creating a company culture is difficult due to differences in age, ethnicity, and gender within the workforce. This challenge is further complicated by the growing diversity of today's workers in terms of nationality and gender. Consequently, employees' perception and response to organizational culture may be influenced by their age, ethnicity, and gender.

According to Helms et. al, creating a common set of values and beliefs in a company does not guarantee that all employees will interpret and respond to the organizational culture in the same manner. This indicates that subcultures are present within a single organization.

(2001) Helms et al. (2001) suggest that the variation in employees' organizational responsibilities and external surroundings across different divisions of a single company can be explained by their geographic location.

It is highly unlikely for an organization to have a completely homogeneous

culture due to staff age and ethnicity differences, as well as unique subcultures within divisions. This challenge is intensified by globalization, which has led to companies expanding overseas. Each branch of the organization will be influenced by the host country's culture due to business policies and the employment of locals. Immigrants who are receptive to foreign cultures will likely seek integration, but their ability to do so may be influenced by the host country's cultural norms. In a highly masculine culture, failure to assimilate could result in marginalization or deviation from accepted behavior. (G.)

Hofstede and McCrae (2004) explored how personality traits relate to cultural dimensions in their paper "Personality and Culture Revisited: Linking Traits and Dimensions of Culture." Their research revealed that a person's national culture can affect their response to a personality test, as people tend to conform to social norms and exhibit desirable social qualities. This presents challenges in creating a completely uniform organizational culture in today's increasingly diverse workforce, since various subcultures, differing values, and individual personalities shaped by national cultures all exist simultaneously.

I believe that national culture is becoming more important than organizational culture, as differences in personalities can affect how accepting an employee is of their workplace culture. National culture has the ability to influence a person's personality, values, beliefs, and perceptions of organizational culture. Globalization has particularly impacted patriarchal societies such as Pakistan and Japan, where education has helped reduce disparities between genders. As a result, women in these societies are now demanding gender equity and equal treatment, regardless of their gender. Eliza W.

According to Y. Lee, Hong Kong has experienced changes in gender, globalization, post colonialism, and Chinese

patriarchy. This is observable through the rise of women in the workforce and in leadership positions globally. For example, Temasek Holdings in Singapore is headed by CEO Ho Ching and the President of the Philippines is Gloria Arroyo.

Although globalization has provided women with more opportunities to obtain education, gain skills for work, and advance socially like men, some societies still hold onto traditional patriarchal ideas. In Vietnam, for instance, despite equal employment rates, a distinct division of labor exists based on gender (Froniga Greig, (2005) Gender at Work. United Nations, Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)). It is not entirely possible to eliminate traditional beliefs and practices deeply ingrained in a culture and country.

When female and male workers collaborate in an organization, gender stereotypes, miscommunication, disrespect, and lack of trust can cause tension due to deeply-rooted traditional practices. Therefore, organizational culture plays a vital role in promoting gender equity and recognizing the value of all employees. Both male and female workers are capable of advancing based on their skills and merit. Overall, organizational culture acts as a bonding agent that inspires and instills dedication among employees. (Peter T. van den Berg, Celeste P.)

As per the research conducted by M. Wilderom (2004) on Defining, Measuring, and Comparing Organizational Cultures, it is not feasible to establish a fully homogeneous organizational culture in a company owing to the presence of individual subcultures and discrepancies in gender, ethnicity, personalities/attitudes of every employee. Moreover, globalization has caused an increase in the diversity of employees leading to modifications in traditional values and outlooks.

Globalization has a significant impact on a country's national culture, leading to changes that affect individuals' values and

personalities as well as the organizational culture and management. Hence, both national and organizational cultures are crucial for an organization's success since they are integral elements of the overall strategic equation and determining factors of achievement (Robbins et al., 2006, p.141; Asgary & Walle, 2002).

Both Kenneth Lysons' "The Cultural Impact of Globalization: Economic Activity and Social Change" (Vol. 9 No. 3, 2000) and Tony Morden's "Model of National Culture – A Management Review" from the 1999 edition of "The British Journal of Administrative Management" examine the connection between corporate culture and larger economic and societal patterns.

Within the European Business Review of 1994, Eamon P. Sweeny and Glenn Hardaker emphasized the significance of both national and organizational culture in their No. 1 General Review titled "The Importance of Organizational and National Culture".

The University Press MCB published an article by Geert Hofstede in 1993 titled "Cultural Constraints in Management Theories" in the Academy of Management Executive Vol. 5, pp 3-14.

University of Limburg published an article by Marilyn M. Helms and Rick Stern in 2001 titled "Exploring the Factors that Influence Employees’ Perception of Their Organisation’s Culture." The article is found in volume 7, issue 1 and has pages numbering from 81 to 94.

The article titled "Journal of Management in Medicine" by Geert Hofstede and Robert R. McCrae was published in volume 15, number 6, pages 415-429 by MCB University Press in 2004.

In their article "Personality and Culture Revisited: Linking Traits and Dimensions of Culture" published in Cross-Cultural Research, Susan C. Schneider and Arnoud De Meyer (1991) discuss the connection between personality traits and cultural dimensions. The importance of national culture in interpreting and responding to strategic

issues is also emphasized in their work, which was featured in the Strategic Management Journal Vol. 12, Iss.

Peter T. van den Berg and Celeste P. have authored pages 307 to 320 of volume 4 published by John Wiley ; Sons, Ltd.

The source for "Defining, Measuring, and Comparing Organisational Cultures" by M. Wilderom is an article in Applied Psychology: An International Review. The article can be found on the internet at http://www.h-net and it covers pages 570-582.

Eliza W. Y. Lee (2003) authored a review titled "Gender and Change in Hong Kong: Globalization, Post colonialism, and Chinese Patriarchy" which can be found at org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=210801118772398.

The publication "Gender at Work" by Froniga Greig (2005) was released by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) and can be accessed at http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/enabling-environment2005/docs/EGM-WPD-EE-2005-EP.%204%20%20F.pdf. It was published by the University of Hawaii Press located in Honolulu (2).

From 8-11 November 2005, a meeting of experts was held in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss ways of enhancing women's participation in development and creating an environment that promotes gender equality and the advancement of women.