Multinationals are Multicultural Units: Some Indications from a Cross-Cultural Study

Kwanjai, Nantawan Noi and den Hertog, Friso (2008). Multinationals are Multicultural Units: Some Indications from a Cross-Cultural Study. UNU-MERIT.

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UNU-MERIT Working Papers

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  • Sub-type Working paper
    Author Kwanjai, Nantawan Noi
    den Hertog, Friso
    Title Multinationals are Multicultural Units: Some Indications from a Cross-Cultural Study
    Publication Date 2008
    Place of Publication Maastricht, NL
    Publisher UNU-MERIT
    Pages 22
    Abstract This paper makes a case for the value of looking at culture and multinationals from a management and organizational perspective because it is one which could direct greater attention towards culture as a significant factor in future investigation on multinational corporations. We attempt to illustrate that multinationals are fundamentally multicultural units in more ways than one. This paper is based on selected materials from a qualitative study of culture and learning in organizations and management. The study investigated four selected Dutch firms in Thailand using evidences collected through observations and open-ended interviews. All evidences were analysed under grounded theory procedure. Parts of the evidences and theorization from the study are presented in this paper, which begins with two cultural riddles from one of the cases as a backdrop for subsequent discussions. Following the riddles is an abridge version of the key finding of the study-a grounded theory of cross-cultural intelligence. Then the two riddles are revisited, this time to illustrate how the proposed theory could illuminate an understanding of their covert meanings vis-a-vis culture and learning in multinationals. Last, we reinstate how our study and its theoretical and empirical findings can elucidate the central thesis that multinationals are essentially multicultural units.
    Keyword Case study
    Culture
    Cultural intelligence
    Multinationals
    Netherlands
    Thailand
    JEL F23
    M16
    Copyright Holder UNU-MERIT
    Copyright Year 2008
    Copyright type All rights reserved
    ISSN 18719872
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    Created: Wed, 11 Dec 2013, 15:46:53 JST