An Assignment

On
“Importance of Cultural Management Skills for International
Business Managers”

Course No: EMBA- 5303

Course Title: International Business

Submitted To
Dr. Tarun Kanti Bose
Professor
Business Administration Discipline
Khulna University.

Submitted By
Afsana Akter Keya
ID: EMBA-190382
Business Administration Discipline
Khulna University.

Date of Submission: December 07, 2020

Introduction: In any organization, individuals represent different cultural backgrounds
depending upon the language they speak at home, the religion they practice or the country
they belong to and so on. Culture has a strong influence on people as it dictates how we
perceive, understand and communicate ideas. This can take a toll on organizational
transactions, both internal and external. Sometimes, situations can be perceived by two
individuals coming from different cultures/countries in a totally different way. For example,
laughing has connotation, in most countries, with happiness whereas in Japan it is a sign of
confusion, insecurity and embarrassment. Similarly in India, avoiding eye contact or looking
at the ground when talking to an elder is a sign of respect. In contrast, these same actions are
indicators of deception or shame in North America and Europe. Cross cultural management
helps us to interact, understand and deal with people who belong to other cultures.

Cultural Themes: The significance of cross cultural management can be realized in the
situations where cultural differences give rise to confusions and conflicts. Cultural
differences may also cause miscommunication of ideas and instructions. It is essential for
managers in international business to practice cross cultural management in order to avoid
misjudgement and mistakes while dealing with the customers, and stakeholders and suppliers
(Søderberg & Holden, 2002). International business management highly requires efficiency
in cross cultural management so as to avoid corporate undoing and sustain long lasting
partnerships. Cultural differences are considered a barrier in communication and often create
confusion and misunderstandings. However, there is also a prevailing notion that cross
cultural diversity is helpful in the competitive world of international business. Cross cultural
interactions can be advantageous as they allow transfer of knowledge and experiences from
one cultural to another. Schneider and Barsoux (1997) believe that appropriate management
of cross cultural issues lies in

Importance of cultural management skills: It is important for the international managers to

understand culture, to know how to respect towards one country’s culture. Once culture may
not work well for the other country and can be interpreted as an insult. That’s why, it is really
important to raise the awareness of cultural issues to the international managers to ensure
efficiency and effectiveness. Some cultures are difficult to observe and measure; basically
managers should be keen and knowledgeable about it.
Managers must develop cultural sensitivity to anticipate and accommodate behavioral
differences in various societies. As part of that sensitivity, they must avoid parochialism-an
attitude that assumes one’s own management techniques are best in any situation or location
and that other people should follow one’s patterns of behavior. The managers should know
how to adjust and able to cope up with in a diverse cultural differences.

Managers can use research results and personal observations to develop a character sketch, or
cultural profile, of a country. This profile can help managers anticipate how to motivate
people and coordinate work processes in a particular international context.

And some cultures may put more emphasis on universal commitments while others put more
weight on loyalty to particular people or relationships. Dealing with national culture
differences requires not only knowledge adequate behaviors but also more importantly, an
understanding of deeper level assumptions and values that explain why certain behaviors are
more appropriate than others.
This is especially true in high-context communication cultures, where a simple “yes” or "no"
can mean a lot of different things depending on the situation. In high-context communication
cultures, what is not said can be far more important than what is said? And, your ability to
read between the lines of what is said is just as crucial.

For a company to be successful in the global marketplace, its managers must appreciate
individual differences. Every culture has its own way of going about their daily lives.
Different age groups tackle ideas, projects and meetings differently. English may not be
every one of your employees’ first language. Appreciating all that people bring to the table is
by far the first step a multicultural manager should take. Plus, leading by example builds
trust, camaraderie, a shared sense of purpose and morale among team members. It starts with
you as a team leader. Your job is to provide guidance, understanding, acceptance,
encouragement and perseverance. Being a responsible and effective leader starts by leading
with your own actions.

This is important when gathering together a diverse group of people. Communicate a clear,
inclusive overall objective and make sure everyone knows each person’s role, responsibilities
and expectations. Make sure everyone in your group knows why each member of the team is
there. And reiterate that the team’s success relies on all members mutually trusting and
respecting one another. Emphasizing this helps ensure everyone knows they are valuable;
their insights and opinions matter and participation is encouraged.

Conclusion: Managing multi-cultural workplaces can be a challenging endeavor. If Mangers

once masters the skill of juggling many personalities, differences and all the strengths and
challenges that they bring, Managers will have a strong, cohesive team which will inevitably
make a huge, positive difference to the success of company’s global innovation projects and
processes Each culture has a different way of looking at things and it is indeed a challenge for
managers who work cross-culturally. It is very essential for managers to be conscious of
cultures with whom they interact. Organizations believe in diversity as it helps them to tackle
diverse set of problems. People from different cultures bring in different skill sets to table.
This diversity in turn brings in competencies to compound present skills to be more
competitive and flexible in finding solutions. And the best way to make these cultural issues
work for Manager’s benefit is by building a strong relationship through personal rapport and
reputation, being motivated and caring for others. Cultural differences need to be seen as an
asset, not a liability. Managers need to be culturally aware and flexible in their leadership
styles.
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