Document Type
Thesis or dissertation
Date of this Version
5-4-2020
Advisor
Dr. Adam Grant; Constantinos Coutifaris
Abstract
Extensive research has considered cross-cultural difference at the national level. However, little research has explored the relational manifestation of cross-cultural differences through the context of the multinational organization setting. This study considers the frequently-utilized global strategy model of expatriates within the broader organizational culture at the subsidiary. Through this model, we consider the differences between the experienced and anticipated cultural distance between an individual employee and expatriate of two different countries. Specifically, we consider the moderating and downstream effects of the expatriate and subsidiary employees’ individual behaviors on the multinational organization’s effectiveness. We propose four cultural outcomes: cultural standstills, cultural authenticity, cultural facades, and cultural synergy. We suggest that unilateral or bilateral accommodations bring the expatriate and local employees’ cultures closer to an equilibrium of ‘cultural synergy,’ in which the subsidiary’s culture is convergent and shared between the individual employees and the expatriate. Further, we discuss the various manifestations of cultural synergy, which have both, positive and negative long-term implications on the firm. Finally, we discuss the practical implications of such moderators and consequences in global strategy decisions for management executives and human relations decision-makers.
Keywords
Organizational Culture, Multinational Firm, Expatriate, Global Strategy, Cultural Distance
Recommended Citation
Sreenivas, M. S. (2020). "Towards an Equilibrium of Cultural Synergy: Evaluating Anticipated and Experienced Cultural Distance Differences in Expatriate-Local Employee Relational Dynamics," Joseph Wharton Scholars. Available at https://repository.upenn.edu/joseph_wharton_scholars/90
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Human Resources Management Commons, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, International Business Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Organization Development Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons
Date Posted:09 November 2020
Comments
Thesis completed from 2019-2020 in collaboration with Dr. Adam Grant and Constantinos Coutifaris.