Research Global Business Cultural Analysis: Ireland (Research Paper Sample)

Global Business Cultural Analysis: Ireland
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Abstract
In the last couple of years, the Irish market transformed owing to an increased number of multinationals that set up operations in the country. The research showed that global businesses had to deal with cultural diversity to gain the competitive advantage in the modern competitive world market. Global businesses were necessary to accommodate the modern business environment and going global meant having to deal with multicultural dimension issues. The management teams of multinationals had to comprise of members with varying cultural backgrounds where each had a unique way of dealing with work approaches. Cultural diversity was a broad concept and could not be described using a fixed discipline. The thesis of this paper focused analyzing the impact of cultural differences on global businesses with a focus on the US firms aiming to start operations in Ireland.
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc494429322 \h 2Chapter 1: Introduction PAGEREF _Toc494429323 \h 51.1 Overview PAGEREF _Toc494429324 \h 51.2 Background PAGEREF _Toc494429325 \h 71.3 Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc494429326 \h 81.4 Research Objectives PAGEREF _Toc494429327 \h 91.5 Research Questions PAGEREF _Toc494429328 \h 101.6 Significance of the study PAGEREF _Toc494429329 \h 10Chapter 2: Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc494429330 \h 112.1 The Concept of Culture PAGEREF _Toc494429331 \h 112.1.1 National culture PAGEREF _Toc494429332 \h 112.1.2 Cultural differences PAGEREF _Toc494429333 \h 122.2 Comparisons between Ireland and the US culture in conducting business PAGEREF _Toc494429334 \h 152.2.1 Power distance PAGEREF _Toc494429335 \h 162.2.2 Individualism versus collectivism PAGEREF _Toc494429336 \h 162.2.3 Masculinity versus femininity PAGEREF _Toc494429337 \h 172.2.4 Uncertainty avoidance PAGEREF _Toc494429338 \h 182.2.5 Long-term orientation PAGEREF _Toc494429339 \h 192.2.6 Indulgence PAGEREF _Toc494429340 \h 192.3 Integration of Cultural Dimensions by Business People in Ireland PAGEREF _Toc494429341 \h 202.4 Implications for the US Businesses wishing to Conduct Business in Ireland PAGEREF _Toc494429342 \h 20Chapter 3: Research Methodology PAGEREF _Toc494429343 \h 233.1 Research Method and design PAGEREF _Toc494429344 \h 233.2 Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc494429345 \h 233.3 Analysis procedures PAGEREF _Toc494429346 \h 243.4 Ethical considerations PAGEREF _Toc494429347 \h 24Chapter 4: Research Analysis and Discussions PAGEREF _Toc494429348 \h 25Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc494429349 \h 285.1 Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc494429350 \h 285.2 Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc494429351 \h 28References PAGEREF _Toc494429352 \h 30
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Overview
The rationale of this research was to analyze the impact of cultural diversity on US multinationals operating in Ireland. Without a doubt, managers of multinational companies were supposed to understand and deal with staff from different cultures of the world. The paper focused on analyzing multicultural business management within the US global companies located in Ireland to offer a framework and tools that were essential for managers to work competently in their multinational groups. The research aimed at demonstrating the importance of cultural analysis in today’s global businesses. Employees’ integration was often incompetent in the management of international companies since it could not adequately address all the dimensions of culture.
In carrying out this study, the first part focused on the background, problem statement, research objectives, and questions. The second part focused on the literature review where various cultural elements and dimensions concerning management were discussed based on research from different authors. The third part focused on the analysis of multicultural management concepts while the last part was the conclusion of the study alongside the practical implications or the recommendations for effective management of global businesses in the context of multiple cultures.
1.2 Background
The number of employees working in foreign-owned firms has considerably increased over the past two decades due to increased activities of multinational enterprises around the globe. For the majority of people in businesses, both employees and employers, this has emphasized the realities related to globalization. Currently, about 73 million individuals were working for foreign firms, which are a three-fold increase since the 1990s CITATION JOj13 \l 1033 (Ojalaso, 2013). Corporations such as General Motors, British Petroleum, and Motorola are among the largest employers in the private sector in economies such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Ireland. Such an emerging multicultural workforce formed a part of the growing global exchange patterns and interactions in the contemporary business environment. Understanding global cultural differences could assist managers in adapting to the variations that matter to them.
Culture could be defined as the collective mind programming or the summation of artifacts, institutions, techniques, rules, and beliefs that characterized human populations. According to sociologists, culture could be perceived as the process of socialization, signifying the influence of education, friends, family, and the communication with other members of a certain society CITATION TPa14 \l 1033 (Parsons & Shils, 2014). Such influences contribute to learned behavioral patterns that are shared among members of a particular society. Culture also referred to the general behavior and lifestyle of a particular group of individuals; thus corporate culture was a term often used in business to characterize how managers and staffs of specific firms behaved CITATION SLl12 \l 1033 (Llyod & Hartel, 2012). However, the term organizational culture has broad applications particularly among senior management and human resources managers in shaping and nurturing open, dynamic or innovative behavior within their organizations CITATION AJo12 \l 1033 (Joshi, Labianca, & Caligiuri, 2012). Encouraging a unique corporate culture could improve the community and the sense of collective identity that reinforced effective organizations.
1.3 Problem Statement
The definitions of culture tend to be relative to the analytic unit, disciplinary approach, and the focus of interest such as geography, anthropology, sociology, or psychology. The past global cultural analyses adopted a specific set of quantifiable criteria and definitions that drew numerous debates CITATION BGi14 \l 1033 (Gibson, 2014). Cultural studies and its impact on the management of business practices had for long been a contentious issue which underscored the need to avoid taking cultural differences at face value particularly when conducting business across borders. There existed a strong consensus among past researchers concerning the major elements of culture which included norms, customs, attitudes values, religion, and language CITATION Hop13 \l 1033 (Hopkins & Davaney, 2013). Among them, language was the most critical factor in the general understanding of culture because it entailed particular opinions, attitudes, beliefs, and values of a given person or group of people. English was the most widely used official language in business, and thus, a majority of multinationals used it as their business language. For instance, in multinationals such as IBM, Toyota, and NEC, English- conversing skills was one of the essential prerequisites for job promotions. Nevertheless, the assumption that being able to speak the same language as the locals eliminated cultural differences was a misconception because it instead concealed them CITATION Dea17 \l 1033 (David, Michael, Graham, & Peter, 2017). Moreover, overreliance on the English language by American and British managers and the inability to communicate in other languages could weaken their capacity to adapt and relate to other cultures. Managing a multicultural workforce could have various merits as well as challenges. For instance, what was the impact of cultural diversity in global business management? What were the major cultural dimensions to consider? Did managers have to adapt to every culture of the employees in their organization? Did management and employees have a role in multicultural management?
1.4 Research Objectives
1 To identify the major cultural elements and dimensions in Ireland
2 To determine how cultural elements and dimensions were integrated by locals conducting business in Ireland
3 To compare Ireland and the US businesses regarding their cultural elements and dimensions
4 To analyze the implications of the US businesses that wished to conduct business in Ireland
1.5 Research Questions
1 What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in Ireland? (See Chapter 2 of the textbook for a list of the required dimensions.)
2 How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business Ireland?
3 How do both of the above items compare with US culture and business?
4 What are the implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in Ireland?
1.6 Significance of the study
In the above context where Ireland has become home to several US multinationals, it was critical for these organizations to understand the employees’ differences and similarities concerning culture. It was important for the US multinationals to consider their cultural diversity because culture formed an important component in the modern business success. Whereas the concepts of intercultural management and cultural diversity were relatively recent, only a few exploratory studies had been done as late as the 1990’s CITATION Eli12 \l 1033 (Silva & Warde, 2012). Until the time of carrying ...