Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to present how an individual cognition of the multicultural work environment of multinational corporations (MNCs) relates to the outcomes of professional interactions with culturally diverse people. The subject literature review and the empirical findings show that multicultural work environments pose specific requirements to individuals, such as cultural differences, multilingualism, a need for cross-cultural adjustment and a multicultural leadership style. Employees may classify these requirements either as barriers or challenges. The empirical findings reveal that this individual cognitive process is related to some outcomes of intercultural interactions, i.e. learning and satisfaction.
The data for the chapter was gathered via qualitative and quantitative research in subsidiaries of MNCs. The informants were managers and specialists working in those companies and involved in intercultural interactions while performing their professional duties.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Adler NJ, Gundersen A (2007) International dimensions of organizational behavior, 5th edn. South Western, Mason, OH, International Edition. http://books.google.com/books?id=w_AnUby8L3EC&pgis=1
Barner-Rasmussen W, Aarnio C (2011) Shifting the faultlines of language: a quantitative functional-level exploration of language use in MNC subsidiaries. J World Bus 46(3):288–295, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1090951610000453. Accessed 25 Sept 2014
Basinska BA, Gruszczyńska EWA, Schaufeli WB (2014) Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the job-related affective well-being scale. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 27(6):993–1004
Björkman I, Barner-Rasmussen W, Li L (2004) Managing knowledge transfer in MNCs: the impact of headquarters control mechanisms. J Int Bus Stud 35(5):443–455, http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400094. Accessed 29 Apr 2014
Björkman I, Stahl GK, Vaara E (2007) Cultural differences and capability transfer in cross-border acquisitions: the mediating roles of capability complementarity, absorptive capacity, and social integration. J Int Bus Stud 38(4):658–672, http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400287. Accessed 29 Apr 2014
Brock DM et al (2008) National culture and expatriate deployment. J Int Bus Stud 39(8):1293–1309, http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400361. Accessed 29 Apr 2014
Cavanaugh M et al (2000) An empirical examination of self-reported work stress among US managers. J Appl Psychol 85(1):65–74
Coates K, Carr SC (2005) Skilled immigrants and selection bias: a theory-based field study from New Zealand. Int J Intercultural Relat 29(5):577–599, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0147176705000428. Accessed 23 May 2014
Cooper D, Doucet L, Pratt M (2007) Understanding “appropriateness” in multinational organizations. J Organ Behav 28(3):303–325, htp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.440/full
Darawong C, Igel B (2012) Acculturation of local new product development team members in MNC subsidiaries in Thailand. Asia Pacific J Mark Logist 24(3):351–371, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/13555851211237867. Accessed 18 Mar 2014
Dewe PJ, O’ Driscoll MP, Cooper CL (2012) Theories of psychological stress at work. In: Gatchel RJ, Schultz IZ (eds) Handbook of occupational health and wellness. Springer, New York, NY, pp 23–39, http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-4614-4839-6
Dunning JH, Lundan SM (2008) Multinational enterprises and the global economy, 2nd edn. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Eisenhardt KM, Graebner ME (2007) Theory building from cases: opportunities and challenges. Acad Manage J 50(1):25–32
Erez M, Shokef E (2008) The culture of global organizations. In: Smith PB, Peterson MF, Thomas DC (eds) The handbook of cross cultural management research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp 285–300
Glaser BG, Strauss AL (1999) The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. Aldine De Gruyter, Hawthorne, NY
Gruszczyńska E, Kroemeke A (2009) Coping after myocardial infarction. The mediational effects of positive and negative emotions. Pol Psychol Bull 40(1):38–45
Harvey M, Reiche BS, Moeller M (2011) Developing effective global relationships through staffing with inpatriate managers: the role of interpersonal trust. J Int Manage 17(2):150–161, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1075425311000032. Accessed 3 July 2014
Hennart J-F (2010) Theories of the multinational enterprise. In: Rugman A (ed) The Oxford handbook of international business. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pp 125–145
Hernández-Mogollon R et al (2010) The role of cultural barriers in the relationship between open-mindedness and organizational innovation. J Organ Chang Manage 23(4):360–376
Lauring J (2009) Managing cultural diversity and the process of knowledge sharing: a case from Denmark. Scand J Manage 25(4):385–394, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0956522109000955. Accessed 17 Sept 2014
Lauring J, Klitmøller A (2015) Corporate language-based communication avoidance in MNCs: a multi-sited ethnography approach. J World Bus 50(1):46–55, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1090951614000066. Accessed 17 Sept 2014
Lauring J, Selmer J (2011) Multicultural organizations: common language, knowledge sharing and performance. Pers Rev 40(3):324–343, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00483481111118649. Accessed 3 Mar 2014
Lauring J, Selmer J (2012) International language management and diversity climate in multicultural organizations. Int Bus Rev 21(2):156–166, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0969593111000047. Accessed 21 Aug 2014
Lazarus R (1991) Cognition and motivation in emotion. Am Psychol 46(4):352–367
Lazarus RS (1993) From psychological stress to the emotions: a history of changing outlooks. Annu Rev Psychol 44(1):1–22
Lazarus R, Folkman S (1984) Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer, New York, NY
LePine J, Podsakoff N, LePine M (2005) A meta-analytic test of the challenge stressor–hindrance stressor framework: an explanation for inconsistent relationships among stressors and performance. Acad Manage J 48(5):764–775
Luo Y, Shenkar O (2006) The multinational corporation as a multilingual community: language and organization in a global context. J Int Bus Stud 37(3):321–339, http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400197. Accessed 29 Apr 2014
Luthans F, Avolio BJ, Norman SM (2007) Positive psychological capital: measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Pers Psychol 60:541–572
Macke J, Vallejos RV, Toss ED (2010) Building inter-organizational social capital instruments to evaluate collaborative networks. iBusiness 2(1):67–71
Magier-Łakomy E, Rozkwitalska M (2013) Country-of-origin effect on manager’s competence evaluations. J Intercultural Manage 5(4):5–21, http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/joim.2013.5.issue-4/joim-2013-0023/joim-2013-0023.xml
Mannix E, Neale MA (2005) What differences make a difference? The promise and reality of diverse teams in organizations. Psychol Sci Public Interest 6(2):31–55
Maxwell JA (2005) Qualitative research design: an interactive approach. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA
McMillan-Capehart A (2005) A configurational framework for diversity: socialization and culture. Pers Rev 34(4):488–503, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00483480510599798. Accessed 18 Mar 2014
Miroshnik V (2002) Culture and international management: a review. J Manage Dev 21(7):521–544, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/02621710210434647. Accessed 25 Feb 2014
Molinsky A (2007) Cross-cultural code-switching: the psychological challenges of adapting behavior in foreign cultural interactions. Acad Manage Rev 32(2):622–640, http://amr.aom.org/cgi/doi/10.5465/AMR.2007.24351878
Pettigrew TF, Tropp LR (2008) How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice? Meta-analytic tests of three mediators. Eur J Soc Psychol 38(6):922–934, http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/ejsp.504
Porath C et al (2012) Thriving at work: toward its measurement, construct validation, and theoretical refinement. J Organ Behav 275(May 2011):250–275
Przytuła S et al (2014) Cross-cultural interactions between expatriates and local managers in the light of positive organizational behaviour. Soc Sci (Socialiniai mokslai) 4(4):14–24
Puck JF, Mohr AT, Rygl D (2008) An empirical analysis of managers’ adjustment to working in multi-national project teams in the pipeline and plant construction sector. Int J Hum Resour Manage 19(12):2252–2267, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585190802479488. Accessed 18 Mar 2014
Roberge M-É, van Dick R (2010) Recognizing the benefits of diversity: when and how does diversity increase group performance? Hum Resour Manage Rev 20(4):295–308, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053482209000795. Accessed 28 Jan 2014
Rodsutti MC, Swierczek FW (2002) Leadership and organizational effectiveness in multinational enterprises in Southeast Asia. Leadersh Org Dev J 23(5):250–259, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/01437730210435965. Accessed 7 Feb 2014
Rozkwitalska M (2013) Effective cross-cultural relationships in multinational corporations. Foreign subsidiaries’ viewpoint. In: Proceedings of the 3rd Annual international conference on business strategy and organizational behaviour (BizStrategy 2013), pp 65–74
Rozkwitalska M, Basinska BA (2015) Job satisfaction in the multicultural environment of multinational corporations—using the positive approach to empower organizational success. Balt J Manage 10(3):366–387
Rozkwitalska M, Chmielecki M, Przytuła S (2014) The positives of cross-cultural interactions in MNCs. Actual Probl Econ 57(7):382–392
Rugman AM (ed) (2010) The Oxford handbook of international business, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York, NY
Schaufeli WB, Bakker AB (2003) UWES Utrecht work engagement scale preliminary manual, Utrecht University. http://www.schaufeli.com/downloads/tests/Test manual UWES.pdf
Shenkar O, Luo Y, Yeheskel O (2008) From “distance” to “friction” substituting metaphors and re-directing intercultural research. Acad Manage Rev 33(4):905–923
Shore LM et al (2009) Diversity in organizations: where are we now and where are we going? Hum Resour Manage Rev 19(2):117–133, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053482208000855. Accessed 30 Jan 2014
Smith PB, Peterson MF, Thomas DC (eds) (2009) The handbook of cross cultural management research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA
Spreitzer G et al (2005) A socially embedded model of thriving at work. Organ Sci 16(5):537–549, http://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.1050.0153. Accessed 2 Sept 2014
Stahl GK, Tung RL (2014) Towards a more balanced treatment of culture in international business studies: the need for positive cross-cultural scholarship. J Int Bus Stud, pp 1–24. http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/jibs.2014.68
Stahl GK et al (2009) Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: a meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups. J Int Bus Stud 41(4):690–709, http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/jibs.2009.85. Accessed 28 Apr 2014
Stahl GK et al (2010) A look at the bright side of multicultural team diversity. Scand J Manage 26(4):439–447, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0956522110001028. Accessed 28 Apr 2014
Stevens FG, Plaut VC, Sanchez-Burks J (2008) Unlocking the benefits of diversity: all-inclusive multiculturalism and positive organizational change. J Appl Behav Sci 44(1):116–133
Steyaert C, Ostendorp A, Gaibrois C (2011) Multilingual organizations as “linguascapes”: negotiating the position of English through discursive practices. J World Bus 46(3):270–278, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1090951610000428. Accessed 25 Sept 2014
Tanova C, Nadiri H (2010) The role of cultural context in direct communication. Balt J Manage 5(2):185–196, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/17465261011045115. Accessed 30 Apr 2014
Uhlenbruck K (2004) Developing acquired foreign subsidiaries: the experience of MNES in transition economies. J Int Bus Stud 35(2):109–123, http://www.palgrave-journals.com/doifinder/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400070. Accessed 29 Apr 2014
Vandewalle D (1997) Development and validation of a work domain goal orientation instrument. Educ Psychol Meas 57(6):995–1015
Watson WE, Kumar K, Michaelsen LK (1993) Cultural diversity’s impact on interaction process and performance: comparing homogeneous and diverse task groups. Acad Manage J 36(3):590–602
Webb A, Wright PC (1996) The expatriate experience: implications for career success. Career Dev Int 1(5):38–44
Webster J, Beehr T, Christiansen N (2010) Toward a better understanding of the effects of hindrance and challenge stressors on work behavior. J Vocat Behav 76(1):68–77
Westney ED, Zaheer S (2010) The multinational enterprises as an organization. In: Rugman AM (ed) The Oxford handbook of international business. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pp 241–366
Yeager KL, Nafukho FM (2012) Developing diverse teams to improve performance in the organizational setting. Eur J Train Dev 36(4):388–408
Acknowledgements
The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support from National Science Centre in Poland (the research grant no. DEC-2013/09/B/HS4/00498). The author thanks Beata A. Basinska for her comments and advice concerning the chapter.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rozkwitalska, M. (2017). Cognition of the Multicultural Work Environment in Multinational Corporations and Intercultural Interaction Outcomes. In: Rozkwitalska, M., Sułkowski, Ł., Magala, S. (eds) Intercultural Interactions in the Multicultural Workplace. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39771-9_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39771-9_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39770-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39771-9
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)