Research Article
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Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets

Year 2021, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 193 - 211, 30.06.2021
https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.973251

Abstract

This research aims to understand the role of cultural awareness in a multicultural business environment. 24 managers were interviewed. 10 of them are non-Turkish managers who run British companies in Turkey and 14 of them are non-British managers who run Turkish companies in the UK. A predefined questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with open-ended questions designed to research cultural awareness indicators, derived from the analysed literature, and cumulated under the 4 main spheres: 1) multiple perspective abilities, 2) culture reading skills, 3) intercultural communication development and 4) adapting cultural flexibility. The answers of the study’s subjects were analysed through the indicators defining cultural awareness and therefore lead to conclusions related to the understanding and coping with a cross-cultural context in the business environment, aspects of cultural adaptation, as well as linked strategies of management. Results show that companies tend to rely on their managers’ knowledge and professional background in coping with issues related to a multicultural environment. Furthermore, most entities follow home-country practices on the host country market or prefer the use of one-size-for-all strategies while attempting to adapt their operations locally.

References

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  • Apetrei, A., Kureshi, N. I., Horodnic, I. A., (2015). When Culture Shapes International Business. Journal of Business Research, 68, 1519-1521
  • Ball, D.A., McCulloch, W.H., Frantz, P.L., Geringer, J.M., & Minor, M.S., (2004). International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. New York, US: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
  • Beamer, L. (1992). Learning intercultural communication competence. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 29(3), 285-303
  • Brislin, R.W., Landis, D., & Brandt, M.E., (1983). ‘Conceptualization of Intercultural Behaviour and Training’. In R. Brislin and D. Landis (Ed), handbook of Intercultural Training. Toronto, Canada: Pergamon
  • CIA, (2019). World Fact Book, Turkey. Retrieved from https:// www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ geos/tu.html
  • CIA, (2019). World Fact Book, United Kingdom. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/theworld- factbook/geos/uk.html
  • Deresky, H., (2011). International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures. New Jersey, US: Pearson Publishing Limited
  • Fairbrass, J., (2003). The Europeanization of Business Interest Representation: UK and French Firms Compared. Comparative European Politics, 1(3), 313–334
  • Fortune Global 500 (2019). Retrieved from: https://fortune. com/global500/
  • Gadamer, H. G. (1995). Truth and Method, revised. Trans. Joel Weinsheimer and Donald G. Marshall. New York, Continuum.
  • Gonzalez, P. A., Ashworth, L., McKeen, J., (2019). The CIO stereotype: Content, bias, and impact. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(1), 83-99
  • Gummesson, E., (2000). Qualitative Methods in Management research, United Kingdom: Sage Publications, Inc.
  • Gvili, Y., Levy, S., (2019). Consumer engagement in sharing brand related information on social commerce: the roles of culture and experience. Journal of Marketing Communications, 10.1080/13527266.2019.1633552
  • Hall, E.T., (1981). Beyond Culture. New York, US: Random House Inc. Books
  • Hoecklin, L., (2000). Managing Cultural Differences. Journal of European Business, 8(2), 46-48
  • Hofstede, G., (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Hofstede, G., Hofstede G.J., & Minkov, M., (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Intercultural Cooperation, and Its importance for Survival
  • Hofstede, G., (1994). The Business of International. Business Is Culture. International Business Review, 3(1), 1–14
  • Jansson, H. (2007). International Business Marketing in Emerging Country Markets - The Third Wave of Internationalization of Firms. Northampton, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited
  • Jones, A. (2018). Geographies of production III: Economic geographies of management and international business. Progress in Human Geography, 42(2), 275–285. https://doi. org/10.1177/0309132516680756
  • Keller, R., Senn, C., & Thoma, A., (2007). Worldly Wise: Attracting and Managing Customers Isn’t The Same When Business Goes Global. Academy of Management Journal, 44(3), 547-555
  • Koslow, L.E., (1996). Business Abroad: A Quick Guide to International Business Transactions. Texas, US: Gulf Publishing Company
  • Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong, V. & Saunders, J. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Education Limited
  • Lane, H. W., (1980). Systems, Values and Action: An Analytic Framework for Intercultural Management Research. Management International Review. 20(3), 61-70
  • Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. First edition. New York: PublicAffairs.
  • Osland, G., Taylor, C., & Zou, S., (2001). Selecting International Modes of Entry and Expansion. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 19(3), 153-161
  • Navas, M., Garcia, M., Sanchez, J., Rojas, A., Pumares, P., Fernandez, J. (2005). Relative acculturation extended model (RAEM) : New contributions with regard to the study of acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29, 21-37.
  • Patel, J. D., Trivedi, R. H., Yagnik, A., (2020). Self-identity and internal environmental locus of control: Comparing their influences on green purchase intentions in high-context versus low-context cultures. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser. 2019.102003.
  • Ramirez Marin, J., Olekalns, M. and Adair, W. (2019), Normatively Speaking: Do Cultural Norms Influence Negotiation, Conflict Management, and Communication?. Negotiation Confl Manage Res, 12: 146-160. doi:10.1111/ncmr.12155
  • Root, F., (1994). Entry Strategies for International markets. USA: Jossey-Bass
  • Rugman, A., (2000). International Business: A Strategy Management Approach. UK: Prentice Hall
  • Segal-Horn, S. (2004). The strategy reader. Blackwell publishing.
  • Segal-Horn, S., (1994). The Challenge of International Business. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited
  • Srivastava, S., Singh, S., Dhir, S., (2020). Culture and International business research: A review and research agenda. International Business Review, 29(4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ibusrev.2020.101709.
  • Solomon, C., (2001). Building Teams Across Borders. Workforce, 52(4), 12-17
  • Stonehouse, G., Campbell, D., Hamill, J., & Purdie, T., (2004). Global and Transnational Business: Strategy and Management. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons
  • Szkudlarek, B., Osland, J. S., Nardon, L., Zander, L., (2020). Communication and culture in international business – Moving the field forward. Journal of World Business, https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jwb.2020.101126
  • Terpstra, V., & David, K. (1991). International Business. Publishing Co.
  • Triandis, H.C., (2002). Understanding Intercultural Communication. In M. Gannon and K. Newman (Ed), The Blackwell Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management. Oxford, UK: The Blackwell Publishers
  • Trompenaars, F., & Hampden-Turner, P., (1997). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business (2nd Ed.) London, UK: Nicholas Brealey
  • Trompenaars, F., (1993). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. London, UK: The Economist Books
  • Wild, J.J., & Wild, K.L., (2014). International Business: The Challenges of Globalization. Essex, UK: Pearson Education Limited
  • Woo, H. J., & Dominick, J. R., (2003). “Acculturation, Cultivation, and Daytime TV Talk Shows”. J& MC, 80(1), 109-27
  • Zhang, Y., & Lopez-Pascual, J., (2012). Dynamic versus static culture in international business: a study of Spanish banking in China. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 19 (4), 588 – 611
Year 2021, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 193 - 211, 30.06.2021
https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.973251

Abstract

References

  • Adekola, A. & Sergi, B.S., (2007). Global Business Management: A cross cultural prospective. Ashgate Publishing Ltd
  • Apetrei, A., Kureshi, N. I., Horodnic, I. A., (2015). When Culture Shapes International Business. Journal of Business Research, 68, 1519-1521
  • Ball, D.A., McCulloch, W.H., Frantz, P.L., Geringer, J.M., & Minor, M.S., (2004). International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. New York, US: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
  • Beamer, L. (1992). Learning intercultural communication competence. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 29(3), 285-303
  • Brislin, R.W., Landis, D., & Brandt, M.E., (1983). ‘Conceptualization of Intercultural Behaviour and Training’. In R. Brislin and D. Landis (Ed), handbook of Intercultural Training. Toronto, Canada: Pergamon
  • CIA, (2019). World Fact Book, Turkey. Retrieved from https:// www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ geos/tu.html
  • CIA, (2019). World Fact Book, United Kingdom. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/theworld- factbook/geos/uk.html
  • Deresky, H., (2011). International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures. New Jersey, US: Pearson Publishing Limited
  • Fairbrass, J., (2003). The Europeanization of Business Interest Representation: UK and French Firms Compared. Comparative European Politics, 1(3), 313–334
  • Fortune Global 500 (2019). Retrieved from: https://fortune. com/global500/
  • Gadamer, H. G. (1995). Truth and Method, revised. Trans. Joel Weinsheimer and Donald G. Marshall. New York, Continuum.
  • Gonzalez, P. A., Ashworth, L., McKeen, J., (2019). The CIO stereotype: Content, bias, and impact. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(1), 83-99
  • Gummesson, E., (2000). Qualitative Methods in Management research, United Kingdom: Sage Publications, Inc.
  • Gvili, Y., Levy, S., (2019). Consumer engagement in sharing brand related information on social commerce: the roles of culture and experience. Journal of Marketing Communications, 10.1080/13527266.2019.1633552
  • Hall, E.T., (1981). Beyond Culture. New York, US: Random House Inc. Books
  • Hoecklin, L., (2000). Managing Cultural Differences. Journal of European Business, 8(2), 46-48
  • Hofstede, G., (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Hofstede, G., Hofstede G.J., & Minkov, M., (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Intercultural Cooperation, and Its importance for Survival
  • Hofstede, G., (1994). The Business of International. Business Is Culture. International Business Review, 3(1), 1–14
  • Jansson, H. (2007). International Business Marketing in Emerging Country Markets - The Third Wave of Internationalization of Firms. Northampton, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited
  • Jones, A. (2018). Geographies of production III: Economic geographies of management and international business. Progress in Human Geography, 42(2), 275–285. https://doi. org/10.1177/0309132516680756
  • Keller, R., Senn, C., & Thoma, A., (2007). Worldly Wise: Attracting and Managing Customers Isn’t The Same When Business Goes Global. Academy of Management Journal, 44(3), 547-555
  • Koslow, L.E., (1996). Business Abroad: A Quick Guide to International Business Transactions. Texas, US: Gulf Publishing Company
  • Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong, V. & Saunders, J. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Education Limited
  • Lane, H. W., (1980). Systems, Values and Action: An Analytic Framework for Intercultural Management Research. Management International Review. 20(3), 61-70
  • Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. First edition. New York: PublicAffairs.
  • Osland, G., Taylor, C., & Zou, S., (2001). Selecting International Modes of Entry and Expansion. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 19(3), 153-161
  • Navas, M., Garcia, M., Sanchez, J., Rojas, A., Pumares, P., Fernandez, J. (2005). Relative acculturation extended model (RAEM) : New contributions with regard to the study of acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29, 21-37.
  • Patel, J. D., Trivedi, R. H., Yagnik, A., (2020). Self-identity and internal environmental locus of control: Comparing their influences on green purchase intentions in high-context versus low-context cultures. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser. 2019.102003.
  • Ramirez Marin, J., Olekalns, M. and Adair, W. (2019), Normatively Speaking: Do Cultural Norms Influence Negotiation, Conflict Management, and Communication?. Negotiation Confl Manage Res, 12: 146-160. doi:10.1111/ncmr.12155
  • Root, F., (1994). Entry Strategies for International markets. USA: Jossey-Bass
  • Rugman, A., (2000). International Business: A Strategy Management Approach. UK: Prentice Hall
  • Segal-Horn, S. (2004). The strategy reader. Blackwell publishing.
  • Segal-Horn, S., (1994). The Challenge of International Business. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited
  • Srivastava, S., Singh, S., Dhir, S., (2020). Culture and International business research: A review and research agenda. International Business Review, 29(4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ibusrev.2020.101709.
  • Solomon, C., (2001). Building Teams Across Borders. Workforce, 52(4), 12-17
  • Stonehouse, G., Campbell, D., Hamill, J., & Purdie, T., (2004). Global and Transnational Business: Strategy and Management. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons
  • Szkudlarek, B., Osland, J. S., Nardon, L., Zander, L., (2020). Communication and culture in international business – Moving the field forward. Journal of World Business, https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jwb.2020.101126
  • Terpstra, V., & David, K. (1991). International Business. Publishing Co.
  • Triandis, H.C., (2002). Understanding Intercultural Communication. In M. Gannon and K. Newman (Ed), The Blackwell Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management. Oxford, UK: The Blackwell Publishers
  • Trompenaars, F., & Hampden-Turner, P., (1997). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business (2nd Ed.) London, UK: Nicholas Brealey
  • Trompenaars, F., (1993). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. London, UK: The Economist Books
  • Wild, J.J., & Wild, K.L., (2014). International Business: The Challenges of Globalization. Essex, UK: Pearson Education Limited
  • Woo, H. J., & Dominick, J. R., (2003). “Acculturation, Cultivation, and Daytime TV Talk Shows”. J& MC, 80(1), 109-27
  • Zhang, Y., & Lopez-Pascual, J., (2012). Dynamic versus static culture in international business: a study of Spanish banking in China. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 19 (4), 588 – 611
There are 45 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Business Administration
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Oguzhan Akın 0000-0001-9806-8297

Publication Date June 30, 2021
Acceptance Date March 9, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 21 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Akın, O. (2021). Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets. Ege Academic Review, 21(3), 193-211. https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.973251
AMA Akın O. Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets. ear. June 2021;21(3):193-211. doi:10.21121/eab.973251
Chicago Akın, Oguzhan. “Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets”. Ege Academic Review 21, no. 3 (June 2021): 193-211. https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.973251.
EndNote Akın O (June 1, 2021) Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets. Ege Academic Review 21 3 193–211.
IEEE O. Akın, “Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets”, ear, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 193–211, 2021, doi: 10.21121/eab.973251.
ISNAD Akın, Oguzhan. “Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets”. Ege Academic Review 21/3 (June 2021), 193-211. https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.973251.
JAMA Akın O. Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets. ear. 2021;21:193–211.
MLA Akın, Oguzhan. “Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets”. Ege Academic Review, vol. 21, no. 3, 2021, pp. 193-11, doi:10.21121/eab.973251.
Vancouver Akın O. Investigating the Role of Cultural Awareness in A Multicultural Business Environment: A Case Study Based on Turkish and British Markets. ear. 2021;21(3):193-211.