Essay on "International Management the European Union"

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Doing business internationally means being exposed to a wide range of different cultures, and the best approach is simply to understand those cultures and adapt to them. It is important for ascription cultures to have strong technical knowledge, or they will not be taken seriously by those in achievement cultures. Conversely, those in achievement cultures will need to send older, more experienced people with titles of distinction, even if those people are not the most technically competent (Luthans & Doh, 2008).

5. Trompenaars identified four types of organizational culture. The first type is family culture, which is "characterized by a strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to the person" (Luthans & Doh, 2008). This culture has a top-down orientation, guided by the idea that there is a "parent who knows what it best for the personnel." The top managers are completely in charge, and are the only ones truly empowered to make decisions.

The second is the Eiffel Tower culture, which is characterized by "strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to the task" (Ibid). Unlike the family culture, the firm is not built around any personality at the top, but is focused on the task. The function of these firms is more rational and business-like than at family firms.

The third type is the Guided Missile culture which is "characterized by strong emphasis on equality in the workplace and orientation to the task" (Ibid). This type of culture is focused around workers doing whatever is necessary to get the job done. This is an egalitarian culture focused on coordination of roles.

The fourth type is the Incubator culture, which is characterized by "strong emphasis on equality and orientation to the person" (Ibid). This type of culture is based on the idea that the organization is a structure to allow individuals to flourish. These are more entrepreneurial in nature, and exist to encourage and guide innovation and creativity among the employees.

Reference List

Brenton, P., DiMauro, F. & Lucke, M., 1999. Economic integration and FDI: An empirical analysis of foreign investment in the EU and in Central and Eastern Europe. Empirica. 26 (2) 95-121.

EU., 2012. Basic information on the European Union. European Union. Available online at http://europa.eu/about-eu/basic-information/index_en.htm Accessed May 5, 2012.

Gert, B. (2011). The definition of morality. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available online at http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition / Accessed May 5, 2012.

Luthans, F. & Doh, J., 2008. International management: Culture, strategy and behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill.

SCIE (1999). Multicultural impact. Stanford Chinese Institute of Engineers. Available online at http://www.stanford.edu/group/scie/Career/Wisdom/ach_ascr.htm… READ MORE