1
Institute of Technology and Business
in České Budějovice
Intercultural Management
Study Support for the combined form of study
Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Ing. Jan Urban, CSc.
Faculty of Corporate Strategy
Department of Management
Author: doc. PhDr. Ing. Jan Urban, CSc.
2
Contents
1 Summary.........................................................................................................................4
2 Preparation for lectures...................................................................................................9
2.1 National culture and its influence on an organizational culture, the main features of
organizational cultures.........................................................................................................9
2.2 Typology of national organizational cultures, national cultural stereotypes and autostereotypes
.........................................................................................................................12
2.3 Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment..............................15
2.4 Intercultural differences and their influence on management and leadership,
international differences in managerial competences........................................................18
2.5 Different expectations of managers and employees: causes of barriers to
communication and cooperation in an intercultural environment.....................................22
2.6 Intercultural communication and negotiation, overcoming language barriers in an
international environment..................................................................................................25
2.7 Cultural diversity in human resource management..................................................29
2.8 Team leading in an intercultural environment .........................................................32
2.9 Employee education and training as an intercultural management tool ..................35
2.10 Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global environment ...........................39
2.11 Leadership in an intercultural environment .............................................................42
2.12 Most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural environment....................45
2.13 Case study in Intercultural Management .................................................................49
3 Preparation for seminars...............................................................................................51
3.1 Main features of national organizational cultures – an analysis of selected national
organizational cultures.......................................................................................................51
3.2 Typology of national organizational cultures, national cultural stereotypes and autostereotypes
– a conducted discussion of the topic.............................................................54
3
3.3 Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment – an analysis of
specific cases .....................................................................................................................57
3.4 Intercultural differences and their influence on management and leadership,
international differences in managerial competences – an analysis of examples from the
practice ..............................................................................................................................60
3.5 Different expectations of managers and employees: causes of barriers to
communication and cooperation in an intercultural environment – comparison of selected
examples............................................................................................................................63
3.6 Intercultural communication and negotiation, overcoming language barriers in an
international environment – conducted discussion of selected examples .........................66
3.7 Cultural diversity in human resource management..................................................69
3.8 Team leading in an intercultural environment .........................................................72
3.9 Employee education and training as an intercultural management tool ..................75
3.10 Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global environment ...........................78
3.11 Leadership in an intercultural environment .............................................................81
3.12 Most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural environment – an analysis
of specific cases.................................................................................................................84
3.13 Illustration of the tasks of intercultural management – discussions of selected
examples............................................................................................................................88
4
1 Summary
Period Year 1, 2nd term / Year 2, 3rd term
Course Intercultural Management
Language English
Supervisor doc. PhDr. Ing. Jan Urban, CSc.
Supervisors
department
Faculty of Corporate Strategy
Department Department of Management
Lecture tutor doc. PhDr. Ing. Jan Urban, CSc.
Seminar tutor Mgr. Zdeněk Caha, MBA, Ph.D.
Assessment type exam
Assessment note attendance at classes 70 % including further notes of the course
supervisor
Extent and
intensity
2/2
Credits 5
The goal of the
course
The goal of the course is to acquaint students with the international
differences between organizational cultures and organization behaviour
conditioned by the differences between national cultures, i.e. to show
how different national cultures project themselves into the cultures of
business organizations. The influence of the individual national cultures
on the organization behaviour and managerial styles of companies, both
in the external relations as well as in the mutual relations between
managers and employees within and organization is among the main
topics. Attention is paid to the specifics of and requirements for
organization management in an intercultural environment and to the
managerial tools and competences that are necessary for overcoming the
typical cultural barriers in the mutual cooperation between companies
and their employees.
Learning
outcomes
After successful completion of the course a student:
32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational
culture and defines the main features of international organizational
cultures,
32.2 distinguishes between the typologies of national organizational
cultures,
32.3 analyses the advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural
environment,
32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the
management and leadership and understands the international differences
in managerial competences,
32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is
able to remove the causes of barriers to communication in an
5
intercultural environment,
32.6 manages and builds teams in an intercultural environment,
32.7 uses employee education and training as an intercultural
management tool,
32.8 implements the organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment,
32.9 understands the importance of leadership and its tools in an
intercultural environment,
32.10 identifies the most frequent management mistakes in an
intercultural environment.
Syllabus of the
course
Lectures
1. National culture and its influence on an organizational culture, the
main features of organizational cultures (32.1)
2. Typology of national organizational cultures, national cultural
stereotypes and auto-stereotypes (32.2)
3. Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment
(32.3)
4. Intercultural differences and their influence on management and
leadership, international differences in managerial competences
(32.4)
5. Different expectations of managers and employees: causes of
barriers to communication and cooperation in an intercultural
environment (32.5)
6. Intercultural communication and negotiation, overcoming language
barriers in an international environment (32.1)
7. Cultural diversity in human resource management (32.4, 32.5)
8. Team leading in an intercultural environment (32.6)
9. Employee education and training as an intercultural management
tool (32.7)
10. Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global environment
(32.8)
11. Leadership in an intercultural environment (32.9)
12. Most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural environment
(32.10)
13. Case study in Intercultural Management (32.1, 32.2, 32.3, 32.4, 32.5,
32.6, 32.7, 32.8, 32.9, 32.10)
Seminars
1. Main features of national organizational cultures – an analysis of
selected national organizational cultures (32.1)
2. Typology of national organizational cultures, national cultural
stereotypes and auto-stereotypes – a conducted discussion of the
topic (32.3. 32.2)
3. Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment – an
analysis of specific cases (32.1, 32.3)
4. Intercultural differences and their influence on management and
leadership, international differences in managerial competences – an
analysis of examples from the practice (32.4)
5. Different expectations of managers and employees: causes of
6
barriers to communication and cooperation in an intercultural
environment – comparison of selected examples (32.5)
6. Intercultural communication and negotiation, overcoming language
barriers in an international environment – conducted discussion of
selected examples (32.6)
7. Cultural diversity in human resource management (32.4, 32.5)
8. Team leading in an intercultural environment (32.6)
9. Employee education and training as an intercultural management
tool (32.7)
10. Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global environment
(32.8)
11. Leadership in an intercultural environment (32.9)
12. Most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural environment
– an analysis of specific cases (32.10)
13. Illustration of the tasks of intercultural management – discussions of
selected examples (32.1, 32.2, 32.3, 32.4, 32.5, 32.6, 32.7, 32.8, 32.9,
32.10)
Organizational
forms of
teaching
lecture, seminar
Complex
teaching
methods
frontal teaching
project teaching
group teaching – cooperation
brainstorming
critical thinking
independent work – individual or individualized activity
teaching supported by multimedia technologies etc.
Study load
Activity
Hours per term
Daily form
Combined
form
Preparation for a partial test 0 0
Preparation for lectures 13 0
Preparation for a seminar,
exercise, tutorial
26 75
Preparation of a seminar paper 9 9
Attendance at lectures 26 0
Attendance at a seminar,
exercise, tutorial, industrial visit
26 16
Preparation for the final test 24 24
Final test 1 1
Preparation for a presentation 4 4
Presentation 1 1
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Total: 130 130
Assessment
Methods and
Assessment Rate
20 % seminar paper
10 % seminar paper presentation
70 % final test
Exam conditions Course assessment consists of continuous assessment (30 – 0 points –
seminar paper and its presentation) and a written test (70 – 0 points). The
overall classification is a sum of the points for the continuous assessment
and the written test. The overall classification of the course, i.e. the
points for the written test (70 - 0) + the points for the continuous
assessment (30 - 0 points): A 100 – 90, B 89.99 – 84, C 83.99 – 77, D
76.99 – 73, E 72.99 – 70, FX 69.99 – 30, F 29.99 - 0.
Teacher's
informaion
The attendance in the lessons in all forms of study is dealt with by a
special internal standard (Registration of VŠTE students attendance).
Daily students are obliged to attend.
Compulsory
literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a
interkulturního managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-
7478-328-9.
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a
právní vědy. ISBN 978-80-87974-05-6.
Recommended
literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní
společnosti v České republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení Kultura
a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H. Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0.
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. A Code of Ethics as an Organizational
Management Tool and its Use in the Czech Republic. Lüdenscheid:
RAM Verlag. ISBN 978-3-942303-50-7.
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across
borders and cultures. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN
978-80-7540-568-0.
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague:
Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9.
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in
Business and Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-
1039-0.
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural
Context. [s. l.]: Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933.
Websites https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Publishing
activities
Course supervisor and lecturer (doc. PhDr. Ing. Jan Urban, CSc.)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a
8
právní vědy. ISBN 978-80-87974-05-6.
URBAN, J., 2013. Řízení lidí v organizaci: Personální rozměr
managementu. 2nd ext. ed. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7357-
925-8.
URBAN, J., 2017. Motivace a odměňování pracovníků. Prague: Grada.
ISBN 978-80-271-0227-3.
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. The importance and preconditions for
an effective code of ethics as a COMPANY management TOOL in the
global environment. In: Globalization and its socio-economic
consequences 2017: Proceedings of 17th International Scientific
Conference. Zilina: University of Zilina, 255-261. ISBN 978-80-8154-
212-1.
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. A Code of Ethics as an Organizational
Management Tool and its Use in the Czech Republic. Lüdenscheid:
RAM-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-942303-50-7.
Seminar tutor (Mgr. Zdeněk Caha, MBA, Ph.D.)
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. A Code of Ethics as an Organizational
Management Tool and its Use in the Czech Republic. Lüdenscheid:
RAM-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-942303-50-7.
CAHA, Z., 2017. Ethical Management in Companies in the Czech
Republic and Ukraine - Comparison of the Presence of a Code of Ethics.
In: The Conference Innovative Economic Symposium 2017. České
Budějovice: EDP Sciences. ISBN 978-2-7598-9028-6.
LIŽBETINOVÁ, L., S. LORINCOVÁ and Z. CAHA, 2016. The
application of the Organizational Culture Assesment Instrument (OCAI)
to Logistics Enterprises. Nase More. 63(3), 170-176. ISSN 0469-6255.
CAHA, Z., 2017. Central Europe: Ethical Overlaps of Environmental
and Economic Interests in Coming Years. Science and Engineering
Ethics. -(-). ISSN 1471-5546.
LIŽBETINOVÁ, L., M. HITKA, CH. LI and Z. CAHA, 2017.
Motivation of Employees of Transport and Logistics Companies in the
Czech Republic and in a Selected Region of the PRC. In: MATEC Web of
Conferences, 18th International Scientific Conference, LOGI 2017.
České Budějovice: EDP Sciences. ISSN 2261-236X.
Topics of
diploma theses
Managerial Communication in an Intercultural Environment, a case
study
Intercultural training, a case study
Intercultural Differences in Managerial Competences, a case study
9
2 Preparation for lectures
2.1 National culture and its influence on an organizational
culture, the main features of organizational cultures
Key words
National culture, organizational culture, features of an organizational culture, intercultural
management
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of a national culture on organizational cultures, to clarify the main
features of national cultures in the cultures of business organizations, in relation to both the
inside and the outside relations of an organization, to clarify the character and the goals of
intercultural management
Learning outcomes
 32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational culture and
defines the main features of international organizational cultures
Abstract
Intercultural management helps overcome potential barriers that a work in a multicultural
environment brings and use their strengths or synergies in the form of new views and
attitudes and mutual opinion enrichment of people.
The problems that arise from intercultural management are more often caused by a conflict
of different expectations. The prevailing type of company culture and management style
produces specific expectations on the side of the managers and executive employees, which
they might not be fully aware of. If such expectations are confronted with expectations
arising from a different cultural background they might easily lead to problems and
misunderstanding or even to conflicts.
Training that might be focused on the change of employees’ attitudes to cultural differences
and cultural characteristics of persons affecting their behaviour or to specific problems of
10
intercultural communication, depending on the character or the problems of intercultural
cooperation belong to the basic tools of intercultural management.
Training sessions focused on the change of employees’ attitudes to the cultural differences
are based on the assumption that the increased awareness of prejudices enable employees
as well as managers to refrain from negative stereotypes in the relations between people
from different cultural backgrounds, to strengthen the individual and group openness in the
perception and adoption of procedures from different cultures and to build mutual
confidence between their members.
Training focused on the improvement of intercultural communication should first of all
point out the cultural differences in the perception of the communication content, teach
how to perceive and interpret the basic labour or management situations from the point of
view of foreign colleagues, to strengthen the ability to listen and to be sensitive to typical
sources of cultural misunderstanding etc. A so called cultural integrator, a person that
understands the differences of the individual cultures and is able to help the organization to
adapt itself to them can pay an important role in this process.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-32)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 12-32)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 34-38)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
11
Control questions
1. What forms a national company culture?
2. What are the main features of a national company culture?
3. How can the impacts of different national cultures on the external behaviour
of organizations manifest themselves?
4. How can the impacts of different national cultures on the organizational behaviour
within an organization manifest themselves?
5. How can culture-conditioned expectations of employees manifest themselves?
6. How can culture-conditioned expectations of managers manifest themselves?
7. What is the importance of intercultural management?
8. What are the goals of intercultural management?
9. What are the main tools of intercultural management?
10. What does training serve for within intercultural management?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.1 Main features of national organizational cultures – an analysis of selected national
organizational cultures
12
2.2 Typology of national organizational cultures, national
cultural stereotypes and auto-stereotypes
Key words
National culture, organizational culture, typologies of a national cultures, cultural
stereotypes, cultural auto-stereotypes
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate the main types of national organizational structures, to clarify the
term national cultural stereotypes and its meaning, to clarify the term national cultural autostereotypes
and its meaning
Learning outcomes
 32.2 distinguishes between the typologies of national organizational cultures
Abstract
Numerous differences exist in national cultures that are reflected in the differences in
organizational cultures, particularly in bilateral comparison. They among others involve the
differences between the cultures of “southern” and “northern” countries, “eastern” and
“western” countries etc.
Nevertheless, according to certain international surveys, the differences in national
company cultures can be collectively described on the basis of their differences in four
main traits. These are the characteristic power distance, which exists in a certain culture
between superiors and subordinates, a tendency to avoid risk and uncertainty, the extent of
individualism and masculinity, or as the case may be its opposite femininity, i.e. the extent
to what people are motivated by the efforts for success or by the efforts for quality
interpersonal relations.
Overcoming the influence of national cultural stereotypes and auto-stereotypes is one of the
main goals of intercultural management. Cultural stereotypes represent the widespread
opinions and ways of perception and assessment in relation to members of various nations
or people coming from different national cultures, which might affect the cooperation in an
international environment.
13
For example the Americans are perceived in the international business world as socially
informal, individualistic, strongly profit oriented, direct and open, sometimes even having
no scruples, the Germans as accurate and precise but not much flexible, putting stress on
planning, clear rules and regulations and insistence on the adherence to them, the Japanese
as polite, loyal, less direct but tough, the French as less hard working with a tendency to a
bigger social distance, the Scandinavians as socially considerate, rather informal, the
British as reserved and rather close, the Dutch as thrifty, etc.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-32)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy.
ISBN 978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 12-32)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 39-54)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
Control questions
1. What are national cultural typologies?
2. What characterizes the individual types of national company cultures?
3. What are the main differences between national company cultures?
4. What does the national cultural trait referred to as the extent of individualism
mean?
14
5. What does the national cultural trait referred to as the avoidance of uncertainty
mean?
6. What does the national cultural trait referred to as the masculinity/femininity mean?
7. What does the national cultural trait referred to as the extent of power distance
mean?
8. What are national cultural stereotypes?
9. What are national cultural auto-stereotypes?
10. Why do differences between stereotypes and auto-stereotypes exist?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.2 Typology of national organizational cultures, national cultural stereotypes and autostereotypes
– a conducted discussion of the topic
15
2.3 Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural
environment
Key words
Intercultural management, intercultural environment, cultural diversity, advantages of
cultural diversity, disadvantages of cultural diversity
The goals of the chapter
To explain and clarify the main advantages and disadvantages of intercultural, or as the
case may be, diversified environment from the point of view of the performance of an
organization, its employees and work teams, to clarify the tools of the cultural diversity
management, which serve for overcoming the intercultural barriers to performance.
Learning outcomes
 32.3 analyses the advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment
Abstract
Cultural Diversity Management focuses on the reduction of the barriers to cultural diversity
that influence the performance of work groups and on the exploitation of the advantages
of an intercultural environment for the solution of work tasks.
The requirements for cultural diversity management and the managerial competences
related to management of culturally diversified work groups is related to the extending
internationalization of businesses and the increasing international employee mobility,
which arouses the need to cooperate or negotiate with people from different national
cultures in business practice.
Such cooperation may bring new impulses and personal enrichment, it can however also
be a source of misunderstanding resulting from different expectations, habits and traditions.
One of the assets of cultural diversity is that it brings different points of view and
interpretations to an organization and therefore also wider openness to new ideas, higher
flexibility and creativity. Working in an intercultural environment may however cause or
escalate unclarity, problems with unification of different opinions and their constructive
application with achievement of agreement or a consensus as a consequence of different
16
points of view and communication gaps, which might lead to a limitation of the coherence
of a work group (as a consequence of mutual misunderstanding and lack of confidence)
leading to a reduction of its ability to make decisions and therefore its lower effectiveness.
The effectiveness of work groups consisting of individuals with different cultural
background – the way how they are able to exploit their potential advantages and synergies
– is usually higher if tasks related to innovation are dealt with and lower if routine tasks are
solved. Cultural diversity may lead to a situation where the creation of mutual confidence
and a consensus on the goals and rules of cooperation within a group – belonging among
the basic preconditions of a successful team – is more difficult and requires certain time.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 35-45)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 39-48)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 32-45)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 56-73)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 59-75)
Control questions
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the work in an intercultural
environment?
2. What are the advantages of a culturally diversified environment from the point of
view of the work performance?
17
3. What barriers may an intercultural environment bring to the performance of
employees?
4. What demands does management in an intercultural environment put on managers?
5. What does cultural diversity management mean?
6. What elements of cultural diversity may affect the performance and cooperation
at a workplace?
7. How can cultural stereotypes be exploited in an intercultural environment?
8. What national management methods have successfully spread in the international
environment?
9. Which national managerial habits might cause problems in an intercultural
environment?
10. Which cultural differences might cause fears or defensive responses at a workplace?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.3 Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment – an analysis of
specific cases
18
2.4 Intercultural differences and their influence on
management and leadership, international differences in
managerial competences
Key words
Intercultural differences, cultural differences in management and leadership, intercultural
differences and managerial competences
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of a national company culture on the managerial style and the way
of leading employees, to explain the meaning of the different managerial expectations in
various national cultures, to explain the influence of national cultural differences on
managerial competences and habits.
Learning outcomes
 32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the management and
leadership and understands the international differences in managerial competences
Abstract
Cultural differences of companies, the differences related to a national culture, which
reflect themselves in the management style and the company traditions are also reflected in
the management style and the way of decision making, in the work motivation and the
attitudes to work and to the company among employees and in the way of human resource
management.
The differences related to a national culture or traditions reflected in the management style
can be for example observed in the way of decision making, the emphasis of a formal
authority, team work, independence or personal initiative work motivation or attitudes to
the company and to the way of HR management (in the approach to the recruitment,
promotion, assessment, remuneration or dismissal of employees). Differences can also be
seen in the basic value grounds: international surveys into work attitudes have for example
shown that 85 per cent of British employees, but only 50 per cent of Japanese employees
19
agree with the statement “High personal commitment is necessary to achieve success at
work”.
Cultural differences have practical consequences. They may condition the weight of the
individual work needs among employees (e.g. the need for the job stability, fairness,
personal recognition, identification with the organization, independence, possibility of
personal development etc), but also work flexibility, personal responsibility and honesty,
that managers in individual countries might expect. They can also affect the requirements
of employees for participation in the management, for acceptable differentiation in
remuneration for the time necessary for making particular decisions, opposition against
changes among employees etc.
International trends however also show the opposite experience, namely that originally
national attitudes may successfully spread to other countries. For example, the participative
managerial style applied in most western countries nowadays was significantly inspired by
Japanese experience with team organization, informal self-control and non-directive
management originally based on specific national characteristics. Similarly, the perception
of problems not as threats but as challenges that might lead to new opportunities is
gradually blazing a trail in our conditions as well.
Nevertheless, the differences in the work styles or in the social behaviour of employees of
various nationalities do not always have to be conditioned by different nationality.
Significant differences in company cultures also exists in the same countries.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-32)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-81)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
20
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 12-32)
SALVI, R. a H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and Management.
Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 34-256)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
Control questions
1. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the management
style?
2. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the expectations
of managers?
3. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the employee
assessment tools?
4. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the requirements
for the independence of employees?
5. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the way of
employee remuneration?
6. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the relation to
team work?
7. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the way of
communication with employees?
8. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in delegation of
authority?
9. How are different national company cultures reflected in the participation of
employees in management?
10. How can different national organizational cultures be reflected in the recruitment
and dismissal of employees?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
21
Link to the practical part
3.4 Intercultural differences and their influence on management and leadership,
international differences in managerial competences – an analysis of examples from the
practice
22
2.5 Different expectations of managers and employees: causes
of barriers to communication and cooperation in an
intercultural environment
Key words
National culture, organizational culture, expectations of managers, expectations of
employees, barriers to communication, cross-cultural misunderstanding
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of different national cultures on the differences in expectations
of managers and employees in relation to the behaviour of people in an organization, but
also to the behaviour of people outside an organization, to clarify the cross-cultural
misunderstanding related to the culturally conditioned different expectations of people.
Learning outcomes
 32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is able to
remove the causes of barriers to communication in an intercultural environment
Abstract
The problems in a multicultural environment often arise from different expectations that
the individual partners might not be fully aware of.
For example, managers from English speaking countries (like for example managers from
Scandinavia) are usually convinced that employees should participate in problem solving
and try to find the information necessary for the solution of such problems themselves.
They are not used to telling employees exactly what they should do, or to employees
waiting till they get all the information needed to start working. Such expectations arise to
a significant extent from the requirements from employees, who the managers are
managing and from the experience that this management style works in their countries.
This kind of style can cause a misunderstanding among employees that expect a manager to
set their tasks in detail and provide them with all information they need.
A disregard for cultural differences might sometimes support the tendency to one’s own
cultural differentiation among employees. Refusal of the habits of different cultures mainly
23
occurs in people feeling fears of losing qualification or a job in confrontation with
requirements of another culture. These usually pointless defensive responses have recently
occurred among some employees of Czech companies, and their occurrence was not an
evidence of good competences in managing cultural diversity among Czech as well as
foreign managers.
Similar situations might however also occur as a subsequence of a quick acceptance of
practices that are indirectly linked to a different cultural environment. Occasional problems
in the introduction of international employee assessment systems can serve as an example.
These systems, often based on a relatively direct way of feedback, based on the American
culture, might not work in countries where the culture tends to support an indirect and
milder way of assessment, at least at the beginning.
More serious troubles arise if the relations to different nationalities are burdened with
prejudices that lead to a one-sided view or distrust preventing mutual cooperation. The
most serious problems occur if employees or managers are not willing to respect cultural
differences (for example if they feel to be personally threatened in confrontation with
requirements of a different culture), or if such differences arouse inadequate defensive
reactions in them. In both cases the tendency to reject the habits of different cultures may
be linked to a tendency to stress someone’s own “positive” culture difference uncritically.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-54)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-78)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 38-46)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 15-39)
24
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 34-38)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 55-68)
Control questions
1. What is the relation between an organizational culture and the expectations of
people in an organization?
2. What are the expectations of people in company practice?
3. What might the expectations of people concern?
4. What might the expectations of managers be based on?
5. What might the expectations of employees be based on?
6. How can different expectations become the reason for culturally conditioned
misunderstandings?
7. How could different expectations lead to conflicts or defensive reactions among
employees?
8. How can different expectations of employees reflect in their behaviour in relation to
the exterior of the company?
9. How can misunderstandings linked to different culturally conditioned expectations
be prevented?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.5 Different expectations of managers and employees: causes of barriers to
communication and cooperation in an intercultural environment – comparison of selected
examples
25
2.6 Intercultural communication and negotiation,
overcoming language barriers in an international
environment
Key words
Intercultural communication, intercultural negotiation, cultural-language barriers in an
organizational environment, overcoming cultural and language barriers
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of an intercultural environment on the in-company
communication, to clarify the main causes of cultural-language barriers in organizations
and to explain the methods leading to their overcoming.
Learning outcomes
 32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational culture and
defines the main features of international organizational cultures
Abstract
The knowledge of the language itself is not sufficient for being able to understand the
communication of a different culture. It is also necessary to know the way of expressing
and, preferably to know many further attributes of such a culture. A problem might actually
arise in communication in the same language where dialects differ according to the
geographic conditions, a university professor might express him/herself differently than a
cattle herder, there are also differences in expressing and using words between generations.
It is therefore clear that language knowledge itself might not always be sufficient, and there
is also the fact that cultural patterns strongly influence the way how people react and how
they communicate. Apart from a different language and the way of speaking there might be
topics in some cultures that are not mentioned or only on special occasions, or might have a
different relation to a given topic and give different weight to the communication. This
leads to frequent misunderstandings, faulty interpretations causing misunderstanding.
Particular misunderstandings arise from the fact that people consider their cultural patterns
generally valid and natural. It is therefore necessary for the work in an intercultural
26
environment not to judge the members of the other side according to your own measures,
but to comprehend the differences and their nature.
Intercultural training is among the basic tools for the overcoming of already existing
or potential barriers to communication that the work in an intercultural environment brings.
In dependence on the nature of the problems in cooperation and communication such
training can be focused on the change of employees’ attitudes to cultural differences and
cultural characteristics of people, or on specific problems of intercultural communication,
particularly on the cultural and language barriers.
Training sessions focused on the change of employees’ attitudes to cultural differences are
based on the fact that better awareness of the prejudices will enable employees and
managers to refrain from negative stereotypes in relation to people from a different cultural
environment, to strengthen the openness in the perception and acceptance of techniques
from different cultures and to build mutual confidence between their members.
Training of this type should help employees realize the differences and similarities of
individual cultures, learn more about their own attitudes to members of different cultures,
analyse why members of different cultures are successful or unsuccessful in the fulfilment
of their tasks etc. Special attention can be paid to the negative impacts of national
stereotypes. A training where employees or managers are asked to evaluate their attitudes
to certain typical national stereotypes, can serve as an example. They have to assess to what
extent the stereotypes they agree with influence their managerial skills.
Another kind of training is focused on the improvement of intercultural communication.
Such training activities should first of all highlight the cultural differences in the
comprehension of the content of communication, teach how to perceive and interpret the
basic work or managerial situations from the point of view of foreign colleagues,
strengthen the ability to listen and to be sensitive to typical sources of intercultural
misunderstanding etc. A so called cultural integrator, a person that understands the
differences of individual cultures can play an important role in this process and help an
organization adopt to them.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 35-45)
27
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-81)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 36-45)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 43-57)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften. ISBN 978-
3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 39-53)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-78)
Control questions
1. What is the cause of intercultural barriers to communication?
2. How can national cultural difference manifest itself in communication?
3. How can culturally conditioned language misunderstandings be understood?
4. How can training be used for the overcoming of intercultural communication
barriers?
5. What problems may intercultural training be focused on?
6. What role can a cultural integrator play in a company?
7. How can intercultural communication problems be identified?
8. How can cultural prejudices hinder internal communication?
9. How can different national cultures be reflected in negotiation?
10. How can different national cultures be reflected in communication and in the
external behaviour of an organization?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
28
Link to the practical part
3.6 Intercultural communication and negotiation, overcoming language barriers in an
international environment – conducted discussion of selected examples
29
2.7 Cultural diversity in human resource management
Key words
Cultural diversity in an organization, cultural diversity management, advantages of cultural
diversity, disadvantages of cultural diversity, the work and problem solving in a culturally
diversified environment
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of cultural diversity on human resource management, to clarify the
main tasks related to diversity management, i.e. management of people in a culturally
diversified environment, to explain the advantages of the work and problem solving in a
culturally diversified environment, to explain the potential pitfalls of the work and
management of people in a culturally diversified environment.
Learning outcomes
 32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the management and
leadership and understands the international differences in managerial competences
 32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is able to
remove the causes of barriers to communication in an intercultural environment
Abstract
An important task of intercultural management is to organize training focused on the
change of attitudes to cultural differences that might be reflected in mutual cooperation.
Such training is based on the fact that fears, lack of confidence or negative attitudes to
members of different nations can be limited by better awareness of the management and
work behaviour habits in other countries. Training of this type should explain to
employees:
• what they should expect in cooperation with members of other nations and
what they should be prepared to, i.e. how their foreign colleagues perceive
and interpret certain work and managerial situations, what company culture
or managerial style (e.g. within project management) they are used to etc.
30
• why representatives of different national cultures are successful in the
fulfilment of their tasks despite their differences
• what can be the cause of pointlessly negative attitudes to different national
habits.
Intercultural training focused on cooperation with German partners highlighting the
following is a good example:
• the importance of clear company rules and relations (employees are
accustomed to fulfilling the instructions from their managers without
reserve, they are usually not used to discussing the decisions of their
managers and the managers give them exact instructions how to proceed and
what results they expects and they care about the employees that they have
all they need for their work, that they understand their work procedures; the
roles in teams are clearly defined etc.),
• emphasis on the adherence to the working hours and the deadlines (the
maximum effort is expected during working hours; however, nobody
expects that employees or managers will work longer than the working
hours require, deadlines are considered binding and a failure to meet them is
considered a serious misconduct),
• higher social distance between employees and managers (which is however
declining in new companies and in high-tech spheres),
• slower implementation of changes (arising among others from the fears of
disturbance of the existing social relations),
• the habit of communicating clearly and directly (no circumlocution when
pointing out drawbacks, when rejecting certain proposals or requirements,
etc.).
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 45-56)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
31
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 45-62)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 45-64)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 57-76)
Control questions
1. What is the task of intercultural training focused on increasing the awareness of the
habits of members of different cultures?
2. What are the most frequent cultural barriers to cooperation?
3. Why is the avoidance of cultural stereotypes important?
4. What are the most effective ways of solving intercultural problems?
5. What are the traits of an “interculturally educated person”?
6. What is the difference between a proactive and reactive approach to the solution of
intercultural problems?
7. Why can intercultural conflicts arise?
8. In what ways can intercultural problems be faced?
9. What role can emotional intelligence play in intercultural management?
10. How would you characterize a “culture shock”?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.7 Cultural diversity in human resource management
32
2.8 Team leading in an intercultural environment
Key words
Teams, team leading, intercultural teams, advantages of intercultural teams, barriers to
cooperation in intercultural teams, the role of a leader in building and leading intercultural
teams, teambuilding in an intercultural environment
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of cultural diversity on team functioning, to clarify the main
requirements for team leading in an intercultural environment, to explain the main task of
leaders of culturally diversified teams, to clarify how to exploit the advantages of culturally
diversified teams in their leading and how to reduce the cultural barriers to their
cooperation.
Learning outcomes
 32.6 manages and builds teams in an intercultural environment
Abstract
Particularly multinational companies are confronted with the need to harmonize the
influences of different national cultures. One of the basic issues of the creation of their
organization cultures is therefore to what extent they will provide the space for the
influence of national cultures corresponding to the local environment in their subsidiaries,
or to what extent they will enforce a strong and common central company culture, usually
the culture of the company’s mother country.
Cultural diversity has very often a positive influence on the performance of work groups.
Despite the higher demands on communication (verification of whether all group members
understand how the others perceive problems) one of the greatest advantage is that it brings
new or different views and perspectives to the organization and therefore the openness to
new ideas, flexibility and creativity.
Effectiveness of work groups consisting of people with different cultural backgrounds
actually depends on the character of their tasks, on the extent of their common experience
and on the way of the management of their cultural diversity. Monocultural teams are
33
usually more suitable for dealing with tasks involving creation of innovations, less with
solving problems of routine character. One of the conditions of their performance is that
the cultural differences within work groups are exploited as their advantages, not
intentionally suppressed. One of the rules of multicultural team management is that the
members should be selected on the basis of their competences and experience, not their
nationality.
The easiest way how to limit problems in intercultural communication is to verify that
no misunderstanding has arisen, whether in the perception of the agreement, the content
of instructions etc. A check that all parties understand the communication the same way
can save a significant lot of time spent on the removal of consequences of mutual
misunderstandings in the future – a positive approach. If problems arise in intercultural
communication, accusation should be avoided. Instead of creating conflicts it is appropriate
to analyse the causes of the problems and try to find ways and solutions how to avoid
similar misunderstandings in the future – self-reflection. Successful intercultural
communication also requires the capability of critical view of one’s own communication,
managerial and motivation abilities and thinking how to improve them.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 57-68)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 56-72)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 45-67)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 78-98)
34
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 86-96)
Control questions
1. In what situations may intercultural teams be more convenient than culturally
homogeneous teams?
2. What types of tasks are intercultural teams able to deal with better than culturally
homogeneous teams?
3. What types of management do intercultural teams require?
4. What should leaders of intercultural teams focus on?
5. How can a team leader exploit cultural diversity of the team to support its
performance?
6. Is it possible to strengthen the performance of a team by setting its goals in an
intercultural environment?
7. How can Hofstede’s theory of typical differences of national cultures be applied to
management of intercultural teams?
8. In what aspects does the European managerial style particularly differ from the
American and Asian ones?
9. How can members of different cultures differ in their approach to time?
10. How can members of different cultures differ in their approach to authority?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.8 Team leading in an intercultural environment
35
2.9 Employee education and training as an intercultural
management tool
Key words
Intercultural education and training, intercultural management and its tools, the goals
of intercultural education, methods of intercultural education, the topics of intercultural
education
The goals of the chapter
To explain the importance of intercultural education and training as one of the main tools
of intercultural management, to clarify the goals and the topics of intercultural training, to
explain the intercultural training methods
Learning outcomes
 32.7 uses employee education and training as an intercultural management tool
Abstract
Intercultural training focused on the improvement of intercultural cooperation and
communication should point out the typical sources of intercultural conflicts or
misunderstandings, explain the cultural differences that affect communication, support the
ability to listen etc.
Training leading to the improvement of communication in multicultural environment
should help create the following ten habits:
• Patience. Working in an intercultural environment can be slower and
sometimes frustrating and tiring. The participants should therefore prepare
for the higher demands arising from working in such an environment and try
to be patient.
• Rules. Working in an international environment usually requires setting clear
rules, even though it might slow down the work progress a little at the
beginning. Rules dealing with punctuality, the way of conducting meetings,
expression of disagreement etc are some examples. It is however always
36
better if an international group sets the rules itself than if they are ordered
from above.
• Questions. If the participants of an international team do not understand
something or want to know why somebody behaved in certain manners it is
necessary to ask. Asking questions prevent prejudices from being formed
and informs the other party on possible sources of misunderstanding.
• Respect. Mutual respect is the base of intercultural communication. If we
clearly show our respect for the other party we will get respect more easily.
This also strengthens openness in mutual relations.
• Written text. The ability to understand a foreign language is usually better if
written text is available. It is therefore better to record the main results or
conclusions from meetings in written in an intercultural environment.
• Time. The approach to time differs across national cultures. “Time is
money” applies to some cultures, others approach time more freely. The
priority that work has among other values (e.g. in relation to family) might
also differ in various national cultures. Some cultures might therefore differ
in terms of the expectation that people are willing to lay down their free time
to catch deadlines. Members of cultures where timeliness is a priority might
tend to making some time reserves when dealing with people from whom
they expect weaker adherence to deadlines.
• Humour. Some jokes might sound offensive with regard to different sense of
humour. This is therefore necessary to be careful when teasing some people
in such an environment. Nevertheless, after overcoming mutual nonconfidence
international stereotypes may serve as a source of fun and relief.
• Verification. The easiest way how to avoid problems in intercultural
communication is to verify that no misunderstanding has occurred, for
example in an interpretation of an agreement, content of instructions etc. A
verification that all parties understand communication identically can save
significant time for removing the consequences of mutual misunderstanding
in the future.
• Positive approach. Accusation should be avoided if problems arise in
international communication. Instead of creating conflicts it is appropriate to
analyse the causes of problems and try to find a way how to avoid similar
misunderstandings in the future together.
37
• Self-reflection. Successful intercultural communication also requires the
ability of a critical view of one’s own communication, managerial or
motivation competences and thinking how they could be improved.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 65-76)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-89)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 76-89)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 56-79)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 65-80)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-89)
Control questions
1. How can intercultural training respond to different perception of “power distance”
in different cultures?
2. How can intercultural training respond to the differences in terms of “masculinityfemininity”
in different cultures?
3. How can intercultural training respond to different concepts of time in different
cultures?
4. How can intercultural training respond to different approaches to contracts in the
western and the eastern cultures?
5. How should intercultural training respond to different expectations in terms of
formalities in mutual relations?
38
6. How can humour be used in intercultural training?
7. What forms a national company culture?
8. How can intercultural training explain different approaches to human resource
management?
9. What typical national differences should intercultural training focus on before the
work in a culturally heterogeneous team starts?
10. What typical national differences should intercultural training focus on before the
work in a Czech-German team starts?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.9 Employee education and training as an intercultural management tool
39
2.10 Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment
Key words
Organizational ethics, cultural differences in ethical standards, main types of ethical
differences, ethical standards, the ethics of multinational corporations, ethical management
in a culturally diversified environment
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of a natural culture to the perception of ethical values and
standards, to clarify the main intercultural differences in the perception of ethical standards,
to explain the importance and the role of ethical management in a national and an
intercultural environment.
Learning outcomes
 32.8 implements the organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment
Abstract
Mainly multinational corporations are confronted with the necessity to harmonize the
influences of different national ethical cultures. This is why the question to what extent
they provide a space for the influence of the local national ethical cultures corresponding to
the local environment in their branches or affiliates, or to what extent they try to pursuit a
strong and common central ethical corporate culture, usually the culture of the country of
the mother company, is one of the main issues of the creation of their ethical corporate
cultures.
These companies may therefore be classified into two basic groups according to the
strength of the influences of national cultures or a central corporate culture (or the culture
of the mother company).
Polycentric ethical culture. This is a culture that respects the influence of the local
environment and therefore admits creation of corporate subcultures in individual countries.
It occurs in conditions where all branches of a company are relatively independent in terms
40
of ethical corporate culture, they mainly follow local ethical standards and habits and
central interventions into their company cultures are limited. Employees and managers are
preferably selected from local sources.
Sensitivity to national specifics is an advantage of this type of ethical corporate culture.
Nevertheless, in countries with significantly different ethical habits in comparison with the
culture of the mother company problems may arise within this model in acceptance of a
culture that does not comply with the opinions of local employees in contact with those of
the mother company. Such a situation may lead to the need for programmes leading to
facilitation of international communication and cooperation e.g. in the form of formation of
teams for the solution of global issues, strengthening a unified vision of the whole
corporation etc.
Uniform or global ethical culture. This is the opposite to the previous model. An
international company shows a strong corporate ethical culture, identical within all its
affiliates in this case. Sharing identical values, rules and goals strengthens corporate
identity, a company is usually perceived as a “strong player” from the outside. Advantages
of this model are particularly in easy mutual communication.
Simplicity, unambiguity and clarity of the whole system of ethical culture, that should not
contradict with national differences is the main condition. The management of a
multinational corporation that decides to implement this model of ethical management
should approach sensitively and gradually to the implementation, particularly in the
instance when no new company is being established, but an existing company is being
taken over.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 98-112)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 67-89)
41
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. A Code of Ethics as an Organizational Management Tool
and its Use in the Czech Republic. Lüdenscheid: RAM Verlag. ISBN 978-3-942303-50-7.
(pp. 6-48)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 45-67)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-98)
Control questions
1. What main models can a multinational corporation apply to its ethical
management?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these models?
3. What are the main tools of ethical management in an organization?
4. What ethical management tools are most effective in a multinational environment?
5. What is the sense of a code of ethics of a multinational organization?
6. What spheres of issues should a code of ethics of a multinational corporation focus
on?
7. What are the main ethical dilemmas in the human relation management in an
international environment?
8. What are the main ethical dilemmas in the business relation management in an
international environment?
9. What are the main ethical dilemmas in the ethical relations of a company to its
employees in a multinational environment?
10. What are the main ethical dilemmas in the requirements for the ethical relations of
employees to their company in a multinational environment?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.10 Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global environment
42
2.11 Leadership in an intercultural environment
Key words
Leadership, global leadership, intercultural management, competences for intercultural
leadership, organizational culture, national differences of organization cultures
The goals of the chapter
To explain the importance and the role of leadership in an intercultural or multinational
environment, to explain the requirements for the behaviour of leaders contributing to the
limitation of intercultural misunderstanding in a multinational cultural environment, to
point out the managerial behaviour that becomes a source of problems or conflicts in an
intercultural environment.
Learning outcomes
 32.9 understands the importance of leadership and its tools in an intercultural
environment
Abstract
The intercultural competences of a so called global leader determine the development and
the results of his/her culturally diversified team to a significant extent.
Like any other leader a global leader achieves results thanks to people. The difference is
that it is sometimes more difficult for him/her to understand the perspectives of the people
he/she works with. Leaders need to adapt to such a less clear environment and change
correspondingly their leadership style, decision making and influencing. They moreover
need to be able to work with differences within individual cultures – as they do not apply to
cultures as a whole but to individual people.
The goal of the development of global leadership is therefore the ability to exploit the
potential of his/her culturally diversified team to the highest extent and to ensure its success
in the environment of an international corporation. The way to this goal leads via the
development of intercultural competences, cultural perceptiveness and knowledge of
cultural differences and their application to:
• performance management
43
• delegation and empowerment
• team development and motivation
• strategic influence within an international organization
• conducting meetings and strategic workshops
• change management – achievement of acceptance of changes (commitment)
As researches show, the following competences facilitate intercultural cooperation:
• so called PULL competences (e.g. openness, flexibility, appreciation of
diversity)
• so called PUSH competences (e.g. achievement of goals despite obstacles,
mental stamina, personal autonomy, self-discipline)
• communication (e.g. clear and persuasive presentation of one’s own
proposals and ideas with regard to the multicultural context, demonstration
of sensitiveness towards the local context in enforcement of global goals,
establishment of effective virtual communication, overcoming barriers
arising from communication in a foreign language)
• organizational intelligence (ethical influencing, impression management,
orientation to the complexity of organizational relations)
• team cooperation (building confidence, coping with diversity within the
team dynamics, coping with critical phases of team cooperation)
• building confidence to introduction of innovations and open communication,
development and motivation, talent management, building understanding.
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 67-85)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 67-89)
44
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across borders and cultures.
9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-80-7540-568-0.
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 56-68)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 49-89)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
Control questions
1. What do the requirements for management and leadership in an international
environment differ in?
2. What are the main tasks for leaders in an intercultural environment?
3. What are the main practical attributes of leaders in an intercultural environment that
contribute to their authority?
4. What competences may be ranked among global leadership prerequisites?
5. What are the main requirements for an “expatriate” in a new environment?
6. What prevents a manager from achievement of leadership authority in an
intercultural environment?
7. What principles should a leader follow in making personnel decisions in an
intercultural environment?
8. How can “cultural intelligence” be understood?
9. In what values and standards do individual national cultures usually differ?
10. What different cultural traits may be obvious in non-verbal communication of
leaders?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.11 Leadership in an intercultural environment
45
2.12 Most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural
environment
Key words
Intercultural management, management mistakes, intercultural differences, cultural
intelligence
The goals of the chapter
To explain typical mistakes that managers make when managing people in an intercultural
environment, to clarify the causes of management mistakes arising in an intercultural
environment, to explain preventive tools enabling managers to avoid management mistakes
in an intercultural environment
Learning outcomes
 32.10 identifies the most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural
environment
Abstract
As a subsequence of different views and communication unclarities work in an intercultural
environment can cause or elevate unclarity, problems with the unification of different
views and their constructive application, with finding harmony or achievement of a
consensus. Limitation of coherence of a work team (caused by mutual misunderstanding
and lack of confidence) that leads to limitation of its ability to make decisions and therefore
to lover effectiveness might be another subsequence.
Effectiveness of work teams consisting of people with different cultural backgrounds – the
way how they are able to exploit their potential advantages and synergies – depends on the
character of the tasks they deal with, the stage of their development (the extent of their
common experience so far) and the way of dealing with their cultural diversity.
Multicultural teams are usually advantageous in dealing with task involving creation of
innovations, on the other hand, they are less effective in solving tasks of routine character.
Cultural diversity may lead to a situation where the creation of mutual confidence and a
consensus on the goals and rules of cooperation within a group – belonging among the
46
basic preconditions of a successful team – is more difficult and requires certain time. Apart
from the uniform perception of the basic goals of a group the awareness of the influence
the different cultural background has on the behaviour of its members is one of the
preconditions for the performance of multicultural groups, to which the management
should contribute.
Leaders of successful multicultural teams exploit the differences between members of their
groups as a source of their benefits and try to teach group members work with such
differences but not to remove them. One of the rules of leading a multicultural team is that
group members should be selected on the basis of their capabilities and experience, not on
the basis of their nationality. An effort to minimize traditional, particularly negative
cultural stereotypes in the perception of members of different nationalities among others
through training should contribute to the development of mutual respect among team
members.
Lack of respect for cultural diversity may sometimes even support a tendency to one’s own
cultural differentiation. Increased resistance against the expectations of other cultures and a
tendency to stress one’s own values (leading for example to uncritical emphasizing of own
company approaches and experience and refusal of everything related to foreign
management routines) might particularly occur among people that feel fear or uncertainty
about a loss of personal qualification or a job in confrontation with requirements of another
national company culture.
These defensive responses have recently occurred among some employees of Czech
companies, confronted with requirements of new owners or business partners and their
occasional occurrence is not an evidence of good competences in managing cultural
diversity among Czech as well as foreign managers. Similar situations might however also
occur as a consequence of quick acceptance of managerial theories and practices that are
indirectly linked to a different cultural environment. Problems that sometimes accompany
quick introduction of employee assessment systems can serve as an example. These
systems, often based on a relatively direct way of feedback, based on the American culture,
might not work in countries where the culture tends to support an indirect and milder way
of assessment, at least at the beginning. Similar problems might arise from quick adoption
of managerial procedures in determination of managerial competences and creation of
organizational structures within remuneration, renaming of work positions etc.
47
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 107-118)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 45-68)
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across borders and cultures.
9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-80-7540-568-0. (pp. 89-106)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 109-118)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-90)
Control questions
1. What are the main differences between the European and the American managerial
styles?
2. What are the main differences between the European and the East Asian managerial
styles?
3. What management mistakes do cultural stereotypes lead to?
4. What mistakes might managers make in communication in an intercultural
environment?
5. What are the manifests of discrimination in an intercultural environment?
6. What does the management mistake in an intercultural environment based on
relying on “common sense” lies in?
7. What consequences might underestimation of cultural differences or relying on the
persuasion that international cultural differences are vanishing, lead to?
8. What differences exist in the relation between managers and employees in national
cultures?
48
9. What differences might exist in national cultures in terms of power manifestation?
10. What do the differences between national corporate cultures “focused on rules” and
cultures “focused on relation” lie in?
Interesting points of the issue
https://hbr.org/
http://ekonom.ihned.cz/tagy/HR-16503
Link to the practical part
3.12 Most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural environment – an analysis of
specific cases
49
2.13 Case study in Intercultural Management
Key words
Case study, intercultural management
The goals of the chapter
A student is able to prepare a case study in intercultural management.
Learning outcomes
 32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational culture and
defines the main features of international organizational cultures
 32.2 distinguishes between the typologies of national organizational cultures
 32.3 analyses the advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment
 32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the management and
leadership and understands the international differences in managerial competences
 32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is able to
remove the causes of barriers to communication in an intercultural environment
 32.6 manages and builds teams in an intercultural environment
 32.7 uses employee education and training as an intercultural management tool
 32.8 implements the organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment
 32.9 understands the importance of leadership and its tools in an intercultural
environment
 32.10 identifies the most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural
environment
Literature
Compulsory literature
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
50
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 45-68)
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across borders and cultures.
9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-80-7540-568-0. (pp. 89-106)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 109-118)
51
3 Preparation for seminars
3.1 Main features of national organizational cultures – an
analysis of selected national organizational cultures
Key words
Organizational culture, national organizational culture, intercultural differences,
intercultural management
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate the practical everyday influence of specific national cultures on
the culture of an organization, to explain and illustrate on examples typical features of
national cultures in organizational cultures, to clarify the practical goals of intercultural
management.
Learning outcomes
 32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational culture and
defines the main features of international organizational cultures
An example, introduction of a sample task
What spheres and for what reasons is intercultural management applied in?
Owing to the existence of numerous different cultures, understanding to the influences of
culture in the behaviour of people in the globalized world is becoming a critical
competence of managers of internationally and globally operating organizations. If
managers with international scope of authority know only a little about the culture of the
country they work in and the people they meet or will meet, they might have a lot of
difficulties and problems and cause unexpected troubles in the implementation of their
plans and fulfilment of managerial tasks. There is an example of the difference between the
(western) culture of normalized relations and the (eastern) culture pointing out
interpersonal relations. While in the first one the building of confidence in business and
further relations is based on clear formulation of agreements (in the sense of Latin “clara
52
pacta - boni amici”, i.e. “clear contracts – good friends”), in the other one personal relations
and social recognition of a partner are important for creation of mutual confidence.
In some multinational corporations organizational culture and management style are
determined by the values and the behaviour standard of the country of origin of an
organization, in other corporations subsidiaries usually set their own cultures in compliance
with the local cultures of the countries they operate in.
Some of the most frequent practical applications and services offered by specialists in
intercultural management (or also business anthropology) are particularly as follows:
• managerial decision making, possible consultation services in development
of international markets
• strategic decision making in foreign investments
• negotiation with customers in various areas of the world
• global strategy planning
• development of international management
• mergers with foreign companies
• development and application of intercultural teams
• building the global vision and mission for the purpose of international
integration
• implementation of transnational management structures
• dealing with intercultural conflicts
• conducting serious international negotiations or disputes
• implementation of big cultural changes
• implementation of big technology transfer and management projects
• management of the international relations to customers
• facilitation of the growth of companies focused on new technologies in the
global arena
• dealing with situations where classical (i.e. American) managerial models do
not work
• planning international strategies for e-commerce projects
• solving problems with international mobility and expatriation, i.e. using
managers from the respective countries in the individual destinations
• solving problems with repatriation, i.e. the return of managers that operated
abroad etc.
53
Assignment of individual work (task)
What intercultural management problems does the HR management of an organization has
to deal with when sending domestic managers of a company to its foreign subsidiary?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-32)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 12-32)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 34-38)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
54
3.2 Typology of national organizational cultures, national
cultural stereotypes and auto-stereotypes – a conducted
discussion of the topic
Key words
National culture, organizational culture, typology of national cultures, cultural stereotypes,
cultural auto-stereotypes
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate on examples the typical differences between national
organizational cultures, to clarify and illustrate the term national cultural stereotypes, to
clarify and illustrate on examples the term national cultural auto-stereotypes and its
practical meaning.
Learning outcomes
 32.2 distinguishes between the typologies of national organizational cultures
 32.3 analyses the advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
What is the practical importance of national cultural stereotypes?
Hofstede’s typology is the most frequently used international cultural typology. It
differentiates five basic cultural dimensions, by which national, regional, community and
organizational cultures can be characterized. These are power distance, individualism,
masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation.
The practical importance of the individual cultural dimensions is important for the
recognition of what a particular culture emphasises. For example, the dimension power
distance, or the relation to an authority defines the extent of inequality that is expected,
accepted and preferred in a society.
Inequalities are considered natural, are expected and required in societies that prefer a high
power distance. There is a big differentiation of incomes there, accumulation of privileges
and showy presentation of a high position are expected. The borders between social strata
are strong, respected and hardly permeable, social mobility is therefore strongly limited.
55
Organizations are strictly hierarchically structured and authorities are respected. Children
are brought up in respect for the elders, their parents and teachers.
On the other hand, societies that prefer shorter lower distance stress equality and equal
opportunities for everybody. Redistribution of wealth for the purpose of limitation of
inequality is very frequent there. Inequality is actually perceived as unfair and unwanted.
Formal status is usually not so important in these societies, people do not stick on using
degrees and other manifests of their positions. The need for dependence is low, on the other
hand, a tendency to decentralization is strong. Any kind of power accommodation is
considered harmful.
Structures of organizations are therefore more open, and open opposition to superiors is not
unusual. Children are brought up rather to independence and self-sufficiency as early as
possible, than to respect. Middle classes are larger in societies with low power distance,
while big class differences are seen in societies with a high power distance. Hofstede also
points out the relation between authority and political system. Political parties are much
more polarized in societies with high power distances compared to strong centre parties in
cultures with low power distances.
The dimension that Hofstede called uncertainty avoidance focuses on how societies treat
uncertainty how they respond to uncertainty and danger and how they interpret the future.
The uncertainty avoidance index expresses the extent to what cultures are willing to
tolerate uncertainty and their need to prevent and forestall situations that bring uncertainty.
Societies with a low value of the index have only low willingness to operate with
uncertainty. Such societies need to set a huge number of relatively strict rules, lots of laws,
control mechanisms and taboos, formal as well as informal exist there. People prefer stable
social relations and strong norms as stability of the structure significantly reduces
uncertainty.
Such a society is therefore rather conservative with low confidence in innovations.
Manifests of xenophobia and extremism are more frequent there. Citizens have no rights
towards authorities and do not trust them. A tendency to big theories in science and
philosophy exists there. Societies with a high need for uncertainty avoidance are more
anxious, there is therefore more stress there. However, public demonstration of emotions is
acceptable there.
Societies with the opposite relation to uncertainty, with low index values, are much more
competitive. A conflict is understood as a normal part of a live and is generally accepted.
People are more tolerant to differences, they accept changes more easily and are more
56
willing to risk. Emotions are hidden. There is less of stress in such societies as uncertainty
is perceived as a normal part of a life, which is not stressing. Rules and regulations have
rather general character and do not try to capture each individual situation that might occur.
Assignment of individual work (task)
What are the typical differences in national organizational cultures in the countries that
differ in the next Hofstede’s dimension, namely in the dimension “individualism –
collectivism”?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-32)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 12-32)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 39-54)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
57
3.3 Advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural
environment – an analysis of specific cases
Key words
Intercultural management, intercultural environment, cultural diversity, advantages of
cultural diversity, disadvantages of cultural diversity
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate the main advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural and/or
culturally diversified environment from the point of view of organization performance,
types of work tasks and the ways of management, to clarify and illustrate on examples the
tools of cultural diversity management used for overcoming intercultural barriers to
performance.
Learning outcomes
 32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational culture and
defines the main features of international organizational cultures
 32.3 analyses the advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
How can cultural differences in a group be exploited for its management with the aim
to increase the performance of the group?
Cultural differences between members of work groups may influence their work
performance not only in the negative, but also in positive sense. Although they put higher
demands on communication (among others on verification whether all the group members
understand how the others perceive problems) one of their undisputable advantages is that
they bring different views and perspectives to an organization, which can become a source
of their assets, particularly higher creativity. They can therefore enrich the collective work
of the group and increase its performance.
Effectiveness of work teams consisting of people with different cultural backgrounds – the
way how they are able to exploit their potential advantages – depends on the character of
the tasks they deal with, the extent of their common experience so far and the way of
58
dealing with their cultural diversity. With regard to the character of the tasks, multicultural
teams are usually advantageous in dealing with task involving creation of innovations. On
the other hand, they are less effective in solving tasks of routine character. Cultural
diversity might actually lead to a situation where achievement of mutual confidence and
consensus in terms of the group goals and rules is more difficult and requires certain time.
Communication gaps might have the same impact.
The ability of group members to understand the influence that a different cultural
background has on the behaviour of people is one of the preconditions to the performance
of multicultural groups. Leaders of successful intercultural teams usually do not try to
remove the cultural differences in a group, but to teach the group members work with the
differences. One of the rules of leading a multicultural team is that group members should
be selected on the basis of their capabilities and experience, not on the basis of their
nationality. An effort to minimize traditional, particularly negative cultural stereotypes in
the perception of members of different nationalities among others through training should
contribute to the development of mutual respect among team members. In dependence on
the nature of the problems in cooperation and communication such training can be focused
on the change of employees’ attitudes to cultural differences and cultural characteristics of
people, or on specific problems of intercultural communication.
Assignment of individual work (task)
In what aspects might auto-stereotypes of the Czechs differ from the stereotypes in the
opinions on Czech among members of other nations, how can these differences influence
the work performance of a group?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 35-45)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
59
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 39-48)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 32-45)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 56-73)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 59-75)
60
3.4 Intercultural differences and their influence on
management and leadership, international differences in
managerial competences – an analysis of examples from
the practice
Key words
Intercultural differences, cultural differences in management and leadership, intercultural
differences and managerial competences
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of a national company culture on the managerial style and the way
of leading employees, to explain the meaning of the different managerial expectations in
various national cultures, to explain the influence of national cultural differences on
managerial competences and habits.
Learning outcomes
 32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the management and
leadership and understands the international differences in managerial competences
An example, introduction of a sample task
What main managerial competences are important for successful operation in a
different or a multicultural environment?
A person can be considered interculturally competent if he/she has learned to perceive the
specifics of the hosting culture, to understand them and to behave adequately without
giving up his/her own cultural identity or losing sight of the goals of his/her activity in an
intercultural environment. Such a person is open to other people and their ideas and is
interested in them, he/she is able to win the confidence of the others, he/she responds
sensitively to the feelings and thoughts of the others, has respect and positive assessment to
the others, does not judge.
He/she is usually self-confident, able to take over initiative he/she keeps calm even in
frustrating or ambiguous situations and is not rigid. He/she is also a technically and
61
professionally competent person, able to accept the relativity of his/her own knowledge and
perceptions, able to express empathy, he/she is able to be flexible, to give the floor to the
other participants in a discussion, and to tolerate ambiguity. He/she also knows some laws,
regulations, the ways of enforcing the laws and is able to work with the authorities of a
foreign country. He/she is able understand the product differentiation in individual
countries and is sensitive to local conditions, able to cooperate with members of different
cultures and to lead them.
Training in intercultural competences can be based among others on the so called cultural
assimilation based on an analysis and evaluation of short descriptions of intercultural or
culturally conditioned responses or ways of behaviour followed by several possibilities of
explanation of a particular situation from the point of view of cultural differences. Only
one of the explanations is correct, others are burdened with an incorrect interpretation,
stereotypes or prejudices. A student choses one possibility and can check somewhere else
whether he/she answered correctly.
Training focused on the development of cultural awareness or also training of sensitivity
aims at familiarization with the differences in behaviour that exist across cultures. It is
based on the assumption that understanding to and acceptance of differences must be based
on understanding to one’s own culture, only after that differences might be defined and
achieved knowledge applied to the improvement of cultural interactions. The applied
methods should lead to the awareness of specific values that influence the behaviour of
members of a particular culture, for example case studies, comments and their justification
and discusses on them, playing typical work roles and social situations, which are analysed
directly at the presence of a representative of the different culture, who is able to provide an
instant feedback and a deeper explanation. Video recordings are also commented in the
lessons. A scene, where typical members of different cultures participate in a business
negotiation can be an example. Participants have the task to monitor the typical manifests
of the business people according to monitoring criteria prepared in advance.
Assignment of individual work (task)
Design a short training programme aimed at recognition of the typical differences in
management style, that might occur in relation to a selected foreign country, including the
benefits and drawbacks of the national traits of the management cultures of the individual
countries.
62
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 35-45)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 39-48)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 32-45)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 56-73)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 59-75)
63
3.5 Different expectations of managers and employees: causes
of barriers to communication and cooperation in an
intercultural environment – comparison of selected
examples
Key words
Cultural expectations, expectations of managers, expectations of employees, national
culture, organizational culture, barriers to communication, cross-cultural misunderstanding
The goals of the chapter
To clarify the importance of different expectations as one of the main elements of national
corporate cultures, to explain on examples the influence of different national cultures on
the differences in the expectations of managers as well as employees in relation to the
behaviour of other people in an organization, but also in relation to the behaviour of
persons in the external environment of the organization.
Learning outcomes
 32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is able to
remove the causes of barriers to communication in an intercultural environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
What might different expectations of managers and employees concern?
The differences related to a national culture or traditions related to different expectations
of managers are reflected in the management styles (e.g. in the way of decision making,
stress on formal authority, team work, independence or personal initiative), in the work
motivation or attitudes to a company and also in the way of human resource management
(the approach to recruitment, promotion, assessment, remuneration or dismissal of
employees.
Cultural differences may similarly affect different expectations of employees. They may
for example concern job stability, fairness, personal recognition, identification with the
organization, one’s own independence, the opportunity of personal development etc. They
64
may also affect the requirements of employees for participation in management, for
acceptable differentiation in remuneration, for the time necessary for making certain
decision, opposition against changes among employees etc.
The problems in a multicultural environment therefore often arise from different
expectations that the individual partners might not be fully aware of. They should for
example concern the fact to what extent managers are convinced that employees should
participate in problem solving and try to find the necessary information on such problems
themselves, so they might for example occur if managers are not used to telling employees
exactly what they should do, or employees waiting till they get all the information needed
to start working.
Such expectations arise to a significant extent from the requirements from employees, who
the managers are managing and from the experience that this management style works in
their countries. This kind of style can cause a misunderstanding among employees that
expect a manager to set their tasks in detail and provide them with all information.
A disregard for cultural differences might sometimes support the tendency to one’s own
cultural differentiation among employees. Refusal of the habits of different cultures mainly
occurs among people feeling fears of losing qualification or a job in confrontation with
requirements of another culture. These usually pointless defensive responses have recently
occurred among some employees of Czech companies, and their occurrence was not an
evidence of good competences in managing cultural diversity among Czech as well as
foreign managers.
Similar situations might however also occur as a consequence of a quick acceptance of
practices that are indirectly linked to a different cultural environment. Occasional problems
in the introduction of international employee assessment systems can serve as an example.
These systems, often based on a relatively direct way of feedback, based on the American
culture, might not work in countries where the culture tends to support an indirect and
milder way of assessment, at least at the beginning.
Assignment of individual work (task)
How and in what spheres may the expectations of managers and employees in relation to
the work initiative differ in different cultures?
65
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 23-54)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-78)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 38-46)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 15-39)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 34-38)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 55-68)
66
3.6 Intercultural communication and negotiation, overcoming
language barriers in an international environment –
conducted discussion of selected examples
Key words
Intercultural communication, intercultural negotiation, cultural-language barriers
in an organizational environment, overcoming cultural and language barriers
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of an intercultural environment on in-company communication, to
clarify the main causes of cultural-language barriers to negotiation and to explain the
methods leading to their overcoming.
Learning outcomes
 32.6 manages and builds teams in an intercultural environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
Task assignment:
What are the intercultural preconditions and the barriers to successful discussion and
negotiation?
Solution:
Different cultures have different standards and expectations of behaviour in formal and
informal situations, for example in social interactions, meetings or negotiations. Lack of
information and failure to comprehend these differences can lead to misunderstanding.
We distinguish between cultures with a low or a high communication context in verbal
communication. A low communication context is typical for the Germans, the Swiss and
for Scandinavian nations, which express the content of their communication clearly. In
business negotiations, for example, they express everything directly and they also openly
communicate their disagreement.
High communication context is on the other hand characteristic for cultures whose
members do not express themselves so openly and the real content of the message has to be
derived from the context. This communication style is typical for the Italians, French,
67
Spaniards or for the nations of Asian cultures. For example, the Japanese do not express
their disagreement decidedly in a negotiation, they instead keep silent, apologize or switch
to another topic. The Japanese actually consider a direct negative statement impolite.
Not only language skills form the basis of intercultural competence, but also the respect to
the cultural specifics of partners. It is therefore necessary for successful intercultural
communication to understand for example the fact that in the North American culture a
negotiation is usually held without emotions (and emotions in a negotiation are not
perceived positively), a negotiation of a contract is based on exactly arranged details and
ends in signatures of large contracts, which contain the rights and conditions related to a
particular contract, decisions are subject to costs, benefits etc.
In the Japanese culture it is typical, that emotions, mainly negative, are not openly shown,
decision making is a group process, there is an endeavour to involve each member of a
discussion group to participate in the discussion, people usually greet each other by a bow
than by hand shaking, Japanese managers are relatively tough and it is therefore sometimes
difficult for them to achieve a bilaterally acceptable result.
In the Chinese culture the relations and confidence between negotiating parties are most
important in negotiation on a contract. People are more formal than in western cultures,
elderly people are more formal than young people, people in larger organizations are more
formal than those in smaller ones etc.
In Arabian culture on the other hand emphasis is put on the expression of emotions, people
often talk a lot, they repeat themselves, shout, gesture, are very tolerant to noise and
interruption during a discussion, they like discussing money, we should not ask them about
their wives, it is an intimate topic for them, we can ask about families, they like talking
about Islam, we can ask about it, they are glad to explain it, etc.
Assignment of individual work (task)
How can we understand the term “culturally conditioned language misunderstanding”?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 35-45)
68
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-81)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 36-45)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 43-57)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 39-53)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-78)
69
3.7 Cultural diversity in human resource management
Key words
Cultural diversity in an organization, human resource management, cultural diversity
management, advantages of cultural diversity, disadvantages of cultural diversity, the work
and problem solving in a culturally diversified environment
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of cultural diversity on the goals and methods of human resource
management, to clarify the main tasks related to personnel management of cultural
diversity, i.e. management of people in a culturally diversified environment, to explain the
advantages of the work and problem solving in a culturally diversified environment, to
explain the potential pitfalls of personnel management in a culturally diversified
environment.
Learning outcomes
 32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the management and
leadership and understands the international differences in managerial competences
 32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is able to
remove the causes of barriers to communication in an intercultural environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
What HR strategies can be applied to appointing people to important or managerial
positions in multicultural companies?
There are four different approaches to filling key positions in multinational companies:
ethnocentric, polycentric, region centric and geocentric. Ethnocentric approach prefers
expatriates: managers are expected to adhere to the cultural standards of the mother
company and to introduce them in a new affiliate as well. This approach is common in
searching for new markets, where local specialist and managers are not yet available.
Expatriates usually have no problems with communication with the mother company and
coordinate all activities with it. Disadvantages of this approach might be based in the fact
70
that expatriates are not prepared for the specifics of a local culture or are not equipped with
the suitable competences for operation in an international environment.
Enforcement of the adherence to and the acceptance of the mother company’s values
therefore does not always lead to a success and acceptance of such a manager. Local
employees have a feeling that they are controlled too much, they have no opportunity of
promotion to higher positions, their incomes are usually much lower than those of
expatriates. Expatriates are usually sent for a certain relatively short period to support their
own careers after the return to their home country.
Polycentric approach (unlike the ethnocentric one) prefers local people in filling key and
specialized positions. The mother company perceives the market situation too complicated
or different so it decides to fill managerial positions with people that orient themselves in
such a situation and know the applicable local regulations. The removal of a language
barrier between superiors and the other employees is an advantage, on the other hand, the
communication and coordination with the mother company might be worse. Some
procedures may be eliminated in advance just for their origin from the mother company or
for their incompliance with the local habits.
In an extreme situation local interest may be preferred to the interests of an international
company and decisions and changes coming from the mother company bay be ignored. The
reduction of the costs of expatriates is on the other hand an advantage. Local staff members
often do not have such costly benefits and when they are appointed to managerial positions
they accept the local culture and behaviour standards, which enables them to have more
sensitive management style compared to expatriates. The possibility of career growth for
local employees is better than in the ethnocentric approach, however it does not exceed the
boundaries of the local affiliate.
Geocentric approach gives an opportunity to all employees regardless their nationality.
Employees are selected according their capabilities and international experience. Their
mobility is also important. Local and global goals are parts of the strategies of individual
affiliates. Procedures usual in the mother company or in a local affiliate are given the same
space. This approach puts high demands on recruiting of suitable candidates from various
regions. There are however countries, where employees from among the citizens of the
country are prioritized by the law and where the geocentric approach cannot be applied.
Region centric approach limits the mobility of employees within a particular region,
however it exceeds an affiliate so the mobility is still higher than in the ethnocentric and
polycentric approaches. This approach is based on the idea that people from the same
71
region (it is very often a continent or a part of a continent) are closer to each other and are
able to coordinate affiliates in such a region.
The individual strategies applied to the filling of key positions in international
organizations are often closely linked to the culture of an organization and to the culture of
its individual local affiliates. HR management therefore differentiates between three
organizational cultures from the point of view of their formation, which correspond with
the above described approaches: global, polycentric and geocentric.
Assignment of individual work (task)
What is the difference between a proactive and reactive approach to the solution of
intercultural problems?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 45-56)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 23-29)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 45-62)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 45-64)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 57-76)
72
3.8 Team leading in an intercultural environment
Key words
Teams, team leading, intercultural teams, advantages of intercultural teams, barriers to
cooperation in intercultural teams, the role of a leader in building and management of
intercultural teams, teambuilding in an intercultural environment
The goals of the chapter
To explain the influence of cultural diversity on the internal functioning of teams and on
their results, to clarify the main requirements for team leading in an intercultural
environment, to explain the main task of leaders of culturally diversified teams, to clarify
how to exploit the advantages of culturally diversified teams for their leading and how to
reduce the cultural barriers to their cooperation.
Learning outcomes
 32.6 manages and builds teams in an intercultural environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
How does a different culture influence remuneration of employees and how should
a manager adapt the way of remunerating employees on this base?
The “pay-for-performance” principle can be used as an example of different approaches
to an effective way of performance motivation in different national cultures in relation to
the cultural dimension of individualism and collectivism.
Performance based remuneration is popular in the USA, in the Netherlands and in the UK,
i.e. in countries that are rather individualistic according to the results of surveys. Members
of individualistic cultures prefer work where individual recognition or remuneration is only
based on their work done. Nevertheless, like in the case of success they also expect
individual approach in case of a failure. It is therefore impossible to punish a whole team
for an individual’s mistake.
External monetary incentives are therefore more successful in individualistic cultures. A
manager should give an individual a space to show his/her own initiative and then
adequately remunerate his/her success.
73
In more collective-oriented cultures (France, Germany, a big part of Asia) the remuneration
for direct performance might not be so successful. Members of collectivist cultures do not
consider positive, if one member of a team/group excels to such an extent that the
drawbacks of the others are revealed. The fact that one member of a group/collective
should get bigger remuneration than the others is also negative from their point of view.
Members of collectivist cultures consider an individual excellent if he/she is most
beneficial for his/her colleagues in the team, not if he/she carries out the highest
performance. Employees are rather motivated by positive reaction and support from
colleagues, self-realization is not as important for them as the prosperity and success of the
group.
The effectivity of the forms of remuneration is similarly influenced by the relation to the
time, to the nature, which are expressed in the dimensions of the orientation to the future,
the present or the past, and the internal/external orientation. Relations exists between these
dimensions and the effectiveness of remuneration for performance together with the time
intervals of assessment. The length of these intervals may be chosen differently in different
cultures, according to the time orientation.
Combination of short-term time orientation to the future and the internal orientation to a
culture will be a positive environment for short and frequent intervals of assessment (e.g.
among sales representatives), employees in internally oriented cultures are convinced that
they can have a positive influence on their surroundings, i.e. also on their customers, and to
ensure better results, for example a higher volume of sales by their efforts. Higher
frequency of assessment ensures a link between performance and remuneration and
therefore more efficient incentive for employees.
In externally oriented cultures employees will rather consider situations that might arise
unless they have a possibility to influence them. They rather think how to harmonize their
activities with their environment. Managers in these cultures, in relation to remuneration,
rather consider facts that employees are not able to influence. The orientation to the past
and the present is related to the persuasion that that the future is uncertain and individuals
have no chance to change that by their present actions. In a combination of the external
orientation with the orientation to the past and the present the probability that the members
of these cultures will not be sufficiently motivated by a direct monetary incentive
dependent on the performance, they will on contrary feel frustrated and under pressure,
grows.
74
Assignment of individual work (task)
What influence does a national culture have on management style and how should a
manager adapt his/her management style to this basis?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 57-68)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 56-72)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 45-67)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 78-98)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 86-96)
75
3.9 Employee education and training as an intercultural
management tool
Key words
Intercultural management, intercultural management tools, intercultural education and
training, the goals of intercultural education, methods of intercultural education, the topics
of intercultural education
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate on examples the importance of intercultural education and training
as one of the main tools of intercultural management, to clarify the goals and the topics of
intercultural training, to explain the intercultural training methods
Learning outcomes
 32.7 uses employee education and training as an intercultural management tool
An example, introduction of a sample task
What specific methods and procedures does intercultural training lean on?
The methods of intercultural education and training can be classified according to two basic
approaches. The first one is formed by the continuum from the didactic to the experience
approaches, the other one by the continuum from the culturally general to the culturally
specific approaches. Four basic circles of methods are established this way.
In experience and culturally general training emphasis is put on the awareness of one’s own
approaches, behaviour and stereotypes in direct confrontation with members of different
cultures, which might be for example realized as a workshop with the participation of
members of different cultures. This might lead to better understanding to one’s own values
in comparison with other cultures and better understanding to members of different
cultures. Simulation games, based on the common principle of inventing various artificial
cultures with certain values, which subsequently negotiate with each other, can also be
used. They end in a feedback, where participants talk about their feelings and opinions on
the game.
76
In experience and culturally specific training a workshop with members of one particular
nationality can be organized. A discussion of important events or a concrete international
conflict that concerns both the participating cultures may be on programme. It is also
possible to arrange situations that people working in an international or an intercultural
environment often experience. Presence of an experienced trainer with intercultural
experience or directly a member of the particular culture that is able to analyse the
situations played and to explain their deeper sense to the participants is recommendable.
In didactic and culturally general training lectures in intercultural psychology and
communication can for example be used. The knowledge achieved should be applicable to
any country. The main goal is to realize one’s own perception of different cultures and to
reflect one’s own behaviour on the basis of the achieved theoretical knowledge. When an
expatriate is sent, his/her family members can participate in such a didactic training if they
are going with him/her.
Culturally specific training may however be even more beneficial for them. In didactic and
culturally specific training lectures are also useful, e.g. in the current political and
economic situation in the country of destination or in practical advice for expatriate’s life in
such a country. Films, personal experience of lecturers, written materials or for example
visual presentations may be used. Studying cultural standards and dimensions is also
useful. Knowledge of the basic standards of a particular country creates the basic picture of
given culture. Cultural standards are based on surveys of cultures and are closer to the
reality than prejudices of expatriates. Their studying can lead to a change of the attitude to
a different culture, which is one of the key moments in intercultural training and
subsequent adaptation.
Didactic and culturally specific training does not necessarily be organized as a lecture, as
most of the necessary knowledge may be obtained by self-study of suitable sources.
Reduction of the initial feeling of uncertainty and fears of unknown environment is the
main contribution of the presentation of suitable knowledge. It is on the other hand
necessary to reduce the quantity of the presented information and to provided it in a simple
form for their quick understanding and remembering.
Assignment of individual work (task)
How could be Hofstede’s basic cultural dimensions exploited in intercultural training?
77
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 65-76)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-89)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 76-89)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 56-79)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 65-80)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-89)
78
3.10 Organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment
Key words
Organizational ethics, business ethics, cultural differences of ethical standards, national
differences of business ethics, the ethics of multinational corporations, ethical management
in a culturally diversified environment
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate on examples the influence of a natural culture to the perception of
ethical values and standards, to clarify the main intercultural differences in the perception
of ethical standards, to explain and illustrate on examples the importance and the role of
ethical management in a national and an intercultural environment.
Learning outcomes
 32.8 implements the organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
What are the differences between requirements for codes of ethics in different
cultures: comparing codes of a Czech and an American government institution.
A code of ethics should identify the key ethical issues or dilemmas employees might get in
touch with and to provide instructions for their solution. It should not therefore be too
general or enable more various interpretations. Extreme generality and ambiguity however
usually belong to the most frequent weak points of codes of ethics.
Codes of ethics therefore sometimes become targets of critical comments. Their
inefficiency, weak enforceability or formalism are mostly criticized. Their criticists
sometimes also argue with the fact that the behaviour of individuals is to a high extent
determined by the values acquired since childhood and codes of ethics have only a weak
influence on such behaviour. The question, to what extent a code of ethics is useful for
small companies and sole traders operating mainly on the basis of informal interpersonal
relation is also disputable.
79
Weaknesses of codes of ethics are however usually not based on their character but on their
content. This particularly applies to situations when the code (usually because of its undue
generality) does not take account of the real ethical problems in the practice, or it is not
much clear (usually as a consequence of its extensive length) and employees might get lost
in it or it gives space for various and/or ambiguous interpretation.
The importance of the clear and unambiguous formulation of ethical principles, even in the
general part of a code, can be characterized by conducting a comparative analysis of the
codes of ethics of various organizations. An example of this is a comparison of the codes of
ethics of two public institutions, namely the Office of the Government of the Czech
Republic and NASA in America. The codes are accessible on the websites of the
institutions.
The preamble of the Code of Ethics of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic
states that: “The public administration in the Czech Republic, in which the Office of the
Government of the CR significantly participates, is a service for the public.” The text is
clear, although a little brief and in fact it says nothing. The code of ethics of NASA
approaches to the same task a little more vividly: at the beginning it reminds us of the
words of President T. Jefferson, “When a man assumes public trust, he should consider
himself public property.”.
There is an even more considerable difference in terms of (un)ambiguity when comparing
certain passages from the codes. The part of the Code of Ethics of the Office of the
Government of the Czech Republic that deals with the acceptance of gifts states that “A
state employee must not accept any gifts that might affect the due performance of the
service in relation to the performance of the service. He/she must also not accept any gifts
that are not eligible to affect the due performance of the service if their value exceeds CZK
300, including small repeated gifts from the same donor or regarding the same matter in
close succession, whose total value exceeds CZK 300.”
Although an amount is specified, it does not state whether this is inclusive or exclusive of
VAT. Furthermore, the term “in close succession” is open to interpretation.
The NASA Code of Ethics resolves the same issue more clearly by means of an exception
to a general rule, that a public employee is not allowed to ask for or accept gifts as follows:
“The exception allows you to accept gifts of $20 or less on a single occasion, but
remember, not more than $50 per year per source. (The source is the entire organization, so
you may not accept gifts exceeding the $50 per year per source limit just because different
employees in the same organization present them each time.)”
80
Assignment of individual work (task)
What is the difference in the ethical and legal perception of copyright in the western and
the eastern, particularly Chinese, cultures?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 98-112)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 67-89)
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. A Code of Ethics as an Organizational Management Tool
and its Use in the Czech Republic. Lüdenscheid: RAM Verlag. ISBN 978-3-942303-50-7.
(pp. 6-48)
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 45-67)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-98)
81
3.11 Leadership in an intercultural environment
Key words
Leadership, global leadership, intercultural management, competences for intercultural
leadership, organizational culture, national differences of organization culture
The goals of the chapter
To explain and illustrate on examples the importance and the role of leadership in an
intercultural or multinational company environment, to explain and illustrate the
requirements for the successful behaviour of leaders contributing to the limitation of
intercultural misunderstanding in a multinational company environment, to point out the
managerial behaviour that becomes a source of problems or conflicts in an intercultural
environment.
Learning outcomes
 32.9 understands the importance of leadership and its tools in an intercultural
environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
What is the influence of a national culture on the leadership style and how does this
style differ in dependence on the main dimensions of a national company culture?
A national culture reflects in the preferred leadership style. For example, in relation to the
cultural dimension of individualism/collectivism different extent of participation in leading
people is preferred in different countries. A leadership style in collectivist cultures should
reflect and emphasise a common vision that a collective integrates for achievement of
results and fulfilment of goals. A manager should pay attention to encouragement of the
common work morals and coherence of a group. Employees prefer participative
management, a manager should involve the team in decision making, search for a
consensus, rather than decide on the basis of voting and simple agreement of majority.
Manager’s authority can be differently perceived by employees in different cultures.
Members of universalistic cultures prefer uniform rules and formal relations within an
organization. A management style (like the system of remuneration or promotion) should
82
reflect the sat rules – favouring one on the basis of good relations is inacceptable and
employees judge it as unfair.
What is inacceptable in universalistic cultures may be effective in particularistic ones.
Particularists allow for a possible apology of drawbacks according to the circumstances and
relations. Informal relations, to which emphasis is put, are also formed within organizations
and silent agreement between friends are often taken into account. A manager that is
solving conflicts and situations among subordinates should always proceed according to
the specific situation and also according to the social status of those the problem concerns.
Different perception of the authority of a manager in different cultures is linked to the
attitude to expression of emotions (neutrality/emotionality) and the assignment of a status,
but also to the time orientation (to the future, the present, the past) as the following
examples show. In neutral cultures a manager should refrain from over expressive
behaviour that is inconsistent with his/her status, where he/she should show him/herself as
a level-headed decision maker. Employees in emotional cultures might be caught out by
unbiased calm behaviour and they often interpret it as negative assessment, ignorance and
reservation.
Orientation to status assignment or status achievement also affect the acceptance of a
superior as a leading personality and an authority. Respect is either shown on the basis of
success, then it is shown regardless age or education (orientation to achievement) or on the
basis of the status that is assigned to somebody in that particular culture (orientation to
assignment). In the first instance employees rather appreciate superior’s knowledge and
skills and unless a manager manifests sufficient skills it might lead to questioning of his/her
authority. In the other instance respect and authority are derived from the age and further
aspects of the social status.
Manager’s authority is similarly linked to the time orientation. Members of cultures
oriented in the past in harmony with the admiration for history and respect to ancestors
tend to respect the authority of an older manager. They derive authority not only from the
age but also from characteristics that do not change in time – gender, social status or
qualification. In future oriented cultures authority is derived from manager’s success and
the strength of his/her vision.
Assignment of individual work (task)
What can prevent a manager in an intercultural environment – in dependence on the
character of national cultures – from achieving leadership authority?
83
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a interkulturního
managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9. (pp. 67-85)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy. ISBN
978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 67-89)
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across borders and cultures.
9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-80-7540-568-0.
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9. (pp. 56-68)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 49-89)
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context. [s. l.]:
Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 45-53)
84
3.12 Most frequent management mistakes in an
intercultural environment – an analysis of specific cases
Key words
Intercultural management, intercultural differences, management mistakes, cultural
intelligence, intercultural training
The goals of the chapter
To explain typical mistakes that managers make when managing people in an intercultural
environment, to clarify and illustrate on examples the causes of management mistakes
arising in an intercultural environment, to explain preventive tools enabling managers to
avoid management mistakes in an intercultural environment, particularly various variants
of intercultural preparation and training.
Learning outcomes
 32.10 identifies the most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural
environment
An example, introduction of a sample task
What management mistakes might influence negatively the corporate culture or
employee motivation in an intercultural environment?
Creation of a healthy company culture based on good interpersonal relations and
orientation to performance is usually a long-distance run. On the other hand, its
disintegration may be very fast, particularly in an intercultural environment, where
members of individual national cultures may respond to some management mistakes with
higher sensitivity. Attention should be particularly paid to (un)suitable selection of people
to managerial positions.
Improper personnel policy has usually similar causes and consequences. Its first negative
trait is tolerance to the tendency among managers to surround themselves with friend,
whose main task is to support their leader in his/her position. If this tendency is moreover
accompanied with higher financial remuneration for these people, it might lead to – in the
conditions of a limited payroll budget – impossibility to take really qualified people to
85
other positions. A tendency to oblige the pressure from government or political structures
and create positions for their exponents “tailor made”.
Another, even more serious trait of personnel policy with devastating impact on a company
culture is the tendency not to perceive the character of candidates as an important part of
their qualification. Persons with the tendency to “bend” general moral standards actually
usually apply the same approach to the rules and principles of the company. They do not
care about generally accepted values, are used to play by their own rules. Missing character
qualities in people at managerial positions have another practical impact on a company
culture: a management that does not adhere to clear rules or is not able to substantiate its
decisions clearly decreases the credibility of the company management as well as
motivation and loyalty among employees.
The third category of personnel decisions that devastate a company culture contains the
inability to recognize in the selection of candidates to managerial positions mentally
complicated people, gifted with the ability to annoy the environment of an organization
systematically.
These are, for example, people that need to concentrate attention and concentrate mainly
on themselves, with the tendency to underestimate all the people around, to behave
arrogantly to them, and exploit them without scruples, people unable to cope with stress,
characterized by attacks on others, attempts to discredit their capabilities, to harm their
interests, or unwillingness to comply with their reasonable requests. There are also people
with the inclination to strictly emphasise rules and hierarchy always insist on their
opinions, stick to details, not to differ between the substantial and the unimportant, not to
care about the opinions of the others, check everything in detail etc. The damages that
managers of this type not only relate to their impact on the work moral and employee
satisfaction, but with the necessity to pay more attention to the defence against their attacks
than to their own work.
An extra dangerous category of such managers contains people suffering from a permanent
feeling of threat, unable to trust the others, “micromanagement” maniacs obsessed with the
need to control even the smallest details of their environment, or reject all proposals from
their environment under the motto “however but not how anyone else proposes”, or only
interested in their own power. The damage they do to their organizations is particularly
connected to the lack of flexibility, allergies to changes, suppression of initiative and
creativity and unwillingness to delegate authority, weakening motivation, development and
utilization of the capabilities of their subordinates.
86
Assignment of individual work (task)
The extent of the long-term or short-term orientation is one of the cultural dimensions
that influences the overall conception of an organization, its direction and the way of
running business in a particular culture.
The values on the long-term orientation pole support business: endurance in
following a goal is appreciated as a good quality of a businessperson, frugality leads
to savings and releases capital for further possible investments. On the other hand, all
the short-orientation values in its extreme positions represent negative influence on
business or do not have any positive influence. Some of the values related to shortterm
orientation are respect to traditions, personal peace and constancy, face-keeping
and reciprocation of favour and gifts. Preference for personal peace and stability can
discourage from initiative and willingness to changes, which are often necessary in
business for adaptation to the market demands. Similarly, “to much respect to
traditions brakes innovation”.
What principles for intercultural management follow from these facts?
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a
interkulturního managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9.
(pp. 107-118)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy.
ISBN 978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-79)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v
České republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost.
Prague: C. H. Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0. (pp. 45-68)
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across borders and
cultures. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-80-7540-568-0.
(pp. 89-106)
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0. (pp. 109-118)
87
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context.
[s. l.]: Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933. (pp. 67-90)
88
3.13 Illustration of the tasks of intercultural management –
discussions of selected examples
Key words
Intercultural management, intercultural communication, intercultural negotiation, culturallanguage
barriers, overcoming cultural misunderstandings, different expectations, barriers
The goals of the chapter
To explain requirements and illustrate on specific examples the requirements of an
intercultural environment for management, communication and negotiation, to clarify the
main causes of cultural-language barriers and misunderstandings and to explain methods
leading to their overcoming.
Learning outcomes
 32.1 recognizes the influence of national cultures on the organizational culture and
defines the main features of international organizational cultures
 32.2 distinguishes between the typologies of national organizational cultures
 32.3 analyses the advantages and disadvantages of an intercultural environment
 32.4 understands the influence of intercultural differences on the management and
leadership and understands the international differences in managerial competences
 32.5 works with different expectations of managers and employees and is able to
remove the causes of barriers to communication in an intercultural environment
 32.6 manages and builds teams in an intercultural environment
 32.7 uses employee education and training as an intercultural management tool
 32.8 implements the organizational ethics in an intercultural and global
environment
 32.9 understands the importance of leadership and its tools in an intercultural
environment
 32.10 identifies the most frequent management mistakes in an intercultural
environment
89
An example, introduction of a sample task
How do cultural differences influence the work of managers? Do managers try to
exploit such differences or to fight against them? Some questions for thought.
We often here from managers and other employees sentences like: “The … are completely
different, imagine, they terribly stick on …” or “Have you ever tried to work with …? They
often …” The world is gradually shrinking thanks to information technologies and
relatively affordable travelling.
How to overcome cultural differences? Can they be mutually utilized? We usually
understand the differences, but we often try to fight against them and to re-educate a
colleague of a different nationality – to change their natural way of working and thinking.
This can be a source of problems and misunderstanding.
Let us have a look at a practical example. One of the cultural dilemmas reflects the relation
between the so called internal and external orientation. A human with “external
orientation” is more likely to adapt to the environment, to respond to external impulses and
believes that such impulses should also influence his/her behaviour. In an extreme case
such a person seems to be like a weathercock.
A human with “internal orientation” believes that he/she is the master of his/her destiny.
He/she only does what complies with his/her values and conscience and believes that these
should the values that influence his/her behaviour. Again, in extreme causes he/she appears
to be very individualistic, maybe even hard and heartless.
These different views or attitudes can however be projected in differences in the
approaches to problem solving. Members of some cultures, maybe the Czech culture is one
of them, tend to see sources of mistakes around themselves. Members of other cultures on
the other hand start with themselves and think what they could do differently. The first
approach is certainly useful as it provides for disclosure of external influences. The other
one however focuses on a change of one’s own behaviour so it may often be more
productive in the future.
Assignment of individual work (task)
What cultural differences are there between Czech and German managers in your opinion?
Do you see a possibility of mutual positive inspiration in some aspects?
90
Literature
Compulsory literature
HÁN, J., J. ŽUFAN and M. KLÍMOVÁ, 2013. Kapitoly z personálního a
interkulturního managementu. Prague: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-80-7478-328-9.
(pp. 23-54)
URBAN, J., 2014. Firemní kultura a identita. Prague: Ústav práva a právní vědy.
ISBN 978-80-87974-05-6. (pp. 71-78)
Recommended literature
BLAŽEK, L. and A. ŠAFROVÁ DRÁŠILOVÁ, 2013. Nadnárodní společnosti v České
republice. Vývojové trendy - Organizace a řízení - Kultura a odpovědnost. Prague: C. H.
Beck. ISBN 978-80-7400-478-0.
CAHA, Z. and J. URBAN, 2017. A Code of Ethics as an Organizational Management Tool
and its Use in the Czech Republic. Lüdenscheid: RAM Verlag. ISBN 978-3-942303-50-7.
DERESKY, H., 2015. International management: Managing across borders and cultures.
9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-80-7540-568-0.
KLÍMOVÁ, M., 2017. Interkulturní specifika a cestovní ruch. Prague: Wolters Kluwer.
ISBN 978-80-7552-619-9.
SALVI, R. and H. TANAKA, 2011. Intercultural Interactions in Business and
Management. Bern: Peter Lang AG. ISBN 978-3-0343-1039-0.
ZEYNEP, A., 2014. Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context.
[s. l.]: Sage Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1446297933.