Cross Cultural Age of Globalization the Quickening

Cross Cultural Age of Globalization

The quickening pace of globalization continues to force varying cultures, their expectations, norms, value and practices together at a pace that is much faster than had been the case in the past. This presents a unique series of challenges for managers who must navigate the task of creating an agile enough organization to compete, yet still provide enough structure and stability for objectives to be attained. National political culture is a critically important foundation to guiding the definition of a globalization strategy in that it encompasses citizenship practices (Bird, Fang, 2009). The intent of this analysis is to critically evaluate if the concept of a theoretical framework is sufficient to support globalization strategies aligned to the nuances and specific considerations of a given region. Appraising the legitimacy of management strategies in the context of cross-cultural citizenship practices is central to this analysis (Chevrier, 2009).

How National Political Culture Influences Management Practices

Of the many frameworks in use for anticipating the differences across and within cultures, the Hofstede Model of Cultural Dimensions has been the most widely used. It is relied on heavily in the analyses of Chevrier (2009) and in the Editorial: cross cultural management in the age of globalization (Bird, Fang, 2009). What is significant about the Hofstede Model when taken to in the context of cross-cultural management is the ability to quantify differences across the five cultural dimensions measured while creating an aggregated view of a given national or regional culture (Hofstede, McCrae, 2004). Hofstede's foundational elements have also been used for defining the cultural practices that theorists contend create national political culture over time.

The premise that national political culture is defined by a series of citizenship practices (Chevrier, 2009) makes cultural assimilation on the part of multinational corporations more predictable and easily managed. It however does not provide sufficient feedback or closed loop reporting for any organization to chart their course through the nuances of a culture. The continual learning processes that are by nature repetitive must be completed if an organization is going to learn to adapt to a given culture. Abiding by a series of practices alone, even if they are foundational to a political culture, may provide a basis for a given organization or entity to establish relationships in a given country or region. Yet it is in the internalization of the nuances of a given culture that any organization truly assimilates itself, and in so doing understands the correct measures or metrics of progress. The foundational elements of national political culture is just one of several frameworks managers need to use in order to plan their launch strategy into a new region or nation.