Cross Cultural Comparison and Challenges Faced by Burlington Industries

INDIVIDUAL
ESSAY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Hofstede theoretical framework - Cross cultural comparison between 2 countries....................3
Main challenges faced when managing new teams of employees..............................................5
Suggestions for overcoming challenges using relevant theory....................................................6
Discuss how parent company can manage international project effectively (focus on expatriate
selection, training and rewards)...................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Understanding, appreciating, and effectively engaging with world perspectives, beliefs,
behaviours, communication styles, cultures, and practices that are different from one's own is
referred to as cross cultural awareness. It is the understanding of own culture and is the
foundation of communication. Cultural awareness helps in enhancing relationship skills through
which different values and beliefs can be understood (Browaeys and Price, 2019). Burlington
Industries is American fabric manufacturing company which was founded in 1923 in North
Carolina, U.S. the brand was started by J. Spencer Love and the parent company is International
Textile Group. This essay will define cross cultural comparison with the help of Hofstede
theoretical framework. This study will also outline challenges which will be faced by them while
managing a new team of workforce. The report will also list some recommendations which can
be helpful for overcoming such concerns. Lastly, the report will define how parent company
operating in USA can effectively manage their international project in Bulgaria.
MAIN BODY
Hofstede theoretical framework - Cross cultural comparison between 2 countries
Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Framework
Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Theory was proposed by Geert Hofstede in 1980. This
framework supports in analyzing the differences in culture across countries and differentiation in
ways that business is done across different cultures. This model is helpful in understanding the
cultural differences among countries. This theory is used for cross-cultural communication.
There are several dimensions which are identified with the help of the framework, some of the
dimension which will be discussed are listed below:
 Masculinity vs. Femininity- In this dimension, masculinity refers to preference in
society for achievement of heroism, assertiveness and material rewards for success. This
dimension is majorly viewed as taboo in highly masculine societies (Dillette and et.al,
2017). In feminine societies, they share modest and caring views equally with men. It can
be observed that in more masculine societies, women are more emphatic and competitive
but less than men. This can also be helpful in recognizing male and female values.