MAR0131 Case Study: Analyzing Intercultural Competence in Business

This case study examines intercultural competence in business, focusing on a scenario where an American manager in India faces challenges due to cultural differences. The analysis identifies the manager's mistakes, suggests ways to improve cross-cultural understanding, and applies relevant intercultural theories. It explores cultural frameworks like Hofstede's and Trompenaars', demonstrating their application in interpreting social interactions within business settings. The study also applies intercultural communication theories to organizational practices. Recommendations include fostering open-minded leadership, facilitating meaningful conversations, creating cultural awareness, and maintaining a company culture that values diversity and continuous learning. Desklib offers a wealth of similar case studies and solved assignments for students.

Intercultural
Competence in
Business MAR0131

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
CASE STUDY 1..............................................................................................................................1
Overview................................................................................................................................1
Mistakes of Mark....................................................................................................................1
Ways through the Mark can better understand the cross-cultural concept.............................2
Using of intercultural theories with discussion......................................................................2
Advice to Mark.......................................................................................................................2
FINDINGS.......................................................................................................................................3
Cultural frameworks...............................................................................................................3
Applications of framework to interpret different social interactions in business situations. .3
Application of intercultural communication theories applied to practice in different
organizations situations..........................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural Competence in Business can be defined as the ability to interact and
communicate with the different culture or background people. This is because is assist in
working well with people from diverse backgrounds in terms of culture or behaviour. Such
people have different beliefs and values along with the religions and experiences who work
together to accomplish the common tasks. It's practices includes the respect for other's culture
and behaviour in order to maintain the better coordination within organization (Ferreira-Lopes,
Elexpuru-Albizuri and Bezanilla, 2021). The following discussion is based on the case study
given and addressing the questions as per the needs and requirements of the case study based on
the intercultural competence in business. The below information provides the insight of
comparing and contrasting different cultural frameworks, demonstrating how frameworks can be
applied to understand different interpersonal interactions in business situations and applying
intercultural communication theories to practice in various business situations. Report also views
the proper conclusion and recommendations.
CASE STUDY 1
Overview
The case study is about the person named Mark who is an American manager in India.
He has several complains and discussing to his American associate such as he has found out that
he is required to provide much more elaborated and ad hoc manual to the group under him as
compared to Americans back home in order to get even the simplest things done. These group
don’t take the initiative to perform anything other than what is intelligibly defined beforehand.
He knows that they are sharp and performs advanced activity on their portion and also having a
flock of originative thought. But they don’t share them with Mark. He feel that they only nd him
to instruct them that what they have to do and then leave them alone to do it.
Mistakes of Mark
Mark was wrong in this case. This is because he was comparing its American
professionals to the Indian professionals who are having the totally assorted culture and
background in terms of understanding and beliefs along with the behaviour of a person. Mark has
the lack of knowledge regarding the management of intercultural competence and the ways to
maintain the same within organization. He is finding difficult to tackle an individual's behaviour
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regarding work and perception in terms of task assign to them and what they think about Mark as
a manager. Mark was wrong as he is unaware that what solution he needs to carry out for better
team management in order to manage the effective communication with him.
Ways through the Mark can better understand the cross-cultural concept
Mark must try to resolve out the issues he is facing in the organization instead of
complaining to his American Associate. Mark is a manager, he is responsible to formulate the
communication flow among its subordinates so that they can be free to share their opinions with
Mark. It is important for the Mark to highly understand and analyse the issue in an in depth
manner. This is because solutions can only be implemented if issues are studied and examined in
a proper and an appropriate manner. It is essential for Mark to gain the knowledge about cross
culture problem and identify the same within organization by conducting the proper
brainstorming process so that each individual can specify their views on the issues (de Hei,
Tabacaru, Sjoer and Walenkamp, 2020).
Using of intercultural theories with discussion
There are several theories which are related to the case study such as social science
approach is based on the observation of an individual's behaviour that how they react to different
situations so that comparison can be made of different cultures. Interpretive approach is based on
gaining the knowledge about different cultures by interpreting the individual experiences in
different circumstances. Dialectical approach is based on the strategic communication flow
among the people of different backgrounds in order to be more interactive regarding intercultural
perspectives. There are other three approaches of communicating between different culture
people such as multicultural communication and cross-cultural communication and intercultural
communication. These are the approaches which suits to the given case study for executing the
same in order to resolving out the issues within firm (Holubnycha, Kostikova, Leiba and
Chornovol-Tkachenko, 2019).
Advice to Mark
Mark is advised to study about the management of intercultural competence so that its
theories and strategies can be applied within organizations. Such strategies includes the self
analysis of the entire issue faced by mark so that solutions can be identified accordingly. Mark
must regularly interact with the employees about their problems and try to make them
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comfortable in discussing the issues so that they can be free sharing their opinions. Mark must
actively listen the individuals by paying attention to the non verbal communication as well. Mark
must conduct the daily management activities in order to better know about the cultural
difference and to fill up the gap between them (Malau-Aduli, Ross and Adu, 2019).
FINDINGS
Cultural frameworks
One of the framework of culture used within organisations is the Geert Hofstede’s
Research. A survey was conducted in order to find out the certain dimensions of culture. Survey
results in four main dimensions such as uncertainty avoidance and power distance along with the
individualism versus collectivism and masculinity versus femininity. These are some of the
dimensions which are important to focus while managing the intercultural competence in
business. Another framework is the Trompenaars’ and Hampden - Turner’s cultural factors. This
framework has provided seven dimensions which are also essential to implement within firm.
Such as universalism versus particularism and specific versus diffuse cultures along with the
achievement versus ascription cultures and individualism versus communitarianism which is
followed by affective versus neutral cultures and time as sequence vs. time as synchronization
and also the inner-directed versus outer-directed (Pikhart, 2018).
Applications of framework to interpret different social interactions in business situations
Geert Hofstede’s Research can be applied in order to understand the cultural differences
which includes the values and beliefs in terms of work goals. It provides the in depth insight and
view of the assorted background of different people in order to understand the nature and
behaviour of an individuals in order to treat them accordingly. Trompenaars’ and Hampden -
Turner’s cultural factors can be applied in concern of more respect and empathy for other
cultures, customs, habits and rituals (Pikhart, 2018).
Application of intercultural communication theories applied to practice in different organizations
situations
Multicultural communication refers to how the group and team is formed with respect to
different nationalities. Cross cultural communication communication refers to the comparison of
different cultures for better understanding of the values and beliefs. Intercultural communication
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refers to the exchanges taking place among different cultures (Richter, van Bakel, Schlaegel and
Lemmergaard, 2020).
CONCLUSION
It is concluded that intercultural competence in business is an important concept to learn
and study so that its applications can be applied in the real world organizations. This is because
now a days companies has starting initiating the management of diversity and culture so that
people from different locations and culture can cooperate with each other. The reason being that
organizations mostly work in teams and hence understanding among each other highly important
for better achieving of goals and objectives of the mutual task assigned to the team. Therefore, it
is important to analyse the real time case studies for the same. It is essential to examine the
comparing and contrasting different cultural frameworks. It is necessary to determine the
demonstration of how frameworks can be applied to understand different interpersonal
interactions in business situations. It is significant to gain the knowledge about applying
intercultural communication theories to practice in various business situations. Hence, the above
information covers all such areas in order to better understand the conception of intercultural
competence in business.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the organization must have leaders and managers which are open
minded with their employees and subordinates. This is because this helps in discussing about the
different opinion of each individual and sharing of innovative ideas also supports in the decision
making process. This comforts the people to interact and engage with different culture people in
a convenient manner. Professionals must facilitate the meaningful and logical conversation
among people for better gathering out the opinions in order to execute the most sensible idea.
Professionals must create awareness among the employees about different culture people
working within organizations because this facilitates the communication flow in an effective and
efficient manner. Moreover, the organizations must maintain the company culture as an ongoing
learning and interaction areas for better creating of the self awareness about diversity in the firm.
Furthermore, it is also suggested that the professionals must avoid using the slang and idioms in
order to maintain respect for others.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
de Hei, M., Tabacaru, C., Sjoer, E. and Walenkamp, J., 2020. Developing intercultural
competence through collaborative learning in international higher education. Journal of
Studies in International Education, 24(2), pp.190-211.
Ferreira-Lopes, L., Elexpuru-Albizuri, I. and Bezanilla, M.J., 2021. Developing business
students’ intercultural competence through intercultural virtual collaboration: a task
sequence implementation. Journal of International Education in Business.
Holubnycha, L., Kostikova, I.І., Leiba, O. and Chornovol-Tkachenko, R., 2019. Developing
students’ intercultural competence at the tertiary level.
Malau-Aduli, B.S., Ross, S. and Adu, M.D., 2019. Perceptions of intercultural competence and
institutional intercultural inclusiveness among first year medical students: a 4-year
study. BMC medical education, 19(1), pp.1-9.
Pikhart, M., 2018, September. Multilingual and intercultural competence for ICT: accessing and
assessing electronic information in the global world. In International Conference on
Multimedia and Network Information System (pp. 273-278). Springer, Cham.
Pikhart, M., 2018, September. Multilingual and intercultural competence for ICT: accessing and
assessing electronic information in the global world. In International Conference on
Multimedia and Network Information System (pp. 273-278). Springer, Cham.
Richter, N.F., van Bakel, M., Schlaegel, C. and Lemmergaard, J., 2020. navigating an
increasingly intercultural reality–intercultural competence in European international
management. European Journal of International Management, 14(2), pp.195-209.
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