Does Culture Really Matter? Cultural Influences on the Knowledge Transfer Process within Multinational Corporations

Transfer and imitation of the organizational capabilities are the twin elements of competition in innovative and growing markets. Knowledge therefore becomes an important strategic asset within organizations. Consequently the management of knowledge is considered with special attention. This paper focuses on the transfer of knowledge between to units of a multinational corporation. The premise of this paper is that successful transfer of knowledge is dependent on the dimensions of the context the transfer process faces. It first gives an overview on main influence factors during the knowledge transfer process between two company units, and then investigates the question whether cultural differences in the sender units influence the knowledge transfer process. The paper finally presents a model of culture related factors influencing the knowledge transfer process between two company units located in geographically different places

Consumer Attitude Toward Advertising via Mobile Devices - An Empirical Investigation Among Austrian Users

Mobile marketing offers great opportunities for businesses. Marketing activities supported by mobile devices allow companies to directly communicate with their consumers without time or location barriers. However, some areas of mobile marketing still need further investigation. Especially, the topic of advertising via mobile devices is of major interest. It addresses consumers with individualized advertising messages via mobile devices. The underlying paper discusses its relevance and investigates antecedents of consumer attitudes toward advertising via mobile devices. The analysis is based on a consumer survey. For this purpose a quota sample of 815 cellular phone users in Austria has been interviewed. The results indicate that advertising value and advertising message content have the largest impact on attitude toward advertising via mobile devices

Knowledge sharing in online communities

As organizations increase their offshore software development efforts, they must develop new methods and models for handling the vast amount of knowledge involved in these projects. Successful knowledge management and transfer is considered key to the success of contemporary organizations. When transferring knowledge to other operating units of a multi national company, the overall goal is to successfully implement the knowledge sent to the receiver. Cultural differences however, can interfere with successful knowledge management intentions. This paper investigates storytelling as a tool to transfer knowledge between global corporate units. A case study on how this instrument is used to communicate knowledge between a German and an Indian IT company gives first insights into factors that influence implementation success

Empirical Research in Foreign Cultures: The Case of Japanese Rice

Within the study, we show that it is quite demanding to conduct consumer surveys abroad, in particular, if the targeted society differs in so many ways from the one of the home market. The results of a study are presented analyzing consumer behavior in the Japanese rice market. We evaluated the preferences of Japanese consumers in rice. Amongst others, focus was set on origin (which is actually a prominent attribute in Western European food markets). To approximate the impact of relevant attributes influencing consumers’ purchasing decision (origin, brand, quality seals and price), a discrete choice experiment was conducted with Japanese consumers, mainly living in urban areas

Intercultural Challenges in Consumer Research in the Food Sector: The Case of Japanese Rice

Within the study, we show that it is quite demanding to conduct consumer surveys abroad, in particular, if the targeted society differs in so many ways compared to the domestic market. This contribution presents results of a study analyzing consumer behavior in the Japanese rice market. The main focus was set on the evaluation ofpreferences of Japanese consumers when buying rice. Amongst others, one core attribute was origin which is actually a prominent attribute in Western European food markets. To approximate the impact of relevant attributes influencing consumers’ purchasing decision (origin, brand, quality seals and price), we conducted a discrete choice experiment with Japanese consumers, mainly living in urban areas

Driving sustainable and competitive transition in enterprise performance management and measurement: The changing role of women in the Japanese labour market

The objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between sustainable and competitive transition in enterprise performance management and measurement and the changing role of women in the Japanese labour market. The work correlates the proportion of female employees in leadership positions in relation to the sector type, firm age, profits and encouragement of women’s participation in the labour force over six significant periods. The study also examines correlations between the encouragement of women’s participation in the labour force and high productivity, improvement of work-life balance and higher integration of female staff in the workforce. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 152 Japanese companies as part of the research. Non-parametric tests and exploratory data analysis were used for evaluation. The linear-by-linear test was applied to ordinal categories to determine the trend between the proportion of female employees in leadership positions and the encouragement of women’s participation in the labour force. The results indicate that partial changes have occurred as far as women in the Japanese labour market are concerned and confirm that working women are faced with persistent obstacles in terms of higher integration of female staff in the workforce and improvement of work-life balance. A future research direction worth considering is a study focused on other countries in Asia, comparing the findings with this paper

Successful Cross-Cultural Management: A Guide for International Managers

This book outlines the particulars of cross-cultural management and is a guidebook for international managers. The book not only discusses the general aspects of how cultures can differ, it also shows which effects these differences can haveon business processes and business success

Understanding Japanese Management Practices

Today, Japan is the most influential economy in Asia and the second largest economy in the world. Japanese consumers are among the richest in the world, and the Japanese market still provides profitable investment opportunities. Not only are the Japanese able to adopt Western ideas and techniques without problems but they also maintain a very unique perspective of the world. Japanese management practices are no exception. And this outstanding new book, Understanding Japanese Management Practices, gives you and other international managers an in-depth look at Japanese management practices and how these can be implemented into Western corporations. It examines the cultural foundations of Japanese management and explains the most famous Japanese business concepts, such as kaizen, just-in-time, and lifetime employment. It then provides practical advice on how to successfully enter and position Western products in the Japanese market. Finally, it provides an advice on how to negotiate successfully with Japanese business partners and reveals what Western managers can learn from Japanese management practices. Japanese management practices have had an enormous influence on Western management practices over the past few decades. Many Japanese management practices have become a standard in Western firms. This book will undoubtedly guide you through Japanese business practices and how these practices help to improve business processes and to increase quality and efficiency in numerous corporations worldwide. It will also help you learn more about what Japanese management is and how do Japan’s management practices differ from those in the West. Keywords Japan, Japanese management, Asia, international management and marketing, culture, cross-cultural management, market entry, negotiation