Multinationals and Cross-Cultural Management

<p>Globalisation makes our world appear smaller: it is easier to connect, communicate and do business with people all over the world. But cultural differences remain and challenge globalized knowledge communication and transfer. This book examines cross-cultural management within multinational enterprises (MNEs), focusing in particular on how cultural differences influence the transfer of knowledge between different units within individual corporations. </p><p>Based on detailed empirical analysis of 267 companies in Germany and Japan, it considers the relative effectiveness of inter-cultural and intra-cultural knowledge transfer; identifies the factors that inhibit or facilitate successful knowledge transfer; and suggests how management processes of MNEs can be improved. It demonstrates that although cultural differences do not necessarily influence the selection and transmission of knowledge overseas, they do have a strong impact on how that knowledge is received, integrated and put into practice locally. </p><p>The book shows how knowledge is accepted differently in Europe and Asia and which factors have the strongest impact on efficient knowledge transfer. It suggests that to improve cross-cultural management MNEs should focus less on upgrading the technology that allows knowledge transfer, and more on the capabilities and beliefs of individual employees. </p> <p><strong>Part I. Theoretical Foundations of Knowledge Management and Transfer in Multinational Corporations </strong>1. The Nature of Knowledge 2. Managing Knowledge within Organizations 3. Western Knowledge Management and Japanese Knowledge Management 4. Knowledge Management in Multinational Corporations 5. Knowledge Transfer Across Cultures <strong>Part II. Research Question and Analysis </strong>6. The Research Project 7. Do Knowledge Transfer Processes Differ Between Cultures? 8. Is Knowledge Transfer Between Cultures Less Successful Than Knowledge Transfer within one Culture? 9. Which Factors Influence Cross-cultural Knowledge Transfer? <strong>Part III. Effectiveness of Cross-cultural Knowledge Transfer in Multinational Corporations </strong>10. How Successful is Cross-cultural Knowledge Transfer? 11. The Future of Knowledge Management in Multinational Corporations </p>