Yes / The largest influx of refugees since German unification has generated new challenges and opportunities in Germany’s society, culture, politics and economy. Theory advocates the advantages for international business of institutional change, migrations and integration. However, a negative public perception can conceal and inhibit resources and opportunities for German multinational enterprises. How did the attitude of Germany towards refugees change in 2015 and 2016? How did formal and informal German institutions react on the EU refugee crisis? How has this affected decision makers in German MNEs in terms of foreign market entry choices? How do German MNEs evaluate the long-term consequences of this crisis? This paper investigates in which ways the influx of refugees and migrants who arrived in Germany has affected the international business strategy of German MNEs. It is divided into two parts. Part One analyses the impact of this crisis on German culture, society, government, politics and economics and examines how it has been perceived and displayed. Part Two will further investigate how German MNEs are influenced by the migration context in Germany and Europe and how this affects their foreign market entry strategies in emerging economies.

Yes / The largest influx of refugees since German unification has generated new challenges and opportunities in Germany’s society, culture, politics and economy. Theory advocates the advantages for international business of institutional change, migrations and integration. However, a negative public perception can conceal and inhibit resources and opportunities for German multinational enterprises. How did the attitude of Germany towards refugees change in 2015 and 2016? How did formal and informal German institutions react on the EU refugee crisis? How has this affected decision makers in German MNEs in terms of foreign market entry choices? How do German MNEs evaluate the long-term consequences of this crisis? This paper investigates in which ways the influx of refugees and migrants who arrived in Germany has affected the international business strategy of German MNEs. It is divided into two parts. Part One analyses the impact of this crisis on German culture, society, government, politics and economics and examines how it has been perceived and displayed. Part Two will further investigate how German MNEs are influenced by the migration context in Germany and Europe and how this affects their foreign market entry strategies in emerging economies.

Cette recherche porte sur l’usage de l’altérité par le management des ressources humaines(MRH) dans les filiales de groupes multinationaux implantées en Chine. Elle s’intéresseautant à l’usage discursif de la prise en compte de l’Autre qu’à son effectivité. Elle recherchele sens des pratiques de management à partir d’entretiens menés sur six années entre 2005 et2010. La réflexion est complétée par une approche historique et des regards disciplinairescroisés sur les modes d’organisation des entreprises en Europe et en Amérique du Nordd’une part et en Chine d’autre part. Les résultats de l’analyse mettent en évidence les incohérences observées dans les pratiques de gestion : entre l’approche discursive sur l’altérité et la création d’une culture-fiction sur laChine, entre l’idéologie affichée d’un management interculturel éthique soucieux des différences culturelles et des pratiques de MRH élitistes et discriminatoires, entre un modèle de management universaliste exporté par les sièges et des organisations parallèles qui s’accompagnent de stratégies de dissimulation mises en place par les filiales, entreomniscience des sièges et volonté d’autonomie des filiales. La question centrale est celle des incohérences : sont-elles inhérentes au management ? La thèse montre une refondation possible du modèle managérial occidental par la confrontation des cultures. / This research concerns the use of alterity by Human Resources Management (HRM) in subsidiaries of multinational groups implanted in China. It is as interested in the discursive use of consideration of others as in its effectiveness. It looks for a sense of management practices from interviews carried out over six years between 2005 and 2010, and is completedby an historic approach and crossed disciplinary scrutiny of organization patterns of companies in Europe and in North America on the one hand and in China on the other hand. The results of these analysis bring certain incoherencies, observed in management practices, to light: between the discursive approach on alterity and the creation of a fictional cultureabout China; between the ideology displayed by an ethical and cross-cultural management worried about cultural differences and elitist, discriminatory MRH practices; between a model of universalist management imposed by headquarters and parallel organizations which carry with them dissimulation strategies organized by subsidiaries; and between the omniscience of headquarter and the desire of autonomy from subsidiaries. The main questionis the one of incoherencies: are they inherent to management? The thesis shows a possible refondation of a Western management model through this confrontation of cultures.

The globalization of economies and the technology development have both increased opportunities to businesses as well as challenges. Multicultural workforces and other values in the market compared with the home market lead to complexity in the management control when a business establishes abroad. Individuals’ nationalities impact their behaviors and values and it is the management’s task to coordinate the members’ activities in a way that is beneficial for the company. The banking industry is a knowledge-intensive industry, meaning the employee’s knowledge is the bank’s biggest resource. To create organizational knowledge, it is important that the knowledge is shared within the company. Effective knowledge sharing is hard to accomplish in a multicultural company since it is depending on communication between the employees which can be aggravated by cultural differences. The more distant the involved national cultures are, the harder it will be to achieve intercultural communication. The Swedish culture is very different from the Chinese culture. China’s economy has developed fast since it opened up to the world market in the 70’s. Today, several Swedish companies are established in China. The purpose with this study is to examine how the Chinese culture impacts Swedish knowledge-intensive companies established in China and to increase the understanding on how to overcome the cultural barriers that are affecting the managing of knowledge sharing. Cultural clashes can imply risk to a company if they affect the efficiency of the internal processes and must therefore be avoided. This field study was conducted in Shanghai, China at Swedish banks to see how they worked with the cultural differences. Interviews were made with staff of both Chinese and Nordic heritages to see how the cultural differences impacted their operations. The results showed that there are several cultural clashes that affect effective knowledge sharing processes within the companies. The management tries to implement the Swedish way of working in the branches, but the Chinese culture has a strong impact on the communication channels and it creates confusions and misunderstanding between the Nordic and Chinese employees. Cultural understanding and adjustment to the cultural conditions have been shown from earlier researches to reduce cultural clashes. This study supports those arguments by showing that a higher level of intercultural communication leads to increasing cultural understanding and a quicker adjustment to the organization’s way of working. The study also showed that the national culture’s impact on individual behavior was stronger to individuals that have had less foreign exchanges. The study contributes with suggestions of enlightening cultural differences more by formal meetings to increase the cultural understanding within the companies, as well as intercultural team works over department units should be implemented. / Globaliseringen och den tekniska utvecklingen på världsmarknaden har lett till ökade möjligheter för företag likväl som nya utmaningar. Styrningen av företag som expanderat till nya marknader har blivit mer komplex då arbetsstyrkan består av en mängd olika nationaliteter och omgivningen utgår från andra värderingar än hemmarknaden. Individers nationalitet påverkar deras beteenden och värderingar och det är ledningens uppgift att få de anställda att koordinera sina aktiviteter på ett sätt som bäst gynnar företaget. Banksektorn är en kunskapsintensiv industri, vars främsta resurs är de anställdas kunskap. För att skapa en hög kunskapsbas inom företaget är det viktigt att de anställda delar sin kunskap med andra. I ett multikulturellt företag är effektiv kunskapsöverföring svårare att uppnå eftersom kommunikationen mellan anställda påverkas av deras kulturella beteenden och värderingar. Uppdraget blir svårare ju mer de anställdas värderingar skiljer sig från varandra. Den svenska kulturen skiljer sig markant från den kinesiska. Kina är ett land vars ekonomi har fått ett uppsving efter att de öppnade upp gränserna för världsmarknaden på 70-talet. Idag finns det en mängd svenska företag etablerade i Kina. Syftet med examensarbetet är att förklara och öka kunskapen om hur den kinesiska kulturen påverkar svenska företag i Kina som har kunskap som främsta resurs. Kulturella skillnader kan innebära risker för ett företag ifall de påverkar effektiviteten av deras interna processer och kulturella konflikter måste därför undvikas. Examensarbetet utfördes således genom en fältstudie inom svenska banker etablerade i Shanghai, Kina. Intervjuer med personal av både nordiskt och kinesiskt ursprung gjordes för att ta reda på hur kulturella skillnader påverkade och hanterades inom företagen. Resultatet visade att det fanns flera skillnader som utgjorde barriärer för effektiv kunskapsöverföring inom företagen. Ledningen försöker implementera det svenska sättet att arbeta på inom bankerna, men den kinesiska kulturen har ett starkt grepp om hur kommunikationen genomförs och det skapar följaktligen missförstånd mellan nordiska och kinesiska kollegor. Kulturell förståelse och anpassning till kulturella villkor har av tidigare studier visats vara viktigt för att minimera kulturella konflikter. Det här examensarbetet stödjer de argumenten genom att påvisa att en högre mängd av interkulturell kommunikation leder till ökad förståelse för andra kulturers värderingar, vilket i sin tur leder till att de anställda har lättare att anpassa sig till organisationens sätt att arbeta. Studien visade även att påverkan av den kinesiska kulturen var starkare hos individer som hade haft mindre utbyte med nordiska kollegor. Examensarbetet förslår därför att kommunikationen av kulturella skillnader ska synliggöras mer genom formella möten samt att fler interkulturella grupparbeten över divisionsgränserna behöver implementeras för att ge de anställda insikt av kulturella effekter.

Nesta tese se estuda como empresas brasileiras e espanholas lidam com a diversidade humana em seu ambiente organizacional e se a microgestão de RH, ou seja, a gestão de pessoas e equipes com um sistema de voz, pode ser um componente significativo da gestão da diversidade. Esse objetivo de pesquisa advém da compreensão, obtida por meio do levantamento do estado da arte sobre esse tema, de que as ações organizacionais na diversidade podem não atender as demandas e expectativas dos trabalhadores, pois sua voz frequentemente não é ouvida a respeito dessa gestão. Para esse intento, o desenho metodológico firma-se na abordagem qualitativa, de natureza exploratória e sob o paradigma construtivista. Foram feitas entrevistas individuais e em grupo em três empresas, resultando em cinco unidades estudadas: uma brasileira e uma espanhola, do segmento de transporte público; e duas brasileiras e outra espanhola, do segmento de energia. Para o tratamento de dados recorreu-se à técnica de análise de conteúdo, suportados por observação assistemática e análise de documentos corporativos. Os resultados de pesquisa sugerem que a microgestão de RH pode colaborar para a efetividade de práticas organizacionais e, ainda, apontam para a necessidade da capacidade de escuta organizacional como componente de um sistema de voz que facilite o diálogo na empresa, por estimular a confiança e propiciar melhor clima de trabalho para as pessoas na organização. / This thesis explores how a sample of Brazilian and Spanish companies dealing with human diversity in its organizational environment and whether the Micro Human Resources Management (MHRM), or people and teams management with a voice system, might be a significant component of diversity management. The main goal of this research arises from understanding obtained through the research of the state of the art on this subject, that diversity related organizational actions can not meet the demands and expectations of employees mostly because, because their voices on the matter is hardly ever heard. To reach this goal a qualitative, exploratory research approach grounded on the constructivist paradigm was employed. Individual and group level interviews were conducted in three companies (five organizational units in total): two from the public transport segmentation (one Brazilian and one Spanish) and three from the energy segmentation (two Brazilian and one Spanish). Content analysis, document analysis and unsystematic observation were employed as a means to analyze the data collected/elicited. As a whole, the findings emerging from this research suggest that the MHRM can contribute to the effectiveness of diversity related organizational practices. They also point to the need for organizational listening skills as a key component of a voice system that might facilitate within-organizational dialogue, to stimulate confidence and provide a better working environment for organizational members.

Comment caractériser la culture organisationnelle d’une entreprise multinationale tout en prenant en compte l’impact des cultures nationales des pays où elle opère ? Telle est la problématique que nous traitons à partir de l’exemple du groupe Saint-Gobain. Nous nous appuyons sur la méthodologie préconisée par Schein dans une démarche apparentée à la Grounded Theory. Nous avons identifié trois dimensions fondamentales principales s’appuyant sur une quatrième dimension complémentaire : - La première dimension porte sur les relations entre les personnes qui se caractérisent par un respect de la personne, un esprit de collaboration, un souci de développement des personnes et un profond respect de la hiérarchie. Nous avons reprise l’image de la famille pour caractériser Saint-Gobain ;- La deuxième dimension est l’action et la relation au monde. Saint-Gobain se caractérise par son esprit d’entreprise, sa prudence et son souci de conformité, son innovation, son attachement à la décentralisation, sa culture industrielle, un sens émergent du client, et sa responsabilité sociale. Nous la caractérisons comme une communauté d’entrepreneurs solidaires et prudents ;- La troisième dimension est la relation au temps : un temps long, ancré dans l’histoire et marqué par la durabilité. Une quatrième dimension complémentaire apparait, relative au respect des cultures nationales et à la prégnance de la culture française Nos travaux confirment la pertinence de la méthodologie de Schein comme le modèle de gestion français caractérisé par d’Iribarne. Par ailleurs les trois dimensions fondamentales que nous avons identifiées rejoignent la typologie de Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars. / How to define the organizational culture of a multinational corporation whilst taking into account the impact of the local cultures of countries where it operates? This question introduces the problematic nature of our study focused on the Saint-Gobain Group. Our research is based on Schein’s methodology in an approach related to the Grounded Theory. We have identified three main fundamental dimensions supported by a complementary fourth dimension:- The first dimension concerns relations among people which can be characterized by respect for people, team spirit, a concern for peoples’ development and profound respect for the hierarchy. To represent Saint-Gobain, we used the metaphor of the family;- The second dimension is the action and relation towards the world. Saint-Gobain is characterized by its entrepreneurial spirit, its prudence and its concern for conformity, its innovation, its commitment to decentralization, its industrial culture, an emerging sense of the customer, and its social responsibility. We characterize it as a community of supportive and prudent entrepreneurs; - The third dimension is the relation to time: a long time carved in history and marked by sustainability.The fourth complementary dimension, in respect of national cultures and the importance of French culture, appears either explicitly or through the practices of leaders and managers who have shaped the organization over time. Our work allows us to validate the relevance of Schein’s methodology and to confirm the French management model characterized by d’Iribarne. Moreover, the three identified fundamental dimensions correspond with the typology of Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars

This dissertation investigates emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs)’s acquisitions of firms in developed economies (DE) through three distinctive but interrelated essays. Despite costs EMNEs must offset from the obvious cultural distance (CD) they encounter with limited exploitable advantages, EMNEs have continued to aggressively acquire firms in DE, suggesting there are ways for the EMNEs to effectively overcome CD. In Essay 1, using insights from the symbolic interaction paradigm in sociology, I developed the Dynamic Socio-Cultural Model (DSCM), to uncover the general process of cultural creation and change. At the core of the DSCM is the process of collective learning and adaptive interaction in every social system. Viewing EMNEs’ acquisitions in DE as a cultural event that leads to new shared cultural resources, DSCM shows culture is not as rigid as was typically conceptualized in the cross-cultural management literature. While the negative effect of CD may initially impede EMNEs, CD may be positively moderated by certain conditions of the involved cultures. In Essay 2, I extended DSCM and combined it with insights from the organizational learning literature to focus on EMNE’s choices of control mode and their performance implications. Performing event study and endogenous switching regression on 1157 EMNE’s acquisitions in 21 advanced economies, I found EMNEs have, on average, a positive post-acquisition performance. I also found being an EMNE from an emerging economy that underwent rapid industrialization and targeting a high-tech firm increases the probability for choosing a low-control mode. Moreover, EMNE acquirers choose control mode by strategically considering their unique characteristics to optimize performance. In Essay 3, using the same theoretical approach, I examined the target firms’ sources of value creation. Applying an event study on 167 acquisitions in North America made by EMNEs from 11 countries, I found EMNEs’ partial acquisitions in DE generate, on average, a positive target’s cumulative abnormal returns (CAR). There is also empirical support for several determinants of target’s value creation and moderation effects. In particular, I found target’s international experience attenuates the negative effect of CD on target CAR, while acquirer’s state-owned status exacerbates it. Overall, the three essays collectively contribute to research streams in EMNEs, seller’s view of M&A, and cultural change.

已開發國家有關海外直接投資活動的研究，自1960年代國際間海外直接投資活動如雨後春筍般出現才告展開。開發中國家的相關研究則在1980年代後期才開始，但仍屬少數。台灣地區的海外直接投資活動是從1980年代中期，投資環境惡化，生產成本上升後大量湧現。 　　本研究參酌Aharoni (1966)的投資決策階段，修正Larimo (1995)的決策過程模型，從行為學派的觀點來研究台商海外直接投資決策過程。經過八個個案的深入訪談，發現台商海外直接投資決策過程與行為學派過去結論相同者有下列四點： 　　一、投資動機為多重目的。 　　二、投資決策採可接受的原則。 　　三、實際決策時採單一去或不去的抉擇。 　　四、決策環境為動態，且非完全資訊下的理性抉擇過程。 　　而針對台灣廠商在海外直接投資過程中所表現出來的行為特色，則有下列兩點： 　　一、台商會策略性的運用合資夥伴促使投資案的順利進行。 　　二、母國政府政策在初步評估時對台商會有影響，但決策結果仍依實際效益而定。 　　在台商海外直接投資所遭遇到的跨文化管理上，本研究採Adler(1983)提出的Synergistic Research跨文化管理研究方法。實證發現，台商的跨文化管理問題多集中在人力資源管理問題上，這些問題可歸納為下列三類： 　　一、語言不同產生的溝通問題。 　　二、外派人員與當地合夥人或幹部相處合作問題。 　　三、民族性或文化差異造成政策推行的失效或差距。 　　台灣廠商在適應跨文化管理問題的過程及因應作為如下： 　　首先為了避免因與投資地主國文化不同而可能產生的管理問題，曾遭遇過跨文化管理問題的台商，會將文化差異程度列為選擇投資地主國的重要因素。 　　其次在跨文化管理作為上，海外初期營運是移植台灣母公司做法並因當地法規而略微修改。至於在當地勞工的管理上，則採「以夷制夷」方式，避免台籍幹部直接面對第一線的員工所可能因文化差異產生的管理問題。 　　在跨文化管理策略的形成上，台商目前傾向採本土化的「因地制宜」策略，並未有具體成形的「全球一致」策略。在適應過程中，台商會由文化衝突的經驗中學習，逐步修正其管理模式以配合雙方需求，並用於日後的投資案上。

This study is a comparative analysis of the level of high-involvement management (HIM) in a group of First Nations businesses in Saskatchewan and a matched sample group of non-Aboriginal businesses in Saskatchewan. The level of high-involvement management in the businesses was measured using an existing survey questionnaire based on one developed by Long (2001). This questionnaire is targeted to both managers and employees in each company. The researcher hypothesized that the level of high-involvement management in the First Nations businesses would be higher than that in the non-Aboriginal businesses. The rationale for this hypothesis was that the First Nations businesses would exhibit a cultural effect that would make the management of the businesses congruent with the traditional high-involvement organizational approach of the Plains Cree and Assiniboine First Nations in Saskatchewan prior to their confinement to reserves. This research has demonstrated that the management approach of First Nations companies is not more high-involvement oriented than a matched sample of non-Aboriginal businesses using a high-involvement management scale. Several techniques were utilized to try to identify a cultural effect. Means testing, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were all utilized to try to identify a cultural effect, all to no avail. Only when the data was analyzed based on various other dimensions were significant differences identified between First Nations and non-Aboriginal firms in terms of high-involvement management. Even in these cases, the differences are the opposite of that which was hypothesized for this study. In each of these cases, First Nations firms were significantly lower in high-involvement management than non-Aboriginal firms. Management and employee responses to the research instrument were shown not to be significantly different. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.

This study is a comparative analysis of the level of high-involvement management (HIM) in a group of First Nations businesses in Saskatchewan and a matched sample group of non-Aboriginal businesses in Saskatchewan. The level of high-involvement management in the businesses was measured using an existing survey questionnaire based on one developed by Long (2001). This questionnaire is targeted to both managers and employees in each company. The researcher hypothesized that the level of high-involvement management in the First Nations businesses would be higher than that in the non-Aboriginal businesses. The rationale for this hypothesis was that the First Nations businesses would exhibit a cultural effect that would make the management of the businesses congruent with the traditional high-involvement organizational approach of the Plains Cree and Assiniboine First Nations in Saskatchewan prior to their confinement to reserves. This research has demonstrated that the management approach of First Nations companies is not more high-involvement oriented than a matched sample of non-Aboriginal businesses using a high-involvement management scale. Several techniques were utilized to try to identify a cultural effect. Means testing, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were all utilized to try to identify a cultural effect, all to no avail. Only when the data was analyzed based on various other dimensions were significant differences identified between First Nations and non-Aboriginal firms in terms of high-involvement management. Even in these cases, the differences are the opposite of that which was hypothesized for this study. In each of these cases, First Nations firms were significantly lower in high-involvement management than non-Aboriginal firms. Management and employee responses to the research instrument were shown not to be significantly different. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.