This diploma thesis is focused on Czech-Scottish cultural standards at work environment. The main aim is to define Scottish cultural standards at work environment from the Czech point of view and to compare them with the theory. The thesis begins with the definition of culture, cultural dimensions introduced by G. Hofstede, F. Trompenaars and E. T. Hall and cultural standards by A. Thomas. It continues to the description of Scotland with its geography, history, language, economic situation and various systems in the society, such as the legal system, educational system, health care system, a role of the family and religion. Further, Scottish national identity, key values and traditions are identified and there are added some information about work in Scotland. The thesis then leads us onwards to the determination of eight cultural standards at work environment and six cultural standards connected with the daily life in Scotland based on the qualitative research. The standards concerning work environment are further compared with the theory. At the end of the thesis, there are provided some recommendations for Czechs who are going to work with Scots.

Nowadays, most of the countries in the world are getting more and more dependent on each other, both politically and economically. Along with that, cultural clash comes inevitably influencing are private lives and working environment. Multinational companies get the opportunity of using the potential of diverse cultural environment which is challenging the managers, and other employees, to increase their competencies. The goal of this thesis is to identify the Indian cultural standards from the Czech point of view and the Czech ones from the Indian point of view. The theory of the thesis is based on cultural models by Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars. The cultural standards are being identified by using the method of critical incidents where the selected respondents are being interviewed. The thesis analyses at which aspects the two examined cultures differ the most and how it influences the working environment and performance. The research results are compared to other theoretical models and the thesis provides recommendations on how to work with the identified standards in order to make the Indian-Czech cooperation as efficient as possible.

The aim of this thesis is to statistically determine the dependence rate of software piracy in the cultural foundation of the country and other factors. Data obtained from internet were the resources of my work. They were from the results of different surveys and case studies. The data contain values of individual indicators, each for a maximum number of countries. The nature of the collected data leads to the analysis of quantitative variables such were selected correct statistical methods. Dependence of the quantitative variables was measured by simple linear regression. The rate of this dependence determines the correlation analysis. In my case Spearman's correlation coefficient was used. Any dependence was investigated with a pair of indicators. In each of pairs was as the dependent variable rate of software piracy. For better understanding I have used the graphs. From my thesis, I expect evaluate past and current situation about software piracy in the Czech Republic and in the world, and that shows influences the amount of computer crime.

Tato diplomová práce pojednává o politických, ekonomických a především sociálně-kulturních aspektech, které mají vliv na mezinárodní obchod, organizace a marketing týkající se Ruské federace, jež jsou dány do kontextu zejména s Českou republikou (eventuálně jinými relevantními státy). Cílem mé práce je nalézt překážky v obchodu s Ruskou federací a způsob jakým je možné je překonat. Důraz primárního výzkumu mé práce bude kladen na interkulturní složku, konkrétně na rozdíly v organizačním chování a chování spotřebitele. Zaměřím se na specifický profil potenciálních účastníků v oblastech marketingu a obchodu. Zohledním také znalosti z nashromážděných dat o politicko-ekonomickém prostředí zemí. Použitím vybrané metodologie rozšířím teoretické podklady a sekundární výzkum o nové poznatky a v širším kontextu vyvodím závěry a návrhy pro optimalizaci bariér, kterým firmy jsou rozšiřující pole působnosti do Ruska vystaveny a jimž mohou čelit.

La présente thèse explore l’impact des différences culturelles au travail sur l’intégration et la santé des travailleurs étrangers. Les différences culturelles sont évaluées selon le concept de distance culturelle entre les dimensions culturelles identifiées par Hofstede, l’intégration selon le concept d’acculturation, et la santé selon le concept de santé psychologique au travail. Les ressources personnelles des immigrants (proactivité, optimisme et résilience) sont également étudiées. La recherche a été effectuée dans deux centres d’appels d’une importante coopérative financière québécoise. L’échantillon se compose de 100 immigrants de première génération de Montréal. Les résultats de l’étude mettent en avant les impacts significatifs mais modérés des différences culturelles sur la santé psychologique au travail, sur le style d’acculturation adopté au travail et sur l’importance des ressources personnelles (résilience) pour l’acculturation et la santé psychologique des travailleurs étrangers. De fortes différences culturelles engendreraient davantage de bien-être psychologique au travail et influenceraient l’adoption d’un style d’acculturation intégratif. La résilience serait aussi une ressource personnelle non négligeable pour la santé de l’immigrant. Ces résultats soulignent par ailleurs le rôle particulier de la sphère du travail pour les travailleurs étrangers, la documentation scientifique appuyant l’idée que le monde du travail aurait un impact significatif sur leur santé psychologique. Les limites de la recherche, des suggestions d’amélioration ainsi que des pistes d’actions sont également proposées. / This thesis focuses on the impact of cultural differences on foreign workers’ integration and health. Cultural differences are assessed using the concept of cultural distance between Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, integration using the concept of acculturation, and health using the concept of psychological health at work. The immigrants’ personal resources (proactivity, optimism and resilience) are also considered. The study was conducted in two call centers of a major financial cooperative in Quebec. The sample consists of 100 first generation immigrants in Montreal. The study’s results highlight the significant but moderate impacts of cultural differences on both the psychological health and the acculturation style at work, as well as the significant impact of personal resources (resilience) on foreign workers’ acculturation and psychological health at work. Strong cultural differences would generate greater psychological well-being at work and would engender the adoption of integrative acculturation style. Resilience stands out as a key personal resource for an immigrant’s health. The results further underline the particular role of the work sphere for foreign workers, with scientific literature supporting the idea that the workplace would have a significant impact on their psychological health. In addition to the above, a list of research limitations, recommendations for improvement and paths of action have been suggested.

As time progresses and compensation increases for CEOs, the need for information will be required to debate whether it is rational for CEOs to receive more pay in various forms. According to agency theory, CEOs have an intrinsic need to act in their self-interests, while the shareholder requires value creation and implements various safeguards to ensure that the CEOs do what they are expected to do. Therefore, corporate governance, which is a part of corporations' mechanisms, could be an act to minimise agency costs while forming the CEOs' compensation and controlling the work with various measures. Financial performance methods themselves, such as comparing revenue between years to control CEOs' work, are indeed essential to see if these could influence the CEOs' agenda.  There have been previous studies regarding CEO compensation and company growth. However, there is a lack of research made in Sweden, especially for listed companies on OMX Stockholm. This research found a relationship between CEO compensation and firm growth. Nonetheless, previous research has shown contradicting results. This thesis performed a panel data regression that includes 354 unique firms that formed the OMX Stockholm PI, an index on Nasdaq. The firms have been observed for seven years, creating a data set with approximately 2,500 observations.

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The aim of this thesis is to create an understanding about how and to what extent a Swedish expatriate manager needs to adapt his/her leadership in accordance with the culture of the host country. Thus shall different managers’ perceptions of experienced management overseas be studied. To accomplish our aim, three different problems have been designed. These are as follows: In what way does the manager’s earlier experiences and knowledge about expatriation affect her or his leadership in a new cross-cultural context? How does the culture of the host country affect the expatriate manager’s leadership? How does the expatriate manager handle contradictory demands: that is differences in expectations from subordinates and the higher management?   We have chosen to use an abductive approach in order to do a qualitative study and we have therefore conducted eight case studies to create a foundation for distinguishing patterns.The case studies are based on eight Swedish managers with experience from expatriation.   The theoretical framework is structured upon three main themes including; knowledge and skills a global leader needs to possess, the relation between the leader and subordinates, and contradictory demands. The theory is followed by a combined empirical data- and analysis chapter where we present our eight respondents, whom are then analyzed and interpreted based on the theory. In the empirical data- and analysis chapter the patterns we have been able to distinguish presented. The three main themes are consistently throughout this chapter.   The conclusion of the study is that a managers experiences and knowledges affects his or her leadership and perception of the culture in the host country. Furthermore, we can conclude that a Swedish leadership is applicable in an international context, and that contradictory demands are more distinct at home than in the host country. Finally we can summarize our study by stating that home is good, but overseas may be just as good. / Syftet med denna uppsats är att få en förståelse för hur och i vilken utsträckning en svensk utstationerad ledare behöver anpassa sig och sitt ledarskap efter kulturen i värdlandet. Följaktligen skall olika ledares uppfattningar om tidigare utlandsstationeringar undersökas. För att uppnå syftet med studien har vi utformat tre problemformuleringar. Studiens problemformuleringar är som följande; På vilket sätt påverkar ledarens tidigare erfarenheter och kunskaper rörande utlandsstationering hennes/hans ledarskap i ett nytt tvärkulturellt sammanhang? Hur påverkas en ledares ledarstil av kulturen i värdlandet? Hur hanterar utstationerade ledare motstridiga krav, det vill säga skillnader i förväntningar från medarbetarna och den högre ledningen?   Vidare har vi valt att använda oss av en abduktiv ansats för att genomföra en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi och tillämpat åtta fallstudier för att skapa underlag för att kunna urskilja mönster. Fallstudierna baseras på åtta svenska ledare med erfarenhet av utlandsstationering.   Den teoretiska referensramen är strukturerad efter tre huvudteman som innefattar; kunskaper och kompetenser en global ledare bör besitta, relationen mellan ledare och medarbetare, samt motstridiga krav.  Teorin följs av ett kombinerat empiri- och analysavsnitt där det redogörs för studiens åtta respondenter, som sedan analyseras och tolkas utifrån teorin.  I empiri- och analyskapitlet presenteras de mönster vi har kunnat urskilja. Studiens tre huvudteman är även genomgående för empiri- och analyskapitlet.   Studiens slutsats påvisar att en ledares tidigare erfarenheter och kunskaper påverkar dennes ledarskap och uppfattning av kulturen i värdlandet. Vidare kan vi konkludera att ett svenskt ledarskap är tillämpningsbart i en internationell kontext, samt att motstridiga krav är mer påtagliga på hemmaplan än i värdlandet. Avslutningsvis kan vi sammanfatta att hemma må vara bäst, men borta är nog minst lika bra.

I dagens alltmer teknologiska och globala samhälle, där marknadsföring och reklam inte längre är bundet till landsgränser, är det viktigare än någonsin förr att marknadsförare på internationella företag är medvetna om hur kulturella värden i reklam uppfattas av sin publik. Tidigare forskning indikerar att användningen av lokaliserad reklam i marknadsföring ofta är fördelaktig, eftersom bristande kulturell känslighet kan bli kostsam för internationella företag. Mot bakgrund av detta syftar denna studie till att utforska tankar, upplevelser och reflektioner kring McDonald's reklam som är anpassad för en svensk marknad. Då amerikanisering och homogenisering av kulturella värden länge varit ett aktuellt ämne, undersöker denna studie även svenskars uppfattningar av McDonald's inhemska, amerikanska reklam. Detta för att avgöra om spridningen av amerikanska värderingar har möjliggjort användningen av standardiserad reklam av internationella företag. Empirin samlades i denna studie in genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer utförda i två fokusgrupper. Fokusgrupperna bestod av åtta svenska individer som fick ta del av både svensk och amerikansk McDonald's-reklam och därefter delta i diskussioner om sina intryck och uppfattningar. Studiens resultat visade att den svenska publiken upplevde den amerikanska reklamen som främmande, opersonlig och överdrivet säljdriven. De kulturella skillnaderna och språkbarriären uppskattades inte av publiken då de hindrade relaterbarheten till innehållet. Däremot ansågs den amerikanska reklamen kunna vara attraktiv för en yngre generation.  Den svenska reklamen resonerade betydligt bättre med publiken. Den upplevdes som tilltalande och personlig och värderingar om ett gemensamt ansvar för naturen relaterade till publiken. Dock var publiken kritisk till huruvida budskapet i den svenska reklamen verkligen var autentiskt. De svenska värderingar som förmedlades i reklamfilmen ansågs vara tillgjorda och användas för att manipulera mottagaren till en mer positiv syn på företaget. Många av dessa resonemang kunde härledas till deras upplevelse av McDonald’s som företag och det starka bandet snabbmatskedjan ansågs ha till USA och amerikanska värderingar. En dissonans uppstod därmed mellan att värna om miljön och att konsumera snabbmat, då detta ledde till associationer om masskonsumtion.  Resultatet från denna studie understryker betydelsen av att anpassa reklam efter kulturella värderingar för internationella företag som vill lyckas på en global marknad. Studien belyser även de utmaningar marknadsförare på internationella företag står inför då anpassning efter lokala värderingar bör ske, men måste genomföras på ett sådant sätt som framstår som genuint för mottagaren samtidigt som värderingarna bör överensstämma med varumärket och dess lokala konnotationer. Produkten i sig och upplevelsen av varumärkets ursprung antas därmed spela in i hur publiken uppfattar de lokala anpassningarna, vilket utgör en viktig insikt för marknadsförare på en global marknad. / In today's increasingly technological and global society, where marketing and advertising are less and less bound by national borders, it is more important than ever for marketers at international companies to be aware of how cultural values in advertisements are perceived by their audience. Previous research indicates that the use of localized ads is often beneficial, as cultural insensitivity can be costly for international companies. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the opinions, experiences, and reflections regarding McDonald’s ads tailored for the Swedish market. Given the ongoing discussion about Americanization and the homogenization of cultural values, this study also examines Swedish audiences’ perceptions of McDonald’s domestic American advertisements to determine whether the spread of American values has facilitated the use of standardized advertising by international companies. The empirical data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in two separate focus groups. These focus groups consisted of eight Swedish participants who viewed both Swedish and American McDonald's advertisements and then discussed their impressions and perceptions. The study's results indicated that the Swedish audience perceived the American advertisements as unfamiliar, impersonal, and overly sales-driven. The cultural differences and language barriers were not well-received by the audience, rendering the advertisements unrelatable. However, the American McDonald's advertisements were viewed as more attractive to a younger generation. In contrast, the Swedish McDonald's advertisements resonated better with the Swedish audience, being perceived as more appealing and personal. The values of collective responsibility for the environment were seen as particularly relatable. However, the audience criticized the authenticity of the messages conveyed in the Swedish advertisements. They perceived the values depicted in the ads as contrived, aimed at manipulating viewers into holding a favorable opinion of the company. These viewpoints were primarily associated with their perception of McDonald’s as a corporation and its strong ties to the USA and American values. A discrepancy emerged between environmental concern and the consumption of fast food, leading to associations with mass consumption. The findings of this study underscore the significance of international companies adjusting their advertising to align with cultural values for success in the global market. Additionally, the study emphasizes the challenges faced by marketers at international companies, highlighting the necessity for adaptation to local values in a manner that appears authentic to viewers and resonates with the brand and its local connotations. Consequently, the product itself and perceptions of the brand's origin are presumed to influence how audiences perceive these localized adaptations, providing critical insights for marketers in a global market.

This study investigated the communication rules in the family structures of the Maasai and the Akamba cultures with the aim of comparing the core symbols emanating from the rules. The researcher used the qualitative design to identify and compare the communication rules of the rural Maasai of the Rift Valley Province and the rural Akamba of the Eastern Province of Kenya. The study focused on male and female adult individuals in family situations who were familiar with the traditional expectations of their cultures. Data was collected through focus group and in-depth interviews. From the data it was concluded that although the Maasai and the Akamba are from two different ethnic groups of Africa, namely the Nilo-Hamitic and Bantu respectively, the core symbols of their communication rules that are similar far outnumber those that are different. This phenomenon was noted when comparing the different levels of relationship within the family structures, namely, communication between spouses, communication between parents and children, and communication between siblings. One of the important findings of this study is that there are more similarities than differences in the cultures of the Maasai and the Akamba at family level. Therefore, the similarities of core symbols could imply that ethnic differences should not lead to the assumption that cultural practices will be significantly different. However, similar cultural practices or core symbols might not necessarily rule out conflict, as was indeed the case with the Maasai and the Akamba.Another finding was that the most outstanding core symbol in both cultures was respect, which was the fulcrum of most of the other core symbols in the communication rules. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)