The study examines the relationship between project leadership styles and success when affected by pressures such as time, project type, complexity and cultural diversity. The research examines the two well-known leadership approaches of transformational- and transactional leadership, and argues that transactional leadership, which has less focus on the leader-follower relationship, is more suitable and successful in projects with limited time. The transformational leadership style, which has more focus on vision and relationship between the followers takes time to build, and is therefore more successful for long-term projects. In order to examine this, a questionnaire was developed and sent out to 56 project leaders around the world. Findings indicate that time in projects have a negative effect on project success, and that both transformational and transactional leadership style has a dampening effect on this negative relationship, hence increasing the success. Furthermore, the study finds strong correlation between the two leadership styles, indicating that these should not be seen as two different attitudes, as leaders can show behaviors from both the transformational and transactional leadership style, possibly explaining the similar dampening effect. No further significant moderating effects were found in the variables project type, complexity and the project’s cultural diversity.

<p>This dissertation investigates colonial and postcolonial practices of cultural representations in Namibia. The state sponsored Annual National Culture Festival in Namibia was studied with a specific focus on the Kavango Region in northeastern Namibia. I was particularly interested in how cultural representations are produced by the nation-state and local people in a post-colonial African context of nation-building and national reconciliation, by bringing visions of cosmopolitanism and modernity into critical dialogue with its colonial past. During the apartheid era, the South African administration encouraged the inhabitants of its &bdquo / Native Homelands‟ to engage in &bdquo / cultural‟ activities aimed at preserving their traditional cultures and fostering a sense of distinct cultural identity among each of Namibia‟s officially recognized &bdquo / ethnic groups‟. This policy was in line with the logic of South African colonial apartheid rule of Namibia, which relied upon the&nbsp / emphasis of ethnic differences, in order to support the idea that the territory was inhabited by a collection of &bdquo / tribes‟ requiring a central white government to oversee their development. The colonial administration resorted to concepts of &bdquo / tradition‟ and &bdquo / cultural heritage‟ in order to construct Africans as members of distinct, bounded communities (&bdquo / tribes‟) attached to specific&nbsp / localities or &bdquo / homelands‟. My central argument is that since Namibian independence in 1990, the postcolonial nation-state has placed emphasis on cultural pride in new ways, and on&nbsp / identifying characteristics of &bdquo / Namibian-ness‟. This has led to the institution of cultural festivals, which have since 1995 held all over the country with an expressed emphasis on the notion of &bdquo / Unity in&nbsp / Diversity‟. These cultural festivals are largely performances and cultural competitions that range from lang-arm dance, and &bdquo / traditional‟ dances, displays of &bdquo / traditional‟ foodstuffs and dramatized representations. The ethnographic study shows that while the performers represent diversity through dance and other forms of cultural exhibition, the importance of belonging to the nation and a&nbsp / larger constituency is simultaneously highlighted. However, as the study demonstrates, the festivals are also spaces where local populations engage in negotiations with the nation-state and contest regional forms of belonging. The study shows how a practice which was considered to be a &bdquo / colonial representation‟ of the &bdquo / other‟ has been reinvented with new meanings in postcolonial Namibia. The study demonstrates through an analysis of cultural representations such as song, dances and drama that the festival creates a space in which &bdquo / social interaction‟ takes place between participants, spectators and officials who organize the event as social capital of associational life.</p>

Comments and Discussions : Hideko SAKURAI (櫻井秀子)

The business environment has been changing as it becomes easier to interact acrossboundaries with globalisation. One of the key elements of globalisation is the culturaldiversity resulting from the cross-cultural and ethnic interactions between individuals.This constant growing globalisation challenges small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) to interact with different cultural backgrounds in their foreign markets and withtheir local staff. This cultural diversity can bring both positive and negative outcomes toSMEs depending on how they approach these challenges.The purpose of our research is to discover the contribution of cultural diversity in theinternationalisation process of a Swedish SME, named CodeMill and to understand howthis contribution is ensured by this particular SME. Our research focuses on two specificcriteria of cultural diversity, which are expressed as (1) the individual's internationalexperience as an employee and (2) the SME's social network abroad. Our studyprovides them with practical contributions presented in a final framework, whichexplains how to take advantage of cultural diversity to enhance the positive outcomes ofit and strengthen their internationalisation process.A qualitative case study was conducted with CodeMill, a locally based InformationTechnology (IT). They fulfilled the principal requirements in terms of employees andyearly turnover in order to be categorised as an SME. Conducting seven semi -structured interviews in total, with people from different hierarchical levels and spheresenabled us to gain insights on how matters relating to cultural diversity are handled inCodeMill. Secondary Data served to confirm information we received from theinterviews and functioned as an additional source of information.The study proposes a framework that has been revised from the analysis of ourempirical findings. This framework is positioned within the field of Cultural DiversityManagement in an internationalisation context. The gathered findings implicate that thelevel of informational diversity, which needs to be used with a high synergy level,determines the importance of the contribution of cultural diversity. This can be ensuredvia three key elements: leadership, research &amp; measurement, and follow-up. Thecompany’s Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), especially included the three investigateddimensions of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking proved to be applied inCodeMill. They were considered to have a positive influence on the internationalisationprocess of the company. CodeMill enhances its internationalisation process thanks to sixcompetitive advantages ensuing from its level of cultural diversity. However its socialnetwork hinders the opportunities to enter new markets. We found proof that CodeMillbenefits strongly from connections at an organisational level (e.g. partner companies,international customers); whilst an individual’s international experience, gathered fromliving abroad or just having personal international contacts, did not significantlycontribute to the firm’s internationalisation.

Vi lever idag i en allt mer globaliserad värld, vilket bidragit till ett mångkulturellt samhälle. Dagens organisationer står i och med detta inför utmaningen att anpassa sig. Utmaningen med mångfald är, att trots skillnader, lyckas samarbeta. Genom samspel och god kommunikation formas människan in i den sociala miljön på arbetsplatsen. Denna studie undersöker medarbetarnas attityder till och upplevelse av sin organisations kulturella mångfaldsarbete. Undersökningen är en kvantitativ studie som utfördes med hjälp av enkäter. Studieobjektet är en specifik enhet inom en internationell organisation, som är starkt styrt av sina gemensamma värderingar. Huvudresultatet visar på hög trivsel och en positiv attityd till att arbeta med mångfald, att mångfaldsplanen upplevs som bra och att medarbetarna uppskattar att arbeta i mångkulturella team. / Today we live in a more globalized world then ever before, which has lead to a multicultural society. Organizations today are now facing the challenge to adapt. The challenge with diversity is to cooperate despite our differences. Through interaction and good communication the individuals can adapt to the social environment in the organization. This study examines the employees’ attitudes towards and experience of their organization’s work with cultural diversity. The study is a quantitative survey that was conducted using questionnaires. The object of study is a specific unit within an international company, which is closely ruled by their common values. The main results shows high satisfaction at work and a positive attitude towards working with diversity, the diversity program is perceived as good and the employees enjoy working in multicultural teams.

Pirmajame darbo skyriuje pateikti teoriniai pagrindimai apie multikultūrines klases ir ugdymą jose. Plačiau aptarta multikultūrinio ugdymo samprata, ugdymo tikslai ir uždaviniai. Apžvelgtos pagrindinės (edukologinės ir psichologinės) nuostatos reikalingos dirbant multikultūrinės klasės aplinkoje. Atskleista kultūros ir globalizacijos daroma įtaka ugdymo procesui, mokytojo pasirengimas bei gebėjimas dirbti tarpkultūriškai mišriose klasėse. Praktinėje darbo dalyje aprašytas atliktas tyrimas ir gauti rezultatai. Tyrimo tikslas – išsiaiškinti mokytojų turimas žinias, patirtį bei gebėjimus apie multikultūrinį ugdymą bei darbą multikultūrinės klasės aplinkoje. Anketinės apklausos duomenys, kurioje dalyvavo 40 respondentų (mokytojų), atskleidė tai, jog svarbu tinkamai susipažinti bei panaudoti edukologines ir psichologines nuostatas ugdymo procese. Respondentai daugiausiai akcentavo mokinių kultūrinių skirtumų supratimą, pakantumą bei bendras vertybes išsaugant kultūrinę įvairovę. / The first part of my bachelor thesis overviews some theories of multicultural classes and educationing in them. In the paper work there are analyzed the conception, objectives, tasks and principles of multicultural education. Reviewed the main (educational and psychological) provisions as required for a multicultural working-class environment. My work reveals culture and globalization affects in the educational process. There are analyzed the teachers preparation and the ability to work intercultural in multicultural classes. The second part (practical) of the work describes the results of research. The main aim of research – to find out teacher‘s knowledge, experience, skills of multicultural education and working abilities at multicultural classroom. The survey of questionnaire, which was attended by 40 respondents (teachers), revealed that the important thing was to properly access and use educational and psychological provisions in educational process. Respondents emphasized the cultural diversity, understanding of student’s cultural differences and tolerance.

<p>This dissertation investigates colonial and postcolonial practices of cultural representations in Namibia. The state sponsored Annual National Culture Festival in Namibia was studied with a specific focus on the Kavango Region in northeastern Namibia. I was particularly interested in how cultural representations are produced by the nation-state and local people in a post-colonial African context of nation-building and national reconciliation, by bringing visions of cosmopolitanism and modernity into critical dialogue with its colonial past. During the apartheid era, the South African administration encouraged the inhabitants of its &bdquo / Native Homelands‟ to engage in &bdquo / cultural‟ activities aimed at preserving their traditional cultures and fostering a sense of distinct cultural identity among each of Namibia‟s officially recognized &bdquo / ethnic groups‟. This policy was in line with the logic of South African colonial apartheid rule of Namibia, which relied upon the&nbsp / emphasis of ethnic differences, in order to support the idea that the territory was inhabited by a collection of &bdquo / tribes‟ requiring a central white government to oversee their development. The colonial administration resorted to concepts of &bdquo / tradition‟ and &bdquo / cultural heritage‟ in order to construct Africans as members of distinct, bounded communities (&bdquo / tribes‟) attached to specific&nbsp / localities or &bdquo / homelands‟. My central argument is that since Namibian independence in 1990, the postcolonial nation-state has placed emphasis on cultural pride in new ways, and on&nbsp / identifying characteristics of &bdquo / Namibian-ness‟. This has led to the institution of cultural festivals, which have since 1995 held all over the country with an expressed emphasis on the notion of &bdquo / Unity in&nbsp / Diversity‟. These cultural festivals are largely performances and cultural competitions that range from lang-arm dance, and &bdquo / traditional‟ dances, displays of &bdquo / traditional‟ foodstuffs and dramatized representations. The ethnographic study shows that while the performers represent diversity through dance and other forms of cultural exhibition, the importance of belonging to the nation and a&nbsp / larger constituency is simultaneously highlighted. However, as the study demonstrates, the festivals are also spaces where local populations engage in negotiations with the nation-state and contest regional forms of belonging. The study shows how a practice which was considered to be a &bdquo / colonial representation‟ of the &bdquo / other‟ has been reinvented with new meanings in postcolonial Namibia. The study demonstrates through an analysis of cultural representations such as song, dances and drama that the festival creates a space in which &bdquo / social interaction‟ takes place between participants, spectators and officials who organize the event as social capital of associational life.</p>

This paper deals with Swedish B2B firms marketing activities in the culturally diverse Indian market, and what adaptations are made to meet the cultural diversity of India. The perception of cultural diversity in India is investigated from a Swedish B2B perspective. The findings were retrieved from three face to face interviews with equal number of respondents and firms; Roxtec, Norden Machinery and Gunnebo, three swedish B2B firms all established in India. The literature review is divided in two categories; Marketing and Culture, the former containing theory on relationship marketing and adaptation vs standardization when designing a marketing strategy, and the latter models of national culture as well as models on multicultural countries, with the models applied on India. The dimensions of culture that we found were most relevant in this paper were Power Distance and Perception of Time. The literature review is concluded with a conceptual framework containing our main concepts. The results from this study suggest that it is the managing of relationships with customers that are the most important part of marketing in India. It was also found that while India is characterized as a multicultural country, the way business is conducted and relationships managed are similar all over this vast country, leading us to suggest that a mutual Indian business culture exists.

As the technology develops, the communication infrastructure continues to innovate and increase competitiveness. For companies in a country such as Brazil, communicating virtually may be very beneficial in order to become more efficient, as well as more global. Due to today’s technological development and globalization, virtual teamwork has increased. For virtual teamwork to be successful, the importance of virtual leadership needs to be addressed by the organizations. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate leadership in a virtual context with focus on its effect on teamwork in culturally diverse teams. Furthermore, due to its emerging market and economic relevance, this study will examine virtual leaders of multinational companies in Brazil. From our dialogues we found that there is a lack of technological infrastructure, education, and positive attitude for virtual communication and virtual leadership within multinational companies in Brazil. Brazil as a country, as well as companies in Brazil, needs to provide opportunities and possibilities for excellent virtual communication and leadership. For instance, facetual communication and attication are important concepts on the way for companies of becoming virtualized.

Bakgrund: Sverige blir mer och mer ett mångkulturellt land, då många av världens länder är centrum för kulturell globalisering. Detta medför att en större andel av personer i vårt land som söker sig till hälso- och sjukvården har utländsk härkomst och därmed ett annat språk och kultur. För att kunna tillfredsställa dessa patienters grundläggande behov och leverera en individanpassad vård, behövs ökad kompetens kring kulturella skillnader och likheter. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa vårdpersonals erfarenheter av att vårda patienter med annan kulturell bakgrund. Metod: I litteraturstudien har tio kvalitativa empiriska studier sammanställts och analyserats genom en innehållsanalys på manifest nivå. Sökningar av artiklar gjordes i CINAHL, PubMed och Ebsco – alla databaser. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre huvudteman med totalt 13 underteman. De tre huvudtemana var (1) språkbarriärer, (2) kulturella hot och (3) vårdens bristande beredskap. Vårdpersonal upplever att språkförbistringar medför svårigheter inom vårdandet av patienter med annan kulturell bakgrund. Patienter med annan kulturell bakgrund upplevs ha starkare emotionella uttryck, mannen är överhuvudet i familjen och anhöriga upplevs av många som störande. Vårdpersonal önskar lättillgängliga hjälpmedel och utbildning för att kunna leverera transkulturell vård till patienter. Slutsats: Att vårda patienter från andra kulturer kan kräva mer tid på grund av olika barriärer som måste övervinnas och kulturkrockar som kan uppstå. Kulturell kompetens är en nödvändighet för att kunna utföra transkulturell omvårdnad, vilket handlar om ett holistiskt synsätt inom vårdandet. Kunskap behöver levereras till all sjukvårdspersonal inom alla instanser för utveckling av kulturell kompetens, men för att kunna ta till sig kunskapen är första steget att rannsaka sig själv, sina fördomar och värderingar om patienter från andra kulturer.