Denna uppsats problematiserar huruvida en ledares kulturella bakgrund påverkar dennes arbete. I ett allt mer internationaliserat Europa ökar samarbeten mellan människor och företag över de nationella gränserna i en ökande takt. Detta ställer krav på de ledare som skall samarbeta och samordna över nationella och kulturella gränser. Denna studie problematiserar det interkulturella ledarskapet och hur ledare ställer sig till frågor angående anpassning och samarbete. Då det framgår av Hofstede att stora skillnader finns mellan Sverige och Frankrike syftar denna studie till att undersöka hur svenska- och franska ledares nationella och kulturella bakgrunder påverkar deras arbetsroll. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur svenska och franska ledares interkulturella erfarenheter påverkar deras arbetsroll. Intresset ligger i att undersöka ledarnas reflektioner kring kultur och ledarskap. En kvalitativ studie bestående av direktintervjuer med fem svenska och fem franska respondenter verksamma på ett internationellt företag både i Stockholm och Paris har genomförts för att samla empiri för att besvara syftet. De teorier som har använts är Hofstedes teori om kulturdimensioner och en teori från "The Michigan leadership studies" som beskrivs av Yukl. Studien använder även Scheins teori om kulturella nivåer. Studiens slutsatser som dragits av den empiriska datan är både ett flertal likheter och skillnader. Likheterna bestod av en gemensam uppfattning om att anpassning och förståelse för den andre är mycket viktigt vad gäller ledarskap i interkulturella situationer. Skillnaderna låg i maktdistans, konfliktsökande kontra konsensussökande och olika sätt att se på individualism. / This study investigates with how a leader's cultural background influences their work and approach to international affairs. In the presently increasing internationalization in Europe, cooperation and partnerships between people and enterprises become more and more common. This fact influence and put pressure on the leaders abilities to cooperate and manage relations and work over national and cultural borders. This study investigates the intercultural leadership and how leaders approach the issues of adaption and cooperation. Since Hofstede presents large differences between Sweden and France this study investigate how Swedish and French leaders' national and cultural backgrounds influence their profession as managers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how Swedish and French leaders' intercultural experiences influence their professions. This study's interest lays in the leaders reflections towards culture and leadership. In order to answer the thesis' purpose qualitative interviews has been conducted with five Swedish and five French senior managers or partners of an international enterprise in Stockholm and Paris. The theories used are Hofstede's cultural dimensions, a theory from "The Michigan leadership studies" presented by Yukl aswell as Schein's theory of cultural levels. The conclusions of the study are that there are multiple similarities and differences between the two studied countries. The similarities consist of a common opinion that adaption and understanding of the foreign is very important in international leadership. The differences between Sweden and France were the power distance, conflict avoidance versus mutual agreement and different approaches towards individualism. / Cette étude analyse la façon dont un chef de file d'un milieu culturel différend influe sur le travail et l'approche des affaires internationales. Dans l'actuelle internationalisation croissante en Europe, la coopération et les partenariats entre les personnes et les entreprises deviennent de plus en plus fréquentes. Ce fait influence et met pression sur les capacités des dirigeants à coopérer et à gérer les relations et la coopération sur les frontières nationales et culturelles. Cette étude enquête sur la façon dont les dirigeants de multinationales abordent les questions de l'adaptation et de la coopération. Puisque Hofstede a démontré de grandes différences entre la Suède et la France, cette étude vise à déterminer comment les différences de nationalité et de culture, influent sur le rôle de manager des dirigeants français et suédois. Le but de cette étude est d'examiner comment les expériences interculturelles de travail des dirigeants français et suédois ont une incidence sur leur rôle. L'intérêt réside dans la réflexion des dirigeants sur l'association entre la culture et le leadership. Une étude qualitative comprenant des entretiens directs avec cinq suédois et cinq français de cadre supérieur, ou partenaire d'une société internationale, basée à la fois à Stockholm et à Paris ont été menées afin de vérifié les théories. Les théories utilisées sont les dimensions culturelles de Hofstede, la théorie de la «direction des études Michigan", présenté par Yukl ainsi que la théorie culturel de Schein. La conclusion de l'étude est qu'il existe de nombreuses ressemblances et différences entre les deux pays étudiés. La similitude principale est que l'adaptation et la compréhension de l'étranger est très importante dans le domaine du leadership international. Les différences entre la Suède et la France portent sur la distance hiérarchique, les facteurs de différence culturelles et lindividualisme et le collectivisme.

Submitted by Régis Marcelo Sawitzki (regissawitzki@petrobras.com.br) on 2013-06-06T11:42:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação versão final ajustada 2013.06.05 - FINAL corrigida.pdf: 1804996 bytes, checksum: 07b8786948be3659945ebc2ecc7acee9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2013-06-11T14:07:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação versão final ajustada 2013.06.05 - FINAL corrigida.pdf: 1804996 bytes, checksum: 07b8786948be3659945ebc2ecc7acee9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2013-06-12T12:05:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação versão final ajustada 2013.06.05 - FINAL corrigida.pdf: 1804996 bytes, checksum: 07b8786948be3659945ebc2ecc7acee9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-12T12:05:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação versão final ajustada 2013.06.05 - FINAL corrigida.pdf: 1804996 bytes, checksum: 07b8786948be3659945ebc2ecc7acee9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-25 / This study investigated international strategies wi thin the scope of Petrobras' distribution operations. The investigation paid special attentio n to non-market processes and contexts in the realm of the strategies of this hybrid organiza tion in the oil product distribution industry by means of a critical perspective that promotes ap proximating management literature to the context of the emerging economies and debates about contemporary capitalism. The case study methodology was used to explore Petrobras' ex perience in getting established in the Paraguayan market, a process that got underway in 2 006. The research showed that Petrobras experiences constant tension between its technical side and its political counterpoint. It was found that this is a central dimension within the o rganization's international strategy. The study also showed that, at times, there is a lack a clear guidance from the government to Petrobras with respect to developing strategies and actions that favor political, geopolitical, social and economic development, both nationally an d regionally. The central importance of the economic or market side for the non-market side in contexts that deviate from the managerial capitalism assumptions and approach diff erent versions of state capitalism on a global scale was corroborated. The case study revea led that the distribution segment, despite being seen as less important by the management lite rature, has been of central importance in the new framework of Petrobras' international strat egy that seeks to enable the company's aims for legitimacy and territorialization in Latin America. The success of Petrobras' economic dimension in Paraguay, as well as the (geo )politics dimension, shows that it is possible to have balanced coexistence in state-mark et-company-(geo)politics aspects. The study showed that it is feasible to meet shareholde r expectations while maintaining beneficial relationships with a broad range of stakeholders. I nsofar as the geopolitical aspect is concerned, the case study determined that Petrobras ' presence and local management are aligned to Brazil's foreign policy objectives as re lated to Paraguay. Maintaining a healthy environment at the Brazilian borders remains a pivo tal goal for Brazil, and Petrobras' operations in Paraguay have contributed to this, pr omoting the broader development of the Guarani nation. / Esta pesquisa investigou estratégias internacionais no âmbito da distribuição da Petrobras. A investigação deu especial atenção a processos e contextos de não-mercado do âmbito de estratégias internacionais desta organização híbrida no setor de distribuição de derivados de petróleo por meio de uma perspectiva crítica que promove a aproximação da literatura de gestão ao contexto das economias emergentes e de debates acerca do capitalismo contemporâneo. Utilizou-se a metodologia de estudo de caso para explorar a experiência da Petrobras no seu estabelecimento no mercado paraguaio, com início no ano de 2006. A pesquisa mostrou que a Petrobras vive uma constante tensão entre seu lado técnico e seu contraponto político. Constatou-se que se trata de uma dimensão central no âmbito das estratégias internacionais da organização. A pesquisa mostrou que falta, em alguns momentos, uma orientação mais clara do governo para a Petrobras no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento de ações e estratégias que privilegiem aspectos políticos, geopolíticos, sociais e de desenvolvimento econômico nacional e regional. Corroborou-se a central importância do lado econômico ou de mercado para o lado do não-mercado em contextos que se afastam dos pressupostos do capitalismo gerencial e se aproximam de diferentes versões de capitalismo de estado em escala global. O estudo de caso revelou que o segmento de distribuição, apesar de ser visto como de menor importância pela literatura de gestão, tem sido de central importância no novo framework de estratégia internacional da Petrobras para viabilizar objetivos de legitimação e de territorialização da empresa na América Latina. O sucesso da dimensão econômica da Petrobras no Paraguai, assim como a dimensão de (geo)política, evidencia que é possível a coexistência equilibrada de aspectos estado-mercado-empresa-(geo)política. A pesquisa mostrou que é viável atender às expectativas dos shareholders, mantendo benéfico relacionamento com uma extensa gama de stakeholders. No aspecto geopolítico, o estudo de caso caracterizou que a presença e a gestão local da Petrobras estão alinhadas aos objetivos da política exterior do Brasil para o Paraguai. A manutenção de um ambiente saudável nas fronteiras brasileiras continua sendo um objetivo importante para o Brasil e a atuação da Petrobras no Paraguai tem colaborado para isso, fomentando o desenvolvimento ampliado do país guarani.

Dans le contexte des effets de la mondialisation sur une économie émergente, le travail de recherche présenté ici s’attache à démontrer le processus d’ouverture internationale du manager industriel indien. Face aux mutations auxquelles sont confrontées les entreprises de la dixième économie mondiale, il est à la fois l’acteur de l’internationalisation et l’objet des transformations induites par celle-ci. Une recherche empirique et qualitative menée dans des entreprises industrielles indiennes décrit et modélise cette ouverture internationale pour la catégorie des managers intermédiaires, par le biais d’un programme de formation supérieure en gestion international indien, qui sert de cas d’étude : le Post Graduate Diploma in Management for Exécutive – PGDMX- dont le modèle réfèrent est américain. S’appuyant sur une analyse réflexive du discours de managers indiens diplômés PGPMX, ce travail s’attache à s’interroger sur l’homogénéité des pratiques et des théories managériales vis-à-vis de la spécificité de la culture du management à l’indienne. La mobilisation des concepts de la théorie de la pratique de Pierre Bourdieu, conduit à porter son attention sur l’existence d’un habitus international, et d’un gain en capital symbolique, culturel et social pour le manager diplômé du PGPMX. Les résultats montrent aussi une tension entre les nouveaux principes managériaux et les valeurs ancrées dans la culture indienne, en même temps qu’un processus « d’indigénisation sociale » du diplôme. Ce travail s’adresse, certes, aux entreprises publiques indiennes et en particulier aux services RH sur la gestion des talents, mais aussi aux Ecoles de management en Inde et en Occident; ainsi qu'aux entrepreneurs étrangers qui souhaitent développer des activités en Inde, en mettant en évidence la force de la violence symbolique, liée à toute intrusion culturelle, et source de résistance de par la nature autonome de la tradition indienne, à la fois industrielle, culturelle, et humaine. / In the context of the effects of globalization on an emerging economy, the research presented here is aimed at demonstrating the process of internationalization of middle managers in Indian industrial enterprises, via advanced management training. These very large public enterprises are both, key actors engaged in deploying globalization effects, and the objects of those transformations. Based on empirical and qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews carried out in these large Indian industrial enterprises, what follows is a report describing and modeling the internationalization of a panel of former participants of a Post Graduated Diploma in Management for Executives (PGPMX), of American MBA inspiration. The originality of this research is to offer a reflexive report of the nature of this training, as the participants experienced it, and the consequences for them professionally and personally. This allows the investigation of the fit of managerial practices and theory as offered by business schools, using the US model vis-à-vis the managerial demands in Indian enterprises, wrapped in the specificities of the Indian culture. As an interpretative strategy, the data gathered from the extensive field work was treated in reference to the project of Pierre Bourdieu—with particular attention to the figure of habitus, and special focus on modifications of capital’—symbolic, cultural and social; Result show a gain in all three, and reveal a residual tension between the new management principles, and the traditional values. This research, should be of value for the Human Resource Development function of Indian Industrial Enterprises, and for the schools of management—both Indian and Western, that offer these training programs. It should also interest foreign enterprises that seek entry into the Indian market, by enabling a better comprehension of the ‘symbolic violence’, associated with the intrusion of foreign cultural practices and values.

[pt] Quando se trata de internacionalizar as marcas brasileiras, com frequência a modalidade de franquia é utilizada. Segundo a Associação Brasileira de Franquia (ABF), o país ocupava, em 2016, o sexto lugar no ranking mundial em relação ao número de franquias. A internacionalização de franquias é eficaz por meio de transferência de ativos intangíveis, tais como: o know how do franqueador, o reconhecimento da marca e a questão de existir um sistema de negócios pronto para o franqueado, sem requerer um investimento significativo do dono da marca para executar tal expansão. Por se tratar de uma sociedade em que as partes não possuem uma igualdade no poder decisório, esse tipo de sistema requer cooperação. O fluxo de informação só se concretiza quando há uma parceria, rede de relacionamento e alinhamento de estratégias e interesses. A partir dessa suposição, o estudo tem como objetivo investigar o papel do relacionamento entre franqueadores e franqueados no processo de internacionalização. Para tal, foi aplicada a metodologia de estudos de casos e três empresas franqueadoras internacionalizadas foram pesquisadas. Posteriormente, as informações foram comparadas com os modelos de Uppsala (1977 e 2009), usando como suporte a literatura de franquia. Identificou-se que tais empresas utilizam seus conhecimentos e suas redes para expandir seus negócios e, frequentemente, absorver informações de parceiros locais para melhorar o conhecimento de mercado e adaptar seus produtos ou serviços. O estudo contribui para entender melhor como o aspecto relacional favorece uma internacionalização bem-sucedida. / [en] When it comes to internationalizing Brazilian brands, the franchise mode is often used. According to the Brazilian Franchise Association (ABF), in 2016, the country was the sixth on the world ranking regarding the number of franchises. The internationalization of franchises is effective through the transfer of intangible assets, such as the franchisor s expertise, brand identification and a business system ready for the franchisee, which does not require a significant investment from the brand owner to implement an expansion. This is a partnership in which the partners do not have equal decision-power; therefore, this kind of system requires cooperation. The exchange of information is only achieved when there is a partnership, a network of relationship and an alignment of strategy and interests. Departing from this assumption, this study aimed to investigate the role of relationships between franchisors and franchisees in the internationalization process. To that end, the methodology of case studies was applied and three franchising firms that internationalized were investigated. Subsequently, the data was compared to the Uppsala models (1977 e 2009) using the franchise literature as an additional theoretical support. The study identified that such companies use their knowledge and their networks to expand their business and often to absorb information from local partners in order to improve market knowledge and adapt their products or services. This study helps to better understand how the relational aspect contributes to a successful internationalization.

This thesis is a socio-historical study which shows the correlation between the historically developed leadership culture of democracy and the leadership practice within the evangelical churches of Switzerland. After clarifying the theological understanding in the mutual relationship of leadership and culture, first the historical development of the Swiss leadership culture is described. This development is rooted in the cultural heritage of the Celts, the Romans and the Alemannen, as well as in the history of the Swiss-Confederation and the history of Christianity. In the light of this historically founded leadership culture, the study deals further with the present leadership situation of the evangelical churches. Central fundamental values of the Swiss-leadership-culture prove to be: No power to the individual, democratic right of co-determination, federalist freedom and the importance of achievement and work. The thesis concludes with an outlook on servant leadership as an up-to-date answer to the present Swiss leadership culture. / Practical Theology / MTH (PRACTICAL THEOLOGY)

Notre étude s’intéresse à la façon dont les entreprises multinationales utilisent et gèrent la mobilité internationale de leurs employés. Plus précisément, nous cherchions à déterminer l’importance que les entreprises multinationales accordent à leur stratégie internationale au moment de décider de la façon d’utiliser l’expatriation et de la gérer au moyen des programmes de mobilité internationale. Bien que l’objet principal de notre recherche soit d’observer l’influence de la stratégie internationale sur ces programmes, nous avons cherché également à identifier d’autres caractéristiques de chaque entreprise et de son environnement susceptibles de les influencer. Cette démarche nous a permis de déterminer si les entreprises multinationales qui adoptent des programmes de mobilité internationale similaires partagent une même orientation stratégique au niveau international ou plutôt d’autres caractéristiques. Notre étude, effectuée auprès de professionnels de la GRH responsables de la gestion de la mobilité internationale, visait, dans un premier temps, à identifier le type de stratégie internationale privilégiée par les entreprises, ainsi que l’approche de la gestion internationale des ressources humaines qu’elles favorisent. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons cherché à identifier le type de programme de mobilité internationale en place dans chaque entreprise à partir de l’analyse de leurs composantes (politiques et pratiques RH). Nous avons tiré deux conclusions principales de notre étude. Premièrement, la mobilité internationale, plus particulièrement l’expatriation, constitue toujours un important outil d’expansion et de survie des entreprises multinationales. Deuxièmement, les entreprises multinationales l’utilisent différemment en fonction de leurs objectifs stratégiques et la gèrent de façon très pragmatique, en tenant compte d’une panoplie de facteurs tels le nombre d’expatriés, la culture managériale de l’entreprise, les caractéristiques de leur secteur d’activité, leur expérience et les difficultés rencontrées en cours de route. / Our study looks at how multinational corporations use and manage the international mobility of their employees. More specifically, we sought to determine to which extent multinationals consider their international management strategy in deciding how to use the expatriation managed through international mobility programs. Although the main purpose of our research is to observe the influence of the international management strategy on these programs, we also sought to identify other characteristics of each firm and its environment that may influence them. Our study, conducted among HR professionals responsible for management of international mobility, intended, in a first step, to identify the type of international management strategy favored by firms and the approach to international management of human resources they lead to. In a second step, we sought to identify the type of international mobility program in place in each firm from the analysis of their components (HR policies and practices). We drew two main conclusions of our study. First, international mobility, especially expatriation, is still an important tool for growth and survival of multinational corporations. Second, multinational corporations use expatriation differently depending on their strategic objectives and manage it very pragmatically, taking into account a variety of factors including the number of expatriates, the managerial culture of the company, the characteristics of their industry, their experience and difficulties encountered during the journey.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T14:10:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Kelly Roman Pavan.pdf: 686760 bytes, checksum: 9e4d7320de89f48403d90cd657d1ea0c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-27 / The aim of this research is to identify what is the association between the institutional environment of the host country and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices of the subsidiaries of Brazilian multinationals. Institutional Theory is used to support the theoretical considerations once it addresses the association between institutional environment and strategy, and CSR is understood here as a component of the legitimating strategy of the subsidiaries of Brazilian multinationals. Multiple linear regression is the statistical technique used to proceed the analysis of secondary data. The data on the CSR practices concern the adoption of social and/or environmental certification; the contracts with certified suppliers; and the conduct of social and/or environmental training, by subsidiaries, with its suppliers and/or customers. The variables from the institutional environment analyzed are: the inefficiency of the legal system , press freedom , commitment to ethics , political stability , and efficiency of the infrastructure . The results show evidence of a positive association between the variables inefficiency of the legal system and efficiency of the infrastructure with the CSR practices of subsidiaries. There is evidence of a negative association between the commitment to ethics and the CSR practices of subsidiaries. Concluding remarks point out to contributions, limitations, and opportunities for future researches. / O objetivo desta dissertação é identificar qual é a associação entre o ambiente institucional do país de destino e as práticas de Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC) das subsidiárias de multinacionais brasileiras. Utiliza-se a Teoria Institucional para sustentar as considerações teóricas, uma vez que ela aborda a associação entre ambiente institucional e estratégia, sendo a RSC aqui compreendida como um componente da estratégia de legitimação das subsidiárias estrangeiras de multinacionais brasileiras. Utiliza-se a regressão linear múltipla como técnica estatística para a análise de dados secundários. Os dados sobre as práticas de RSC versam sobre a adoção de certificação social e/ou ambiental pelas subsidiárias; a contratação de fornecedores certificados; e a realização de treinamento social e/ou ambiental, pelas subsidiárias, com seus fornecedores e/ou clientes. As variáveis do ambiente institucional analisadas são: a ineficiência do sistema jurídico , a liberdade de imprensa , o compromisso com a ética , a estabilidade política e a eficiência da infraestrutura . Os resultados apresentam evidências de associação positiva entre as variáveis ineficiência do sistema jurídico e eficiência da infraestrutura e as práticas de RSC das subsidiárias. Há evidências de associação negativa entre o compromisso com a ética e as práticas de RSC das subsidiárias. Conclui-se esta dissertação com o apontamento de contribuições, limitações e oportunidades para pesquisas futuras.

近年來中國大陸以其廣大的市場及較低的人力成本優勢，成為外資及台商競相投資的市場，台灣各產業莫不以進入中國市場為營運發展的重要目標。國內生技製藥產業在這一波投資中國熱中，也嘗試從生產、銷售、行銷、代工及研發等不同面向切入，以掌握商機及尋求企業的永續經營與成長。 本論文著眼於研究台商生技製藥公司在進入中國大陸市場時，所選擇的海外直接投資之進入模式分析。並以John H. Dunning對外投資之折衷理論為研究架構，從「所有權優勢」、「區位優勢」及「內部化優勢」等構面，來分析台灣生技醫藥公司的中國市場進入模式。藉由國內生技製藥公司的企業訪談及上市櫃公司公開資訊的分析，以及次級資料與公開報導的整理，以瞭解台商生技製藥公司在大陸的直接投資進入模式及影響投資決策的關鍵因素及公司優勢。 本研究共訪談國內四家生技製藥公司。研究發現，生技製藥台商在中國市場的進入模式選擇，主要可能受到區位優勢決定因素的影響，而決定因素則可分為市場導向、資源取得導向及風險評估等三項。本研究將有助於瞭解國內生技製藥業，在中國進行跨國經營與投資的決策考量，並裨益國際企業領域及國際策略管理的理論與實務發展。 / Over the past years, China has attracted much investment from Taiwan companies and foreign companies due to its advantages of board markets and low-cost labors. Companies in Taiwan also set “enter China market “as a goal in their business planning. Upon this wave of “Invest China fever” , the domestic Biotech & pharmaceutical companies have no doubt approached their business target by entering China market through different operations, that is, production, sales, marketing, out-sourcing, and research & development, etc to catch the opportunities and sustainable growth of business The objectives of the study were to analyze the entry mode of China market Taiwan biotech & pharmaceutical companies have conducted their foreign direct investment (FDI). Based on the theory of the eclectic paradigm of FDI initiated by John H. Dunning as a research framework, from the perspectives of Ownership advantages, Location advantages, and Internalization advantages, the analysis for the entry mode of FDI and the Key factors as well as company advantages to affect the decision were employed to examine both the primary data and secondary data. Primary data consisted of the interviews of domestic pharmaceutical companies and the data statistics from the Market Observation Post System (Taiwan stock market). Meanwhile, secondary data was collected from the news and the reports of the journals, magazines, and the websites. Four Biotech-pharmaceutical companies were interviewed in this study. The result shows that Location advantages may be the major factors for FDI in China of Taiwan companies. The factors consist of market -oriented, resources -oriented, and risk assessment factors. This study will contribute the strategic considerations for Taiwan international companies that operate foreign Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical business in China. This study also suggests the strategy for the international business and international management both in theory and the practice.

Recent surveys of international business professionals indicate that foreign language abilities and cultural sensitivity are important competitive advantages in today's globalized economy. The current study interviewed 71 practicing global professionals currently working in cross border transactions in diverse fields. Biographic, demographic and second language data were collected, including information on experiences and opinions on the use and importance of foreign language and cultural awareness abilities in the professional world. Research questions include: (1) Who are the global professionals applying L2 abilities at work? (2) How do they apply these abilities? (3) What are the profiles of advanced and non-advanced proficiency users? (4) How important are linguistic abilities and how much of a competitive advantage do they represent? (5) What language strategies and communication strategies are used? (6) What are the most common beliefs on the role of foreign languages and culture awareness in business? (7) How well do intercultural communication models explain the culture views and experiences reported by working professionals? Results indicate that learners with self-reported advanced proficiency regularly apply the four language abilities (listening, reading, speaking and writing) at work, albeit in varying degrees, depending on the level of complexity of the task (phone, email, face-to-face meeting, etc.). For the majority of informants, foreign language and culture abilities are considered important for professional effectiveness. For those who reported advanced foreign language abilities, they also exhibited a greater appreciation for increased exposure to foreign language learning, had received more foreign language instruction, and had more experience working and living abroad. Those advanced in foreign language abilities were also more likely to be non-native speakers of English, have earned a university degree while using an L2, had family or community connections to the target language, have emigrated, or have a spouse with a different L1. The study also ranks and identifies the informants' strategies used to deal with language and culture issues. Participants' anecdotes were analyzed in light of current cultural analysis models applied in International Business Communications. Suggestions are presented for curricula changes to improve foreign language proficiency in professional settings. / text

Notre étude s’intéresse à la façon dont les entreprises multinationales utilisent et gèrent la mobilité internationale de leurs employés. Plus précisément, nous cherchions à déterminer l’importance que les entreprises multinationales accordent à leur stratégie internationale au moment de décider de la façon d’utiliser l’expatriation et de la gérer au moyen des programmes de mobilité internationale. Bien que l’objet principal de notre recherche soit d’observer l’influence de la stratégie internationale sur ces programmes, nous avons cherché également à identifier d’autres caractéristiques de chaque entreprise et de son environnement susceptibles de les influencer. Cette démarche nous a permis de déterminer si les entreprises multinationales qui adoptent des programmes de mobilité internationale similaires partagent une même orientation stratégique au niveau international ou plutôt d’autres caractéristiques. Notre étude, effectuée auprès de professionnels de la GRH responsables de la gestion de la mobilité internationale, visait, dans un premier temps, à identifier le type de stratégie internationale privilégiée par les entreprises, ainsi que l’approche de la gestion internationale des ressources humaines qu’elles favorisent. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons cherché à identifier le type de programme de mobilité internationale en place dans chaque entreprise à partir de l’analyse de leurs composantes (politiques et pratiques RH). Nous avons tiré deux conclusions principales de notre étude. Premièrement, la mobilité internationale, plus particulièrement l’expatriation, constitue toujours un important outil d’expansion et de survie des entreprises multinationales. Deuxièmement, les entreprises multinationales l’utilisent différemment en fonction de leurs objectifs stratégiques et la gèrent de façon très pragmatique, en tenant compte d’une panoplie de facteurs tels le nombre d’expatriés, la culture managériale de l’entreprise, les caractéristiques de leur secteur d’activité, leur expérience et les difficultés rencontrées en cours de route. / Our study looks at how multinational corporations use and manage the international mobility of their employees. More specifically, we sought to determine to which extent multinationals consider their international management strategy in deciding how to use the expatriation managed through international mobility programs. Although the main purpose of our research is to observe the influence of the international management strategy on these programs, we also sought to identify other characteristics of each firm and its environment that may influence them. Our study, conducted among HR professionals responsible for management of international mobility, intended, in a first step, to identify the type of international management strategy favored by firms and the approach to international management of human resources they lead to. In a second step, we sought to identify the type of international mobility program in place in each firm from the analysis of their components (HR policies and practices). We drew two main conclusions of our study. First, international mobility, especially expatriation, is still an important tool for growth and survival of multinational corporations. Second, multinational corporations use expatriation differently depending on their strategic objectives and manage it very pragmatically, taking into account a variety of factors including the number of expatriates, the managerial culture of the company, the characteristics of their industry, their experience and difficulties encountered during the journey.