In times of rapid economic development and internationalization of business, effective cross-cultural communication among managers remains a challenge. This thesis aims to research and analyze cross-cultural communication in business context based on qualitative case study of a small Swedish company and its international business partners. Previous research has focused on differences and similarities in people’s behaviour and ways of communication based on their cultural background. Through in-depth analysis and application of existing theories to the chosen case study company, the findings of this research demonstrated that although national culture does have an undeniable influence on people’s behaviour and their communication style, implications in communication between business partners of different cultural backgrounds often connected to an individual approach to cross-cultural communication. A great emphasis was placed on the language being one of the biggest communication challenges facing SMEs in international arena. Finally, misunderstandings occurring due to communication through technological devices were discussed.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Bakgrund: Bland det värsta som kan hända företag är att få en going-concern varning eftersom det är en signal till intressenter om att företag inte tros överleva under en längre tidsperiod. Tidigare studier har studerat effekterna av en going-concern varning för företags intressenter och på kortsikt vad som händer med företag. Det gör att vi vill studera hur företag agerar för att undvika konkurs och likvidation och därmed överleva going-concern varning. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att förklara hur företag agerar för att överleva en going-concern varning med fokus på kommunikation. Vi kommer därför att skapa en modell. Metod: Studien har en forskningsansats som är deduktiv där vi tar avstamp från resursberoende teorin, institutionell teori och attribution theory. Den empiriska datan är av kvantitativ art och är insamlad via enkätundersökning samt en dokumentstudie av årsredovisningar. Slutsats: Vi har kommit fram till att en going-concern varning är en kris för företag. Företagen behöver identifiera relevanta intressenter vid en going-concern varning på grund av begränsade resurser. Identifieringen sker genom att studera om företaget innehar främst attributen makt och brådskande men även attributet legitimitet. För att företagen ska behålla en god relation till sina intressenter vid krisen behövs allmän och specifik kommunikation. För att hantera en going-concern varning och minska de negativa effekterna kan företagen använda sig av primär och sekundär kriskommunikationsstrategier. / Background: One of the worst things that can happen to a business is to receive a going-concern warning. That is due to the fact that a going-concern warning is a signal to stakeholders concerning the matter that it is a risk that the business will not survive the next twelve months. Earlier studies have examined the effects of a going-concern warning on the businesses stakeholders and what happens to companies in the short term. That has made us want to examine how business leaders act to avoid bankruptcy and liquidation and therefore survive a going-concern warning. Purpose: The purpose of our study is to explain how business leaders act in order to survive a going-concern warning. The focus of the study will be on communication. To fulfill this purpose we will construct a model. Method: The study has a deductive research approach with a base in resource dependence theory, attribution theory and institutional theory. The empirical data is of a quantitative nature and is collected through survey and a document study of annual reports. Conclusion: We have come to the conclusion that receiving a going-concern warning will be experienced like a crisis by companies. Due to scarce resources companies will need to priorities their stakeholder in order to keep the ones relevant to the survival of the business. Business leaders will identify relevant stakeholder by examining the presence of power, legitimacy and urgency in stakeholder-manager relationships. Companies will in order to keep a good relationship with their stakeholders communicate though information channels directed towards the public and specific stakeholders. To reduce the effects of a going-concern warning companies will use primary and secondary crisis response strategies.

Thesis (M.Comp.Sc.)--University of Wollongong, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 66-72.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität zu Köln, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 553-603).

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The communication of the financial services group Sanlam was investigated to determine whether good communication plays a role in a company's successes. Communication in the company is fairly complex because Sanlam consists of various businesses that operate independently. Communication in Sanlam is nevertheless important, and the holding company as well as the businesses realise this. Sanlam's comprehensive communication with one of its most important target groups, namely shareholders and institutional investors, is proof of this. As Sanlam did not have shareholders until its listing in November 1998, communication with this group was not required before this date. Today it is extremely important to inform both the shareholders and analysts in detail about the company's financial results, activities and achievements to ensure success. Based on this information, analysts make deductions about the company and recommendations as to whether or not Sanlam shares are a good investment. Shareholders who have not been properly informed can therefore have a significant effect on the company's financial successes. There are a number of ways in which communication takes place with the various target groups inside and outside the company. Internal communication is regarded as important and internal newsletters, e-mail, television broadcasts and the Intranet are some of the tools used to inform staff. External communication also plays an important role. This includes, among other things, communication with shareholders and institutional investors, policyholders, the government and the general public. External communication mediums include, among other things, the main stream media as well as community press, the Sanlam Club magazine, letters, television broadcasts, the Internet, functions, corporate social involvement projects and sponsorships. As already mentioned, Sanlam consists of various businesses, of which Sanlam Personal Finance (SPF) is the largest. Communication in this business is discussed. SPF is responsible for its own internal as well as external communication and is mostly independent as far as this is concerned. SPF's means of communication and target market also differ from those of the Corporate Affairs department. From the study it is clear that Sanlam's communication plays a role in the company's successes. Although there is not always the required co-operation between the businesses and the holding company as far as communication is concerned, there is definitely the feeling that communication is important and that an effort should be made to ensure it is used to the company's advantage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die finansiëledienstegroep, Sanlam, se kommunikasie is ondersoek om vas te stelof goeie kommunikasie 'n rol in 'n maatskappy se sukses speel. Kommunikasie in die maatskappy is taamlik kompleks aangesien Sanlam uit verskillende besighede bestaan wat onafhanklik opereer. Kommunikasie is egter belangrik en die houermaatskappy sowel as die besighede besef dit. Sanlam se uitgebreide kommunikasie met een van sy belangrikste teikengroepe, naamlik aandeelhouers en institusionele beleggers, is 'n bewys hiervan. Tot en met die notering van die maatskappy in November 1998 het Sanlam nie aandeelhouers gehad nie en was kommunikasie met dié groep dus nie nodig nie. Vandag is dit uiters belangrik om aandeelhouers en analiste baie goed oor die maatskappy se finansiële resultate, sy doen en late en prestasies in te lig om sukses te verseker. Analiste maak na aanleiding van dié inligting afleidings oor die maatskappy en doen aanbevelings aan potensiële beleggers of dit 'n goeie belegging is om in Sanlam-aandele te belê of nie. Swak ingeligte aandeelhouers en analiste kan dus 'n wesenlike invloed op die maatskappy se finansiële suksesse hê. Daar is talle manier waarop met die verskillende teikengroepe binne en buite die maatskappy gekommunikeer word. Interne kommunikasie word as belangrik beskou en interne nuusbriewe, e-pos, televisie-uitsendings en die Intranet word onder meer gebruik om personeel in te lig. Eksterne kommunikasie speelook 'n belangrike rol. Dit sluit onder meer kommunikasie met aandeelhouers en institusionele beleggers, polishouers, die owerheid en die breë publiek in. Eksterne kommunikasiemediums sluit onder meer die hoofstroommedia sowel as die gemeenskapspers, die Sanlamklub-tydskrif, briewe, televisie-uitsendings, die Internet, onthale, korporatiewe maatskaplike betrokkenheidsprojekte en borgskappe in. Sanlam bestaan uit verskillende besighede waarvan Sanlam Persoonlike Finansies (SPF) die grootste is. Kommunikasie in dié besigheid word bespreek. SPF is verantwoordelik vir sy eie interne sowel as eksterne kommunikasie en tree in 'n groot mate onafhanklik op. Hulle manier van kommunikeer en hul teikenmark verskilook van dié van die afdeling Korporatiewe Aangeleenthede. Uit die studie is dit duidelik dat Sanlam se kommunikasie 'n rol speel in die maatskappy se suksesse. Hoewel daar nie altyd die nodige samewerking tussen die besighede en die houermaatskappy bestaan wat kommunikasie betref nie, is daar beslis 'n gevoel dat kommunikasie belangrik is en dat moeite gedoen moet word om te verseker dat dit tot die maatskappy se voordeel aangewend word.

This study identifies the need for intercultural business communication competence and contends that a course in this field is of particular relevance to South African organisations. The aim of this study is to identify, through needs analysis, the specific intercultural business communication requirements of lscor managers with regard to Japan. The requirements are identified in such a way that they may be used as the criteria for an intercultural business communication course. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the study. The results of the research indicate that managers generally lack knowledge of various communication aspects relating to Japan. Participants also indicated a high degree of culture shock in terms of specific intercultural factors. The findings of the study form the content topics around which a course in intercultural business communication may be developed. The relative value of the topics to specific managers is also identified. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:30:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodolpho Weishaupt.pdf: 1306770 bytes, checksum: dd28e28a25bbec69ecfd6dcfb23e90d8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-12-12 / This thesis will have a discussion about Communications as an instrument of business intelligence in a university environment. She will intend to demonstrate that Communications will add competitive advantage to the organizations that take part in the educational market. The present research will justify in theoretical references of the Science of Communications and of the Strategic Planning and the methodological procedures which includes, farther on the extensive bibliographic revision and documents analysis, the technique of participant observation, as the well the group activities of the study of Communications and Integration between the years of 2003 until 2005, that integrated the Strategic Planning of UMESP- Methodist University of São Paulo. At the end of the thesis, searched to construct a map the necessary conditions of communications to constitute effectively in the process of business intelligence, incorporating the Strategic Management of the organizations. We have to acknowledge that Business Communication still has to succeed in some challenges and some of them, necessarily, are not easy to overcome. It is essential to consider always that Business Communication doesn t flow in the empty space; it doesn t accomplish at the organization margin, but still is internally associated with a particular system of management, to one specific organizational culture, and it is a expression, therefore, of a tangible reali ty. In orderto the Business Communication to assume as strategic this condition will favored to the management, organizational culture as well as the adequate allocation of resources such as (people, technology, finance), without it doesn t become reality. Then, if these presupposed are not satisfied, it will be premature to conclude the character in the Strategic of Business Communication. Still, the communication will not be as strategic as in the only function of the work of more or less competent of the professionals of communications. There are some requirements, unfortunately, that we don t have control of them. In brief, this thesis will analyze three central questions. The first one, concerns the strategic concept. The second can be named ethos organizational which inserts the communicational practice. Finally, we study the basic conditions to the strategic communications that really prevails. / Esta tese trata da comunicação como instrumento de inteligência empresarial numa instituição de ensino superior. Ela pretende demonstrar que a comunicação agrega vantagem competitiva às organizações que atuam no mercado educacional. O presente trabalho se fundamenta em referenciais teóricos das ciências da Comunicação e de Planejamento Estratégico, e seus procedimentos metodológicos incluem, além de revisão bibliográfica extensiva e análise de documentos, a técnica da observação participante, com o acompanhamento das atividades do grupo de trabalho intitulado Comunicação e Integração entre os anos 2003 e 2005, que integrava o Planejamento Estratégico da UMESP Universidade Metodista de São Paulo. Ao final do trabalho, buscou-se mapear as condições necessárias para que a comunicação se constitua efetivamente num processo de inteligência empresarial, incorporando-se à gestão estratégica das organizações. Admitimos que a Comunicação Empresarial ainda tem de vencer alguns desafios e que eles, necessariamente, não são fáceis de serem superados. É necessário considerar sempre que a Comunicação Empresarial não flui no vazio, não se realiza à margem das organizações, mas está umbilicalmente associada a um particular sistema de gestão, a uma específica cultura organizacional e que é expressão, portanto, de uma realidade concreta. Para que a Comunicação Empresarial seja assumida como estratégica, essa condição deverá ser favorecida pela gestão, pela cultura e mesmo pela alocação adequada de recursos (humanos, tecnológicos e financeiros), pois sem os quais ela não se realiza. Logo, se estes pressupostos não estiverem devidamente satisfeitos, será prematuro concluir pelo caráter estratégico da Comunicação Empresarial. Mais ainda: a comunicação não será estratégica em função unicamente do trabalho mais ou menos competente dos profissionais de comunicação. Há exigências outras que, infelizmente, fogem ao seu controle. Em resumo, nesse trabalho são analisadas três questões centrais. A primeira delas diz respeito ao conceito de estratégia. A segunda refere-se ao chamado ethos organizacional em que se insere a prática comunicacional. Finalmente, são examinadas as condições básicas para que a comunicação estratégica realmente prevaleça.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Public Management In the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / Over the past few decades the study of intercultural communication has expanded to cover a diverse set of variables deriving from the concepts "communication" and "culture" and the combination of communication and culture. As is the case for the communication discipline itself, the study of intercultural communication is influenced by traditional disciplines such as anthropology, linguistics, philosophy, psychology and sociology (Chen & Starosta, 2005:13). The development of a global mindset has become pivotal for further human progress. This mindset can only result from intercommunication among diverse people (Chen & Starosta, 2005:4). Intercultural communication is essential to any organization or department as it is a process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds could lead them to interpret verbal and non-verbal signs differently. The purpose of this study was to devise a communication strategy which will address intercultural communication, specifically designed to assist managers dealing with intercultural differences. The core objective of this study was to establish whether the existing Communication Policy of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) adequately addresses intercultural communication in the work place and to verify the level of understanding of culture amongst employees of the DOJ&CD Western Cape Regional Office (WC RO) in order to determine whether a lack of cultural knowledge contributes to miscommunication in the department. In order to reach its objectives, the study employed a quantitative research approach whereby a non-probability sampling design in the form of a convenience sampling method was adopted and considered appropriate for this study, with specific reference to the DOJ&CD (WC RO). In terms of collecting the data, the study made use of structured questionnaires as a data collection method whereby questionnaires were administered and distributed to 85 employees of whom 70 participated. The results of the study reveal that cultural differences lead to misunderstandings, while lack of cultural knowledge is a major contributing factor of miscommunication within the DOJ&CD (WC RO). It is recommended that employees acquire knowledge about other cultures which will improve their understanding and reduce the chances of miscommunication in a multi-cultural environment to enhance intercultural communication and provide a harmonious working environment amongst employees of the DOJ&CD (WC RO) and the Public Service as a whole.

Thesis (MTech (Public Relations Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / This study was conducted to determine the extent to which strategic employee communication existed in Parliament of the Republic of South Africa during the period of transition. Its objectives were to test the communication skills of the parliamentary supervisors in various divisions; to investigate communication satisfaction amongst employees; to establish communication channels to get the message through, and to discover how often feedback was provided. This study sought to achieve the research objectives by using a quantitative research methodology in order to measure the level of communication skills. The researcher collected data using questionnaires as a measuring instrument in order to determine the levels of communication satisfaction. Questionnaires were distributed to 45 participants in all divisions irrespective of race, gender or age. The results of the study revealed that communication at Parliament needed to be aligned. It was also revealed that employees and supervisors were not familiar with the vision of the institution. It was recommended that Parliament needed to conduct SWOT analysis before bringing about any changes. Employees should be provided with communication skills training. Managers should pay serious attention to internal communication. There should be constant feedback regarding progress when a process of change is embarked upon. It was also recommended that Parliament, as the highest democratic institution in the country, should lead in putting strategic internal communication in place in order to set an example for other institutions.