Cultural intelligence: German expatriates as managers in Portugal

• Autor(a) principal: Roehl, Carolin
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/29158
• topic: Cultural intelligence; Intercultural management; Cultural training; Expatriates; Internationalization

Culture’s complexity is so intricate that the word remains without a universal definition. Its undoubtable global importance has produced various definitions and classifications. Simultaneously, migration and facilitated mobility have resulted in an increase of business internationalization and cultural diffusion, leading to the necessity for intercultural management. As companies choose from different internationalization strategies their teams’ cultural diversity intensifies. For individuals in managerial positions, globalization has reinforced contact with foreign cultures and provided opportunities to be assigned to projects abroad. Expatriates encounter additional challenges on international assignments varying from differently oriented work forces to building a new life in a foreign country. The organization has to select the most appropriate candidates, prepare them expediently, and support them throughout all stages of the expatriation process. After surveying literature on the issue in general, an exploratory study of German project managers in Portugal is conducted. Current understandings of Germany’s and Portugal’s national cultures are summarized, and potential conflict factors determined. German expatriates were questioned in the form of a survey and interviewed about their work environment and private adjustment to Portuguese culture. Performanceorientation and assertive culture on the managers’ side and relationship-focus and the desire for harmony on the employees’ side have triggered difficulties with work tasks. Differences related to the cultural dimension collectivism versus individualism complicated the expatriates’ adjustment to the local culture.