What is management?
Fredmund Malik (2014) found that “Management is a social function, that enables the organization to function”. However, he compared management with the English language and found that “Right and good English is around the world always the same”. An African employee of a Japan-based German automotive company however opposed this view. What happens when local staff members insist on their language and their way of making decisions? English changes from person to person and place to place, but even the most accurate Cambridge English in combination with good manners and respect cannot always help to manage organizations around the world effectively. There is much need to reflect what actually is intercultural management when conducting international management!
Who are managers?
Managers are those people who guide and organize an organization to be functional and profitable while solving problems and looking forward to new challenges and opportunities. People who are seen as successful managers at home are often sent by the headquarters to positions in overseas subsidiaries. It is not a myth that expatriate failure occurs when the cultural context and therefore the perspective on management and leadership changes. How can international managers optimize outcomes in a different cultural context? How can they build confidence among diverse team members? How can they produce cultural synergy? These are important questions that managers need to ask themselves when they wish to function properly as leaders in the intercultural workplace.
We look forward to providing consulting to those who wish to educate themselves to become right and good international managers.
