Corporate culture in modern business: types, levels and best examples. Russian business culture The concept of corporate culture: main elements, functions

The success of a company's international business largely depends on a better understanding of the partner's business culture. Knowing the characteristics of this culture makes it easy to navigate communication situations, optimize relationships with partners, determine to what extent a global approach can be applied and in which cases adaptation to the culture is necessary. In ch. 14 we will consider the content of the concepts “business culture”, “corporate social responsibility” and reveal their characteristic features for individual countries and regions. In international business today, social and ethical activities are becoming increasingly important, which is due to a number of factors that will be outlined in this chapter.

The concept of business culture and the importance of cross-cultural differences in international business

Business culture is a set of stable forms social interaction, enshrined in the norms and values, forms and methods of communication between employees within the company and in the company’s relations with outside world. Its essence lies in compliance with the “rules of the game” accepted in business interaction. In relation to representatives of a certain country, business culture can be defined as a system of values ​​and norms formed within national borders, which are the basis commercial activities and shaping the behavior of people and companies in a given country.

Business culture, being a multidimensional system of learned behavior characteristic of representatives of a particular society, covers various areas. When studying national business cultures, the most important are: language and education, social values and relationships, social institutions, religion and material culture. These elements are found in any society, but their manifestation in a particular country and, therefore, the impact on the conduct of international business with its representatives may be unique.

The interaction of national business cultures is relevant for the negotiation process when exporting and importing goods (services), when investing abroad, when concluding foreign economic contracts, for the communication process within a joint venture or a branch with multinational staff. Managers planning and implementing international entrepreneurial activity, must evaluate the role that business culture plays in negotiations, in the ways of entering the market of another country, in day-to-day decisions related to the implementation of forms of economic cooperation. The influence of the cultural factor increases when moving to deeper stages of a company’s internationalization: the more mature the stage, the more more significant role culture as a factor that matters in international business.

Business culture, on the one hand, is conservative, and on the other hand, when cultures come into contact, borrowing, interpenetration and the formation of its universal characteristics are observed. World practice has many examples when a company, making a decision to engage in international business, looks for markets similar to the domestic one. The maximum similarity of cultural values ​​corresponds to a lower degree of uncertainty and, accordingly, the absence of the need to adapt to the business culture.

Π. II. Shikhirev, characterizing the “prospect for the development of international business interaction,” rightly believed that it “lies on the path from the clash of cultures to the formation, but rather to the identification and strengthening of the foundation of a unified international business culture on their universal moral basis. In other words, attention should not be paid only on what distinguishes people, but also on what unites them." The purpose of studying the business culture of a country that is a business partner is to understand a foreign culture, but not to strictly adhere to absolutely all the norms and requirements for the behavior of their representatives. Otherwise, the emergence of anecdotal situations cannot be ruled out when both partners behave as if they were representatives of a different culture.

The company’s deepening involvement in international business and the complication of forms of economic cooperation create additional needs for personnel training, including intercultural communication and negotiation skills.

Thinking for yourself

A well-known researcher of Russian culture, Academician D. S. Likhachev believed that Russia lies at the crossroads of cultures, “includes the cultures of a dozen other peoples and has long been associated with neighboring cultures - Scandinavia, Byzantium, southern and western Slavs, Germany, Italy, peoples East and Caucasus". This feature Russian culture provides the opportunity to easily find ways to communicate with representatives of different countries and nationalities.

Give examples of what can be found in common between Russian culture and the characteristics of Eastern and Western culture.

Let's look at the most important elements and characteristics business culture.

One of the most important elements of business culture is language. In company with representatives different cultures(eg in a joint venture) language barriers can lead to inconsistency and, more broadly, a lack of “team spirit”. In recent decades, English has often played the role of an international language in business. The younger generation of managers from various countries speaks it quite well. However, the saying is true: “You can buy in English, but it’s hard to sell.” In this regard, it is recommended to make an effort to know your partner’s language.

As we have already discussed in Chap. 3, according to E. Hall’s classification, culture can be divided into two types: high context culture and low context culture. For example, a high-context culture is characterized by the fact that not all information is formulated verbatim; some must be read between the lines. Its essence is highlighted in the statement: “Ten times more is understood than is said.” IN business communication What is behind what is said is of great importance.

Nonverbal language includes time, place, patterns of friendship and business agreements. Each national business culture has its own perception of time. High-context cultures emphasize personal relationships and trust while avoiding being overly competitive. Achieving the required level of mutual understanding may take considerable time.

An important component of non-verbal language is gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, etc. There are a number of differences in business cultures that are recommended to be aware of, since misinterpretation of any of these signals has serious consequences for international business.

There are different classifications of national business cultures based on the dominant values ​​that underlie the classifications. Researchers identify several dozen parameters by which national cultures are compared.

To assess the characteristics of national business cultures and, ultimately, the prospects for their interaction, possible conflicts and to develop appropriate resolution methods, G. Hofstede’s classification is widely used. For example, “collectivism” in business culture manifests itself in the role of the group in the decision-making process. In this regard, collectivism has such advantages as collective experience, attraction and discussion of more opinions and ideas. However, it leads to less initiative, more risky decisions in the absence of detailed elaboration of issues and consolidated responsibility for the proposed solution. “Uncertainty avoidance” characterizes the degree to which representatives of a given culture work by rules, prefer structured situations, and are less willing to make risky decisions. A high value of the “power distance” indicator shows an uneven distribution of power and an authoritarian management style. In countries with high degree“masculinity” values ​​the attitude towards work as the main goal of life.

The parameters of pairs of cultural values ​​of the Tromperaars-Hampden-Turner classification partially overlap with the classification of G. Hofstede (see Chapter 3) and complement it. But they do not cover all aspects of business culture. There are other classifications. Among the additional parameters by which cultures are compared are the attitude to material goods and remuneration, free time, the structure of decision-making, the hierarchy of business relations, etc. The business culture of countries is distinguished by the degree of “materialism”, how much priority is given to material values ​​compared to spiritual values . R.D. Lewis, when compiling generalized profiles of national business cultures, identified monoactive cultures, whose representatives consistently organize their life activities (USA, Germany); polyactive cultures, where they can do several things at the same time (countries Latin America); reactive cultures, where activities are organized depending on the changing context in response to change (Japan).

Business culture is clearly manifested in business communication. When negotiating in international business, knowledge of the national style of negotiations can help to understand approaches to forming a delegation at negotiations, the specifics of the decision-making mechanism, the degree of delegation of authority, etc. Knowledge of the national specifics of negotiations will help to avoid perception errors and make a more favorable impression on the partner, establish them long-term partnerships. Among the most pronounced national negotiation styles there are Western, Eastern, Arab and Latin American. At the same time, representatives of specific countries may also have their own characteristics in business communication.

Practice issues

American style of negotiation. Representatives of this style differ high professionalism, competence. The negotiating delegation is small in number and has significant powers. Americans are characterized by a direct and informal tone, quick introductions, openness, sociability and friendliness (but often insincere). Status is considered relatively unimportant, the main thing is professionalism. When negotiating, Americans persistently realize their goals, use bargaining, and, in the event of an unfavorable position, link various issues into one “package” to balance the interests of the parties. They are able to make quick decisions and expect the same from their partner. In the decision-making process, they quickly get to the point, value directness, and attach importance to consistent discussion of issues and tangible progress. Risk-taking is highly valued in US business culture. A multi-page, detailed contract is typical, including the rights and obligations of the parties.

Japanese style of negotiation. The negotiation process of Japanese companies varies in length. They need time to clarify issues, achieve consensus within the delegation, and agree with other departments of the company and with management. At the same time, the Japanese are known for their punctuality. The Japanese prefer to know who they are dealing with; personal friendship and mutual trust can become a decisive factor in choosing a business partner. Social events greatly contribute to the establishment of personal relationships. Among the features of the Japanese mentality is the priority of group values. For the Japanese, maintaining relationships is a top priority; they try not to enter into open conflict and disputes. In such situations, they either avoid discussing the issue or use a mediator. The Japanese pay attention to the status-hierarchical aspect of business relations.

By making greater efforts to exploit the similarities found in business cultures, seeking to understand cross-cultural differences and, where necessary, finding ways to overcome the problems they cause, all of these actions can help reduce the impact of cultural barriers in international business development.

However, a distinction should be made between national business culture and corporate culture. The latter is formed by the company, determines the characteristics of its activities and, unlike business culture, the corporate culture of an international company may not coincide with the national culture. Business culture greatly influences the success of a company in a foreign market. All efforts to internationalize a business will fail if the company's corporate culture does not take into account the culture of the chosen country.

Every company has its own business culture. It is the sum of all the beliefs, ways of thinking, values ​​and norms on the basis of which a company's employees make their decisions. Corporate culture the company is formed after the founding of the company during its development. Its main task is to carry out the internal integration of all employees and successfully operate in its markets.

Corporate culture can be described based on the following characteristics:

It is influenced by the culture of the company's country of origin. Historical events, overcoming difficulties and large personalities also remain in the memory and shape certain ways of thinking and acting of its employees.

This is the result of the interaction of many people. It is the basis for the actions of all employees of the company, since everyone shares it.

She is individual. Each company has its own, unique culture.

It can be studied. During their work in the company, employees adopt the basic values, types of thinking and behavior characteristic of this company.

It materializes in the form of values ​​that are distributed as information, in material indicators of status, the architecture of the company building, logo, and branded publications.

Corporate culture determines the decisions and actions of company employees. The content of corporate culture can be explained on the basis of Schein's model. The model consists of three levels, between which there are close relationships.

First level includes a worldview that guides a person's actions and thinking. Based on worldview, a person has certain ideas about himself. In individualistic cultures, employees strive to achieve their own goals and interests and say what they think. They evaluate their personality based on comparisons of themselves with others. In collectivist cultures, employees perceive themselves as public figures. They obey the group, behave according to rules that promote the development of the group, and try to understand the needs of their colleagues.

Second level formulate specific ideas about the values ​​and norms of behavior that the employee uses in everyday work. In a generalized form, corporate culture can be understood as a value system on the basis of which the workforce operates. Values ​​represent collective beliefs about the importance and obligation of certain principles when organizing joint work and life together in a company. Values ​​set a perceptual filter (channel) for all employees through which they perceive reality, and thereby create the cultural identity of the company.

Third level represent symbols, legends, rituals and behaviors. Their task is to show examples from real life relatively abstract norms and values. They can be used to convey values ​​and norms to new employees. Corporate culture presupposes "leaders", i.e. individuals who are guidelines and examples for employees.

Practice issues

Robert Bosch, founder of the German company Bosch, I placed a paperclip on the floor near the future workplace of the new employee in advance. After meeting him, R. Bosch would pick up a paperclip and ask what he had done. When the employee replied: “You picked up a paper clip,” R. Bosch corrected: “No, I picked up the money.” In this way, he taught a lesson in frugality and demonstrated one of the central values ​​of his company.

The company's success is foreign markets depends, as Shane's model shows, not only on understanding the company's own culture, but on understanding other business cultures. Corporate culture should always be considered in relation to surrounding cultures. Here it is necessary to distinguish between culture at the macro and micro levels.

Towards culture at the macro level This includes global culture, country culture, and industry culture. Global culture includes basic ideas and types of human behavior as basic rules of communication, universal human norms and ways of resolving conflicts. In every country there are certain formulas education, decision making and communication.

They are based on the culture of the country, which is transmitted in the process of socialization to any of its citizens and thereby forms part of the corporate culture of the company. It is obvious that there are differences between the corporate cultures of companies in different countries. Problems in internationalization arise when there are great cultural differences between countries, when a company operates in a foreign market on the basis of its national culture and is not able to adapt to the culture of the foreign market.

Practice issues

When a German company Daimler-Benz and an American company Chrysler decided to merge in 1998, it was similar to the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana - an old luxury German brand asked for the hand of a beautiful bride from the new world. It was a “fairytale wedding”, on the very first day after the announcement of a possible merger of the companies. Chrysler rose by 17.8%, and shares of the German company - by 8%. As a result of the merger, the share price of the new company DaimlerChrysler in January 1999 it reached a high of $108 per share. The Germans then tried to reorganize the company Chrysler not understanding the essence of American business culture, although they spoke English. As a result, in December 2000 the stock price DaimlerCrysler decreased by more than half. According to Manfred Gentz, CFO DaimlerCrysler the main reason was the problem of cultural differences.

As a result, the alliance of the two automakers did not live up to the expectations placed on it, and it became clear that the possible synergy between the two companies had been exhausted. In August 2007, the unprofitable US division Chrysler was sold to an investment fund Cerberus Capital Management from the USA, and the concern itself DaimlerChrysler AG renamed to Daimler AC .

Towards culture at the micro level refers to the culture of individual divisions of the company (company subcultures). In international business, a company must take into account all levels of culture. How successful it will be depends primarily on the stage of internationalization of the company. There are three approaches to the formation of corporate culture associated with different internationalization strategies, which include specific levels of development of corporate culture.

The first approach - ethnocentrism - means that in a foreign market everything is done exactly as it is at home, and international business is regulated in accordance with the slogan: “What works well at home, works equally well abroad.” Since the company concentrates on exports, the corporate culture does not change. When interacting with a foreign partner, it is guided by the norms and values ​​and ways of behavior of the company’s country of origin.

The second approach is polycentrism. The company opens its own division or its own production abroad. Related to this is decentralization and transfer of responsibility to a foreign representative office. Recognizes the existence of cultural differences and national characteristics according to the slogan: “We don’t really understand what’s going on in our division abroad, but as long as it makes a profit, we trust it.” For communication, the language of the company's country of origin (parent) and the language of the host country are used. A differentiated corporate culture emerges, where the level of difference (domestic firm and foreign division) depends on the level of cultural difference between these countries.

Practice issues

What surprised the American when he first entered the office DaimlerCtysler in Berlin? The American wondered: “Why are all the doors in the office closed? Can I look through the glass in the door? Should I first knock on the door before entering the office, or just walk in? How will I approach my German colleagues, how will I start a conversation with them? "

Geocentrism, or regiocentrism, is a third approach. At this level, the company is a global organization and operates either globally or in one region, such as Africa or Europe. There is a unified corporate culture of the company, which also takes into account and recognizes certain international differences. All employees, regardless of national origin or place of work, have a common understanding of common corporate values, a common way of thinking and a common language. Creating such a global culture is a gradual, planned process. It consists of stages: contact of cultures, crisis of cultures, determination of a single corporate culture. When purchasing a foreign company for initial stage cultural contact occurs. Since both partners are interested in the transaction, they try to get closer to each other's culture. The next stage usually involves disappointment when learning more deeply about the partner's business culture. When collaborating in a joint venture, partners have the opportunity to get to know each other better, disagreements arise, and many differences emerge in the business cultures of the partners. This stage is called a corporate culture crisis. After a long crisis, slow progress will begin in deepening mutual understanding through a gradual process of mutual learning. Here both partners determine joint goals, values, norms and forms of behavior. If the culture crisis cannot be overcome, cross-cultural problems will further worsen, which may lead to a disconnect between the two companies. 70% of business purchases on foreign markets end in failure within the first three years Report. Jahresmagazin DaimlerCrysler, 2003. S. 15.

The well-known Dutch business consultant in the field of cross-cultural management, Fons Trompenaars, defined the essence of national culture in the common ways for people of the same culture to comprehend and interpret the world around them. He distinguishes 3 layers of culture.

The first layer of culture is external, explicit culture: “this is the reality that we experience. It consists of many components, such as language, food, architecture, monuments, agriculture, religious buildings, bazaars, fashion, art, etc. These are symbols of a deeper level of culture /15, 51/. It is at this level that stereotypes about certain cultures often arise.

The second layer of culture is the layer of norms and values. Values ​​determine what is good and what is bad for representatives of a particular culture; these are a kind of ideals common to a community of people, criteria that determine the desired choice between existing alternatives. Norms reflect the knowledge of this community of people about what is good and what is bad. Formalized, they take the form of laws; at the informal level they are a form of public control. When generally accepted norms reflect the collective values ​​of a people, we can talk about cultural stability.

Finally, last layer culture, its “core” is “preconditions regarding human existence,” certain basic attitudes at the level of the unconscious, which for a certain people are so natural and obvious that the question of their expediency cannot even arise.

Business culture in this context can be defined as the implementation of the cultural characteristics of a nation in business, in the way of doing business. Differences in national business cultures lead to a clash of different value systems. The more cultures differ, the more acute intercultural contradictions appear. Cultures within which norms of behavior vary widely tend to characterize each other in terms of extremes. By characterizing someone's behavior using extremes, we form stereotypes. A stereotype is “a depiction of a foreign culture with an exaggeration of its special features, in other words, a caricature” /15, 60/. This is the mechanism of perception of what surprises due to its difference from our ideas. Moreover, it is often assumed that what is unfamiliar and strange to us is wrong. Stereotypes are “one of the “defects” of our basic program, often leading to false assumptions” /6, 174/.

It should be noted that each country, in addition to the heterostereotype, i.e. perceptions about a people from other peoples, which often serves as a source of national biases and prejudices, there is also an auto-stereotype, i.e. the way the people position themselves. And if heterostereotypes often have a negative connotation (Germans are pedants, the British are prim), then autostereotypes usually represent positive characteristics.

Conflicts in business environment, in other words, a clash of business cultures occurs due to differences in ethnocultural stereotypes (mentalities), and, accordingly, different approaches to management and organization, to negotiations, to doing business.

The concept of “corporate culture” came into use in developed countries in the twenties of the last century, when the need arose to streamline relationships within large firms and corporations, as well as to understand their place in the infrastructure of economic, trade and industrial relations

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Speaking about the specifics of business culture in Russia, it is important to note the contradictory duality of the value system, which is associated with the fact that Russia is a Eurasian country occupying a border position between Eastern and Western civilizations.

A well-known specialist in the field of intercultural interaction, Richard Lewis, calls Russian business culture “schizophrenic,” that is, combining incompatible properties. IN Russian system values, one can find qualities characteristic of the East (collectivism, dependence on family, inequality in relationships, diligence, etc.) and qualities characteristic of the West (enterprise, independence, individualism).

Modern Russian business culture is heterogeneous. The qualities characteristic of entrepreneurs and top managers of large companies are directly opposite to those characteristic of their staff. For example, their attitudes towards risk, responsibility and showing initiative. Companies created before and after 1991 contrast sharply. The first is characterized by a typical Soviet culture: no matter how the composition of top managers changes, the staff remains the same, passing on their methods and approaches to the next generations. The leaders of modern Russian organizations are guided by a certain universal Western model, mainly drawn from American textbooks. The desire to impose an Americanized type of culture in one’s company encounters internal resistance from employees, and this is no coincidence - studies show that American and Russian business culture do not coincide in any respect.

The business culture closest to us is French. We also get along well with Germans, Scandinavians and Indians. Despite the fundamental differences, Russians can successfully cooperate with Americans, since their culture is very simple, easy to navigate, you just need to learn a few basic rules. It is very difficult for Russians to find a common language with Arabs, Chinese and, especially, Japanese.

It is believed that Russians easily adapt to the characteristics of a business partner. Such adaptability and sensitivity are characteristic of all cultures that combine “incompatible” properties. Besides us, this trait is characteristic, for example, of Indians, who during negotiations always try to adapt to their partner.

It is difficult for a culture to become aware of itself until it encounters something completely unlike itself. You can evaluate the properties of Russian business culture by looking at yourself through the eyes of foreigners. The first thing they usually pay attention to is the specific attitude of Russians towards legal norms, the lack of an attitude to strictly follow the law. The guide for German businessmen traveling to Russia says: “Be careful: as soon as you establish informal relations with the Russians, they will persuade you to break the law.” In a country ranked 154th in the world in terms of corruption, they would be happy to follow the law “if it were well written, if the burden on business was not so exorbitant.” Compared to the Germans and Americans, representatives of a universalist culture, Russians represent a particularistic culture. In the first case, the law is understood as something immutable, valid for everyone without exception, regardless of personal circumstances; in the second, the relativity of the law is asserted, which is influenced by many random circumstances.

The next point noted by the majority of respondents is the special strength of informal relationships in Russian business communication. Business in Russia is personal, all based on connections, and this is not surprising: “if you cannot rely on the law, you just have to trust yourself and those around you.” It is no coincidence that any discussion of Russian companies ends with a listing of proper names (who is connected with whom, who controls what), because this is the only way to understand what is happening.

The third feature of Russian business culture is the special relationship between business and government, the tendency towards their merging. It depends on the authorities whether the company will receive permission to open an outlet in a given location or not. This factor concerns not so much government intervention in the economy as local relationships with local authorities authorities and inspection bodies. The ability to “negotiate” with them becomes important.

Another property of Russian business culture is the good adaptation of Russian businessmen to changes in the external environment, a quick reaction to what is happening at the management level. Foreigners often talk about Russian ingenuity, unconventional thinking, the ability to survive in any conditions and find a way out of any situation. However this positive quality It also has bad consequences: due to their adaptability, Russians rarely think about long-term strategies, counting on short-term benefits and “quick money.” The conditions in which Russian businessmen are forced to work accustom them to the inevitability of risk. Often they start a project without developing a large-scale plan, only having a rough idea of ​​how much effort, time and money they will have to spend on it. “Let’s start, and then we’ll see if we can break through somehow,” they say.

Russians work impulsively and irritate many foreign partners with their habit of rush jobs, that is, their ability to pull together at the last moment, mobilize all their strength and do a huge amount of work, and then again go into a relaxed, apathetic state.

The internal structure of companies also shocks many foreigners. They are confused by the chaotic organization of business processes and the work of workers (it is not clear who is responsible for what), the same level of salaries for specialists with different qualifications, poor staff motivation to the final result. Russian companies are characterized by the presence of a high power distance with pronounced collectivism among employees. Employees are highly dependent on their superiors, wait for instructions, do not show initiative, and never argue with their boss. At the same time, the team inside is very united. The result of this is not only mutual assistance and mutual responsibility, but also a strong “equalization” attitude, a love of counting other people’s money, and a reluctance to stand out from the crowd with special achievements.

If a business partner...

... from the USA

Americans have a reputation for being the most ruthless businessmen in the world. During negotiations, they behave very toughly, drive the enemy into a corner, and always come well prepared. At the same time, compromises are made quite easily. Their main task is to conclude a contract as quickly as possible. short term, because “time is money.” Ardent individualists: even if they perform in a group, everyone will be a soloist in it. Workaholics: do not accept the 40-hour work week; they work as much as necessary to achieve the goal as quickly as possible. Compliance with contracts is strictly monitored. They do not recognize personal relationships in business and are categorically opposed to friendship at work. The American company works like a mechanism: thoughtfully and rationally. Employees must constantly keep themselves in good shape, undergo additional education courses, write reports on the work done. Americans rarely stay in one company for a long time, contracts are usually concluded for a year, and dismissal is not considered shameful.

... from China

The Chinese take a long time to build relationships before deciding to sign a contract. They usually look for partners through intermediaries, based on recommendations. During negotiations they behave very pretentiously, they like to inflate their own price. They love everything American and want to be treated the same as Western partners, so it is best to organize meetings with representatives of Chinese companies in modern business centers or expensive hotels. Very cunning and patient, they often drag out negotiations to make you nervous and accept their terms. Be careful when signing a contract drawn up by the Chinese - it may contain conditions that you did not agree on. During negotiations, the Chinese will address the oldest person in your group, even if there is a younger person in your group who holds a higher position. Taboo topics that cannot be discussed with Chinese business partners: relations with Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights, family planning (in China there is a ban on a second child). Most likely, before your arrival in China, your partners will ask for information about your personal data in order to draw up a horoscope.

P.S. If with Western culture business is more or less clear, the Chinese one raises many questions. For those who intend to do business with Chinese colleagues, our next article is “Business in China”.

Business culture
Date: 26/10/2006
Subject: Economy

Derivative of success

Organizational culture Russian business is a very versatile and interesting organism to study. Being the integrating core of declared goals, streamlined business processes, and the approved structure of the company, organizational culture largely determines the company’s activities, just as the atmosphere, being invisible to the eye, creates the very possibility of organic life.

The connection between organizational culture and the success of a company's functioning is recognized by most managers and has been of interest to sociologists and psychologists for more than 50 years.

The bearers of organizational culture are people. However, in mature companies, organizational culture is separated from people and becomes an attribute of the company, modifying the behavior of employees in accordance with the attitudes and values ​​that form its basis. We can distinguish the following forms of organizational culture of enterprises in modern Russia:

Development of organizational culture in enterprises with a long history, rooted in the strictness of the planned economy of the Soviet era;

The budding from a transnational octopus of another business unit of Russian localization, the organizational culture of which is an imported planting, not always natural for Russian soil, but at the same time often very effective option self-organization of the company;

Development of organizational culture in enterprises created and operating since the early 1990s. As the processes of globalization and internationalization of economic life intensify, issues of influence national cultures different countries on the diverse aspects of companies' activities acquire special significance. This article analyzes cross-cultural interaction within the organizational culture of a multinational company.

Look to the root (Kozma Prutkov)

All three forms of organizational culture of enterprises in Russia are united by a common context - this is the national culture of Russian employees, which, like water, seeps into the fabric of the organizational culture of the organization and serves as its fundamental basis. This fundamental principle is transformed under the influence of external stimuli (customer specifics, competition, etc.) and internal factors (claims of the owners or leaders of the company, internal etiquette of behavior, etc.). From the point of view of the institutional approach, culture is considered as a set of social communities and systems that can be structured according to different planes. Rice. 1 explains this concept using the multi-stage Shoyce model, which distinguishes the following planes of culture:

– national culture (within one country),

– industry culture (within one industry),

– organizational culture (within one enterprise).

Rice. 1. Institutional classification of cultural planes

According to the definition of the Dutch scientist G. Hofstede, “national culture programs the mentality of society,” and “organizational culture programs the thoughts of the organization’s employees.” Competitive success of Japanese organizations in the 1970s. led to the recognition of the importance of national culture in the analysis of organizational culture. Organizational culture can be managed by changing the company's existing practices. It is difficult for an employer to change the values ​​of hired employees: company employees, when they come to work, cannot leave their identity at home.

Shamans of Russian business

The first and second versions of the organizational culture of Russian business exist largely against each other. This constant comparison of original Russian and no less original foreign companies would itself be designed to bring only good things into the life of Russian companies: advanced practices in personnel management and motivation, production planning, sales organization, etc. However, in practice, one can observe not at all creative, but rather destructive consequences of copying the external components of the organizational culture of foreign companies. One of the common steps towards prosperity is inviting foreign “Varangians” to develop a panacea for all Russian ills. And then the festival of talkative intellectuals begins. What they don’t have in store: you will be offered the most advanced benchmarking technologies, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), the Kaizen continuous improvement system, 6 Sigma, the good old Boston Group matrix (there are options available - GE/Mackensey matrices for the aesthetically inclined), as well as the latest wonders of the process approach, network planning, MRP, lean production...

However, if you say “halva” many times, your mouth will not become sweeter. The effectiveness of the mechanisms is possible with the adaptation within Russian enterprises of a certain philosophy at the employee level. As the Japanese proverb says: “A bad owner grows weeds, a good one grows rice, a smart one cultivates the soil, a far-sighted one trains a worker.” One of the options for such “education” is close cooperation between specialists - direct carriers and recipients of advanced technologies, who, as a rule, are representatives of different national cultures.

Change before you have to (Jack Welch)

Despite the potential negative consequences, it is necessary to recognize the promise of studying and weighing the positive components of the organizational cultures of Russian and foreign companies. Since a synergistic effect 1 can potentially arise based on international cooperation and differences in the national cultures of employees, the company's development strategy, its management and organizational culture should be linked.

1 Synergy, synergistic effect (from the Greek synergos - acting together) - an increase in the efficiency of activity as a result of connection, integration, merging of individual parts into a single system due to the so-called system effect.

To do this, the national cultures of the cooperation partners need to be described according to a group of criteria, which will help determine specific criteria by which national cultures are in conflict with each other or are similar. For example, Studlein developed four key assessments to examine the compatibility of partners' national and business cultures:

Similarity of cultures: the cultures of the partners have minor differences; with mutual adaptation of the partners, synergy may arise;

Cultural compatibility: the partners’ cultures are compatible, and despite the greater cultural distance (compared to the first option), in the process of cooperation it is possible to acquire cultural competencies and a synergistic effect is achievable;

Complementarity of cultures: to achieve synergy in in this case mutual ability and the ability of cooperation partners to learn to overcome intercultural differences are necessary;

Incompatibility of cultures: the cultures of the partners are not similar and do not complement each other. Especially in cases of complementarity and compatibility of cultures, there is the potential for a synergistic effect to arise (as, for example, according to research, in the case of Russian-German cooperation). The success of intercultural interaction depends on the level of awareness and knowledge about the partners’ culture, willingness to learn and tolerance in intercultural communications. Only on this basis can the process of intercultural learning be initiated for the purposeful creation competitive advantage enterprises.

The unpredictability of the development of the organizational culture of multinational enterprises is due to the interaction within its framework of different national cultures of employees. How do different national cultures directly interact within one company? Is it possible to talk about a “symbiosis” of 2 cultures within a multinational enterprise? The answers to these questions are ambiguous.

2 From Greek. symbiosis - cohabitation.

This article makes an attempt to analyze these aspects “from the inside” using a dynamic model of the organizational culture of multinational enterprises, which describes the dynamics of interaction between the national cultures of employees within one enterprise (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Model of organizational culture of multinational enterprises – dynamics of interaction between national cultures of employees

In Fig. 2 highlights the stages of development of this interaction, namely:

1) At the initial stage of work, employees who are carriers of different national cultures meet for the first time within the same organizational culture;

2) National cultures of employees begin to interact with each other. Contact begins with a process of recognition, during which discrepancies are established between the observed reality and the worldview of the partners;

3) Interaction manifests itself in the form of “friction” between different national cultures (this “friction” can arise for each of the parameters of national culture discussed below). The trigger for learning intercultural differences is, as a rule, crises that arise as a result of deviations of expectations from the actions of partners in intercultural cooperation;

4) As a result of “friction” and mutual adaptation, such characteristics of the partners’ national cultures as “strength” or “weakness” appear. In this case, the “strength” or “weakness” of a national culture is understood as the relative ability of the values ​​of a certain culture to assert themselves over the corresponding values ​​of another culture. The values ​​of a “weaker” culture are more easily transformed under the influence of the values ​​of a “stronger” culture. For example, what attitude to time will be “stronger” within the organizational culture of an enterprise with a Russian-German team: monochrome, characteristic of the Germans, or polychrome, characteristic of the Russians;

5) Different national cultures can potentially interact successfully, overcoming the difficulties that arise, as a result of which the effect of “symbiosis” of cultures will arise and it will become possible to develop some “fusion of cultures” - a new organizational culture, “enriched” with the best features of the national cultures of employees (the mechanism and options for this developments are analyzed below);

6) The final phase of the formation of the organizational culture of a multinational enterprise can be a synergistic effect achieved through the integration and fusion of various national cultures of the enterprise’s employees into a single organizational culture.

Movement is life

The dynamic model uses a dialectical approach to explain the processes that take place in the organizational culture of multinational enterprises under the influence of the national cultures of employees. The reason for this is that within the same organizational culture there are contradictions due to the fact that they are carriers of different cultures. “Contradiction” in this case is interpreted as “difference”, “inequality” of the characteristics of cultures, which, nevertheless, can be compared using certain systems of parameters (see critical parameters of cultures in the next section).

The next logical step in understanding this model is the statement, borrowed from Hegel’s dialectic, that “contradictions lie at the root of all movement and vitality; only that which has internal contradictions moves, has persistence and activity.” Here, the logic of self-development through contradictions is used to explain the processes taking place in the organizational culture of a multinational enterprise under the influence of the national cultures of employees.

It is also of interest to turn to the laws of materialist dialectics - the law of unity and struggle of opposites (or the law of interpenetration of opposites), which “reveals contradictions as an internal source, impulse, driving force of all self-movement.” In the process of interaction of different national cultures within the framework of one organizational culture, the development of a new organizational culture is possible.

The final result in the general case (without reference to specific cultures) cannot be determined, but we can talk about the following main options for the interaction of different national cultures within one enterprise:

(1) national cultures may be so different that any attempt at interaction will fail;

(2) in the process of developing the organizational culture of a multinational enterprise, the national culture of one group of employees will dominate;

(3) national cultures will be able to successfully interact, overcoming the difficulties that arise, as a result of which the effect of “symbiosis” of cultures will arise and it will become possible to develop a certain “fusion of cultures” - a new organizational culture, “enriched” with the features of the national cultures of employees (this option is demonstrated in Fig. 2 ).

We will measure the boa constrictor in parrots

For the purposes of the study, the following list of critical parameters was developed with the help of which the influence of national cultures of employees on the organizational culture of multinational enterprises is assessed:

1. Parameters of hierarchy and discipline in the team:

1.1. degree of delegation of authority;

1.2. power distance;

1.3. the degree of independence of decisions made by employees of the enterprise;

1.4. employee loyalty to the company / level of opportunistic relations within the team.

2. Moral and psychological climate in the team:

2.1. degree of individualism/collectivism;

2.2. vertical degree of trust;

2.3. degree of trust horizontally;

2.4. degree of femininity/masculinity.

3. Perception of time and attitude towards the future:

3.1. long-term orientation;

3.2. desire to avoid uncertainty.

3.3. monochrome/polychrome attitude to time 3;

3 For example, in Germany the perception of time is linear and mostly monochrome. This means that at a given moment only one thing is being done, the sequence of actions is carried out step by step, according to a previously drawn up plan (linear sequence). Germans don't like to do several things at the same time. They prefer to focus on one task and complete it within the planned time frame.

3.4. risk appetite / desire for stability;

3.5. perception of innovation.

Based on these groups of parameters, graphs are constructed (Fig. 3 and 4) demonstrating the position of a particular organizational culture relative to the criteria of hierarchy and discipline in the team, the moral and psychological climate in the team, perception of time and attitude to the future. These groups of parameters define the coordinate axes of three-dimensional space, in which the position of the organizational cultures of various enterprises is empirically determined.

Rice. 3. The concept of a methodology for studying the organizational culture of multinational enterprises (using the example of Russian-German enterprises)

Graph in Fig. 3. is constructed in the following coordinate system:

Axis X – “Parameters of hierarchy and discipline in the team”;

Y axis – “Parameters of the moral and psychological climate in the team”;

Z axis – “Parameters characterizing the perception of time and attitude towards the future.”

Determining the position of the organizational culture of a particular enterprise on the X, Y, Z axes occurs through the summation of a number of weighted indicators of a given organizational culture. So, along the X axis we have:

X = a 1 *i 1 + b 1 *j 1 + c 1 *k 1 + d 1 *l 1 , where

A 1 – assessment of the degree of delegation of authority;

B 1 – assessment of power distance;

C 1 – assessment of the degree of independence of decisions made by employees of the enterprise;

D 1 – assessment of employee loyalty to the company / level of opportunistic relations within the team.

Indicators a 1 , b 1 , c 1 , d 1 are determined empirically through a survey. The survey questions are based on the critical parameters presented above. The responses of respondents received during the survey are analyzed, as a result of which they are assigned certain numerical values ​​- indicators a 1, b 1, c 1, d 1. In G. Hofstede's cultural studies, the assignment of numerical expressions to cultural parameters occurs in a similar way.

Coefficients i 1, j 1, k 1, l 1 are weights, the value of which is determined by assessing the importance (for research purposes) of the corresponding indicators (a 1, b 1, c 1, d 1). There is a relationship between the scales: i 1 + j 1 + k 1 + l 1 = 1.

This logic for studying the parameters of organizational culture along the other two axes of the coordinate system – Y and Z – is similar.

Based on the results of the analysis of the survey results, a point is constructed for each enterprise in the described coordinate system (X, Y, Z). We obtain a certain location of points in three-dimensional space. It has been empirically established that points corresponding to the organizational cultures of similar multinational, as well as purely mononational enterprises, tend to be grouped into “clouds” - areas of accumulation (Fig. 3).

It is legitimate to talk about the existence of a certain general criterion that would allow us to draw a conclusion about whether interaction between representatives of two different cultures is possible within a multinational enterprise or not. Let's call this criterion “cross section of proximity.” In the case under consideration, this is the distance between points C and B, i.e. the distance between the centers of two “clouds” corresponding to the organizational cultures of purely Russian and purely German enterprises. The criterion is greater than zero. If the corresponding coordinates along the X, Y, Z axes are less than this criterion, then representatives of different national cultures can potentially interact with each other as part of a joint venture. Establishing the specific meaning of this criterion is another interesting direction for research. Let’s define three “proximity sections” for each axis: X, Y, Z. Let’s express this through formulas for point C, with coordinates (x 1 ; y 1 ; z 1), and point B, with coordinates (x 3 ; y 3 ; z 3):

If the conditions of this system are met, then representatives of two different national cultures can potentially interact with each other.

If all coordinates of points A, B, C of a given coordinate system are normalized so that they are equal and comparable, then this system can be written in the following form:

As follows from the presented model and the conducted empirical studies, the organizational culture of multinational enterprises is a complex and contradictory interaction of employee cultures. The coordinates of point A are not simply the arithmetic mean of the corresponding coordinates of points B and C. Through the analysis of deviations of certain parameters of the organizational culture of enterprises with Russian-German teams from similar parameters of purely Russian and purely German enterprises, conclusions can be drawn about the influence of the national cultures of Russians and Germans on their organizational culture multinational enterprises.

Rice. 4. The concept of a methodology for studying the organizational culture of multinational enterprises: analysis of the “zone of unity” and “zone of conflict”

We can talk about the existence of a certain “zone of unity” (Fig. 4), within which cooperation between representatives of different cultures in the form of a multinational enterprise is potentially possible. The cultural parameters within the boundaries of the “zone of unity” are quite close to each other and do not have the nature of a critical discrepancy. All points on the graph that lie outside the “zone of unity” are in the “zone of conflict.” In the latter, cooperation between representatives of different cultures in the form of a multinational enterprise is difficult due to strong national differences.

To accelerate the development of a uniform organizational culture of a multinational enterprise, it is necessary to conduct various training activities for employees in the following areas:

Development of communication abilities: studying the national and business language of partners, as well as their non-verbal sign language;

Perception of cultural differences and similarities: careful use of cultural standards, openness to others' ways of behavior and thoughts;

Analysis through the prism of attitudes due to one's own culture: a critical examination of one's own culture.

Energetic giants

The considered aspects of interaction between employees - representatives of different national cultures - are one of the directions for increasing the efficiency of multinational enterprises operating in the global market of technologies, equipment and services for nuclear power plants. There are not many main players in this highly consolidated market: these are the European AREVA group, the American companies General Electric and Westinghouse, the Japanese Mitsubishi, etc. Let us turn to the practice of managing the multinational team of the AREVA group. At the end of 2005, AREVA employed almost 60 thousand people in 49 countries. Managers and engineers represent 34% of the company's workforce, technical and administrative personnel 40%, and workers 26%.

AREVA employs representatives of different nations and cultures, with different government systems and industrial standards (the distribution of AREVA employees by region of the world is presented in Fig. 5). The company's key imperative is to strengthen the group's organizational culture by disseminating core values ​​and practices through employee development, taking into account the diversity of local national cultures in each country where the AREVA group operates. AREVA recognizes that to ensure competitiveness it is necessary to develop a consistent organizational culture. This is achievable through intercultural training in key areas and systematic communications between employees from different countries.

Rice. 5. Distribution of AREVA employees by regions of the world, people. And %

To strengthen AREVA's position as an international company, the following activities are being implemented to exchange experience, develop cross-cultural communications and professional skills of employees:

AREVA University has been operating since 2002, helping to develop the company's shared values, strategic vision and management model. In 2005, 2,650 managers took part in AREVA University trainings and programs;

Once a year, AREVA “Management Days” are organized, bringing together about 200 managers and 100 future managers of the company;

The AREVA Team project develops cross-country communications between various divisions of the company;

On-site seminars several times a year bring together up to 120 managers from various divisions of the company to exchange experience;

In 2005, the number of training hours per employee was 24.5 hours;

An integral part of AREVA's strategy to strengthen the shared values ​​of an international multinational company and personal career growth employees is the development of professional mobility. To increase employees' awareness of their development opportunities in the company, AREVA implements a program to disseminate information about rotations and related employee prospects (for example, through the “talent site”). The number of employees participating in the mobility program is growing: in 2003, 618 employees participated in the AREVA rotation program, and in 2005 this number increased to more than 1,500 employee transfers. The latter also indicates that the company is implementing large projects outside France: the construction of a Finnish unit with an EPR reactor, the construction of a MOX fuel plant in the USA, etc.

Constant work to develop a unified organizational culture of the multinational AREVA team is an important element of the company’s global competitiveness.

Give me a fulcrum and I will change the world (Archimedes)

As globalization picks up speed, shifts are taking place in all spheres of human activity: economics, politics, culture, etc. New challenges are entering our lives. How can we act competitively in the new environment? What threats should we avoid, and what benefits does the coming era hide?

A characteristic feature of modern business is the complex interaction of national and international. Globalization leads to the formation of a certain cross-national business culture, the principles and rules of which are shared by almost the majority of businessmen in the world. On the other hand, national and cultural differentiation is growing: peoples and ethnic communities strive to preserve their cultural values ​​and protect them from the eroding influence of mass culture.

All these characteristics of the modern world economy have put on the agenda the question of the influence of national cultures of different countries on international business activity; external influence - at the level of interaction with customers, suppliers, etc., and internal - between employees of a multinational enterprise. The study of the phenomenon of culture, the analysis of the opportunities and limitations that cultural constants carry, are still rare phenomena in Russian business practice. But the world practice that is moving ahead testifies to the prospects of managing the organizational culture of a multinational enterprise, taking into account the characteristics of the national cultures of its employees.

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