Cross Cultural Ethical Conflicts

1
Cross Cultural Ethical Conflicts

• Whose standards to follow?

Bercin Mersin Asli Kartal Esra Savas Gulbin
Gezmis Senem Evrim Ozer
Berçin Mersin Asli Kartal Esra Savas G?lbin
Gezmis Senem Evrim Özer
Presented by
2
Introduction

• What is ethics?
• General ideas or beliefs that influence people's
  behavior and attitude
• What is cross-cultural ethics?
• The application of moral values in situation
  involving two or more nations or multinational
  corporations...
• What is cross-cultural ethical conflicts?
• Perceived or actual incompatibility of values,
  norms, processes,goals between two or more
  cultural parties over content, identity,
  relational, and procedural issues

3
Why and How???

• Why do cross-cultural ethical conflicts emerge?
• Differences in perspectives and values among
  decision-makers from different national cultures
• Different social and cultural factors across
  nations
• How to resolve cross-cultural ethical conflicts?
• Avoiding
• Forcing
• Education/persuasion
• Infiltration
• Negotiation/compromise
• Accommodation
• Collaboration/problem solving

4
A New Emerging Market Turkey

• Joint ventures
• Finding the right person
• The company's corporate culture home country's
  business practices
• Personal and job related adjustment problems

5
Cost of Adjustment Problems

• From the perspective of the host company
• Company's foreign operations may stagnate
• The productivity may go down
• The ability to control indigenous employees may
  lessen
• The company may lose its market share accompanied
  by its reputation.

6
Cost of Adjustment Problems

• From the perspective of expatriates
• Ruining their careers
• Causing personal blows to their self-esteem and
  ego
• May be taxing on their family life both
  physically and psychologically
• Having difficulty in adjusting to the corporate
  structure once they return

7
Factors Influencing Cross-Cultural Adjustments

• Individual factors
• Personality traits
• Non-ethnocentrisms
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Language proficiency
• Spousal support, marital status.
• Prior experience in cultures other than one's
  own.
• Pre-departure knowledge.
• Education and age.

8
Factors Influencing Cross-Cultural Adjustments

• Job/task related factors
• Training
• Role ambiguity, role discretion role conflict,
  role overload, role novelty
• Organizational culture and size

9
Research on 342 Human Resources Departments

• Adjusting to amenities/ facilities
• Adjustment to social life
• Interactions with Turkish nationals outside of
  work

10
Results

• Previous work experience in a foreign country
• Training areas such as the Turkish business
  environment, management practices etc.
• Open communication channels, consensus decision
  making, teamwork
• Older managers with longer years of work
  experience
• Nationality of expatriate's bosses
• Spousal support

11
Results

• Personal characteristics
• Being culturally sensitive person
• Ability to recognize complexities in host
  cultures
• Liking to mix with with host nationals
• Being realistic in ones expectations
• Enjoying social interactions
• Having empathy for others
• Effectiveness at resolving conflicts
• Being a peoples person

12
Ideal Candidate for Turkish Company

• Ability to maintain a valued sense of self
• Ability to relate to host nationals
• Ability to cognitively appreciate the social
  beliefs systems

13
Minimizing Problems for Expatriates

• Take action to prepare expatriates to handle new
  environment
• Providing housing
• Education of child
• Medical facilities
• Parent company may administer training programs
• Cultural diversity training programs
• Information session
• Values, habits, beliefs, language of Turkish
  people
• General information about the country prior to
  arrival
• Traffic jams, frequent water and electricity
  outrages

14
Minimizing Problems for Expatriates

• Social activities
• Organize recreational and entertainment
  activities
• Picnics, sightseeing tours
• Host national sponsorship programs
• Provide information about Turkish business
  culture
• Collectivism characterizes
• High power distance
• Masculinity
• Low achievement
• Future orientation
• Respect of managerial hierarchy

15
Motivate the Expatriates

• Importance of expertise in selection
• Recommend training programs about
• Career implications
• Repatriation concerns

16
Implications

• Big emerging markets importance
• Their booming economies are primary targets for
  western companies
• Deployment of expatriates to these countries
• Joint responsibility of parent and affiliate
  companies

17
Is Cross-Cultural Analysis Sufficient?

• Too many contradictions exist for accurate
  classification of Turkish culture as a whole
• Points of tension in Turkish society
• Westernization and modern ways of life vs.
  preservation traditional values and life styles
• Government control vs. private initiative

18
Why Subcultures in Turkey?

• Marked cultural differences exist in Turkey
• Rapid industrialization
• Concerted efforts to modernize a traditional
  culture
• Change has taken place in an uneven pace at
  various segments of the society
• Geographical location in between East and West
  allows for duality in values

19
Identification of Subcultures in Turkey

• Definition of subculture
• Subcultures are derivatives of, but different
  from, the larger culture they embody shared
  system of norms, values, interests or behaviors
  that distinguish some individuals, groups and/or
  larger aggregations from the larger societies in
  which they also participate
• Four Subcultures
• Power seekers
• Egalitarians
• Stimulation seekers
• Traditionals

20
Definition of Four Subcultures with Schwarts
Values Inventory
Power seekers
Egalitarians
self-transcendence
self-enhancement
benevolence universalism
power achievement
Stimulation seekers
Traditionals
openness to change
conservation
security conformity tradition
self-direction hedonism stimulation
21
Subcultures and Conflict Management Styles
Egalitarian
Stimulation Seekers
Power Seekers
Traditional
22
Conclusion

• Cross-cultural ethical conflicts should be
  expected for expatriates entering the Turkish
  market place
• Governmental and business entities may take steps
  to insure significant reduction of cross-cultural
  ethical conflicts
• While Hofstedes categories are helpful, distinct
  sub-cultural groups may be taken under
  consideration for predicting Turkish approach to
  resolving ethical conflicts

23
QA
QA
QA