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Creating successful teams after an M&A is challenging enough when employees share the same location and the same cultural background, but when the team consists of people coming from different cultures and is working in different locations, social distance can cause misunderstandings, distrust and miscommunication which makes successful M&As even more challenging. After the acquisition of Letrika in Slovenia and Kokusan Denki in Japan, the workforce within MAHLEs mechatronic division became highly diverse. On the one hand, this diversification is regarded as added value, but on the other hand it bears numerous challenges in day-to day business.
This thesis aims to outline cultural differences between Japan, Slovenia and Germany that affect collaboration within this division. Using literature research and an online questionnaire, the author intends to compare theoretical concepts with actual data collected at MAHLE Mechatronics. The questionnaire also includes multiple open questions that allow examining the current situation and supports the findings with real-life examples.
The first part focuses on the theoretical framework for this thesis. In chapter two an understanding for the concept of culture is given. Different models and explanations provide fundamental knowledge to grasp the construct of culture. Chapter 2.1. depicts the Lewis model, a model developed in 1996 categorizing cultures into three groups. In chapter 2.2., the paper continues with the GLOBE model which forms the basis of the empirical research conducted at MAHLE. Afterwards, culture specific characteristics of Japan, Germany and Slovenia are portrayed and compared in order to predict possible clashes that might emerge in work-related encounters (chapter 3). The illustration of the concept of intercultural competence, a skill to manage, understand, decode and interpret behaviors and mindsets of people from different cultures, will conclude the first part of this thesis (chapter 4).
Chapter five describes the methodology used in this paper. The findings of this study are presented in chapter six and are followed by the discussion and reflection (chapter 7). The paper concludes with an analysis and interpretation (chapter 7.1.), recommendations for future action (chapter 7.2.) and limitations of the study (chapter 7.3.) highlighting the main findings of the study and emphasizing the development of intercultural competence at MAHLEs mechatronic division.
The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how small and medium enterprises in Germany are dealing with the increasing importance of the cultural diversity within a company which is caused by the complex growth of the external economic factors through the rising internationalization as well as the demographical change, whereby the integration of international skilled employees is seen as a key role.
The first part of the thesis focuses on the framework between the basic component of the topic, the value of the company’s culture which is based on Hofstede´s theoretical approach, and diversity management. The following part indicates on one hand the opportunities as well as the threats which can arise when implementing an intercultural integration approach. This comparison should give the possibility to get a better overview of how complex the topic is and how many influencing factors are to be considered for a successful integration. The thesis then covers strategic aspects of how to proceed. Thereby it refers to the acculturation model of Berry and his four acculturation strategies. Furthermore, the comparison of the assimilation and segregation approaches are mentioned and analysed as well as their golden mean. The method to underline the theoretical part is supported by interviews. These interviews, which were held with two “best-practice” companies as well as one independent diversityexpert, give the possibility to get a real overview of how companies deal with this approach and which problems as well as advantages they are facing. The interviews which are not only held with the manager rather than German and foreign employees are important to get a feeling how companies handle the intercultural integration on different hierarchical levels which might prove useful in discovering potential in their own company.
The conclusion of the thesis is that cultural homogenous societies rarely exist today, which means that the cultural diversity shouldn’t be seen as a trend rather than a constant conditionality. Small and medium enterprises should also stop seeing the downside to their size rather than their advantages which also come with their size. Companies have to build a true understanding and consciousness in order to create a cultural diverse friendly environment. Nevertheless, in an ideal case a company does not see the cultural diversity as something special, but more likely as something normal, regardless from which cultural background an employee is, he or she is a member of the company.
The understanding of what lies behind actions and how our mind functions is the basic requirement for effective and successful intercultural teamwork, management and leadership.
While the literature acknowledges the importance of cultural differences in influencing teamwork and management, it ignores differences in cognitive processes, that can influence how attitudes are developed and behaviors are manifested in local environments.
With this in mind, this paper examines the different learning styles, which are the foundation of thinking patterns, problem-solving methods and working styles of Chinese and German employees at IMS Gear. To get a better understanding of how the members of each culture approach a project, a project planning observation is conducted and the findings are compared.
Based on the results, different leadership styles are suggested.
Nowadays companies operate highly international. Therefore intercultural projects correspondently increase. So far there is a lack of literature about the influences of culture on project management, especially when the project is about a worldwide process standardization.
The present Bachelor Thesis starts at this point and analyzes the international project IVR2020 at the company MAN Truck & Bus by means of a written survey.
As the process was developed in the German headquarters the basic assumption was that the more different a country is compared to Germany the more challenges will occur.
Here it was concentrated on the influencing aspect of culture.
Therefor the cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede were considered and a cumulated difference in the form of a number was derived for each country. Those were brought into correlation to the occurring challenges that were determined by a written survey of the project managers and sales managers that are already far enough in the process to give reliable answers.
The correlation analysis leaded to the result that none of the formulated hypotheses could be confirmed. However there where relatively strong negative correlation that indeed
disproved the hypotheses but leaded to the assumption that there might be correlations between the single cultural dimensions and the different facets of challenges. This turned out to be correct for some of the cultural dimensions.
Resulting from these correlations cautious predictions for the countries in which the IVR2020 process will follow in near future were made.
Furthermore the concrete problem fields for MAN Truck & Bus and their causes were evaluated. Based on the findings in literature and the analysis of the written survey recommendations for future similar projects were deviated.
Diese Literaturarbeit hat zum Ziel, für die heutige Personalentwicklung Anhaltspunkte zu liefern, bezüglich der Integration von digitaler Lehre, Blended Learning und der Förderung Intergenerationaler Lernprozesse im Unternehmen.
Der Bildungsbereich in der betrieblichen Fort- und Weiterbildung sieht sich einer höchst heterogenen Belegschaft gegenüber, die darin befähigt werden muss in einer sich stetig verändernden digitalisierten Welt zu arbeiten und zu lernen. Die Intergenerationalität kann hier als Ressource angesehen werden, wenn die richtigen Räume für Begegnung und das gemeinsame altersübergreifende Lernen geschaffen werden. So kann Fachwissen ausgetauscht, Vorurteile abgebaut und soziale Netzwerke gestärkt werden. Selbst bis ins hohe Alter sind Menschen fähig zu lernen, wenn ihnen bedarfsgerechte Bildungsmaßnahmen zur Verfügung gestellt werden und ein arbeitsnahes Lebenslanges Lernen ermöglicht wird. Auch die digitale Lehre kann hier einen Nutzen erbringen, wenn sie didaktisch sinnvoll ausgerichtet und implementiert wird. Voraussetzungen dafür sind die entsprechenden Infrastrukturellen Zugangsmöglichkeiten sowie die Medienkompetenzen der Mitarbeiter, die sie brauchen, um mit Medien effizient umzugehen. Blended Learning kann eine gute Möglichkeit für die betriebliche Bildung bieten, digitale Lehre wertschöpfend mit analogen Lehrmethoden zu verknüpfen, um so individuelle, flexible und effektive Lernangebote für Mitarbeiter anzubieten. Durch die hohe Flexibilität und den großen Gestaltungsfreiraum eines Blended Learning Angebots, besteht für jedes Unternehmen die Möglichkeit ein Konzept zu entwickeln, dass auf die eigenen Mitarbeiter, Rahmenbedingungen und Ressourcen zugeschnitten ist. Der Personalentwicklung kommt hier die essenzielle Aufgabe zu, diese Konzepte strukturiert und didaktisch sinnvoll zu konzipieren und digitale Medien dort einzubinden, wo sie als nützliche Ergänzung oder Erweiterung eingesetzt werden können. Die flexible Rahmung des Blended Learning und seiner Ausgestaltung, die auf selbständiges und aktives Lernen abzielen, können bei erfolgreicher, Lerner-zentrierten und didaktischen Ausrichtung auch als ein Raum für altersübergreifende Begegnungen genutzt werden, um Intergenerationelles Lernen zu fazilitieren. Die Ausrichtung auf die Zielgruppe und dem Fokus auf der Förderung selbständigen Lernens, Lebenslangen Lernens und intergenerationeller Lernprozesse sind dabei die Grundlagen, nach denen die Personalentwicklung digitale Lehre und Blended Learning unternehmensspezifisch ausrichten muss.