Understanding Cultural Difference Management through Charles Taylor’s Philosophy: Case Studies from the Food Processing Industry

Administrative Sciences

Samuel Marleau Ouellet¹  Joseph Facal²  Louis Hrt² 

[1] Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Government of Canada, 125 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2, Canada;Department of Management, HEC Montréal, 3000 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 2A7, Canada; E-Mails:

关键词: culture;    decision-making;    organizational behaviour;    internationalization;    international business;    multinational corporations (MNCs);   

DOI  :  10.3390/admsci5020046

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

In this paper, we use the work of the philosopher, Charles Taylor, to investigate the role of culture on internationalization decisions. Using parameters related to key constructs such as positive liberty, social ontology, expressivism, civic republicanism and common spaces, we look at how culture influences the decisions regarding corporate international expansion. This framework was applied in a multi-interview design in four firms from the food processing industry from France and Canada. Results showed an obvious sensitivity to cultural difference and that managerial practices surrounding this issue tended to be intuitive and emergent. These practices were not crystallized in the form of a conscious and deliberate organizational strategy for dealing with cultural difference when planning foreign market entry. Our findings triggered further reflections on managerial implications such as the importance of searching more explicitly for cultural and organizational anchors when reviewing location factors.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.