Organizational Behavior, 17e

The Global Context

1. 6 Show how national culture can affect the way organizational culture is transported to another country.

We considered global cultural values (collectivism–individualism, power distance, and so on) in Chapter 5. Here our focus is a bit narrower: How is organizational culture affected by the global context? Organizational culture is so powerful that it often transcends national boundaries. But that doesn’t mean organizations should, or could, ignore local culture.

Organizational cultures often reflect national culture. The culture at ­AirAsia, a Malaysian-based airline, emphasizes openness and friendships. The carrier has lots of parties, participative management, and no private offices, reflecting Malaysia’s relatively collectivistic ...