Globalization’s Cultural Odyssey: Navigating Multicultural Waters in Business

Abstract

Globalization has ushered in a transformative era in business, eradicating borders and fostering cross-border commerce. This phenomenon has led to an influx of multinational corporations (MNCs) venturing into developing nations. Consequently, MNCs are now prevalent in various countries, with diverse cultural landscapes. The essence of managing across cultures has emerged as a direct outcome of globalization, necessitating that expatriates, hailing from foreign cultures, adapt to and lead individuals from disparate cultural backgrounds in unfamiliar settings. This challenge has yielded a mixed track record, with both successes and failures. Managing across cultures demands the intricate balance of assimilating into, and yet retaining, one’s own culture while comprehending and respecting the cultures, customs, management practices, and preferences of others. It is a dynamic process of adjusting to a multitude of sometimes conflicting cultures while preserving one’s own cultural identity