Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch008
Carolin Roehl
For individuals in management positions, globalization has reinforced contact with foreign cultures and provided opportunities to be assigned to projects abroad. Expatriates encounter additional challenges varying from differently-oriented work forces to building a new life in a foreign country. The organizations must ensure that employees are well selected, prepared, and supported throughout the expatriation process. An exploratory study of German project managers in Portugal is conducted to elaborate the importance of cultural intelligence in business. Current understandings of both national cultures and their potential conflict factors are portrayed and German expatriates questioned about their work environment and private adjustment to Portuguese culture. Performance-orientation and assertive culture on the managers' side and relationship-focus and high-context communication on the employees' side triggered difficulties with work tasks. Differences related to the cultural dimension collectivism versus individualism complicated the expatriates' adjustment to the local culture.
{"title":"Cultural Intelligence","authors":"Carolin Roehl","doi":"10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch008","url":null,"abstract":"For individuals in management positions, globalization has reinforced contact with foreign cultures and provided opportunities to be assigned to projects abroad. Expatriates encounter additional challenges varying from differently-oriented work forces to building a new life in a foreign country. The organizations must ensure that employees are well selected, prepared, and supported throughout the expatriation process. An exploratory study of German project managers in Portugal is conducted to elaborate the importance of cultural intelligence in business. Current understandings of both national cultures and their potential conflict factors are portrayed and German expatriates questioned about their work environment and private adjustment to Portuguese culture. Performance-orientation and assertive culture on the managers' side and relationship-focus and high-context communication on the employees' side triggered difficulties with work tasks. Differences related to the cultural dimension collectivism versus individualism complicated the expatriates' adjustment to the local culture.","PeriodicalId":153822,"journal":{"name":"Cases on Internationalization Challenges for SMEs","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125693795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch011
Joana Costa
Worldwide, family businesses are one of the cornerstones of the entrepreneurial fabric, being as a consequence central to growth and development. In a globalized era, these institutions require the attention of businessmen, practitioners, and policymakers. The chapter seeks to examine if the internationalization performance does vary according to firm size, and its link to the innovative performance in multiple dimensions along with conventional characteristics such as age and turnover. Theoretical research evidences the interest in understanding the patterns and determinants of the internationalisation performance, given its importance in firm growth and survival; however, this strategical option brings advantages and problems. Empirical evidence demonstrates that the determinants do change according to firm dimension; estimations provide valuable insights about the connection between globalized operation and innovation, for the different organisations.
{"title":"Internationalization of Family Businesses","authors":"Joana Costa","doi":"10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch011","url":null,"abstract":"Worldwide, family businesses are one of the cornerstones of the entrepreneurial fabric, being as a consequence central to growth and development. In a globalized era, these institutions require the attention of businessmen, practitioners, and policymakers. The chapter seeks to examine if the internationalization performance does vary according to firm size, and its link to the innovative performance in multiple dimensions along with conventional characteristics such as age and turnover. Theoretical research evidences the interest in understanding the patterns and determinants of the internationalisation performance, given its importance in firm growth and survival; however, this strategical option brings advantages and problems. Empirical evidence demonstrates that the determinants do change according to firm dimension; estimations provide valuable insights about the connection between globalized operation and innovation, for the different organisations.","PeriodicalId":153822,"journal":{"name":"Cases on Internationalization Challenges for SMEs","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131472549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch007
Roderick Walden, A. Nemme
This chapter will present a series of university-industry collaboration (UIC) projects between a university industrial design research unit and various small-medium (manufacturing) enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on the facilitators role in these projects. Previous research has referred to ‘innovation intermediaries' as a term to define (service) firms that proactively facilitate collaboration between two or more parties in innovation projects. In terms of technological development these have been exemplified as research and technology organisations (RTOs). The authors suggest an adjacent term ‘intermediary interpreters' to describe the key facilitator by bringing together the term 'intermediaries' and the term ‘interpreters' as they are defined by Roberto Verganti. These individuals have specialised external expertise and ability to take part in the ‘design discourse; to support innovation. The authors argue that intermediary interpreters are an important third party in UIC projects that provide unique support that can help SMEs embrace innovation strategy and more effectively internationalise.
{"title":"Intermediary Interpreters in University-Industry Collaboration to Support Manufacturing SMEs","authors":"Roderick Walden, A. Nemme","doi":"10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4387-0.ch007","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter will present a series of university-industry collaboration (UIC) projects between a university industrial design research unit and various small-medium (manufacturing) enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on the facilitators role in these projects. Previous research has referred to ‘innovation intermediaries' as a term to define (service) firms that proactively facilitate collaboration between two or more parties in innovation projects. In terms of technological development these have been exemplified as research and technology organisations (RTOs). The authors suggest an adjacent term ‘intermediary interpreters' to describe the key facilitator by bringing together the term 'intermediaries' and the term ‘interpreters' as they are defined by Roberto Verganti. These individuals have specialised external expertise and ability to take part in the ‘design discourse; to support innovation. The authors argue that intermediary interpreters are an important third party in UIC projects that provide unique support that can help SMEs embrace innovation strategy and more effectively internationalise.","PeriodicalId":153822,"journal":{"name":"Cases on Internationalization Challenges for SMEs","volume":"163 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127293131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}