Overview of 70 Years of Cross-Cultural Management Research

Cross-Cultural-Management Focus 

In international business, intercultural management, cultural diversity, and global collaboration have become increasingly important over the past decades. Organizations working across borders face a wide range of values, communication styles, and expectations—whether in negotiations, supplier relations, leadership of multinational teams, or daily project operations.

A deep understanding of cultural dimensions, orientations, and communication patterns is essential to avoid misunderstandings and to build successful cross-border relationships. Our Interkulturelles Training delivers this knowledge, combining academic research with real-world business practice to equip professionals for effective intercultural collaboration.

Overview of 70 Years of Research – Key Highlights:

The field of cross-cultural management research spans more than seven decades, during which several key cultural dimensions have emerged and evolved.

• Time Orientation – Originating from Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck’s value orientations, this concept examines how cultures perceive and prioritize time. Later researchers adapted and refined this dimension, making it a core element in global management strategies.

• Communication Context Orientation – Introduced by Edward T. Hall, this dimension distinguishes between high-context and low-context communication styles. Despite its relevance to cross-cultural interactions, it has not been widely adopted in other cultural dimension models, possibly due to Hall’s strong focus on communication as a standalone field.

• Performance Orientation – First introduced by the GLOBE study, this dimension reflects the extent to which a society values and rewards performance improvement and excellence. It emerged relatively late compared to other dimensions but has become increasingly relevant in competitive global markets.

• Refinement of Existing Dimensions – The GLOBE study also split some of Hofstede’s original dimensions:

  • Masculinity/Femininity was divided into Gender Egalitarianism and Assertiveness.

  • Individualism/Collectivism was separated into Institutional Collectivism and In-Group Collectivism.

Why This Matters for Global Business:
Understanding these dimensions allows managers, negotiators, and consultants to anticipate cultural behaviors, adapt strategies, and avoid costly missteps in international cooperation. For instance, aligning negotiation tactics with a culture’s time orientation or communication style can significantly improve outcomes in cross-border projects.