The impact of culture on interactions : five lessons learned from the european commission
By: NEYER, Anne-Katrin
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Contributor(s): HARZING, Anne-Wil.
Material type: 
ArticlePublisher: Dorchester : Elsevier, October 2008European Management Journal 26, 5, p. 325-334Abstract: Using data collected from 25 interviews with Austrian employees in the European Commission, we explore the conditions under which cultural difference do and do not influence interactions. Previous experience with culturally-determined behaviour and experience working in a foreign language is found to foster norms that reduce conflict based on cross-cultural differences. Time pressure, on the other hand, makes cultural differences, specifically the way that criticism is delivered and the extend of relations-versus-task orientation, more explicit. Our findings have implications for the design of taining for multinational teams, as well as the composition od these teams.
Using data collected from 25 interviews with Austrian employees in the European Commission, we explore the conditions under which cultural difference do and do not influence interactions. Previous experience with culturally-determined behaviour and experience working in a foreign language is found to foster norms that reduce conflict based on cross-cultural differences. Time pressure, on the other hand, makes cultural differences, specifically the way that criticism is delivered and the extend of relations-versus-task orientation, more explicit. Our findings have implications for the design of taining for multinational teams, as well as the composition od these teams.
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