The influence of culture on the management practice at Beiesdorf East Africa ltd

Abstract

All firms are environmental dependant. The environment therefore poses challenges to the management in that they have to make decisions on how to cope with it for the success of the organziation. These challenges must be anticipated, monitored, assessed and incoproated into the executive’s decisions making process for the firm’s survival. The cultural environment is one of the major aspects of a firm’s environment that influence the behaviour of the firm’s internal and external stakeholders, including employees, its customers and host governments. The study on the influence of culture on the management practice in multinational corporations was motivated by the desire to understand how multinational corporations (MNCs) are able to face changes in the environment, challenges they face when dealing with cultural challenges within their operating environment and how they respond to these challenges given that they are operating in a developing world whose political, economical, technological, social and cultural environment is totally different from home countries. Among the components of culture that influence management practice in MNCs are religion, aesthetics, attitude towards work and change, customs, physical and material envionment, education as well as language. This study sought to determine the influence of culture in international business. The study looked into the areas of culture that influence the management practice in Multinational Corporations in Kenya. The study also sought to establish how MNCs respond to cultural challenges. A case study was conducted at Beiesdorf East Africa Limited (BDF). Data was obtained from the management and heads of departments at Beiesdorf East Africa Limited. Data collection was facilitated through an interview guide