ABSTRACT
It
is a well-known fact that business organization develops a particular work
practice and management attitude, which reflect their shared values,
aspirations and goals. A workforce is made up of people with diverse values.
The more the organization accept these values the higher the morale
productivity of the employee. This is easier when members of this organization
are drawn from the same cultural configuration. The culture of people which
constitute the organization would wish to express their diverse values and
expects that such be respected.
Culture
constitutes the spiritual consciousness of people and it is deep rooted in
their life. Their rituals are part of their daily lives and they will give
their best to those who will make them grow and allow them to retain their
basic core values. However, in a multinational workplace there are power bases
and corporate culture are influenced by the culture of the power base. In most
multinational organizations in Nigeria, the culture of the host country
determines how work is done.
The
study discovered that management practices are influenced by culture, the
cultural orientation of the company’s management determines the management
practice they adopt. Where there is multinational orientation, the management
practice causes the workforce to stretch in other to align to the culture being
practiced by the organization, this is however, unproductive.
The
work of this research is reported in chapter five. Chapter one laid down the
basic philosophy necessitating the study as well as the nature of the problem,
it stated the basic questions it aimed to answer. The second chapter discussed
various lectures on the subject. Chapter three presented the method adopted,
while the remaining chapters presented the outcome of the study and made useful
conclusion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page … … … I
Dedication … … … ii
Certification … … … iii
Acknowledgement … … … iv
Abstract … … … vi
Table of contents … … … viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Background Of The Study … … 1
- Statement Of Problem … … 4
- Objective Of The Study … … 6
- Research Questions … 7
- Significance Of The Study … … 7
- Scope Of The Study … … 9
- Limitation Of The Study … … 9
- Definition Of Terms … … 10
References … … … 12
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
- Introduction … … 13
- Culture And Management … … 15
- Major Findings On Culture … … 18
- Cultural Forces … … 20
- Issues Of Management … … 25
- Management Of Human Resources … … … 26
- Human Resources Theories … … … 29
- The System Theory … … … 35
- The Implications Of Human Resource Theories … … 35
- Role Of Management … … … 36
- Different Corporate Culture For Differentiation … … 37
- Nigerian Culture, Work Practice And Management … … 39
- Assessing The Influence Of Culture … … … 41
- Multinational Company … … … 44
- Managerial Philosophy … … … 46
- Instance Of Cultural Influence … … … 47
References … … … 50
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- Research Methodology … … … 52
- Delimitation Of Population … … … 52
- Sample Size Determination … … … 52
- Sources Of Data … … … 54
- Research Instruments … … … 54
- Method Of Analysis Of Data … … … 54
References … … … 55
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
- A Brief Historical Background Of Selected Companies … 56
- Data Presentation And Analysis … … … 65
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDAATION AND CONCLUSION
- Summary Of Findings … … 80
5.1 Findings … … … 80
5.2 Conclusion … … … 83
5.3 Recommendation … … … 84
Bibliography … … … 85
Questionnaire … … … 90
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
Management is an issue that has
invited a lot of study aimed towards finding ways of achieving
results/attaining desired goals. It is an instrument used by organization to
achieve specified goals. It is been influenced by diverse environment, social,
political, economic and psychological factors. Organizations use it to plan,
organize, direct and control the entire human, material and financial resources
available to them.
It concerns the various practices
and activities which result from the process of combining the resources
available to the organization’s work attitude and practice. This identified way
of doing things in the organization is the organizations culture.
Modern organizations are in
themselves cultural entities, with their own values and share practices.
Noticeable are their policies, objectives and decision – making processes. All
these constitute the company’s corporate culture.
Corporate culture or company
culture can be seen as the shared practices and values of an organization. The
organization operates in a cultural environment, which it seeks to serve, and
from where it draws its resources to achieve its goals. The environment has its
own values and practices, which it seeks to protect. The two cultures are
always exerting influences on each other. This they do as they seek to achieve
their various interests enshrined in the economic and social contract binding
their relationship.
In this relationship, the organization
draws its resources from the environment, and the environment meets its needs
from the services provided by the organization.
One of the most valuable resources
which the organization draws from the environment, it people. The individuals
inside the organization have their own values, interests, beliefs and norms.
Having come from somewhere, the specific culture and value system usually have
bearing on their work attitude and practices.
In an organization that cuts across
tribes or cultures, the cultural values are brought together within the
organization’s culture. This implies that an organization has culture and the
various individuals in the organization carry with them their own specific
culture into the organization. The presence of this tribal culture often
affects or influences the organization’s culture.
The coming together of culture
entails the problem of cultural conflicts. It is the interface of a group
dominating another, determining work practices and the way of doing things in
the organization. It could also result to a group resisting the suppression and
negligence of their cultural values. Both reactions to culture will produce a
set of management practices, which either reflect the values of the dominant
culture or reaction to manage the weak culture. This reaction within the
organization resulted to the creation of management activities which are either
goal friendly or goal aversive.
In multinational companies, there
are many national cultures that make up the co-operate culture. The American
culture applies to American businesses in America, British culture for British
businesses in Britain and Nigerian culture for Nigerian businesses in Nigeria.
If one culture exports its values overseas, it must be realigned to harmonize
with local values.
Our task in this study is to
examine the influence of culture on management practices of multinational firms
in Nigeria and how cultural values can be harnessed at workplace to enhance
productivity. The study content will seek to examine the following:
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF MULTINATIONAL FIRMS
