Comparing decision-making of leaders in Finland and in USA : Revisiting Hofstede’s cultural dimensions perspective
Liimatainen, Sini Kristiina (2023-05-11)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023051143485
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023051143485
Tiivistelmä
ABSTRACT:
More and more organizations and individuals must adapt to today’s internationalized work environment. Interaction skills between cultures are therefore very important for modern managers. A management team that understands different cultures is an important ad-vantage for managers in export-driven Finland and the USA, which has extensive market experience.
The goal of this thesis is to expand people’s awareness of Finnish and American cultures and the biggest differences related to them. In addition, thesis gives basic knowledge about Hof-stede’s 6 cultural dimensions theory and how USA and Finland scores at those dimensions. Furthermore, there can be found definition of decision-making and information about dif-ferent decision-making styles.
The empirical part of this study is executed as a qualitative and inductive way. In addition, the research technique of this thesis is in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Seven Finnish leaders from different fields participated in the interviews. All of them had many years of management and working experience both in Finland and the United States.
The results revealed a lot of relevant information about the biggest and most crucial differ-ences between Finland and USA. Masculinity/ Femininity was one big difference. In addition, positivity of USA people was also big matter which is radically different from the Finnish peo-ple who are introvert and withdraw into their own circumstances. The research reveals that the decision-making process is universally the same everywhere.
The theories presented in this thesis can especially help managers whose knowledge of Finn-ish or US culture is incomplete. In future research this phenomenon could be expanded by interviewing managers from each state in USA and Interviewing American leaders who work in Finland.
More and more organizations and individuals must adapt to today’s internationalized work environment. Interaction skills between cultures are therefore very important for modern managers. A management team that understands different cultures is an important ad-vantage for managers in export-driven Finland and the USA, which has extensive market experience.
The goal of this thesis is to expand people’s awareness of Finnish and American cultures and the biggest differences related to them. In addition, thesis gives basic knowledge about Hof-stede’s 6 cultural dimensions theory and how USA and Finland scores at those dimensions. Furthermore, there can be found definition of decision-making and information about dif-ferent decision-making styles.
The empirical part of this study is executed as a qualitative and inductive way. In addition, the research technique of this thesis is in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Seven Finnish leaders from different fields participated in the interviews. All of them had many years of management and working experience both in Finland and the United States.
The results revealed a lot of relevant information about the biggest and most crucial differ-ences between Finland and USA. Masculinity/ Femininity was one big difference. In addition, positivity of USA people was also big matter which is radically different from the Finnish peo-ple who are introvert and withdraw into their own circumstances. The research reveals that the decision-making process is universally the same everywhere.
The theories presented in this thesis can especially help managers whose knowledge of Finn-ish or US culture is incomplete. In future research this phenomenon could be expanded by interviewing managers from each state in USA and Interviewing American leaders who work in Finland.