Navigating cultural differences in the workplace
: the impact of abroad experience on overcoming cultural projection bias in global leadership

  • Lena Berlin (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

A common problem in the workplace is the lack of behavioural flexibility of managers when dealing with international teams. This problem is often caused by cultural projection, a cognitive bias in which managers unconsciously transfer their own cultural perspective onto others. This leads to decisions that do not take sufficient account of cultural differences, which makes working in multicultural teams more difficult. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate whether experience abroad has an impact on the reduction of cultural projection and the improvement of decision-making in multicultural organisational contexts. To answer the research question, a quantitative study was conducted in the form of a survey among German participants. Two groups were analysed: participants with and without international experience. The results show that, on the one hand, people with international experience are less susceptible to cultural projection. On the other hand, this experience does not necessarily result in better cultural knowledge compared to those without international exposure. This suggests that, while international experience increases awareness of cultural differences, it does not automatically lead to more effective decision-making or better global leadership skills. Therefore, the study provides valuable implications for how organisations can leverage the international experience of their employees. At the same time, however, it shows that additional training is needed to further promote and develop intercultural competence and effective decision-making.
Date of Award16 Oct 2024
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorCristina Soares Pacheco Mendonça (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Abroad experience
  • Cultural projection
  • Cultural knowledge
  • Cultural intelligence
  • Global leadership

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão e Administração de Empresas (mestrado internacional)

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