Discuss the contention that national cultures are converging and thus cross cultural sensitivity is no longer applicable

Discuss the contention that national cultures are converging and therefore cross-cultural sensitivity is no longer applicable.

The above brief has proved to present a broad array of approaches in confirming or refusing the contention of converging national cultures. This essay shall concern itself with the study of the extent to which, organisational and societal cultural values have converged, with a particular emphasis on the operations of international businesses. The essay shall concentrate predominately on the convergence myths offered by (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003)

The author intends to identify universal cultural values along with lending itself to the identification of the possible consequences associated with the lack of cross cultural sensitivity from individuals and organisations alike.

National Culture gives individuals uniqueness and differentiates them from other groups. Individuals within a culture share common values, beliefs and assumptions about what is right and wrong, effective and ineffective, based on the dominant societal cultural values.

Katie Schneider interviews Collette Lemieux at wra...

Katie Schneider covers Kensington action

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Increasing internationalisation, and the "global market" have forced exploration more closely to the correlation of differences and similarities in the way people are managed within organisations, and peoples societal cultural values. Nikandrou, I. Apospori, E. and Papalexandris, N., "Cultural and leadership similarities and variations in the southern part of the European Union" Journal of Leadership & Organisational Studies, 9(3), 61

In order to fully understand the aforementioned topic of discussion, one needs to identify characteristics of organisations and individuals in terms of universal cultural values.

The expression "universal values" is sometimes used to mean values that apply - or should apply - to everyone, in every society and every culture. (Rajchman, 1995)

Cultural universals such as language, are general practices found in every culture. Anthropologist George Murdock compiled a list of such universals, including athletic sports, cooking, courtship, dancing, family, games, music, religion, and sexual restrictions. Whilst Murdock's...