In today's global environment organizational culture dominates national culture!

Abstract

Purpose – The specific problem this research addresses is whether cultural differences, national or organizational, impact how effectively the continuous improvement process is received within the supply chain in order to improve supplier performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The research design used a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research. Findings – The research found that Canada was most receptive to continuous improvement, with China being the least receptive. The study found that organizational culture was more influential than national culture. Isomorphism and benchmarking is driving continuous-improvement language and methods to be more universally known within business. Business and management practices appear to take precedence in driving change within organizations. Research limitations/implications – The sample size and countries involved was very small and limited to key medium sized distributed power company (MSDPC) suppliers. This limited diversity and may have introduced supplier selection bias, as well as survey response bias. Practical implications – This research concludes that organizational culture is more dominant over national culture and the influence of leadership within the organization drives the impact of continuous improvement. Originality/value – With isomorphism and the fact that businesses want to be successful, continuous improvement language and methods are becoming more universally known. Business and management practices are now taking precedence in driving change within organizations. Organizational culture is now more influential than national culture.

Influence of national culture on knowledge management process: literature review and research agenda

“…It is very significant in various operations management and supply chain management decisions . There are differences between national culture and organizational culture (Kattman, 2014) but organizational culture is nested in national culture (Pothukuchi et al, 2002). National culture is more deep rooted and dominant than organizational culture BIJ 28,4 (Kattman, 2014).…”

“…There are differences between national culture and organizational culture (Kattman, 2014) but organizational culture is nested in national culture (Pothukuchi et al, 2002). National culture is more deep rooted and dominant than organizational culture BIJ 28,4 (Kattman, 2014). While national culture is oriented to societal values, organizational culture is characterized by values and norms at organizational level (Knein et al, 2020).…”

Perceived understanding of supply chain integration, communication and teamwork competency in the global manufacturing companies

“…The globalization of supply chains implies that various infrastructures, climates and cultures now affect the production of many goods and services (Simangunsong et al , 2016). Global sourcing and cost reduction initiatives drive companies to work with a diverse set of suppliers (Kattman, 2014) and these cause supply chain management (SCM) to be more complex than ever before (Hohenstein et al , 2014). The role of a supply chain manager has become critical in both achieving a company's operational objectives and in successfully implementing its business strategy, especially when competing globally.…”

Do organisational culture and national culture mediate the relationship between high-performance human resource management practices and organisational citizenship behaviour?

“…From the perspective of institutional theory, organisations embed themselves in their contextual environment, so an enhanced understanding and appreciation of NC and how it affects employee perceptions of HR practices and mediates successful implementation of such practices are essential for improving employee performance and productivity. The importance of NC in the establishment and adherence to organisational rules and regulations is supported by Kattman’s (2014) research. Institutional pressures derived from the operating environment, industry, organisation type, competition, culture and structure constrain policies, practices and structures (Lee, 2011).…”