Moussa Mahmoud. Intercultural competence needs of managers in international automotive companies in the eastern seaboard of Thailand. Master's Degree(Human Resource Development). . : Burapha University, 2009.
Intercultural competence needs of managers in international automotive companies in the eastern seaboard of Thailand
Abstract:
The purposes of this study were to identify the competencies required for managers of intercultural consultancy services in order to optimize the effects of cultural diversity in Thai international automotive companies; to investigate ways which allow diversity to work effectively; and to identify barriers confronted by different cultures in international companies. Also, the research goal was to learn about the range of behavior related to the research focus. This study used a constructivism paradigm. A qualitative research approach was applied to find answers to the research questions proposed for this study. A case study is chosen to the research strategy. The setting got involved with the nonprobability sampling methods, and the most usual form of which is called purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted with nine participants in four international automotive companies, to answer the research questions. Data were collected from the in-depth, semi-structured interviews of the participants. The researcher used the concepts of competency, culture, and diversity to generate questions for the interview sessions. Data were coded and categorized in order to formulate the data. Ethical considerations and trustworthiness were considered in the proposed study. The findings were constructed by providing a comprehensive description of the setting. It is consisted of nine issues as followed : managers' competencies, team building for diversity, barriers confronted by differences in culture, successful intercultural environment, foreigners' cultures and working styles in Thailand, adaptability, communication skills, management issues, and educating foreigners the others' cultures in Thailand. Ultimately, the researcher attempted to develop a model for an intercultural work environment, as well as succinct recommendations for further researches.