Page 57 - Crossing Cultural Boundaries - Cees den Teuling

countries. Since the underlying study is focused on the process of transfer of (managerial) knowledge towards and inside Russian organisations, some attention is given to the specific conditions in Russia, regarding the possibilities and obstacles for surveying in the Russian cultural environment. Research by Bergelson (2003) listed a summary of cultural related topics for Russia, to be taken into account, while preparing any survey and emphasising the need for intercultural sensitivity and culturally mindful communication. Especially the careful and controlled translation in to the Russian language is of great concern. Despite the barriers and bottlenecks regarding surveys in Russia, the Trompenaars CVQ tool (partly) in combination with other research tools will be implemented in the underlying research. Testa (2008) argues that several theoretical constructs provide support for such relationship, as well as direction for developing hypothesis. Evidence of the presence of a “Fit” (close relation) between NC values and the managerial practices in an organisation supports this argument (Newman & Nollen, 1996).
2.4 Social space and pluralism in Russia
This study is focused on Russia also because of the work experience, combined with the business in and personal orientation of the author/researcher in that country in the past twenty-five years. The experiences gained with KT processes in cross-cultural environments in the attempt of adding created sustainable value to business processes, are exemplary and highly motivational for conducting a research. In the field of the methodology, applied in social and behavioural research, influential developments, changes, and breaking new grounds have been occurred over the recent decades.
As argued by Petrone (2011, p. 166) “modern political societies all inevitably exposed to a certain degree of pluralism, directly linked to the processes of social differentiation and economic development, characteristics of modernity, the integration into the global economy, in addition to material benefits, inevitably implies a greater exposure to external influences”. Russia encountered the growth of a stable middle- class in society in the framework of an organised, limited and controlled social space. Company owners, entrepreneurs and managers in Russia are aware of the boundaries of pluralism and the accepted level of free movement in managing their enterprises.
This research focuses on "for-profit" organisations in the Russian Federation, operating both in business-to-consumer and in business-to-business markets, mainly on the SME level. The selection criterion is the involvement of the organisations as
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