Page 107 - Crossing Cultural Boundaries - Cees den Teuling

studies, focused on the relationships between consultants (transmitters) and the managers/owners of the client-organisations (recipients) from diversified cultural backgrounds will be addressed. The study will also address the issue of cultural differences, as influential factor on the processes of KT. The research is conducted on management level with participants from a variety of sectors and industries. The outcomes will present a more general oriented conclusions and recommendations, more geared to and applicable for wide-spread, trans-boundary and culturally diversified operations. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection are utilised in the research. The implementation of the Multi Method Research (MMR) approach makes reaching more stable and elaborated outcome feasible. In the underlying research as the requested beneficial outcome of the KT processes, the gain of competitive advantages for the recipient organisation and the expected result of the implemented SVC is taken into consideration.
In Chapter Three, propositions concerning the KT between trans-boundary entities are proposed, based on the literature review presented in Chapter Two. As the basic research methodology, Action Research (AR) is described. The positions of ontology and epistemology in organisational studies, especially with an AR approach are discussed and concluded followed by the MMR approach in which the outcomes of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods are discussed, compared and the combination, appropriate for this study is proposed. Explication of the data collection instruments used in the research, i.e. online survey questionnaires and focus group guidelines are also presented. Peculiarities of data-collection, the approaches to statistical and methodical analysing of data, the use of installed software programmes closes Chapter Three.
“No job is more vital to our society than that of the manager. It is the managers who determine whether our social institutions serve us well or whether they squander our talents and resources”.
Chapter 3. Research Methodology and Practical Research 3.1 Research questions and propositions
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Henry Mintzberg