Page 40 - Crossing Cultural Boundaries - Cees den Teuling

This study is focused on Russia, since the rapid developments on the political, economic and social levels were ignited by the turnaround in the early nineties of the twentieth century significantly affected the chosen area. The implosion of the USSR and the dismantling of the command-control economy, the re-orientation to a market-driven type of economy caused an enormous demand for the transfer of knowledge in the field of Management, Organisational studies, Marketing, Operation, Export /Import and Accountancy. There is a lack of information about the results (effectiveness) of cross- border exchange of business and management knowledge from western oriented consulting firms towards managers and business owners/entrepreneurs in Russia, especially taking into consideration the existing manifest and tacit cultural differences. Despite intensive and detailed research, ample contribution on the cross-boundary inter- organisational MK transfer process by Russian authors and scholars is identified, so far. This study is a step towards the exploration of the scientific resources on the influence and the impact of the human actors on the process of the MK transfer. The roles and learning styles of recipients and the transmitters are discussed. A variety of insights, directions and controversial and opposing statements and theories from a diversity of scientific and pragmatic contributions are analysed and evaluated (Frost, 2014).
2.2 National Cultures in Knowledge Transfer process
This section is, first of all, devoted to the concept of NC and provides a conceptual overview and reviews of the variety of definitions and dimensions. NCs are seen as the main determinant of cultural differences that also have an influence on the organisational level.
Learnt experience of consultants and business trainers shows that conflicting values occurred between different NCs and OCs. It can be assumed that the recipient’s willingness and receptivity for new knowledge is conditional for the engagement in the transfer of knowledge. From the transmitters engaged in an open process adaptation of new directions of KT is requested.
Even though knowledge receivers appear with willingness to accept the new knowledge, testing of the level of internalisation and understanding of the knowledge disseminated in the transfer process is important and necessary. The acquired knowledge will be ensured when it is based on deeply engraved internal values, behaviours and attitudes. Dissemination of the acquired knowledge by receivers into a variety of directions and assurance of its broad utilisation and extended benefit by other co-workers is fundamental to the leverage within the organisation. Deep involvement of
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