Satu Teerikangas and David Hawk
Interest in systems thinking and complexity theory has continued to grow during recent decades. This paper offers an outline and assessment of the contribution of systems thinking and complexity theory to understanding the management of cultural diversity in the context of today's global business environment. While culture has become a topic of growing interest and significance in an era of globalization, it is argued here that the central concept is largely misunderstood. Discourse on culture in both academic and business communities suffers from the resulting confusion while the potentials inherent in cultural diversity remain largely untapped. The research reported herein presents a holistic and transdisciplinary perspective to understanding the impact and management of cultural diversity in global business encounters. The conceptual work behind the paper aims to link the concepts of culture, systems thinking and complexity theory. Given the holistic, flux-like and complex nature of the concept of culture, it seems apparent that any meaningful study of culture will require multiple approaches to recognizing its multiple characteristics. It seems clear that systems thinking and complexity theory help us see and appreciate the multi-faceted nature of culture.
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Satu Teerikangas and David Hawk, "Approaching Cultural Diversity through the Lenses of Systems Thinking and Complexity Theory", Proceedings of the 46th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the System Sciences at Shanghai, People's Republic of China, August 2-6, 2002.
[click here for the ISSS 2002 conference]
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