Four pillars of cross-cultural management A systematic literature review

Abstract

In the 1960s, markets became global, firms became more international, and cross-border joint ventures increasingly provided firms with opportunities to rapidly expand geographical market participation. Culturally diverse settings, and the challenges linked to these, have become the focus of scholarly conversations. The importance of Cross-cultural management (CCM) significantly grew. The purpose of this paper is to review CCM-related studies and to map all the relevant areas. Summary is made of 95 sources consisting top-tier journals’ research papers and management scholars' texts in order to increase understanding in this underresearched field. From many interlinked disciplines, four major ones are identified and detailed in this paper: psychology, anthropology, international business and strategic management. Based on the analysis, the current understanding of CCM is discussed, and promising ways of further research are identified that can further advance the conversation on CCM.