Intercultural management competence in Finnish multicultural working life : case Aamujakelu Oy

Abstract

The current thesis is a qualitative case study, which explores intercultural management competence in Finnish working life. The subject is investigated from the viewpoint of the Finnish supervisors and the international employees at a Finnish multicultural workplace. The aim of the thesis is to determine what kind of intercultural management competence the supervisors of the case company need in their daily work.

The case organisation is the Finnish newspaper delivery company Aamujakelu Oy. The supervisors’ work at the case organisation includes both management and leadership tasks. Due to the nature of the organisation’s operation the supervisors and the employees work at different times and places. Despite this, the supervisors interact daily with the Finnish and the international employees. Smooth and continuous communication between the employees and the supervisors needs to be established in order to reach the organisational goals.

The theoretical part of the study is based on cross-cultural management literature. Three different viewpoints on the management competence were identified, including management of multicultural workforce in the manager’s home country, cross-cultural knowledge management and leadership skills as emotional intelligence. These management competences are studied from an intercultural perspective, as the main focus is on the interpersonal interaction between the supervisors and the employees.

The empirical data consists of ten theme interviews with four Finnish supervisors and six international employees. The study confirms that the supervisors need intercultural management competence in their daily work. According to the empirical findings, all the three viewpoints identified in the literature include relevant competences for the supervisory work. The most focal intercultural management competences at the case organisation are English language skills and empathy. Mastery of these may positively affect the other competences studied. In addition, the study confirms that intercultural management competence determined for internationally operating business organisations is applicable, at least partly, to a domestic multicultural business organisation.