Cross-Cultural Competency Dilemmas: Thai Automotive Companies

Today, those in managerial positions have become increasingly aware of the importance that cross-cultural understanding plays in enabling their staff, wherever located, to work positively. Such knowledge will become increasingly important as a result of increasing globalization. Competency is a problematic notion encompassing attitudes, values and knowledge affecting job performance. The possible lack of intercultural competency may be a possible hurdle for multicultural organizations in Thailand, in particular those with aspirations to become global in the future. The purpose of this study is to identify the competencies required by those involved in services of an intercultural nature. Obstacles need to be identified and addressed according to the differing cultures in such companies. Interviews were conducted with nine participants in top management from four international automotive companies in Eastern Thailand. The data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Several issues were highlighted, including the need to orientate foreigners about Thai culture; the varying range of differences in working styles, apropos to their cultures; the barriers experienced by competing cultures; the perception of success in an intercultural environment and, finally, how diversity can strengthen team building.