Finnishness in cross cultural interaction in international engineering projects

Abstract

This doctoral thesis is an empirically informed cultural study in an international, cross cultural setting. More specifically, the culture and the cultural identity examined here can be considered as that of Finnishness as it appears in cross cultural interaction in large, international engineering projects. The empirical focus is on the experiences of Finnish project managers. The thesis is primarily designed to provide an answer to the following research question: What kind of representation of Finnishness and Finnish cultural identity can be constructed based on the experiences of Finnish project managers of large and complex international engineering projects? In the organizational and management research, cultural studies have a relatively long history. Traditionally these have focused on cultural studies in single settings, i.e. studying a particular organizational culture in its home environment. In addition, due to the processes of internationalization and globalization, cultural studies in international organizational settings have also turned into an established field of research. This doctoral thesis builds on the latter approach to studying cultures in organizational contexts. That is, the thesis provides a portrayal of Finnishness as it appears in cross cultural interaction in situations where organizational groups with different (national) cultural backgrounds meet, interact, and collaborate with each other.

In addition to the empirical contributions, this doctoral thesis is designed to provide one answer to the pleas increasingly voiced within the international cross cultural management research for more refined and in-depth cultural conceptualizations, methodologies, and portrayals. That is, in this stream of literature the need to move beyond its incumbent paradigm, and consequently, the need for more refined cultural understanding and portrayals have been increasingly expressed. By building on one of the proposed ways of refinement, this thesis then serves as one example for other more in-depth cultural portrayals to come.