Change and continuity in contemporary business - Essay Example

While the individuals working for the company in different locations are likely to come from different cultures, and ethical, just and fair culture of the company itself can only be established with good HR policies and effective HR management (Hollinshead and Leat, 1995). In the simplest terms and as reported by Baldwin (2007) individuals around the world as well as those in industrialised nations are seeking justice for all concerned parties. On the other hand, the business objective for globalisation and the use of techniques such as outsourcing of production or development work is intrinsically linked to the practice of getting maximum value from human assets which are distributed across the world working under the umbrella of a single company (Ozbilgin, 2005).

Historically, the differences between those who seek justice for workers and those who are used to exploiting cheaper labour across the world will sooner or later face a clash (Faulkner, D. 2002). This clash can be called a culture clash between corporate needs and the humanistic approach taken by those who support the idea of international development. The cultural differences were largely ignored and it was thought that the culture of the country where business was being done would prevail while the culture of the country where the parent company was located would not matter as much (Kamoche, 1996).

However, recent evaluations have shown that culture conflicts might need to be actively countered and could even be used to motivate workers around the world rather than put them in conflict (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1998). The primary basis for this cultural clash, which is important for managers to understand, is the difference in the standard of living to which people in developed as well as developing nations may be used to (Block, 1999). Workers in Britain as well as many other western countries tend to place great value on their leisure time and have enjoyed a relatively high