Why do you think comparative management is important in today's international scenario?

Answer 1

Comparative management analyzes the extent to which management principles are applicable from one country to another. Since the leader in the development of management principles is the United States, comparative management seeks to determine the applicability of American know-how to foreign locales. Although the concept of comparative management evolved in the late sixties, it continues to be the subject of considerable debate.

. In other words, the universality of management science allows it to be transferred from one locale to another. Management is universal because it is critical to the successful operation of an organization. The "universalist" school of management theory believes that certain management principles are fundamental and can be transferred to any organized form of human activity.

In contrast to the universalists are those who believe that management practice is culture bound. Cultural differences in various countries exert a si

Comparative international management is the field of inquiry that focuses on differences

in management and organization between countries. By now, there is sufficient awareness

of the usefulness of studying management and organization in an international

context. Also, the use of comparison to aid explanation and to enhance understanding of

social phenomena has always been recognized as a valuable tool of social scientific

research and hence as an end in itself.

For at least the last twenty years, the literature has yielded diverse positions on the transferability of modern management principles into different cultures. A review of the research shows that most cross-cultural studies are actually cross-national studies which means comparing socio-cultural, political, and economic systems and not just culture. Two of the more important models are described in terms of the role of culture--the Farmer-Richman model and the Negandhi-Prasad model. One of the models identifies management as a dependent variable, and the other as an independent variable. The research was conducted to contribute to a resolution of this difference. The research design isolated the role of culture by controlling for the political, economic, and educational variables.

"Comparative International Management" provides the reader with a broad coverage of comparative international management topics focusing on a number of key issues, such as differences in management styles, organizational structures, corporate governance, production systems, corporate strategy, labour relations, and human resource issues in different countries. In doing so, the text uses a cultural-institutional explanation to clearly highlight the reasons why countries differ, allowing the reader to appreciate the importance of management in international and globalising economies.