Henry W. Lane

Culture: an unnoticed barrier to Canadian retail performance in the USA

Abstract For many Canadian retail firms, culture has been an unnoticed barrier to operating successfully in the USA. Evidence from retail case studies suggests that Canadian executives found significant cultural differences between Canadians and Americans, which manifested themselves in the values and behaviors of competitors, consumers, suppliers, employees, and managers. Empirical evidence from a survey of 271 CEOs from the top retail companies in Canada and the USA confirms the presence of cultural differences between the two countries. The paper concludes that although cultural differences are important, it is the lack of recognition of such differences prior to entry that leads to failure. The implications of the results for further research and practice are discussed.

Global Strategic Change: A Synthesis of Approaches

Abstract Managing global change is one of the key competencies demanded of global leaders and one of the main challenges they face, according to some scholars. However, leading change in the global context is one of the most under-researched areas of global leadership. This conceptual chapter first contrasts the organizational development and organization change fields and then proposes a hybrid approach termed global strategic change. Global strategies require new patterns of employee behavior and an enhanced appreciation of the dynamics of intercultural change in which two or more national cultures are involved. Understanding these demands on employee behavior will aid managers in pursuing their globalization efforts. Culture is conceived as a boundary condition, and cultural values that might impact each stage in the change process are identified. Two case studies illustrate successful global strategic change by expert global leaders who were not intimidated by cultural stereotypes. Thoughtful executives can create strategic performance improvements by avoiding being trapped or intimidated by a simplistic interpretation of cultural constraints.