Moving beyond stereotypes in managing cultural difference: Communication in Danish–Japanese corporate relationships

SummaryThis study addresses challenges in intercultural management between corporate headquarters in Denmark and subsidiaries/alliance partners in Japan. It takes its point of departure in the prevalent cross-cultural stereotypes of ‘national cultures’, shows the limitations of using such stereotypes and offers a social constructivist framework that captures the complex processes of understanding others in intercultural collaboration. Based on interviews with 50 managers in five companies, this study presents lessons learned and describes how management practices in the intercultural workplace can result in several approaches from “ongoing culture clash” to situations where cultural differences are considered a strategic asset. It illustrates how some managers perpetuate stereotypes, how some managers move beyond stereotypes, and how others are actually able to “trump” them.