Influences of Cultural Diversity on Corporate Philosophy and Culture

The aim of the research project was to investigate how internationally operating companies deal with the influences of cultural diversity upon the company philosophy and subsequently their company's culture. The writer focussed on a typical Middle-European German culture in close quarter with a Mediterranean Maltese culture. The study relates to the direction setting tasks of strategic management and/or planning efforts and how these relate to the company's corporate culture. It provided information on challenges that arise from the element of culture, possible benefits arising from cultural diversity and their incorporation in the organisation's philosophy and the corporate culture as well as managerial implications to create, control and shape the corporate culture. A thorough literature review and a sensible theoretical framework have formed the basis on which empirical data regarding these interdependencies has been obtained.