The Intersection of Corporate Culture and Strategy: A Case Study of Multinational Engineering Firms
Open Access
Author:
Stavrakos, Michael Lawrence
Area of Honors:
Mechanical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Thomas Litzinger, Thesis Supervisor Zoubeida Ounaies, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
corporate national culture business strategy case study siemens ford toyota
Abstract:
This thesis analyzes how national culture influences corporate culture by presenting case studies of three multinational engineering firms. The three companies’ current business strategies are analyzed in order to draw a connection between their culture, strategy, and goals. Furthermore, this thesis analyzes how globalization has affected each corporation and what drove them to reshape their cultures and strategies as a response. The case studies examine Siemens as a German company, Ford as an American company, and Toyota as a Japanese company. The research into corporate cultures draws mainly from the corporations’ mission and values statements, and the countries’ national cultures are characterized using a subset of cultural dimensions from a combination of research sources. The work of this thesis demonstrates that, for these three companies, it has been beneficial to temper some national cultural traits that hinder success in a globalized world, but also that corporations can retain balanced aspects of their national culture and achieve success globally.
