An Interview-Based Assessment of the Influence of Ethnocentrism in Business

Although it is natural for the individual to judge other cultures primarily relative to his own culture and social community, frequently this tendency translates into the disparage of other people?s values, perspectives, behaviors and lacking acceptance of cultural diversity, while promoting intolerance for out-groups. Cultural narrowness discourages intercultural and inter-group understanding. Taken to its limits, ethnocentrism can take many negative forms, resulting in discrimination, hostility, prejudice and even aggressiveness, and has many commonalties with stereotyping, racism and xenophobia which later can lead to deep ethnic conflicts, political conflicts, war, terrorism, even genocide. The paper deals with the investigation of ethnocentrism in business and how this attitude impact different areas of the organization?s life. It?s also shows the importance of cultural differences and similarities awareness and the role of management in taking advantage of a multicultural environment. For instance, the manager-subordinate communication may be affected by ethnocentrism. If an ethnocentric manager has out-group members as subordinates, he may view them as less credible than other in-group subordinates. Also, the same thing is likely to happen when the ethnocentric subordinate has as manager a member of the out-group.