International Strategic Alliances and Cultural Diversity - German Companies Getting Involved in Iran, India and China

Business is increasingly affected by the impacts of globalization. The technological progress, as well as monetary systems have made prices comparable beyond borders. If German companies want to withstand the global competition, they have to develop sustainable internationalization strategies. Since the risks of entering into a strategic alliance are comparatively low in contrast to other internationalization options, this topic has gained in importance. But a sound preparation is inevitable in order to succeed. While technological and economical risks of alliances can be reduced easily by a solid preparation, the social risks are highly dependent on the individuals involved and thus hard to prevent. Especially in international strategic alliances including the additional complexity of different national cultures, social problems can be of high importance. German companies which prefer to enter into foreign markets should carefully get acquainted with the foreign country's cultural norms and values. Up to today, many approaches have been made to define culture and various studies have been performed driven by the desire to understand and provide explanations for cultural differences. The results of those studies can be used to evaluate the impacts of a national culture and its specifics on strategic alliances. Yet, a theoretical study of a foreign culture cannot replace practical experiences. However, it can provide a starting point which helps to understand and accept the behavior of a foreign culture. Research results provide a good foundation for the identification of basic assumptions which underlie a foreign national culture. The general framework of another culture can be investigated, understood, and even be learned to a certain extent. Nevertheless, nothing can substitute personal experiences with another culture and its specific beliefs and values. Due to the enormous population, especially in China and India, broadly diversified cultural norms and values a