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Cross‐Cultural Issues in a Life Sciences Company
Author(s) -
Chaisiri Judith,
Flax Jodi
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
negotiation journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.238
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1571-9979
pISSN - 0748-4526
DOI - 10.1111/j.1571-9979.2004.00007.x
Subject(s) - sociology , bridging (networking) , public relations , cross cultural , language barrier , applied linguistics , engineering ethics , political science , social science , environmental ethics , management , anthropology , engineering , law , linguistics , computer science , computer network , philosophy , economics
Cross‐cultural issues transcend the boundaries of nations and native tongues. Traditionally considered in national or religious contexts, cross‐cultural issues also occur in the corporate environment, especially those environments specializing in high technology. The life sciences industry employs many different professional cultures including scientists, engineers, computer programmers and management and, due to the highly specialized needs within this industry, success is reliant on the interaction between the groups. Scientists and management in particular come from completely different cultures: the academic world (Ph.D.) and the business world (MBA). While speaking the same native language, these two cultures are separated by cultural norms and biases. Bridging the gap between these differences can be difficult but not impossible. This article explores the origins of tension between scientists and management and seeks to offer a path to more open, productive communication.