Communication as a CROSS-CULTURAL challenge for international management; a case study of Gina Tricot

Abstract: Cross-cultural communication challenges arise for managers in international corporations on a daily basis, and in order to evaluate why these challenges occur we conducted a case study in collaboration with the fast-fashion corporation Gina Tricot. Our work challenges the influential theory that cultural proximity leads to less miscommunication within the business environment. By using Griffith’s model on a fashion-based corporation, our thesis demonstrates that geographical distance is not an aiding factor in superior communication within multinational corporations, however, the longevity of relationships have a more deciding impact.   Global expansion and the rapid development of technology contribute to faster communication possibilities across boarders, therefore the highly international, dynamic and quick communication based fast-fashion industry becomes an interesting object when studying cross-cultural communication. Moreover, this research will investigate which specific areas of business communication that creates the greatest challenges for international managers within the fast-fashion corporation Gina Tricot’s cross-cultural operations.   Our secondary sources are mainly based on previous models and guidelines for effective cross-cultural communication, with David Griffith’s model of “Communication Effectiveness” as a main resource. Furthermore, it enabled us to test how well Griffith’s model applies in the fast-fashion industry. Our primary data was obtained by a close collaboration with Gina Tricot in a case study fashion, by conducting personal interviews with retail and purchase managers. Trough our research and analysis we concluded that the core flaw with previous models is based in their rigidness and lack of flexibility to adapt to different circumstances. We base our conclusions on the notion that as human behaviours is dynamic and highly unpredictable, so is also culture and therefore even communication.