Abstract:

Enriching organizational justice literature with insights from cultural identity negotiation theory, this explorative, qualitative study develops an evidence-based model illuminating how culturally diverse subordinates and supervisors can achieve through their cross-cultural interactions shared understandings of fairness. Our analysis is based on a complex research design comprising in total 91 interviews in China and in Germany from Chinese subordinates of German supervisors, German subordinates of Chinese supervisors, Chinese supervisors of German subordinates and from German supervisors of Chinese subordinates. Findings reveal that both, subordinates and supervisors undergo interrelated cultural negotiation processes which lead to an approximation of previously more distinct fairness perceptions and ultimately to a partially shared understanding of fairness. As part of our model, we present a series of personal and contextual moderators, which affect the cultural identity negotiation in a way that the development of shared fairness perceptions is either facilitated or impaired. Based on our findings we formulate specific propositions, guiding future research and practice

Speaker’s Biography:

Markus Pudelko – Professor Markus Pudelko is Director of the Department of International Business at TÜbingen University School of Business and Economics. He earned Master degrees in Business Studies (University of Cologne), Economics (Sorbonne University) and International Management (Community of European Management Schools – CEMS) and a PhD (University of Cologne).

Before joining Tübingen University, he worked for eight years for the University of Edinburgh Business School. For longer-term research purposes he visits frequently other universities, such as Columbia University, Doshisha University, Dubai University, EAFIT, Fudan University, IESE, Korea University, Melbourne University, Peking University, San Francisco de Quito University, San José State University, Sophia University, Stellenbosch University, Sydney University, Umea University, Vaasa University and Waseda University.

His current research is on headquarters-subsidiary relationships, multinational teams, the impact of language on international business, trust, international HRM, Chinese and Japanese management and cross-cultural management. He has published on these topics in books, book chapters and journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Human Resource Management, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, Leadership Quarterly and Long Range Planning. He received several research awards, among others by the Academy of Management and the Academy of International Business.