The Effects of National and Organizational Culture on the Onboarding Process for Engineers in Multinational Midsize Companies : A Qualitative Analysis of the Onboarding Process at Zound Industries

Sammanfattning: The necessity for a cohesive onboarding process in multinational, midsize companies has become increasingly apparent as globalization and professionalization makes requests for key talents more demanding. This study has focused on how national, and organizational culture affect the onboarding process, and how it can be adapted to increase cohesiveness on a multinational level, with respect to technology-oriented professions. Twelve qualitative interviews have been conducted with the Human Resources and the Product & Innovation department in Stockholm, Sweden, and Shenzhen, China. Complementary observations, as well as a document study has been implemented to identify the organizational culture. The data has then been analyzed using thematic analysis. Results show that there is a significant difference in organizational culture between the two offices due to differences in national culture, leadership styles, and differences in hierarchical tendencies in the organizational structure and communication lines. Furthermore, results show that technology oriented employees value product, and process-orientation more than their peers. Consequently, the onboarding process differs between the two offices in both practice and result. It is necessary to identify the connection between leadership and culture, as well as survey the perceived dissonance in hierarchy between offices in regard to structure and communication.