Abstract
Internal Change Management and Communication Across Borders And Cultures - Denmark & Brazil
This thesis seeks to investigate how culture affects change management and communication within an organization present in both Denmark and Brazil. To do this an academic discussion of how an international organization present in Denmark and Brazil should consider cultures influence on change management and communication, was created. This thesis chose Novozymes as a case, as their internal change management and communication has been investigated within the Danish headquarters in a former project. Thereby being able to use the findings of the former project as points of considerations for how Novozymes might improve or adapt their strategy in order to successfully implement changes in Brazil.
The focus lays on culture and change is due to the fact that the premise of the globalized market makes change and development is a necessity in order to be competitive. The globalized market has also made organizations expand across nations. Thereby one organization is present in more than one country and several cultures. Therefore it is interesting to know how different cultural backgrounds influence the organizations especially in regards to internal change communication. Consequently the focus of this thesis will be on internal change management and communication across borders cultures within Novozymes in Denmark and Brazil, as both change and culture is a vital part of the globalized world of today.
The problem formulation is as follows:
“How should Novozymes manage and communicate changes across borders and cultures within the company to ensure a successful implementation of change management initiatives?”
The thesis is working from a base in critical realism as it is the underlying structures of culture and how that affects communication and change that is sought to illuminate to answer the problem formulation. The problem formulation is based in theory, thereby applying the deductive approach to find the best strategy for change implementation and change communication internally within Novozymes between Denmark and Brazil.
A single case study has been applied as the focus is on one organization; Novozymes and their internal change management and communication across Danish and Brazilian borders and cultures. This means that there will be no comparisons to other organizations.
Seven experts has been interviewed using the semi-structures interview approach, in order to create an academic discussion. Three of them are specialized in change management and communication, three are specialized in Latin American area studies, and one is a consultant within the field of change management and therefore have first-hand experience implementing changes.
For this investigation two sets of theory has been chosen; one based in culture and intercultural communication and the other based in change with John P. Kotter’s eight-stage process of creating major change as the main theory on change.
This thesis has, on the basis of an academic discussion amongst experts, compared to theory answered the problem formulation by finding a recommendation for how Novozymes should implement and communicate changes across the borders and cultures of Denmark and Brazil.