Experiences in Global Enterprise Learning & Design: A Narrative Study Exploring the Life Stories of Global Trainers Designing & Facilitating Cross-Cultural Leadership-Management Programs for a Diverse Group of Corporate Learners of Multinational Firms wit

摘要

Multinational enterprises with business operations in Asia (MNESBOSA) continue to be challenged by cross-cultural leadership-management (CCLM) issues. The current CCLM training programs run by these multinational enterprises (MNEs) have been proven to be ineffective in sustaining the managerial-leadership skills necessary to handle the complexity of running business operations in Asia. In the case of MNEs in Korea, there are two major problems concerning the design, execution, and management of CCLM training programs. First, these programs are mainly conducted by external trainers. These trainers are often not given the appropriate amount of time, resources, and monetary compensation by multinational firms to design and execute CCLM programs in an optimal way. Secondly, these external trainers are used in a limited and ad-hoc manner by MNEs, which lead to a lack of continuity in the learning and development objectives of CCLM programs. These two problems result in corporate learners not being adequately trained in CCLM, which ultimately results in high turnover rates, conflict within the firms, and operational deficiencies at home and abroad for MNESBOSA.The purpose of this narrative study was to analyze the stories of global corporate trainers who have designed and conducted CCLM programs for a diverse group of corporate learners of MNEs throughout Asia with an emphasis on Korea since the researcher resides and works in Korea. This study specifically examined possible unnoticed and/or hidden issues experienced by eight research participants using semi-structured interviews. In doing so, this study may lend useful research data that can be utilized in an effort to improve the effectiveness of CCLM training programs managed by multinational firms.