Contemporary Management Research
Pages 3-20, Vol. 7, No. 1, March 2011
Acculturation and Management Control- ‘Japanese Soul in Sri
Lankan Physique’
Chandana Rathnasiri Hewege
Swinburne University
Email: rathnasirichan@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The study explores the way in which acculturation can be used as a management
control mechanism. Acculturation - inculcating values and norms of one culture to
another culture- has been studied in relation to national cultures whereas, the
application of acculturation to the study area of management control is novel. By
using the ethnographic research method, this research examines as to how a Sri
Lankan subsidiary of a Japanese company acculturates its employees to Japanese
work values with a view to instituting a positive work culture. The study has
illustrated the process through which workers unlearned indigenous Sri Lankan work
values and assimilated new Japanese work values. The findings are useful for
designing strategies to acculturate employees to create an effective management
control regime.
