Interkulturelle Kompetenz als Erfolgsfaktor im internationalen Vertrieb - Schwerpunkt: Nachfolgestaaten Jugoslawiens

In this thesis, intercultural competence/intelligence as a success factor in international distribution is examined, with special attention to the economic, social and cultural development in the former Yugoslavian countries. A critical review of the literature has shown that the effects of the disintegration of Yugoslavia on the cultural change of the states in combination with the intercultural skills of the sales staff and its impact on business success have not been sufficiently examined. The thesis therefore focuses on determining the change in cultural dimensions of former Yugoslavian countries and the cultural distance between these states. As a result, the consequences for sales in these countries are drawn and instructions for action are derived for sales employees. As a theoretical framework the model of action of cultural intelligence in the intercultural sale of Hansen et al. and the cultural model of Hofstede are used. The cultural dimensions were used according to this functionalist approach to determine the cultural distance between countries. In the empirical study, guideline-oriented expert interviews are used as a qualitative method for clarifying the research question. The cultural distances determined from the theoretical model and the values derived from the empirical survey have proven to be contradictory. The cultural differences and specificities of the former Yugoslavian countries must therefore be reassessed and have a corresponding impact on distribution. The intercultural sensitivity, flexibility and communicative skills of a person have proven to be essential competencies for intercultural intelligence in this area. The attitudes and desired intercultural competences vary in part according to age and gender and therefore a situation- and person-dependent approach to distribution is recommended. Distributors will be able to operate successfully in former Yugoslavian countries if they have high values in the four dimensions of cultural intelligence, as well as appropriate expertise, and if they use these skills in a targeted manner and adapted to the situation. Training in the most important general competences in intercultural distribution is strongly recommended for this group of people.