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How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations

Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2025.

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Other Authors: Adegbesan, Adentunji
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2026
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Adegbesan, Adentunji
author_browse Adegbesan, Adentunji
author_facet Adegbesan, Adentunji
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2025 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:39:58.654Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2026
publishDateRange 2026
publishDateSort 2026
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/109073 How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations Adegbesan, Adentunji ichelp@gibs.co.za Dlamini, Nokwanda UCTD Recognition Retention Hofstede's cultural theory Cross-cultural management Talent management Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2025. Employee recognition matters to business outcomes; ensuring employees know and feel that they are valued can result in lower voluntary turnover. The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate how cultural differences affect employee recognition and its link to retention within the context of a telecommunications multinational operating in 18 African markets. By exploring the nuances of recognition across various cultural contexts, the research aimed to determine the relevance of macro-cultural models such as Hofstede’s in guiding modern employee recognition strategies affecting employee loyalty with the aim of identifying best practice. The study used a descriptive-exploratory design, analysing 16 semi-structured interviews with employees and HR professionals across multiple African regions. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in preference, perception and impact using Atlas.ti. The principal finding is that national culture is a weak predictor of recognition preferences. Instead, individual demographic factors and socio-economic pragmatism were found to be stronger moderators. The findings also challenge the direct link between recognition and retention and highlight that recognition is more of an amplifier than a driver of retention. The study proposes a Structured Personalisation model in place of a “one-size-fits-all’ approach. It recommends that MNCs provide personalisation in recognition and make managers more accountable for driving it. Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) MBA Unrestricted Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) SDG-08: Decent work and economic growth 2026-03-19T09:54:59Z 2026-03-19T09:54:59Z 2026-05-05 2025 Mini Dissertation * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109073 en © 2025 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Recognition
Retention
Hofstede's cultural theory
Cross-cultural management
Talent management
How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
title How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
title_full How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
title_fullStr How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
title_full_unstemmed How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
title_short How cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
title_sort how cultural differences affect recognition and retention in multinational organisations
topic UCTD
Recognition
Retention
Hofstede's cultural theory
Cross-cultural management
Talent management
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109073