Recontextualizing Culture, Power, and Change within MNCs

The current state of the global economy is in constant transformation. This transformation results in new industries, technologies, and markets. In order to effectively maintain relevance throughout these transformations, organizations must be equipped with the ability to manage change and foster innovation. An organization that is unable to adapt to the rapid changes taking place in this economy will be at greater risk for failure. Context, whether it be cultural, geographic, social or a mix of several overlapping dynamics, is the silent decider of organizational paradigms. The process of transferring organizational assets, such as strategy or culture, from one context to another, is known as recontextualization. This thesis seeks to address the significance of recontextualized organizational assets within a Multinational Corporation (MNC) and the impact on its employees and management structures. The case study will examine how recontextualization shapes a French Headquarter (HQ) - US subsidiary relationship, and more specifically how this contextual dynamic impacts the reception of a HQled change management mission. The conclusion of this thesis will provide perspective for future attempts at collaborative change must integrate greater awareness of recontextualization, particularly during their planned strategic organizational transformation. The supporting research presented throughout this work encompasses interviews with organizational development leaders, cross-cultural management and recontextualization experts, as well as employee testimonials and an autoethnography illustrating the complexities of the HQ-subsidiary relationship