International production companies increasingly face the challenge of developing and standardizing processes across multiple locations — particularly when cultural differences exist between countries. The motivation for this thesis arises from a practical problem at an Upper Austrian mechanical engineering company that operates international sites, including in China, and has so far not implemented a process model applicable across locations. This can lead to inefficiencies, misunderstandings, and low acceptance when implementing new processes. Although numerous Business Process Management (BPM) frameworks exist in the literature, intercultural aspects have so far only been partially or limitedly considered. Therefore, the aim of this master’s thesis is to develop a BPM-based model that incorporates intercultural aspects and supports efficient collaboration between Austrian and Chinese sites. This master’s thesis is structured into a theoretical and an empirical part. The theoretical section explains the fundamentals of Business Process Management and intercultural management. The empirical investigation is based on a qualitative research approach. Following an extensive literature review, expert interviews with managerial and specialist staff were conducted, then transcribed, categorized, and coded. Building on the insights gained, an interculturally adapted BPM model was developed, structuring the process development into three phases: “Set-Up of Intercultural Process Capability,” “Intercultural Process Development,” and “Intercultural Process Performance Management.” For the second phase, a detailed procedure was additionally developed based on theoretical foundations and empirical findings to support the development of new, cross-location processes. Furthermore, cultural differences between Austria and China were analyzed and integrated into the developed model. The results indicate that Business Process Management — when considering cultural differences — can contribute to increased efficiency, improved communication, and higher acceptance of processes. Cultural differences between Austria and China particularly affect communication styles, role perceptions, and approaches to newly developed processes. Successful process development therefore requires not only technical and organizational adjustments but also a pronounced intercultural awareness. Key success factors include a clear definition of roles in process management, active involvement of all relevant stakeholders, and professional change management that addresses fears and resistance early on. The model also takes into account the importance of trust and relationship management as culturally formative elements that positively influence collaboration. By systematically linking BPM lifecycle models with intercultural management approaches, the developed model provides a practical guide that supports companies with international locations in designing processes across sites in a transparent and cross-cultural manner and continuously optimizing them.
Business Process Management im interkulturellen Kontext: Konzeption eines Modells zur Prozessentwicklung am Beispiel Österreich und China
Nußbaumer, J. (Author). 2025
Student thesis: Master's Thesis