Exploring emotional validation in cross-cultural management: a case study

Abstract

Recent trends have shown increased prominence within the area of emotional validation as it pertains to workplace interactions. This thesis emphasizes the importance of applying emotional validation in cross-cultural management to improve employees' well-being and associated work performance. To deepen the knowledge of the role of emotional validation and crosscultural management, this thesis conducts a case study where employees from an internationally renowned company are asked to share situations in which they felt emotionally invalidated. The study's main findings reveal experiencing similar perceptions of emotional invalidation and emotions, regardless of the participants' cultural background. Still, variations in reactions and outcomes can be associated with cultural differences and the subjective perceiving of emotional invalidation. The study proposes practical measures for enhancing emotional validation recognition to establish international guidelines, stimulate cross-cultural sensitivity, and integrate supportive personnel. The results show that future research is necessary to explore diverse factors influencing behaviors at work.