The International Committee Of The Red Cross

International Committee of the Red Cross, February Founded in 1863 Geneva, the ICRC is an independent, neutral organization whose mission is to wars and armed Victims of violence provide humanitarian protection and assistance. Cross-cultural management plays important roles in the future development for ICRC. The cross-cultural management is involved in different cultural backgrounds, objects, events management in the process of transnational organizations business, for different races, different cultural patterns, a subsidiary of the different stages of cultural development in the country, the organization need to take an inclusive culture management method in order to create a unique culture management process (Peter et al, 2008). It requires managers to change the traditional culture and management concepts, the management focus should turn to multi-cultural enterprises grasp and understanding of cultural differences, the use of cultural synergy, cultural diversity and cultural differences to overcome the difficulties caused by full multi-cultural and cultural differences, it also has the potential and advantages to international companies with vigor and vitality. It should be stressed that cross-cultural management, is not the same culture, but to maintain the local culture in the basis of eclectic, innovative to establish both the characteristics of their own, but also fully absorb the cultural achievements of the management (Edgar et al, 2010).

2.0 The current challenges facing the Red Cross

International Committee of the Red Cross is facing some challenges. For example, as in the Darfur region of Sudan, the conflict clearly showed that many non-international armed conflict, the nature and complexity. Whether in Darfur or other areas, the ICRC has always been to maintain contact with the parties to the conflict to the other party to accept the existence of the International Committee of the Red Cross and its expanded operations.

Currently, the International Committee of the Red Cross is present in these non-international armed conflicts, which is a special challenge to the International Committee (Sowon et al, 2008). The conflict often in the face of a large number of forces involved, so the biggest challenge the International Committee of the Red Cross is how to keep in touch with all parties to the conflict in the field or areas of conflict.

However, those non-governmental armed groups are always difficult to find and contact. How to find them in the field of conflict, understand their structure and organization is usually very difficult. Another challenge is how to ensure that the most dangerous areas of the personal safety of the staff of ICRC (Sowon et al, 2008). To this end, the International Committee of the Red Cross needs to protect themselves in the protection of others and make the best balance between the two aspects.

3.0 Existing culture of the ICRC

International Committee of the Red Cross has given the international community a legal duty. The duty has two sources:

The “Geneva Convention” in 1949, which enables the ICRC to undertake the following tasks: visits to detainees; organize rescue operations; help reunite separated families and similar during armed conflict humanitarian activities (Sowon et al, 2008).

“International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” which encouraged the organization to take a similar job in the situation of domestic violence does not apply the “Geneva Convention” (Sowon et al, 2008).

“Geneva Convention” is a binding treaty in international law, and it is in the world having applied force. “International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement” was adopted in International Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The General Assembly meets held every four years, in the Geneva Conventions, the parties have participated in the meeting, so it gives the “International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement” a quasi-legal or “soft law” status.

4.0 Implications of the existing ICRC culture on new strategic initiatives

In recent years, the ICRC action will become more and more important. The coverage of International Committee of the geographic scope of operations becomes more extensive. There are two main reasons for the expansion of the International Committee of the Red Cross operations: one is the global emergence of many important special events, such as the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir (Sowon et al, 2008). As known to all, this was a politically sensitive area, and the 2006 war in Lebanon was also in the same situation (Marcus et al, 2003). On the other hand, the International Committee of the Red Cross itself has a more active part in relief operations in the global strong desire, especially in certain situations, natural disasters, it took the occurrence of natural disasters, usually mainly in the national Red Cross or Red Crescent disaster relief operations started, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies coordinate the rescue operations. However, if a natural disaster occurs in areas of armed conflict or a politically very sensitive area, the ICRC will be involved in the rescue operation. Talked about areas of armed conflict in the global humanitarian relief operations carried out, there is no doubt that the International Committee of the Red Cross relief operation was launched one of the largest organizations.

5.0 Human Resource Management for ICRC

Cross-cultural management includes two aspects. On the one hand is the management from outside the enterprise, cross-cultural management issues come from different cultural backgrounds companies, such as dealing with suppliers, customers, competitors, and relevant interest groups and other management; the other hand is cross-cultural management within the enterprise, the management for different cultural backgrounds employees (Christine et al, 2008). The International Committee of the Red Cross also has the same issues in the progress of international developing. The manager should not only handle the cross culture issue from the entire complex international environment, but also handle the relationship with the organization members inside the International Committee of the Red Cross.

For international organizations, such as ICRC, the need to resolve cultural integration to avoid cultural conflict may arise during the operation and management, looking beyond the organization goals of cultural conflict, in order to maintain the context of different cultural norms of behavior, and thus create a unique Culture. Cross-cultural management of human resources for ICRC can take the following strategy.

5.1 Awareness and coordination of cultural differences

Cross-cultural Awareness and coordination has two basic meanings: first, to recognize the culture, ICRC must first understand their own culture and its development and change, strengths and weaknesses. It is better to know, understand foreign culture, and identify the differences between the two cultural for director J. Stroun is very important (Sowon et al, 2008). Second, searching for culture “cut point”, This requires managers to some extent out of the constraints of ICRC culture, and stand on different positions from their own culture, and seek the ICRC culture and the integration point between cultures and require managers to make a “cultural differences minimized” the processing.

5.2 Careful selection of expatriate managers

Cross-cultural management not only requires managers cooperated with employees from different cultures, backgrounds and values, but also against all kinds of factors (Christine et al, 2008). These factors are external environmental factors, on the ICRC way affect the performance of management functions. Therefore, managers need to have a basic quality of cultural awareness. Cultural awareness is the management staff of multinational companies operating the country’s cultural heritage and its impact on the business knowledge and understanding. Specific to human resource management, it requests the managers to understand the cultural background, habits, ways of thinking and behavior of their staff, a better understanding of other cultures can stand on the position to deal with the increasing complex relations (Bryan et al, 2003). Because many complex rescues both the environment is not a simple imbalance in the general interest, but a large part, because of the specific environment are not familiar with due to the differences in cultural collision. And this cultural mismatch will give a great deal of obstacles to the rescue for ICRC.

5.3 Cross-cultural training

Cross-cultural training should be the focus of human resources (Bryan et al, 2003). It is addressing cultural differences, to prevent the most effective means of cultural conflict. The main cross-cultural training are as following, understanding of cultural content, cultural sensitivity training, language learning, intercultural communication, conflict management and environmental simulation. The main purpose of such training are: 1 reduce cultural conflicts may be encountered by overseas managers, so that they can quickly adapt to local environment, to play a normal role; 2 maintain the smooth flow of information within ICRC and the efficiency of decision-making process; 3 enhance teamwork Spirit of solidarity with ICRC; 4 promote local employees of the ICRC rescue philosophy and practices of understanding; 5 maintain good and stable relationships within the organization (Michele et al, 2006). In addition, ICRC should provide its employees with training, also shows the company’s long-term development of the sincerity of the staff in ICRC.

6.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, after hundred year’s development, the symbol of the Red Cross excellence has contributed greatly to the appeal and authority. With the development of Member States, the Red Cross, the Red Cross began the task of rescue by single battle damage to the natural disasters, development aid. Cross-cultural management of the ICRC is very important future development is directly related to the process of internationalization of the organization.