Premium Essay

Dealing with Differences

In:

Submitted By jhavca
Words 1326
Pages 6
CEPL553
Dealing With Differences
Course Project
The four parts of this course project are laid out sequentially. Please complete one part of the project before proceeding to the next. Please do not submit your project for review until you have completed Part Four.

Part One
Analyze the Team's Cultural Differences
Naomi, the project manager for the group developing the new F.W. Inc. MicroWidget 3000, is aware that there are a number of potential pitfalls on a team as diverse as hers. Naomi asks you to analyze her team and make recommendations about the project management skills, behaviors and competencies she might need to exercise to make sure that she is appropriately leveraging the diverse perspectives on her team.

Look at the function and nationality columns on the MicroWidget 3000 Project Member Profiles chart. Using the work of Hofstede and Hall, briefly describe the differences in cultural dimensions that might exist on this team (in later parts of this project, you will consider other sources of difference). For example, are certain members from cultures with a high PDI (Power Distance Index) and some from cultures with a low PDI? What might this mean for how the team functions? Finally, list any potential work subculture conflicts that might exist.

The differences in cultural dimensions that might exist on this team:
American, Austrian and Swedish: Small power distance, low uncertainty avoidance
Japanese & Guatemalan: Large power distance index and strong uncertainty avoidance index
Indian: Large power distance index and low uncertainty avoidance index.
The team members in the group come from diverse power distance index and uncertainty avoidance index characteristics. Japanese, Indian and Guatemalan have high PDI compared American and other members from western countries. On the other hand, American and European team members have low

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Ethics and Moral Issues in Business

...September 14, 2011 Many businesses today have several issues to deal with on a daily. In this paper the subject to discuss is the differences between ethical and moral issues in business. Also discuss the differences on personal ethics and business ethics. Businesses have to be careful about dealing with the issues concerning moral and ethical dilemmas. Today’s businesses cannot afford any legal mishaps or wrong doings against the company. An ethical issue is the philosophical analysis of human morality and conduct. Moral issues are potential issues that help or harm anyone. The differences between these two issues are ethical deals with codified standards of behavior in a company, and a moral issue deals with actions right and fair. The website cfagbata.com said “companies are now realizing the importance of ethics in business that is crucial for them to succeed” (cfagbata, 2011, p. 1). Companies have to be very careful not to cross the lines between these two issues. The issues can cause confusion and disorder within the workplace if the business does not handle the issues properly. Personal ethics and business ethics are frequently foundation on the societies’ ideals and actions. The difference is one is personal dealing with that individual with the issue instead of the whole company itself. The business ethic is dealing with the company who issues or concerns became a problem within the workplace or environment. Ethics implies to a degree of responsibility...

Words: 592 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cultural Diversity-Conflict Paper

...Scott Kenyon Baker College Conflict Management Cultural Diversity-Conflict Paper UIN# 105-65604 Cultural Diversity and Conflict Conflict is a normal part of life, there are bound to be miscommunication and differences of opinion when relating to work, family and relationships. How you choose to handle them can change the level of success you achieve in all areas of your life. Now imagine if you are dealing with a person, who has different cultural values than your own. We will cover how these differences affect the outcome of conflict and how you might need to change the techniques used when dealing with conflict to match up with a different value system. With the changes in business to a global market place, it has become more important than ever to understand the changes in negotiations between cultures. The differences in culture break down to five main areas described by Hofstede. These areas are Power distance, individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty avoidance index and long term Orientation. I found that while there are some similarities, there are areas of great difference between the two cultures. Many of the manners in which we deal with conflict in the west would not apply within the Chinese culture. The first area on the scale deals with Power Distance Index (PDI), which is the extent, by which the power is distributed unequally between the members of a family or within an organization. In the US culture it is scored at a 40 showing a much smaller divide...

Words: 942 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Ethical and Moral Issues in Business

...are dealing with company specific issues. What are some of the common ethical problems businesses are dealing with today? Knowing the difference between ethical and moral issues and the difference between personal ethics and business ethics will help managers and employees make better choices in the workplace. Differences between Ethical Issues and Moral Issues What is the difference between ethical issues and moral issues in business? Morals define ones personal character and help us define what is right and wrong. Ethics deals with the social system we live in and which we apply our morals. Ethics also deal with our standards and our behavior. Ethical issues deal with the businesses customers, employees, and the employer. Moral issues ask us to obtain all of the facts so we can make an ethical decision. For example, a criminal defense lawyer may have a moral code that says murder is immortal but the ethics of his or her profession tell the lawyer that he or she must defend the accused to the best of his or her ability even though he or she know that person is guilty. Differences between Personal Ethics and Business Ethics What is the difference between personal ethics and business ethics? Personal ethics is an individual’s beliefs about morality and what is right and wrong. Personal ethics define who you are and they are what other knows you by. One other difference between personal ethics and business ethics is that with personal ethics one is dealing with...

Words: 507 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Business Ethics Across Cultures Article Review

...Cultural difference begins with the ethical variations of perspectives or business ethics of each individual international company. Language is a huge barrier when it comes to international or inter-cultural business dealings, but despite the language barrier one must consider business ethics when communicating. The rapid growth of globalization has prompted businesses to develop international codes of ethics that are used world wide as a standard of ethics no matter what culture or country one is dealing with; this has assisted businesses in making sure that all employees are following the same code of ethics and keeps the company running ethically. Two countries that have had many articles written their ethical perspectives are Brazil and China; these articles also give an overview of the study used to compare ethical differences between American and Brazilian MBA graduates working during the study. In the article concerning the ethical perspectives of Brazil and China, the Chinese believe that communication is the key component in business affairs; employees of both domestic and international companies must use communication to complete any business deals or transactions. One influence that sets the Chinese apart from other countries in their way of ethics is that their base ethics teachings are based off the teachings of Confucius. Confucius was known as a political figure, educator, and a thinker; his teachings have become the foundation on how the Chinese perceive education...

Words: 1454 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Generator

...Thailand, it would be well served to investigate and develop a negotiation and communication strategy that will mitigate these differences in a way that will not unduly jeopardize the success of its new endeavors. While they considered the differences in the legality of their overseas standing, it is obvious that Generator failed to develop a plan that accounted for the cultural hurdles before entering into these partnerships. By entering into these partnerships they effectively mitigate the limitations of corporate ownership in these countries. In contrast, their lack of understanding and adapting to foreign ways of thinking has resulted in the potential alienation and humiliation of their partners. With their failure to proactively administer to these cultural differences Generator must now address these issues downstream. Ideally they would have fashioned their forward-looking communications in a manner that acknowledged the difference between Chinese and Thai culture and approached them from two different standpoints. By segmenting one country from the other they will have the opportunity to facilitate constructive negotiations that are culturally aligned with their intended audience. This would also encourage them to not group all Asian cultures together and repeat mistakes that they have made by using an ethnocentric approach to their prior dealings. Justification for the different approaches can be found in the research conducted by Geert Hofstede. Hofstede, a pioneer...

Words: 1105 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Personal Injury Attorneys

...appropriate knowledge and expertise to negotiate with insurance companies. When you sustain an injury, whether it be from malpractice or an automobile accident, it is crucial to receive advice from someone who is passionate to make sure that you receive the most impartial settlement possible. In the case of an automobile accident, the other party may try to get you to sign away your right to a lawsuit knowing that you are not necessarily familiar with all your rights and the severity of your injuries. Hiring a personal injury attorney will make all the difference in helping you deal with your claim. Unless you work for a car insurance company, you are most likely not dealing with them on a daily basis—but these lawyers do. Because of their recurrent encounters with these insurance companies, they are very familiar with the process of negotiating a settlement. Because these attorneys are experienced with many difference cases, there is a high probability that they have formerly reviewed a case similar to your own. Therefore, they may already have a good idea as to what kind of a settlement you can expect at the establishment of inquiry. In addition to having...

Words: 567 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Communication

...another person into listening and understanding the meaning of the message that you are trying to communicate with the other person. Teams and groups need to effectively communicate with each other in order for an organization to run efficiently. What does this mean? Well whether you work in the health care field or in the restaurant business , the lines of communication are equally important. In the following paper I will discuss how team and group communication processes are utilized in my own organization, and how gender and cultural differences will affect communications at my organization among co-workers, managers and patrons. Included in this paper I will identify any improvements that could be made to make the line of communication more effective. I work in the restaurant industry where often times you deal with many different types of people, whether it is the guests that enter the restaurant or the staff that I work with. When dealing with any type of organization communication is key. A restaurant is run on the first impression on which the customers decide whether or not to return to the restaurant. The first line of communication is the way that they are greeted at the door to the body language that represent , if I bring a smile to the table, the better the service will be. There are so many types of communication in the restaurant business. To ensure that the business runs effectively each employee needs to work together as a team. In the restaurant business...

Words: 1048 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Diff

...What are the main cultural differences about other people that you notice when living in the UK/US as a foreigner? For Brits who know the US, what advice would you give to Brits, when dealing with Americans? For Americans/Canadians/Australians, etc. who know the UK, what advice would you give to fellow nationals when dealing with the Brits? You mean, besides ignoring the island mentality that England is somehow the center of the universe? You get further with a kind word and a gun than with just a kind word  But seriously folks, I suppose the best advice is to avoid the kind of sarcasm/irony that is used in routine everyday convesation and interaction in Britain. In America - and just about anywhere else in the world - such things tend to produce puzzlement or even occasionally annoyance. Don't trust them! Maybe the Brits can come across as a bit abrasive, then, and not as polite as they're often stereotyped as? Certainly not as polite as the're often stereotyped as. I think they can come across as abrasive, but so can a lot of nationalities: Americans, Australians, Dutch, Germans and many others. I suppose the difference with the British might be that there's this image of the David Niven type of English gentleman which they are automatically measured against (?) The most polite people I've known are those in the South East United States - Georgia, Alabama, Carolina. Just take people as you find them, where ever they come from. You can find just as many noisy...

Words: 995 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cross Cultural Perspectives

...serious issue because women should be able to be equals in a corporation, but at the same time, BP has to be able to not offend someone that they are trying to do business with because they are culturally uncomfortable with women in business. This is a delicate balancing act between ethics, social responsibility and cultural awareness for the company. Legally and ethically a woman should be able to perform all the same tasks as a male counterpart, but it may be in the best interests of the company to respect the cultural differences that can occur in doing business in other countries. There are several ethical perspectives at BP when it comes to dealing with culture and gender. Consequence ethics and principle-based ethics can both be at play in this situation. Consequence ethics in that there can be consequences from both making business partners uncomfortable and in choosing a man over a woman for business dealings because of cultural differences. Principle-based ethics looks at this situation in that the decision made is done morally with a respect for justice, doing no harm, doing good and having a respect for autonomy. In principle-based ethics, the person making the decision has to outweigh the harm that could be caused to gender equality while not harming the relationship with the business that might not be comfortable with women in a business-setting. Each of these...

Words: 1114 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mister

...a result of a breakdown in communication. A key issue, therefore, in preventing conflict is the importance of ensuring that communication takes place as effectively as possible. Conflict frequently arises from people having different perspectives on a situation or different interests in relation to that situation. The differences in their perspective can therefore easily lead to a communication breakdown in which each party fails to take on board the perspective of the other, and they therefore fail to 'connect' with one another in a meaningful way. Conflict can also arise as a result of the misuse or abuse of power (for example in the case of bullying or harassment). At certain times at least, therefore, preventing conflict is likely to involve making sure that policies and procedures in relation to bullying and harassment are in place and are actively used, rather than simply being pieces of paper on a shelf gathering dust. The same can be said of discrimination. Where an individual or group is being unfairly discriminated against, we should not be surprised if the situation leads to conflict. Conflict can also be closely associated with value differences. For example, it is often said in relation to particular teams that there is a lack of teamwork because of personality clashes within that staff group. However, it can...

Words: 1034 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Why China Plays Hardball

...Introduction This report analyzes the cross-cultural negotiations happening between Australia and China through organizational business transactions. With today’s modern trades, negotiators aim to attain a “win-win” situation between one another under a rational and wholesome environment. It is a necessity for multinational corporations to have a cross-cultural based management. Differences of cultures across the globe would induce large organizations to embrace themselves with a variety of counter strategies, as it can majorly impact the firm’s performances if left unattended. Hofstede (1983) established that the differences between each nation create diversity, which exist in various aspects mainly: Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, Individualism, masculinity and long term versus short-term orientation. These factors implement the approaches from which a nation converse with the other healthily creating little to no conflict. ‘Why China plays hardball’ article presents the different business cultures which are dealt between Australia and China. Through analyzing the article, we may compare the issues of culture between the nations. Cultural biases Ethnocentrism is an assumption that one’s way is the best way of doing and all other possibilities are not relevant under no matter whatever conditions applied (Deresky & Christopher 2012). Within this article, it implements the hard facts of global corporations joining the Chinese market in creating a term of collaborative...

Words: 1657 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Positive Influence

...Creating a Plan for Positive Influence University of Phoenix LDR 531 November 22, 2010 Creating a Plan for Positive Influence The Learning Team has been assigned a large project. A plan will be created that may be applied in a business setting and would increase the team’s motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Specific differences in attitudes, emotions, personalities, and values will be addressed in collaboration. How each difference influences behavior will be discussed. How these differences will be effectively implemented in the plan to positively influence the team will be discussed. All team environments can be challenging. In order for the team to work together, the team must realize one another’s personalities. Every team member must be aware of his or her own personality and how he or she will work into the team. The personality characteristics must be understood as in relation to the other team member’s personalities. Learning one’s own personality will enable the team to not only learn about themselves but better work with other team personalities. Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance In order to increase the team’s motivation, satisfaction, and performance one must maintain a well-balanced order. A brainstorm activity with the team to discover one another’s characteristic traits from a creative forum would be a starting point. By learning one another’s creative side one can gain the insight into what the individual really has a passion...

Words: 770 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Addressing International Legal and Ethical Issues Simulation Summary

...regularly conducted. For instance, the laws in other countries do not hold up in the United States, additionally, the laws of the United States will not hold up in a foreign country. Therefore, it is important that you are fully aware of the laws in any and all of the countries in which your business is being conducted and ensure that any legal contracts you enter in to with these businesses in foreign countries are legal and binding in both countries and that it will be upheld accordingly. Also, make sure that everyone involved in said businesses understands these caveats and will follow the letter of the law when dealing with your business and those dealings with other countries. Otherwise, you could find yourself and your business dealing with the possibility of having to navigate the waters of international business and their laws. When dealing with sublicensing agreements, CadMex could work against you and lawsuits could possibly start to accumulate because of the negligence of a third party. If a worker does something that is wrong, like damages property or does something that is considered to be outside of the legal agreement, this would make the main business liable for this wrong doing or negligence. The...

Words: 736 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Compare And Contrast Terrorism Hazard Vs Traditional Hazard

...are faced with on a daily basis. The difference between the hazards is fairly easy to separate because each has their own unique story behind them. First responders are charged with responding to these hazards however depending on the wrong place wrong time scenario an ordinary person could also be in the position to respond or worse were part of one. The first difference is the research that exists to deal with terrorism hazard versus a traditional hazard [1]. A natural hazard has had several hundreds years of research and experience in dealing with them. A tornado did not just begin last week they have been occurring for as long as man existed. These experiences as allowed man to evolve to deal with and in many cases survive the tornado. A straw hut 1000 years ago stood no chance against a tornado. Now through trial and error home owners have build state of the art storm shelters under ground to survive any size tornado. The structures may receive cosmetic damage but more times than not they will survive the attack. Unlike a terror case where they come in several shapes and sizes and likely in forms that have yet to be seen. There is little or absolutely no warning when dealing with them....

Words: 509 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Ethics

...350- to 700-word essay comparing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. Include the following in your essay: • A description of the differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality • A personal experience to explain the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the three theories . There are ethical lenses which include virtue theory, utilitarian and deontological theory. Virtue theory is dealing mainly with the character of a person. This theory emphasizes one’s character not he obligations or duties that are expected of them. Virtues are qualities that virtually morally good and desirable in a person. Utilitarian usually answers the question “What one ought to do in a situation.” A utilitarian may answer this question with the statement that individual should do whatever is the greater good for everyone involved. Utilitarian often involves accessing the consequences of one’s actions and what will resolve in the best interest of all involved. Deontological theory relates to ethics as a duty rather than a moral responsibility. When describing the deontology theory one must wonder is there a difference when considering what is morally and is this not your duty to do such When discussing the difference between ethics and mortality can be a quite confusing for people to clarified the difference or the similarities. Ethics refers to understanding and...

Words: 382 - Pages: 2