...Leading Culturally Diverse Groups Dave Park Leadership is important in managing and organizing the structure of the organization while trying to maintain a profitable company that takes into consideration employees, shareholders, customers and board of directors, etc. Another attribute of a great leader is managing diversity in the workplace. However, diversity includes many different issues and needs to be managed and if done properly can lead to competitive advantages for the company. Thomas A. Kochan, professor at MIT, stated “Diversity can enhance business performance only if the proper training is provided and the organizational culture supports diversity (Dubrin, 2010). Managing Cultural Diversity: Managing cultural diversity is not an easy task, however, when incorporated into the organizations core values, is makes it easier to incorporate (Dubrin, 2010). Below is a diagram that provides a breakdown of areas or issues that may need to be looked at to evaluate the possibility of creating and leading a culturally diverse organization. These areas may help to identify areas where a competitive advantage may be available in the organization. In such a culturally diverse world and as the organization makes decisions that will impact them globally, these discussions are vital for the success of the company. Whether not decisions are made to implement or not to implement decisions based on diversity within the organization, these ideas, may identify some of the organizations...
Words: 1255 - Pages: 6
...Leadership is important in managing and organizing the structure of the organization while trying to maintain a profitable company that takes into consideration employees, shareholders, customers and board of directors, etc. Another attribute of a great leader is managing diversity in the workplace. However, diversity includes many different issues and needs to be managed and if done properly can lead to competitive advantages for the company. Thomas A. Kochan, professor at MIT, stated “Diversity can enhance business performance only if the proper training is provided and the organizational culture supports diversity (Dubrin, 2010). Managing Cultural Diversity: Managing cultural diversity is not an easy task, however, when incorporated into the organizations core values, is makes it easier to incorporate (Dubrin, 2010). Below is a diagram that provides a breakdown of areas or issues that may need to be looked at to evaluate the possibility of creating and leading a culturally diverse organization. These areas may help to identify areas where a competitive advantage may be available in the organization. In such a culturally diverse world and as the organization makes decisions that will impact them globally, these discussions are vital for the success of the company. Whether not decisions are made to implement or not to implement decisions based on diversity within the organization, these ideas, may identify some of the organizations strengths and weaknesses. (Cox...
Words: 1249 - Pages: 5
...International Management Culture, Strategy, and Behavior Ninth Edition Fred Luthans University of Nebraska-Lincoln •Jonathan P. Doh Villanova University Mc Graw Hill Education Table of Contents Part One Environmental Foundation 1 2 The World of International Management: An Interconnected World Introduction Globalization and Internationalization Globalization, Antiglobalization, and Global Pressures Global and Regional Integration The Shifting Balance of Economic Power in the Global Economy 2 4 6 6 9 12 Global Economic Systems Market Economy Command Economy Mixed Economy 19 19 19 20 Economic Performance and Issues of Major Regions Established Economies Emerging Economies Developing Economies on the Verge 20 20 22 26 The World of International Management—Revisited 30 Summary of Key Points 32 Key Terms 32 Review and Discussion Questions 32 Answers to the In-Chapter Quiz 33 Internet Exercise: Global Competition in Fast Food 33 In the International Spotlight: India 2 Globalization and International Linkages 34 The Political, Legal, and Technological Environment 36 The World of International Management: Social Media and the Pace of Change 36 Political Environment Ideologies Political Systems 38 39 41 Legal and Regulatory Environment Basic Principles of International Law Examples of Legal and Regulatory Issues Privatization Regulation...
Words: 2319 - Pages: 10
...Cultural diversity advantages and disadvantages In the 21st century, work place diversity has become reality. With globalization taking place, diversification is the changing labor force in U.S. Increased emigration has mirrored into the workforce. According to Census Bureau data, immigrant workers made up 42 percent of the growth of the labor force in 2012 (Cohen, n.d). Managers now recognize that cultural diversity in the workplace is a challenge that must be addressed to lead an effective team. A culturally diverse workforce has many competitive advantages. Frist, by capturing cultural diversity, the company will gain an added value and competitive advantage over companies that have ignored this challenge (Gwynne, 2009). People despite their cultural upbringing, feel valued. By tapping into the human value of each individual, managers will gain an increased commitment and productivity, strengthen work relationships and retain the best employees. The second, benefit is business growth. Targeted audiences in a global market, come from multicultural backgrounds. Members with different multicultural background will bring ethnic authenticity (Gwynne, 2009). This means language skills, knowledge of business network and cultural sensitivity from their home countries. This is an added asset that the company can use to gain a competitive advantage into targeting a new audience. A third advantage to a multicultural team is the potential to gain new a consumer base at home...
Words: 3063 - Pages: 13
...and aided by information technology (The Levin Institute, 2014). Indeed, globalization has made our world smaller. As the markets for products, services, labor, and capital increasingly integrate worldwide, we are witnessing the increasing economic, cultural, demographic, political, and environmental interdependence of different locations around the world (Elfrink, 2014). In his book The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman perfectly captured the essence of today’s new era of globalization. By flat, Friedman meant that the world is connected. The lowering of trade and political barriers, and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution have made it possible to do business or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet (Friedman 2005). However, with a more global business environment comes a host of new challenges including managing a multicultural workforce comprised of people with widely differing backgrounds. In a multicultural environment, where the meanings of various behaviors and practices are as diverse as the people demonstrating them, incorrect assumptions could easily lead to miscommunication (Lankard, 1994). The purpose of this paper is to forecast possible cultural changes within Worldwide Telecommunications, Inc., a multinational company, and present a research analyzing how a multicultural workforce might affect teamwork and communication. Background Worldwide Telecommunications, Inc. is a multinational corporation...
Words: 2305 - Pages: 10
...Topic Review: General Management Effective cross-cultural management has to be grounded in a detailed knowledge of individual cultures. Discuss using examples from two multinational companies. I/ Introduction: In times of rapid globalisation and economic development growth, the environment of business has become more and more complicated as a huge number of firms want to globally expand their businesses. Subsequently, the managerial implications of cross-cultural management is the challenge of this development. As Abbe (2007) states, cross-cultural leadership has developed as a way to understand leaders who work in the global markets. Culture is the “software of mind” that can influence people’s patterns of thinking and behaving. (Hofstede, 1997). Referring to a work of He and Liu (2010), different characteristics of culture result in thinking, understanding and communication diversity. These diversities more or less make organisational development and management difficult. Therefore, multicultural managers should create cross-cultural training in their companies in order to increase effectiveness across culture. This essay will be discussing whether effective cross-cultural management has to be grounded in a detailed knowledge of individual cultures with examples of two multinational companies: Wal-Mart and Alfa Laval. II/ The Debate on Cross-Cultural Management: Globalisation has increased the awareness of consumers, and made nations more inter-dependent. In...
Words: 2139 - Pages: 9
...rules can be called a “social norm” or culture and can be made up of simple things like how to act in certain situations all the way to a very devout set of beliefs or values. This paper will focus on the role that culture plays on multinational businesses around the globe and the differences that culture plays from one area of the globe to the next. An in-depth look will be taken on the obstacles that may arise due to culture, adjustments that need to be made, and any ethical conundrums that may arise due to different cultures. Literature Review D. Elenkov and d. Kirova, state that “MNCs should not underestimate the importance of the cultural specificity of the host countries because different staffing, selecting, training, motivating and compensating practices should be applied in accordance with the characteristics of the local cultural context,” (2008, p. 71). A unique perspective on culture is taken by Hill, Hynes, and Johnson by analyzing the international student in the American business culture. “A relatively unrecognized challenge is knowledge of contemporary American business customs and culture. International students enrolled in two business schools formed focus...
Words: 4997 - Pages: 20
...political, economic and social-cultures issues of the Russia and India Prepared for: Dr. Joe Zhou Peng Submitted: 11 May 2015 Prepared by: Zahara CitraArifin 006 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1 Task 1 1.1 Economy of Russia and India 2 Terrorist aspects of globalization 2 1.2 Political System of Russia and India 3 Discrimination against Woman 4 Corruption 4 1.3 Socio-Cultural of Russia and India 5 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension of Russia and India 5 Written and Unwritten Laws 6 Task 2 2.1 Culture Shock 7 2.2 Cross Cultural Training ...
Words: 2545 - Pages: 11
...Chapter 5. MANAGING ACROSS CULTURES Strategic Predispositions Most MNCs have a cultural strategic predisposition toward doing things in a particular way. Four distinct predispositions have been identified: ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric, and geocentric. A company with an ethnocentric predisposition allows the values and interests of the parent company to guide strategic decisions. Firms with a polycentric predisposition make strategic decisions tailored to suit the cultures of the countries where the MNC operates. A regiocentric predisposition leads a firm to try to blend its own interests with those of its subsidiaries on a regional basis. A company with a geocentric predisposition tries to integrate a global systems approach to decision making. By the same token, a predisposition toward any of these profiles can provide problems for a firm if it is out of step with the economic or political environment. Meeting the Challenge A number of factors are moving companies to facilitate the development of unique strategies for different cultures, including: 1. The diversity of worldwide industry standards such as those in broadcasting, where television sets must be manufactured on a country-by-country basis. 2. A continual demand by local customers for differentiated products, as in the case of consumer goods that must meet local tastes. 3. The importance of being an insider, as in the case of customers who prefer to “buy...
Words: 808 - Pages: 4
...Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh: International Management, Sixth Edition Back Matter Endnotes © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2005 Endnotes ■ Chapter 1 1. J. Whalen and B. Bahree. “How BP Learned to Trust Ally That Once Burned It,” Wall Street Journal, February 27, 2003, p. A4; “BP Won’t Abandon Driving Forces,” Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2003, p. A7. “Dell Set to Create More Than 100 Full-Time Jobs in Bray,” Irish Times, August 17, 2002, p. 15. Peter Landers, “Foreign Aid: Why Some Sony Gear Is Made in Japan,” Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2001, p. A1. Barnaby J. Feder, “IBM Beats Earnings Expectations Again,” New York Times, January 17, 2003, p. C4. Peter Landers, “Volkswagen and GM Racked Up Strong Sales in China in 2003,” Wall Street Journal, January 6, 2004, p. A3. Peralte C. Paul, “Daimler Bails Out of Deal,” Atlanta JournalConstitution, September 24, 2003, p. A1. Nicholas Itano, “GM Returns 10 Years After End of Apartheid,” New York Times, January 30, 2004, p. W1. Saritha Rai, “A Giant So Big It’s a Proxy for India’s Economy,” New York Times, June 6, 2004, p. W1. Ibid. WTO, “World Trade 2003, Prospects for 2004; Stronger Than Expected Growth Spurs Modest Trade Recovery,” WTO Press Release 373, April 5, 2004, p. 1. Ibid. Thomas Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999). Jonathan P. Doh and Hildy Teegen, Globalization and NGOs: Transforming Business, Government, and Society (Westport, CT: Praeger,...
Words: 20606 - Pages: 83
...Internal and External Factors Several internal and external factors has influence the way organizations are managed. One of the biggest manufactured in the United States, Chevrolet, was not exempt from this environment. The four functions of management was impacted by globalization, technology, innovation, diversity and ethics. Planning, organizing, leading and controlling, managers must consider that these are major influences. The operation of a global organization like Chevrolet is dynamic, with internal and external environments is not static, to react to these changes, management must approach when it’s necessary. When running a business managers must use the four functions of management to obtain goals to run a business and must keep in mind at all times internal and external factors. Globalization The managers of Chevrolet had to implement plans to gain the competitive advantage of competition with other automotive companies that offer fuel efficient vehicles. Managers need to focus on the cultural differences, transportation of products, increasing of competition and outsource production (Xaxx J. 2011). Chevrolet has launched its manufacturing company to Asia, Russia, Brazil and China (Szczesny J. 2011). The previous management’s focus was on manufacturing SUV’s and trucks but not that was not needed in other countries. Management’s focus was not on what consumer wanted so sales were declining but rather what the company wanted to manufacture. As Chevrolet began to organize...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...components. Hence, one must arrive at an understanding of what makes a state a state and what makes a nation a nation. A state is an entity that accepts and wields responsibility for a country’s citizens and for the country itself. States have definitive boundaries that determine their land ownership and usage and, hierarchically speaking, they are merely a part of a greater politically ruling power. Nations are, in part, philosophically based political entities made up of a culture or cultures of people with a similar belief system. By combining the various elements found between nations and states, one arrives at the modern nation-state. Therefore, modern nation-states have prescribed territorial boundaries, sovereignty, and unique cultural identities that define them and make them different from boundary-based political enterprises. Despite the prevalence of nation-states in today’s world, there are still nations that do not fall under this category. A prime example of this is the nation of Quebec. While it is part of Canada, it is now recognized officially as a nation....
Words: 2158 - Pages: 9
...COMPANY PROFILE Telenor Group Telenor ASA is an international provider of high quality telecommunications, data and media communication services. It ranks as world‟s 7th largest mobile operator with a total of 164 million subscribers in its mobile operations. Telenor Pakistan Telenor Pakistan is 100% owned by Telenor ASA and adds on to its operations in Asia together with Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Telenor Pakistan launched its operations in March 2005 as the single largest direct European investment in Pakistan, setting precedence for further foreign investments in the telecom sector. The company has crossed many milestones and grown in a number of Mianamir2009@gmail.com directions, making Telenor Pakistan a leading telecom operator of the country. Telenor is the fastest growing mobile network in the country, with coverage reaching deep into many of the remotest areas of Pakistan. In the most difficult terrains of the country, from the hilly northern areas to the sprawling deserts in the south, at times Telenor is the only operator connecting the previously unconnected. It is keeping ahead by investing heavily in infrastructure expansion. With USD2 billion already invested, it has extended agreements with its vendors for network expansion and services until 2009. The agreements, with a potential to result in USD750 million worth of orders from Telenor Pakistan, are some of the biggest of their kind in the industry. Telenor is spread across Pakistan...
Words: 2206 - Pages: 9
...In Russia a History, it states that though women and children must obey the husband/father, women are still given a lot of responsibility in managing the household. One of the interesting places where gender differences are evident is when in book three one reads about Mary’s rejection of Anatole and Pierre’s acceptance of Helene. In this society a man gets to choose the woman they want to marry and then pursue them, but in these cases the roles are reversed to some extent. Mary was given total freedom in choosing Anatole to be her husband by her father, but she instead choose not to be tempted by Anatole and rejected him. Pierre on the other hand seemed to not have any choice in his marriage to Helene. He was too dazzled Helene to think rationally and at a party Vasili convinced everyone that Pierre and Helene are...
Words: 1012 - Pages: 5
...The role of human resources management (HRM) is changing in business, especially in international business. Before considered a support function, HRM is now becoming a strategic partner in helping a global company achieve its goals. As Helen Bloom wrote in a recent article in Strategy and Business magazine, the strategic approach to HRM—strategic human resources management (SHRM)An organizational approach to human resources management (HRM) with a concern for the effects of HRM practices on firm performance.—means going beyond administrative tasks such as payroll processing. Instead, managers need to think more broadly and deeply about how employees will contribute to the company’s success. SHRM is not just a function of the human resources (HR) department—all managers and executives need to be involved because the role of people is so vital to a company’s competitive advantage. The most successful organizations manage HR as a strategic asset and measure HR performance in terms of its strategic impact. When each piece is in the right place, it creates a high-performance work system (HPWS)A set of management practices that attempts to create an environment within an organization in which the employee has greater involvement and responsibility.—a set of management practices that attempt to create an environment within an organization in which the employee has greater involvement and responsibility. The following are some questions that HRM should be prepared to answer in this...
Words: 854 - Pages: 4
