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Group Dynamics

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Submitted By yunjieyang
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Case Study Role Play- “Curses, Foiled Again in France”
Roles

CEO of kiosk photo printers (Joe Wesoloski)
Assistant1 (Beixin Zheng)
Assistant2 (Fan Yang)
Assistant3 (Beihao Xu)
Assistant4 (Anqi Zhu)
Erin Barker (Sofia Zhidro)
Cultural Interaction Trainer/friend (Jessica Zawada)
Gilles Naulleau (Jiao Wang)
French Colleague 1/Pierre Chevalier (Junjie)
French Colleague 2 (Lei Zhou)

Role Play

Scene 1 (Company conference room)

CEO: I just got off the phone with our team from Dijon, France today and we came to the consensus that it would be beneficial to create an “international liaison” position within the company. This person would spend about five days per month in Dijon in the role of home-office representative. The liaison would offer some advice to European operations and function as the intermediary between the home office and Dijon. Any thoughts on who could fill this role?

Assistant 1: It would make sense to have one of our internal employees fill the position since an internal applicant would already be familiar with our business operations and goals. But we also need someone that speaks French.

Assistant 2: Erin Barker, one of our product development managers, could be ideal for the role. I hear that she studied French in high school and college and spent one semester in France as part of her college program.

Assistant 3: That’s great that she knows French but she might not be able to adapt to the French environment. Perhaps we should explore other options for the role.

Assistant 4: I disagree. In recent years Erin had taken two vacations in France. We don’t have any other internal employees with that type of experience. In addition, she is technically competent and has great interpersonal skills.

CEO: Erin Barker is the logical choice for the new position.

[Everyone exits the room---CEO phones Erin into the room]

CEO: Thank you for meeting with me Erin. As we discussed over the phone, I would like you to become our international liaison. You would still retain your product development manager position about half of the time. But while fulfilling the liaison role, your product development work will be delegated to two specialists. Do you accept the position?

Erin Barker: I accept the role but I admit that I am a bit skeptical. The Dijon group does not report to me but I will do my best to represent the company headquarters.

CEO: Great, pack your bags because you are leaving for Dijon in two days.

Scene 2—(Erin walks toward the boarding zone with phone in hand)
---20 sec scene where she plays French words on her phone, repeats a few words out loud to herself, and then she walks out the door.

Scene 3 France--(Erin knocks on the door and Gilles greets her with colleagues behind him)

-------SOMEONE HOLDS UP A SIGN SAYING VISIT #1------------

Gilles Nalleau: Hello Erin.

Erin Barker: Bonjour. Je suis enchante de faire votre connaissance. Mon sejour sera pour plusieurs jours. Je oudrais apprendre votre operation. Aussi, je voudrais expliquer les operations due siege, et repondre a vos questions. [ENGLISH TRANSLATION ON POWER POINT]

Gilles Nalleau: Oh, how nice, you speak a little French.

French Colleague 1/Pierre Chevalier: Let’s show you around.

Erin Barker: Thank you for showing me around. But if you don’t mind me asking, what were the results of last quarter’s sales figures? And how do you forecast next quarter’s production?

French Colleague 2 [shrugs his shoulders]: And here is the printer production line. The whole process is stream-lined and very efficient. [They all walk out the door]

-------SOMEONE HOLDS UP A SIGN SHOWING VISIT #2….ONE MONTH LATER-------

Erin Barker: Ma derniere visite chez vous etait tres agreeable. J’ai apprecie I’opportunite a connaitrew les cadres de Dijon. Maintenant je voudrais discuter les projeis lies au success de notre entreprise [SHOW ENGLISH TRANSLATION ON POWER POINT].

Gilles Nalleau: Bonjour. Je suis enchante. How was the weather in America? There’s nothing but cold weather and snow here so I hope you packed warm layers.

French Colleague 1/Pierre and French Colleague 2: Speak amongst themselves in French in Erin’s presence.
Erin Barker [To all of the French leaders]: How have your sales figures been in comparison.]to my last visit?

Gilles Nalleau: Madam, you must be tired from your flight. Take some rest. You don’t want us to bore you with our statistics during your stay. [Everyone exits the room except Erin.]

CEO [calls Erin]: Hi Erin, how is the situation going in Dijon? I spoke with Gilles and he seems to be confused with your role and the purpose for your visits. What’s going on?

Erin Barker: Progress has been extremely slow. I’m having a tough time getting down to business with the Dijon managers.

CEO: Would you like me to assign somebody else to the role?

Erin Barker: I’m not willing to say goodbye to Dijon quite yet. Give me more time to prove myself. [CEO leaves the room and Erin picks up her phone to call her friend/trainer].

Scene 4---Cross Cultural Diversity Training

Erin Barker [calling trainer/friend]: Hi Jess I’m going through a tough time at work right now and could use your advice. I heard you were in town running a Cross Cultural Diversity training seminar. Want meet up for coffee?

Trainer/friend: Of course I’ll meet you right away.

Erin Barker: So you know that second trip to Dijon that I was telling you about before? Well yes, that trip failed just like the first. I know that you stayed in France for two more years after the completion of our study abroad program. How did you adjust?

Trainer/friend: To be honest, the first thing I did was read up on the culture. I learned that the French culture is very hierarchical. French managers are part of an elite class and behave in superior, authoritarian manners. In order to get down to business you are going to need to show them that you are their equal. Change is not going to occur over night but by using cultural intelligence and cultural sensitivity your will be able to earn respect from the French managers and establish a long-term relationship. Why don’t you start right now by simply having a phone conference with the French managers before your next visit? That way you can explain to them exactly what your role is and what you aim to accomplish for the company. Be sure to give appointment dates and time for each person you need to meet with to obtain all of the necessary information.

Erin Barker: Great idea, I’ll call Gilles now. [Trainer/friend exits the room.] Scene 5---Phone Conference incorporating training

Erin Barker [on phone with Gilles]: Hi Gilles, as you know I am scheduled to visit again in 3 weeks. I’m not sure if you are aware of this but my goal for these trips has been to serve as an intermediary between our home office and Dijon. I know that you do not report directly to me but my aim is to discuss statistics, sales, and production forecasts in order to improve our company globally. I’d like to work with you and your team directly during my next visit to obtain these figures so we can all get down to business.

Gilles Nalleau: Great, I will be happy to discuss figures with you. On the Monday night of your next visit we will be having a wine party. Please come.

Erin Barker: I will be happy to attend the wine event. Since I will be on visit for a limited amount of time I have set up an agenda for the tasks I hope to accomplish. I will email the information to you to confirm appointment times.

Gilles Nalleau: Great I will see you then. Scene 6 Wine party
Erin came back Dijon and attended the wine party. She tried to get more involved in that party. She remained bold and direct in her first attempt but failed. Then she remembered what her friends told her and changed her way of approaching people. Erin reiterated what she discussed with the French leader during the phone call. She stressed what she set out to accomplish during her stay in France. The leader said he understood the purpose of her visit and that everything would go as scheduled. Scene 7: Next working day after party (French conference room) Erin Bark and French managers: 10 am meeting---French leaders are eager to discuss the company’s statistics and sales figures with Erin. They eagerly discussed goals to improve the business in the future. Conclusion
--Jess reads and answers the 3 questions from the end of the book

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