...analysis of your choice before the semester finishes (Week 13). In the case write-ups, the student reports the Diagnosis, Analysis and Recommendations relating to the chosen case. Each case report should be submitted as in no more than three single-spaced pages or no more than 1200 words (whichever you consider appropriate) into Blackboard and in hard-copy format at the beginning of class. Case 1 Philips versus Matsushita: The Competitive Battle Continues 1. How did Philips become the leading consumer electronics company in the world in the postwar era? What distinctive competence did they build? What distinctive incompetency 2. How did Matsushita succeed in displacing Philips as No. 1? What were its distinctive competencies and incompetence? 3. What do you think of the change each company has made to date—the objectives, the implementation, the impact? Why is the change so hard for both of them? Case 2 ECCO A/S Global Value Chain Management 1. Describe the competitive environment of ECCO and determine how well ECCO is positioned (vis-a-vis the competitors) to take advantage of changes in the industry. 2. ECCO has a fully integrated vertical value chain. What are the pros and cons of this strategy? What economic and strategic factors should be analyzed to answer this question? 3. Is ECCO following the inside-out or outside-in strategic perspective? What are the implications of this choice and how can ECCO increase their sales/marketing...
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...A PRAGMATIC GUIDE TO COMPETENCY Tools, Frameworks and Assessment Jon Holt and Simon A. Perry A PRAGMATIC GUIDE TO COMPETENCY Tools, Frameworks and Assessment BCS THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE FOR IT Our mission as BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is to enable the information society. We promote wider social and economic progress through the advancement of information technology science and practice. We bring together industry, academics, practitioners and government to share knowledge, promote new thinking, inform the design of new curricula, shape public policy and inform the public. Our vision is to be a world-class organisation for IT. Our 70,000 strong membership includes practitioners, businesses, academics and students in the UK and internationally. We deliver a range of professional development tools for practitioners and employees. A leading IT qualification body, we offer a range of widely recognised qualifications. Further Information BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, First Floor, Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FA, United Kingdom. T +44 (0) 1793 417 424 F +44 (0) 1793 417 444 www.bcs.org/contactus A PRAGMATIC GUIDE TO COMPETENCY Tools, Frameworks and Assessment Jon Holt and Simon Perry © 2011 Jon Holt and Simon Perry The right of Jon Holt and Simon Perry to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. Apart...
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...A lot is going on in recent times on the issue of competency mapping. A lot of resources spent and consultants invited to do competency mapping. Increased manpower costs, need for ensuring that competent people man critical positions, and the need to be competitive and recognition of the strategic advantages of having good human resources have compelled firms to be more competency driven. In good organisations competency mapping existed already. Traditionally HR Directors and their top management have always paid attention to competencies and incorporated them mostly in their appraisal systems. For example when L&T, LIC or NDDB, NOCIL, HLL, Bharat Petroleum etc. revised their Performance appraisal systems they focussed on the assessment of competencies. Role analysis was done and role directories prepared by the Indian Oil Corporation in mid eighties. Competency mapping is important and is an essential exercise. Every well managed firm should: have well defined roles and list of competencies required to perform each role effectively. Such list should be used for recruitment, performance management, promotions, placement and training needs identification. What is Competency? Any underlying characteristic required performing a given task, activity, or role successfully can be considered as competency. Competency may take the following forms: Knowledge, Attitude, Skill, Other characteristics of an individual including: Motives, Values, Self concept etc. Competencies may be...
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...The first theoretical model, the Five Cs stated that there is a relationship between the development of the individuals and the context that these people live in. Researchers believe that by adopting the activities which are available in the Five Cs theory, young people will contribute to their life and succeed (Benson, Scales, Hamilton, & Sesma, 2006; Lerner, 2005). The Five Cs include competence, confidence, connection, character and caring or compassion. Competence means the positive views towards the young people’s actions and performances. One of the competencies in PYD is social competency. It refers to the interpersonal skills of the young people. Young people can easily communicate and interact with people without having conflicts with them. Besides, young people who have are high in cognitive competence, are good in decision-making, problem solving and strategic thinking. Young people who are score good grades and good in curriculum performances mean that they are high in academic competence. Young people who are high in health and vocational competence, are exercising regularly and consuming enough nutrition every day; the later competency refers to the entrepreneurial skills and leadership skills of these young people. The second “c” refers to confidence of young people. Young people who have sense of self worth, positive view and feeling good about themselves are high in confidence. Next, connection, the third “c” means that young people must have positive...
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...Introduction With globalization maturing rapidly in the world today, it is not surprising that organizations are deeply affected by erratic changes in their environment. In their run to achieve organizational effectiveness, the constant need to monitor and adjust to the environment is critical. Jobs and employees are essential buffers for uncertainties in organizations to their environment. But for it to be effective, a good fit between both employee and the job is necessary so as to have a competent and dynamic workforce. Therefore, the purpose of this essay analyses on a Human Resource (HR) perspective what is competency, the importance of competencies in the current workforce and its tandem relationship to staff undertaking international assignment. Importance of Competency in workforce Mcshane, Olekalns & Travaglione (2010) mentioned that information technology and transport systems enhanced the effects of globalization by bringing connectivity and interdependence between countries around the globe to a whole new level. Therefore, in order to meet the competitiveness of the environment, recognizing core competencies needed by the organizations in its employees is essential as it promotes customer value on the external aspect and allows creation of new business through innovation on the internal aspect (Nankervis et al 2011). As such, it’s no surprise that the same job of past and present now has very different scope of duties. Cooper, Robertson & Tinline (2003) affirm...
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...Case As a consequence of policy change, a professor was reverted as lecturer and his immediate subordinate was elevated to professor and head of department cadre. A tremendous change in his approach and attitude towards colleagues as well as students was observed. How would you account for such change? Give your arguments. Solution: Sometimes there is internal movement within an organization when due to policy change, employees are promoted, transferred or demoted. In the case in question, as a result of policy change a professor has been reverted as lecturer and his immediate subordinate has been elevated to professor and head of department cadre. One can confidently say that this is a clear case of demotion. A demotion can be defined as a compulsory reduction in an employee’s rank or job title within the organizational hierarchy of a company, public service department or other body (Wikepedia, 2012). It is also the reassignment of a lower job to an employee with delegation of responsibilities and authority required to perform that lower job and normally a lower level pay. It is the direct opposite of promotion. A demotion may be done for a variety of reasons such as disciplinary purposes, reorganization of work, inability to perform at a higher rank, poor attendance, and poor attitude; therefore, it is in this light that most people view it as a punishment. When somebody is demoted he/she may be demoted within a department as in the case of the professor according to...
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...TITLE PAGE Management Roles Your Name CMGT/530 IT Organizational Behavior Date Instructor Name A business with less than 50 employees, Revolution cleaners is a dry cleaning company located in Denver, Colorado. They have been in operation for more about 12 years and offer a wide range of dry cleaning services to its customers. Some of those services include dry cleaning, garment pressing, and alterations. Though Revolution Cleaners is a small company, its venture is quite extensive in the Denver area due to its competitive strategy. (www.revolutioncleaners.com). A business with more than 50 employees, Wal-Mart, was founded in Arkansas in 1962 and became a public company in 1972. The company started with the plan help the low income earners live an enhanced life. Walmart operates in twenty eight different countries and has more than 2.1 million employees globally and is opening new branches almost daily, selling a variety of products earning over 540 billion profits annually. (walmartstores.com) Hierarchical organization. With less than 50 employees, the hierarchical organization of Revolution Cleaners is extremely straightforward. The company has an owner, managers, and employees. The owner/CEO is in highest ranking official in the business and he gives his orders and commands to the store managers who then pass on the information the employees. Communication in Revolution Cleaners is very efficient as the hierarchical structure...
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...Journal of International Business Studies (2006) 37, 525–543 & 2006 Academy of International Business All rights reserved 0047-2506 $30.00 www.jibs.net Cross-cultural competence in international business: toward a definition and a model James P. Johnson1, Tomasz Lenartowicz2 and Salvador Apud3 Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, Winter Park, USA; 2Deparment of Management, International Business and Entrepreneurship, College of Business, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, USA; 3LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas, Austin, USA Correspondence: Dr James P. Johnson, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, Office number 204, Winter Park, FL 32789, USA. Tel: þ 1 407 646 2486; Fax: þ 1 407 646 1550; E-mail: jpjohnson@rollins.edu 1 Abstract Many international business failures have been ascribed to a lack of crosscultural competence (CC) on the part of business practitioners. However, the international business literature appears to lack an adequate conceptualization and definition of the term ‘CC’, focusing instead on the knowledge, skills and attributes that appear to be its antecedents. In this conceptual study, we propose a definition of CC as it applies to international business and develop a model for understanding how CC is nurtured in individuals, linking our definition to the concept of cultural intelligence. We discuss the components of the model and suggest that there are environmental and contextual impediments...
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...Running Head: DECISION MAKING STYLES AND CROSS CULTURE Decision Making Styles and Cross Cultural Misunderstanding Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract In an organizational setting, the employees might be of different cultures and therefore have different values. This is likely to bring about a clash in the operations in an organization. Managers normally have difficulties in making decisions based on the fact that those decisions mar rub a certain culture the wrong way. This Essay looks at the ways in which cultural differences could impact decision making in an organizational setting. It also determines whether there are any ways in which this cultural difference can be exploited for the benefit of the organization. These cultural differences do affect the company’s decision making process and therefore slows down business activities that depend on decision making in order to run. This is a great challenge in a business environment and might bring the performance of a business to a halt. This essay therefore looks into ways in which this challenge can be minimized. The distinct cultural differences between employees of an organization play out in the day to day running of the organization. These cultural differences may be in the form of dressing, values upheld, punctuality, overtime working, teamwork, etc. For example, we look at the Russian managers and the Chinese managers. Chinese managers are...
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...Abstract Intercultural communications is often marked by the impact of cultural differences on communication, commonly resulting in miscommunication or misunderstanding. This paper examines the challenges influencing intercultural communications between the Japanese and the Americans. In its conclusion, it emphasizes on the sensitivity to the mentioned cultural differences in order to create harmony and understanding amongst people with different ethnic backgrounds. Intercultural Communications between the United States and Japan Introduction According to Dima (1990), intercultural communication refers to the exchange of ideas between people belonging to different cultures, in spite of them using the same language. Intercultural communication plays an important role, in that cultural differences can often lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding. This is increasingly becoming important in today’s multicultural society such as in the US (Inoue, 2007). What are the common challenges of intercultural communications between America and Japan? How do cultural differences play part in shaping the Japan-American intercultural communication? As defined by Peace (2002), culture is a "system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guides behavior and is shared by a group of people; and these are transmitted from generation to generation, rarely with explicit instructions," (p.14). There are a variety of cultures that...
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...1. Introduction Multiculturalism refers to communities containing various attitudes and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization. According to (Immigration and Multiculturalism, n.d.), Australia is a country of migrants, originally from United Kingdom, which more than the path of two hundred years, displaced an original inhabitant and founded a liberal-democratic state. In the early days, Australians were disturbed by the subject of 'ethnicity'. For over fifty years, part of Australia ‘cultural issue' has been solved by implementing a rule of elimination. Australia changes their approach and at last discarded it in the late 1960s to enlarge its people after World War 2. From this environment, acceptance of a 'cultural diversity' guiding principle in 1970s was a past removal of the preceding procedure. Within the fundamental nature, cultural diversity not only evidenced and showed the growing multiculturalism of the country but as well as to hold and form it. Therefore, definition of “Multiculturalism promotes the integration of ethnic acceptance and respect for cultural diversity, community harmony and inclusion.” is true. Skilled labour is any worker who has acquired certain skill in their job or may have attended a college or technical school. An example of a skilled labour job is carpenters. Unskilled worker is a worker who has not acquired special skill or proficiency. If there is a shortage of migrant skills, the...
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...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 these days, international corporations require managers who can adapt to various environment quickly and work with their partners as well as employees from other cultures (House et al., 2001). Today, business in different nations should increase their sensitivity and respect for one another’s cultural differences to gain benefits from the growth of international business. Mainly, intercultural...
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...Carl Guerrier Prof. Zanetich HEA 470 12/13/13’ Cultural Competence To begin with, in order for people to understand cultural competence, they must know the meaning of culture. What is culture? Culture can be defined as different experiences of people customs, values, beliefs, and languages. It also entails of worldviews, ways of communicating and knowing. Also culture can be classified as race/ethnicity, social class, age, sexual orientation, religion, gender or disability. Cultural of conglomerates can refer to people who are not related by lineage. For example, they are not in the same lineage for organizational culture, disability community culture, and gay culture. Not only that, but culture can mean to the institutions. This can means family, education, government, and religion. This help with economic systems that preserve and shape patterns of thought, behavior, and beliefs. Cultural competence is associated with the ability to talk effectively with people of socio-economic backgrounds. Cultural competence can be associated in the same category of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and human resources that consist of employees work with people of different ethnic/cultural backgrounds. Cultural competence has four components. They are cross-cultural skills, knowledge of different cultural worldviews, awareness of one’s own cultural worldview, and having...
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...Norman E. Wilson Global Management Reflection Week 3 April 18, 2012 Reflecting on Cross Cultural Negotiations As I reflect on what I have learned regarding Cross Cultural Negotiations, I now possess the knowledge that it is one of many specialized areas within the wider field of cross cultural communications. By taking cross cultural negotiation training, negotiators and sales personnel give themselves an advantage over competitors. There is an argument that proposes that culture is inconsequential to cross cultural negotiation. It maintains that as long as a proposal is financially attractive it will succeed. However, this is a naïve way of approaching international business. Let us look at a brief example of how cross cultural negotiation training can benefit the international business person: There are two negotiators dealing with the same potential client in the Middle East. Both have identical proposals and packages. One ignores the importance of cross cultural negotiation training believing the proposal will speak for itself. The other undertakes some cross cultural training. He/she learns about the culture, values, beliefs, etiquette and approaches to business, meetings and negotiations. Nine times out of ten the latter will succeed over the rival. This is because 1) it is likely they would have endeared themselves more to the host negotiation team and 2) they would be able to tailor their approach to the negotiations in a way that maximizes the potential of...
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...Business Memo To: From: Date: 2/5/2014 Subject: Manager-Employee Issues I am writing the memo to share some issues I have with one of my employees. Ten moths ago I hired a salesman with Chinese origin to help the company to take over the Chinese businesses in Plano, Texas. I cannot “click on personal level” with him since the very beginning of our relationship which is causing troubles in our communications. Another reason for our communication problem could be the different cultural background we have and our opposite personalities. I believe employees should be able to connect to their leader to become good followers. I think I am extrovert and should be able to get closer to him over time but there are some other issues that I need to address immediately. I have a problem with Wu’s performance inconsistencies his vision of how things should be done, obviously conflicting with my leadership style. He definitely is able to do “as I say” but not willing - he does not keep daily contact, works outside the office more than normal and his various meetings usually conflict with AccountBack activities and meetings. I do not know if this is based on cross cultural differences or situational leadership. I definitely should consider a mismatch of leadership style and development level of my subordinate. I should reconsider my participating approach towards my employees. It definitely worked for our branch and the financial results are proving it but most of the salesmen...
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