Management Across Cultures Research Proposal Essay Example

Management Across Cultures Research Proposal Essay Abstract The paper is aimed at critical evaluation of the thesis that managerial work, skills and role are uniform throughout the world. This thesis is found to be controversial as it overlooks cross-cultural variations across nations as well as subcultures within one nation. Research outlined in two scholarly articles serves as evidence. The article by P.S. Kim, PS ‘Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector’ (1999) concentrates on examination of intercultural differences as assessed by Hofstede’s four dimensions and demonstrates their impact on managerial practice. The other article authored by Tomasz Lenartowicz and Kendall Roth explores the relationship between cross-cultural variation in motivational domains of four Brazilian subcultures and their business performance. The conclusion summarizes the findings of the research and its bearing on the evaluation of the original thesis. The final conclusion is that manageri al expertise and functions demonstrate substantial variation across nations, and even within one nation managers have to act differently working with different subcultures. Introduction Management around the world is undoubtedly grounded in some basic principles that govern the work of managers throughout the world. Everywhere, managers have to make decisions, lead and motivate subordinates, strive for profitability and maximisation of the firm’s value and build relationships with customers. At the same time, managers working in different national and regional environments often have to consider local cultural realities and rely on those in their management functions. Discrepancies existing between national, ethnic, social and cultural groups influence the way businesses function and direct affect managers that lead those businesses. These differences can become a serious challenge for someone who wants to migrate from one nation to another, working as an expatriate manager. 1. Cultures are Different We will write a custom essay sample on Management Across Cultures Research Proposal specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Management Across Cultures Research Proposal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Management Across Cultures Research Proposal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Management scholars have long found that cultures are not the same around the world. Instead, they value on many different aspects that determine the course of business and shape the management’s role and required skills. One of the classic frameworks for the examination of culture is Geert Hofstede’s dimensions that determine national system of values. Among these dimensions are ‘power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity’ (Kim 1999). These dimensions have a direct bearing upon managers. Thus, different degrees of uncertainty avoidance will cause different degrees of risk tolerance, impacting the decision-making strategies. Power distance has a direct bearing upon the role of the manager and the manager’s relationships with the subordinates. Thus, in the Eastern cultures the manager is seen as a paternal figure that has to be treated by the subordinates as such. The manager who has this kind of respect accorded with age and promotion has to behave accordingly, supervising the subordinates and taking care of them. On the contrary, in the West, where the culture is more egalitarian, the manager is often seen simply as someone who is performing a function rather than someone who has implicit authority over others. Individualism/ collectivism division also matters as it affects ‘the type of leadership most likely to be effective in a country’ (Kim 1999). Thus, in culture that places greater value on collectivism leadership is effective when it leaves the possibility for group decision-making open. On the contrary, in individualist nations the leader has to rely more on individuals, distributing assignments in such a way that each individual is aware of his/her specific role and tasks. The manager most certainly has to adapt to each kind of culture separately. For instance, someone who is used to working in a collectivist culture cannot very easily shift to an individualist one, as this manager would most probably give assignments to groups and then wonder why group work breaks down. Besides, in individualist societies ‘task prevails over relationship’, while in collectivist societies relationships are the greatest priority. 2. Cultural Differences and Management Approaches Culture is an important part of the environment in which the manager has to function. Although an organization strives to create its own corporate culture, but in case it conflicts with national value system, this culture will also conflict with employees’ values and therefore will fail to act as stimulation. Pan Suk Kim in his article ‘Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector’ (1999) states with regard to the interplay between management and culture: Cultural differences significantly influence management approaches and the performance of employees within organizations. General principles of management and specific human resource practices evolving out of management theories are currently being seriously questioned in various cross-cultural settings. Cross-cultural understanding and intercultural communications skills, therefore, can contribute to the success of negotiations. Owing to modern travel and communication technology, intercultural encounters have multiplied at a prodigious rate. Embarrassments occur between ordinary tourists and locals, as well as between business partners. Subtle misunderstandings still occur in negotiations between modern diplomats and government leaders. Avoiding any cultural conflict should be one of the themes of training and education. Managers need to be aware that their work should evolve in correspondence to the cultural norms existing in a nation. International experience alone often cannot provide managers with the skills necessary in order to deal with employees of different backgrounds. For this reason, cross-cultural training should become a staple part of the management training curriculum. This training can be based on social learning theory that incorporates â€Å"symbolic modeling† consisting in observing and imitating and â€Å"participative modeling† including direct action (Kim 1999). The fact that scholars intensively plot various cross-cultural training techniques also attests to the fact that managers have to change their approaches to adjust to cultural reality. 3. Need to Adapt to Subcultures While most talk about the difference in the role, work and skills of the managers focus on variations from country to country, one can find different cultural groups within nations themselves. Many contemporary states arose as a result of convergence of various ethnic or religious groups. Thus, in India one has to adopt different methods when working with Muslim or Hindu populations. Working in African nations, managers need to be aware that they are often composed of a variety of tribal groups, the values of which have not arrived at a common denominator in the time of the existence of these states. An interesting study about the influence of subcultures on business decision-making, practices and outcomes is presented in the article by Tomasz Lenartowicz and Kendall Roth ‘Does Subculture within a Country Matter? A Cross-Cultural Study of Motivational Domains and Business Performance in Brazil’. They divide the nation, in agreement with previous researchers into four corresponding areas that correspond to nationalities: Minas Gerais provinc populated by Mineiros, Greater Rio de Janeiro inhabited by Cariocas, the Sao Paulo state populated by Paulistas, and the Gauchos occupying the Rio Grande do Sul state. In examining these subcultures co-exist in Brazil researchers rely on value-based model that takes values to be the cornerstone of culture. They also include the exploration of motivational domains defined as ‘specific types of motivational concerns that the various values express’ and their impact on business outcomes (Lenartowicz Roth 2001). The motivational domains against which cultures were measured included: achievement, enjoyment, security, self-direction, and restrictive conformity domains. Lenartowicz Roth found that values and motivation indeed varied across subcultures and even affected business outcomes. Thus, they found that for the Paulistas self-direction domain was more important than for the Cariocas. Instead, the Cariocas placed a greater value on security. The Gauchos place greater emphasis on self-direction than the Paulistas. At the same time, the Paulistas have scored higher on self-direction and enjoyment than the Mineiros (Lenartowicz Roth 2001). A manager working in Brazil where the four subcultures live has to take into account these perspectives and adapt one’s methods to the people working with them. Thus, someone working with the Paulistas has to realize that these people value independence in decision-making. Consequently, the whole managerial system probably has to be structured in a way that will give individuals an opportunity to participate in the company’s initiative. Employee empowerment would be welcome and appreciated. At the same time, an analogous model cannot be transplanted directly to the Cariocas or the Mineiros who may find themselves frustrated with the load of decision-making they have to handle. Conclusion The above discussion demonstrates that managers have to adapt in many ways to the specificities of cultures around the globe. The classical system of Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions underscores the variation of culture from one nation to another. Managers have to adjust as their subordinate have different expectations of what their leaders will be like. In any case, it makes sense to develop a managerial style that will correspond to the national norms and values. Thus, the managerial work, role and skills demonstrate significant variations across the globe and cannot be described as the same. Moreover, even within one nation managers will face a number of subgroups that will make a difference in the manager’s work. The current trend toward globalization that pushes managers towards intercultural encounters makes cross-cultural training an important part of managerial education. References

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buy custom Bank Project essay In order for a bank to achieve its online operations, it has to have the right employees. These employees will help to successfully create a database and to implement the banks strategies in organizing, maintaining and developing the existing websites. Some of the key personnel in building an online database for a financial institution are, for example, a project manager, business analyst, designer, developer, tester and infrastructure support. According to Russell, (2011) the role of a project manager in building an online database for a bank is implementing the functionality associated with building the online database. He/she prioritizes and aligns the concept of building the banks online database with the banks strategies. In the concept of building an online database for a bank, a business analyst will be responsible for bridging technical stakeholders and business stakeholders of the bank. In addition, he/ she structures and formalizes the requirements for th bank project. Moreover, he/she enhances the creation of SAS reporting programs for marketing campaigns and maintenance of mainframe performance reports (Paul 2006). The designer of the online database controls the appearance of the database. This is by website coding and markup languages or the various soft wares for designing the database (Robbins, 2006). This is also by enabling the multi browser help and accessibility help to meet specific needs. He or she prevents copyright and privacy problems. The developer converts information on paper into an electronic format. He/she supports existing infrastructure and develops new ones as instructed by the bank command to enable rapid and real time information sharing (Lazar, 2001). The tester thoroughly tests the database after it has been built to ensure that it is safe, obtainable and useful. This is achieved by putting in place measures that are willing to cope with a large traffic of users (Hope Walther, 2008). Jacobsen (2004)) asserts that infrastructure support monitors critical applications. This is by identifying a database problem, if any, and resolving it to ensure prevention of future, related problems. They watch memory utilization of the database and complex issues (Anderson, 1999). The people who are affected by the negative or positive outcomes of this bank project in either a positive or negative approach include the county manager, the clients of the bank and the shareholders. The county manager is a stakeholder because the database quickly and indirectly affects the operations of the county department he or she is managing. The database helps in expanding the customer base and in building loyalty by customizing customer needs (Ian, 2010). It enables remote accessibility of personal accounts by the clients. This makes it easier for clients to track payments, pay bills and to see history of payments into their accounts. To the shareholders they can closely follow the trading of the bank in the stock exchange market. Buy custom Bank Project essay

A Study On Change Management Commerce Essay

A Study On Change Management Commerce Essay Accepting change is considered the biggest paranoia in todays world. Organizations – both business and non-business confront a challenging world. Some of the challenges that are faced by managers today include competition from other firms, globalization, and technological changes besides others. Let us consider a small example that can set the stage for discussing the effects of change. Daily life in a modern society is like a routine, where we wake up in the mornings, have breakfast, go for work, have lunch, come back from work, eat dinner and then sleep again. It has become a scheduled life, or so to say, we conform to structure in our lives. This structure provides us the necessary security. But, if we were to live in a world full of anxiety and unexpected mechanisms, it may leave us feeling uneasy and apprehensive. If this is the condition of individuals, a large-scale change in an organization can surely transform its people into anxiety, exasperation, frustration, depre ssion or even fatal incidents. To curb this, organizations practice what is to be referred to as Change Management. Change Management is a process whereby, the individual, team or the organization develops a planned approach towards any sort of an alteration. The objective is to capitalize the benefits for the people and lessen the risk of failure of implementation. Change management entails thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation, and most importantly, consultation with the people who are going to be involved in the process. This task studies how organizations have evolved to accept change. But let us first look at the drivers that affect organizational change: Ø Inadequate Financial Performance – the 2008 economic slowdown can be well quoted as an example for this. Companies failing to reach their financial benchmarks, have to undergo change. Competitive organizations can cannibalize their market share, provided they enter with cheaper labor or superior technolo gy. Failure to maintain the market share can force companies to rethink their opportunity cost and also the deployment of resources. Ø Changes in Strategic objectives – many companies shift their focus from being product-driven to being customer-driven or even process-driven. To enable this, restructuring and re-orientation of processes, people are required of in the organization. Ø New Technology – companies that neglect the new trends in the market are set to suffer a setback, and, therefore, should adapt to the changes in technology. Ø Mergers and Acquisitions – when companies merge and consolidate their operations, people and the culture, re-engineering takes place. The streamlining of the operations, infrastructure and the structure of the two organizations into one centralized theme is a huge part of the change management process. These, could be defined as the drivers of change that evolve businesses and markets. Organizations, today, have learn t to adapt to change. In this era of globalization, fast-moving lives and business-centered organizations, people and the processes have accepted the transformation. For instance, a lot of investment banks had to undergo transformation during the economic slowdown. Citigroup Inc. restructured its banks and other affiliates during the recessionary period, to acclimatize with the new environment. And it did happen. The management has to ensure that a smooth shift occurs, and for this it adopts a number of organizational theories as a basis for effective change management. Some of them are listed in the next few paragraphs.

Breaking a Gender Norm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Breaking a Gender Norm - Essay Example Since culture defines expectations of a man, a man wearing a dress goes against the norm and is viewed as feminine because of wearing a dress; although, men in west Africa wear overall dresses in official and unofficial occasions (jewa6961, 2011). College shows double standards between men and women because men feel the desire to exercise dominance for them to be accepted in society. Although I found it easy to violate the male norm of dressing, the feelings of violating the dressing norm in men in a public place is quite uncomfortable regardless of the fact that women are proud of their appearance. I felt the need to act in a way that would conceal my feelings in an attempt to avoid consequences associated with violation of the norm. I had a feeling of fear regarding the way the people around would receive the gender deviant behavior because I knew there would be social penalties because I was behaving in way that is incongruent to the norm regarding male dressing. Due to preferred male dominance in the country, dressing like a woman exposed me to the double standards in violating the male dressing norms; moreover, acting in this way made me feel like I managed to break away from standards set out by the society. By wearing a dress evoked stereotype judgment aimed at me due to the violation of expected genders norms associated with men dressing because dressing in men is essential in showing their masculinity. However, to a certain extent I felt that people could be embracing actions of deviance aimed at gender norms because some people showed signs of comfort even when I broke norms of men dressing. However, traits related to gender can vary in accordance with culture, gender norms being what is considered socially acceptable in all genders advocates strict adherence to the norms in each gender. By violating the dressing norm in men I developed feelings of being socially unpredictable, confusion regarding norms, undermined trust regarding

Intermediate Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intermediate Financial Accounting - Essay Example International Accounting Standard 38 mentions the utility and usage of intangibles in the financial aspect of companies. The intangible assets are the intellectual property rights, goodwill and the expenditures of the company on research and developments. They are also known as capital developments. In the second part of the report, the examples of two famous listed Australian companies have been taken. Both of these companies are from pharmaceutical industry. Acrux Limited specializes into development of fast-drying sprays and other medicinal products, while Agenix Limited is mainly based in China and has competency in development of biopharmaceuticals. The company is into several agreements with renowned institutions for development, innovation and discovery of useful medicines for the betterment of mankind. The management in Acrux Limited considers their intangible assets at the cost price when they were acquired. In case of Agenix Limited the capital development of their research and development on some new drug has been included. Agenix Limited has a larger base of intangible assets than Acrux limited, in terms of financial value. Both the financial statement of both the companies shows that the intangible assets of the companies are well-maintained. ... The best examples of intangible assets in organizations are the goodwill, intellectual property rights such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, brand recognition, etc. There are two types of intangible assets, such as legal and competitive intangible assets. The legal intangible assets are the trade secrets such as the patents or copyrights, competitive intangible assets are knowledge or technical know-how. The legal intangible assets are acquired through judicial regulations, but in case of competitive intangibles, legal regulations are not enforceable (Anson, and Drews, 2007, p. 6). The Uniform Commercial Code (Section 9-102 (a) (42)), depicts that intangibles are the personal property. In International Accounting Standard (IAS) 38, it has been mentioned that the legal intangible assets which are internally developed cannot be defined, but if it is acquired from third-party then it can be recognized. While in case of US GAAP, the intangible assets are segregated into internally dev eloped intangibles versus the purchased ones, and the limited life intangibles versus indefinite life intangibles. The potential economic reimbursement from an intangible asset might comprise of revenue from sale of services or products, saving cost, or additional benefits from the usage of assets by the venture. For example, using intellectual property in a construction development may condense the future cost of production rather than the increase in future revenues (Australian Accounting Standards Board, 2008, p. 2-4). Problem Areas The power to create customer value, stakeholders and shareholders’ value and economic value no longer depends on the production factors, but on intangible assets. These are also considered as the

School Lunches Essay -- Social Issues, Childhood Obesity

School Lunches â€Å"More than a third of the county's children are overweight or obese.†(Gustin, 1). As shocking as this is, it's true. One of the big reasons that children and teens are overweight is because of the foods that they eat. They are fed these fattening and unhealthy foods by the school system. Their futures can be changed if we change our choices. Having more nutritious lunches can have a positive impact on the health of American teens. â€Å"More than 76 percent of schools sell soft drinks and sweetened fruit drinks, but fewer than half offered bottles water. Fewer than 15 percent sell low-fat or nonfat yogurt, and fewer than one third order skim milk. Only 25 percent of schools say they've reduced fats and oils in recipes.†(Spake, 2). Choices at lunch range from greasy to unidentifiable. Most students eat school lunches five days a week. So most of the food they eat throughout the week comes from the school cafeteria. Although, the schools do tend to offer healthy choices such as salads, subs, skim milk, and unlimited fruits and vegetables. â€Å"Each week Phoenix students are served a variety of fruits and vegetables from guava to grapes and jicima to red peppers. School officials hope that by exposing children to fruits and vegetable they may develop a taste for them and request their parents to buy them.†(Bailey, 1). Real meat is becoming an issue in schools. â€Å"According to reports issued b y the Physicians Committee for responsible Medicine (PCRM) the USDA dumps hundreds of millions of pounds of surplus beef, chicken, cheese, and pork on the National School lunch Program.†(Lord, 42). Chicken isn't whole white meat; some of it doesn't even taste like meat! Let’s move on to unhealthy foods. There are unlimited amounts of un... ...ars of school. Once kids eat their lunches they normally want to go run around and use some of that energy from the food so they can concentrate better in class. It is also a good thing to require because school gym is the only exercise most teens and children get throughout the day. It helps cut the growing rate of diabetes and obesity. Sports are also a good way to stay active and healthy. Not only are you constantly moving and getting tons of exercise, but sports teams normally offer a good healthy snack after games such as peanut butter crackers and juice boxes or nutrition bars and bottled water. It all makes a huge difference in the development of children and teens. If we take these small steps to change, we can easily redirect the lives of children and teens health. Having more nutritious lunches can have a positive impact on the health of American teens.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincolns Killer by James L. Swanson.

A movie hero became the moving hero after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. For once, he fired not the dummy shots, but the ones that will give him fame and place in World History in general and American History in particular. The entire Nation was the audience for this movie. John Wilkes Booth knew that death was following him; perhaps his final acting assignment came to the end, on the 12th day of the ‘shooting!’ The author’s thesis in his book is simple and direct: Why John Wilkes Booth did what he did? Was it the spontaneous overflow of his deep anguish over the policies of the President? The assassin had just twelve days to live after he shot the President; the security forces chasing did   shoot him; but before that they burnt he barn in which he was hiding! The author’s perspective: The author James L. Swanson, will not get another subject matter like this, may God forbid! The man who was killed and the man who killed him, both wee well known personalities in their respective areas. The statesman-politician versus the versatile movie-man! The assassin was a famous, handsome actor, who otherwise commanded lots of respect. The ‘Booth Capturing’ ordeal lasted for 12 days, from April 14 to 26, 1865. The chase was a thriller; it would beat the best stunt and war movie as for the sequence of events! The author describes how the sympathetic individuals tried to save the killer and how he was finally outsmarted by the security forces! Swanson has written the book with a terrific sense of involvement. He has given a very interesting book and from the point of view of writing style, he gives total justice to the tragic subject. Why not! He is a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and must have sieved through the vast literature available on the life, death and after -death sequence of events related to the greatest President of USA, Abraham Lincoln. The man who initiated the Civil War for a great cause, and the man who rejoiced and applauded with open heart, its conclusion! The Nation then must have waited with bated breath as for the day to day hunt for the killer and heaved the sigh of relief when the assassin met with the gory end. On April 26, when Booth refused to surrender, troops set the barn in which he was hiding, on fire. Sergeant Boston Corbett shot the assassin. After a few hours at sunrise, Booth died. April 26-27 Booth's body was brought back to Washington, autopsied, photographed, and buried in a secret grave.   Ã‚  He got what he deserved. Lincoln deserved more to enjoy the fructification of his ideals. But destiny played its part. They say, â€Å"It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving!† The theme of the novel is great! How the author handles the theme is even greater, which evokes unending curiosity. The level of detachment achieved by the author in handling a highly sensitive action-packed subject is commendable. Without giving room for too much sentimentalism, the various grim situations manifest clearly, grow and attain new dimensions. The book deserves an outstanding position and grade on account of this approach. It is not a book; it is the triumph! Conclusion: The action of John Wilkes Booth can not be termed as spontaneous. He wished to avenge the defeat of the South. His heart was the abode of racial hatred. On April 14, 1865 around noon Booth got the information that Lincoln was coming to Ford’s Theatre that night. Within eight hours he had prepared his plan of assassination. This shows that the decision to kill Lincoln was not spontaneous. He was mentally prepared for that, much earlier. The book is the story of the manhunt, but in a book of about 400 pages, Lincoln’s death occurs in page 139. Lots of related backgrounder information is provided in the book. It has all the qualities of mystery, history, detective story and tragedy. It is the delight of the psycho-analyst.