1、,Management and Cultural Diversity,陈海萍 0093893,Contents,1,2,3,Cultural attitudes,Managing multinationals,You and your culture,1a Discussion,Multinational companies can either attempt to use similar management methods in all their foreign subsidiaries, or adapt their methods to the local culture in e
2、ach country or continent. Which procedure do you think is the most efficient?,In my point of view, multinational companies should adapt their methods to the local culture in each country or continent. The staff in the company are from different countries and cultures, each has his own taboos, dos an
3、d donts. Only by adapting the methods to the local culture, can the company avoid disputes and creat a harmonious atmosphere, which is quite important to a companys development.,Do you think the culture of your country is similar enough to those of neighboring countries to have the same management t
4、echniques? Or are there countries nearby where people have very different attitudes to work, hierarchy, organization, and so on?(INDIA, SOUTH KOREA, RUSSIA),IN INDIA:,In such a richly diverse and complex country as India it is difficult to impart generic conclusions that can be used by those doing b
5、usiness there. Regionalism, religion, language and caste are all factors that need to be taken into account when doing business in India. Behavior, etiquette and approach are all modified depending on whom you are addressing and the context in which they are being addressed.,HierarchyOf all the cult
6、ural influences that most impact Indian business culture, hierarchy plays a key role. With its roots in Hinduism and the caste system, Indian society operates within a framework of strict hierarchy that defines peoples roles, status and social order. For example, within companies manual labor will o
7、nly be carried out by the “peon“ (roughly equivalent to a runner). It is not uncommon for the moving of a desk to take hours. This is because no-one in the office will carry out the task but the “peon“, who, if otherwise engaged cannot do so.,In Russia:Structure and hierarchy in Russian companies Th
8、e hierarchical structure in Russian business practices means that the decision makers higher up have authority over their subordinates. However, the nature of the collective good often encourages a flexible and democratic work ethos. Showing respect for seniority and recognizing the hierarchical str
9、ucture is vital for establishing and maintaining strong business relationships.,Attitude towards workTasks are executed slower than in Europe. It is not laziness, just different speed of work. Russians often stay at work later but the intensity of their activity during business hours may be lower. R
10、ussians also make friends at work and value the environment and human factor more highly than Europeans.,In South Korea:Korean corporate culture is inspired by Confucianism and Japanese corporate culture. Some very minor aspects of American corporate culture have also been adopted in Korea. Koreans
11、consider that their company is an integral part of their identity.,Korean Company lifeA Korean workers job title describes their status in the hierarchy rather than what tasks they perform. Regarding work, Koreans perform any task they are asked by the supervisor. There are no limits regarding what
12、tasks a supervisor may ask. Tasks can include calling someone, proofreading documents or driving to different places. Korean workers are seldom told what tasks they will perform the next day or the next month or discuss reasons why tasks are being performed. Thus, for Korean workers, their departmen
13、ts activities can be a total mystery.,Each Korean worker has a direct supervisor. Korean workers are expected not to leave the company until their direct supervisor does. Koreans are expected to have lunch and sometimes dinner with their team and supervisor.,1b Discussion,A Dutch researcher, Fons Tr
14、ompenaars, and his associates, have asked nearly 15,000 business people in over 50 countries a number of questions which reveal differing cultural beliefs and attitudes to work. Here are five of them, adapted from Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. They concer
15、n ways of working, individuals and groups, rules and personal friendships, and so on. What are your answers to the questions？,If you had to choose, would you say that a company is a system designed to perform functions and tasks in an efficient way, using machines and people,or (b) a group of people
16、 whose functioning depends on social relations and way people work together?,(b) A company is a group consist of lots of people, whether the social relations are good or not and the way people work together have a direct influence on the work efficiency of the staff, and then influence the daily ope
17、ration of a company.,What is the main reason for having an organization structure in a company? So that everyone knows who has authority over whom (b) So that everyone knows how functions are allocated and coordinated,(b) Having an arganization structure in a company could let the staff know who he
18、is accountable to and the exact responsibiolities he should take, this could help develop a clear idea about the operation of the company and about how functions are allocated and coordinated.,(b)If an individual is ready to care for others so that others could have a better life, that of course wil
19、l improve the quality of his own life in that he has a good surrounding area; whats more, good turns exchanges good repay,Will (a) the quality of an individuals life improve if he or shehas as much freedom as possible and the maximum opportunity to develop personally, or (b) the quality of life for
20、everyone improve if individuals are continuously taking care of their fellow human beings, even if this limits individual freedom and development?,(b)As this person is a member of a group, the whole group, especially the leader of the group has the responsibility to check whether each group members
21、work is on the right track. Once a mistake is made by one of the group, it is the whole group to blame.,A defect is discovered in a production facility. It was caused by negligence by one of the members of a team. Would you say that (a) the person causing the defect by negligence in the one responsi
22、ble, or (b) because he or she is working in a team the responsibility should be carried by the whole group?,Its ok for him to expect me to do this. And I will also blame myself if my friend was put into jail because my refusal to testify.,Imagine that you are passenger in a car driven by a close fri
23、end who hits and quite seriously injuries a pedestrian while driving at least 25 kilometers an hour too fast in town. There are no other witnesses. Your friends lawyer says that it will help him a lot if you testify that he was driving within the speed limit. Should your friend expect you to do this
24、?,2a Discussion,What nationalities could be the managers below typically be?,I want to get this contract signed fast and get the plane home !,America,If I go on selling like this, Ill earn more than the boss! I cant let that happen !,Italy,What an awful idea reporting to two different bosses !,Franc
25、e / Latin country,Japan,He looks much too young to be doing a major deal like this !,Theres no hurry ! Tonight, you can come and eat at my house, and tomorrow well play golf !,Asian country,2b Reading,Read the text below, and see if your suggestions above coincide with the nationalities mentioned.,C
26、ROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENTManaging a truly global multinational company would obviously be much simpler if it required only once set of corporate objectives, goals, policies, practices, products and services. But local differences often make this impossible. The conflict between globalization and loca
27、lization has led to invention of the word glocalization. Companies that want to be successful in foreign markets have to be aware of the local culture characteristics that affect the way business is done.,A fairly obvious cultural divide that has been much studied is the one between, on the one hand
28、, the countries of North America and north-west Europe, where management is largely based on analysis, rationality, logic and systems, and, one the other, the Latin cultures of southern Europe and South America, where personal relations, intuition, emotion and sensitivity are much greater importance
29、. The largely Protestant culture on both sides of the North Atlantic (Canada, the USA, Britain, the Netherland, Germany, Scandinavia) are essentially individualist. In such cultures, status,has to be achieved. You dont automatically respect people just because theyve been in a company for 30 years.
30、A young, dynamic, aggressive manager with an MBA (Mater in Business Administration degree) can quickly rise in the hierarchy. In most Latin and Asian cultures, on the contrary, status is automatically accorded to the boss, who is more likely to be in his fifties or sixties than in his thirties. This
31、 is particularly true in Japan, where companies traditionally have a policy of promotion by seniority. A 50-year-old Japanese manager, or a Greek or Italian or Chilean one, would quite simply be offended by having to negotiate with an aggressive, well-educated, but experienced,American or German 20
32、years his junior. He would also want to take the time to get to know the person with whom he was negotiating, and would not appreciate an assertive American who wanted to sign a deal immediately and take the next plane home.In northern cultures, the principle of pay-for-performance often successfull
33、y motivates salespeople. The more you sell, the more you get paid. But the principle might well be resisted in more collectivist cultures, and in countries where rewards and promotion are expected to come with age and experience. Trompenaars gives the example of a sales rep in an Italian subsidiary
34、of a US multinational company who was given a huge quarterly bonus under,a new policy imposed by head office. His sales which had been high for years declined dramatically during the following three months. It was later discovered that he was deliberately trying not to sell more than any of his coll
35、eagues, so as not to reveal their inadequacies. He was also desperate not to earn more his boss, which he thought would be an unthinkable humiliation that would force the boss to resign immediately.Trompenaars also reports that Singaporean and Indonesian managers objected that pay-for-performance ca
36、used salesmen to pressure customers into buying products they didnt really need, which was not only bad for long term,business relations, but quite simply unfair and ethically wrong.Another example of an American idea that doesnt work well in Latin countries in matrix management. The task-oriented l
37、ogic of matrix management conflicts with the principle of loyalty to all-important line superior, the functional boss. You cant have two bosses any more than you can have two fathers. Andre Laurent, a French researcher, has said that in his experience, French managers would rather see an organizatio
38、n die than tolerate a system in which a few subordinates have to report to two bosses.,In discussing peoples relationships with their boss and their colleagues and friends. Trompenaars distinguishes between universalists and particularists. The former believe that rules are extremely important; the
39、latter believe that personal relationships and friendships should take precedence. Consequently, each group thinks that the other is corrupt. Universalists say that particularists cannot be trusted because they will always help their friends, while the second group says of the first you cannot trust
40、 them; they would not even help a friend. According to Trompenaarss data, there are many more particularists in Latin and Asiancoutries than in Australia, the USA, Canada, north-west Europe.,2c Comprehension,How can you explain the concept of glocalization?the combination and optimum balance of glob
41、alization and localization Why might a 50-year-old Japanese manager be offened if he had to negotiate with or report to a well-educated but inexperienced 30-year-old American?In Japan, they value the experience much and Japanese companies traditionally have a policy of promotion by seniority.,Why wa
42、s the American concept of pay-for-performance unpopular in Italy, and in Asia, in Trompenaarss example?In those countries, rewards and promotion are expected to come with age and experience. Why do universalists disapprove of particularists, and vice versa?Universalists believe that rules are extrem
43、ely important, while particularists believe that personal relationships and friendships should take precedence.,2d Vocabulary,Find words in the text which mean the following.1 the use of reasoning rather that emotions or beliefs logic2 understanding or knowing without consciously using reason intuit
44、ion3 respect, prestige or importance given to someone status,4 having a higher rank because one is older seniority5 to have hurt feelings because someone is being disrespectful offended6 money or something else given in recognition of good work reward,7 additional money given for better work or incr
45、eased productivity bonus 8 a feeling of shame and loss of dignity or self-esteem humiliation 9 to give up a job or position resign 10 according to accepted moral standards ethically,3 You and your culture,Which of the following do you think have been the most important influences on you? Do you thin
46、k the same is true of most people?,nature: your genes or DNA, the characteristics you inherited from your parents and were born with, your emotional and physical make-up your family environment in early life your friends and social life, the things you do in your free time primary or secondary schoo
47、l, teachers, and what you learnt,higher education: college, university, teachers, colleagues, the subjects you studied (or are studying) your job the culture of your particular company your colleagues: the people in your team or department your colleagues: the kind of people who work in your specifi
48、c area of work,the characteristics that are considered typical of people from your geographical regionthe characteristics that are considered typical of people from your country, arising from geography, climate, history, religion, the political, social and economic system, and so on,My friends and s
49、ocial life, the things I do in my free time seems to influence me most, especially my friends.Every day, I meet with all kinds of people, share all kinds of ideas and opinions, during these interpersonal communications, I have gradually change my minds, my attitudes, etc. Friends are always the ones
50、 I turn to when having something quite difficult for me to decide, and let them help me to make a decision.,2. Do you believe that it is possible to sum up national characteristics in a few words?Is there usually some (or a lot of) truth in such stereotypes?Or, on the contrary, do you find such stereotyping dangerous?,
