Category: Business

 
Comparison exercise exploring theory and empirical evidence and relating this to a practical critical incidents in cross-cultural settings.

Scenario “Clever Clogs International” You work for an international company, which provides management advice to a number of multinational organisations, such as Al Jazeera, Google, Shell International and a new FINANCE company called Clever Clogs International. Your company has been invited to tender for a contract to deliver cross-cultural training to this major new client Clever Clogs International. The client is expanding its international activities and needs to send a manager from Lebanon to Amsterdam, The Netherlands for a 2-year assignment. Clever Clogs aims to change the way the banking system works to avoid another economic crash. The manager to be transferred is female, Muslim and in her mid-thirties. She joined the company four years ago and has performed exceptionally well, earning two promotions in that period. Company evaluations (which you have been permitted to read) indicate that she has the right skills-set and that she would be an ideal candidate for this assignment. However, no formal training has been carried out, and this would be her first international work assignment. Your company has been invited by the client to deliver a cross-cultural briefing report to this new manager from Clever Clogs International. You MUST make reference to the industry of Clever Clogs International in each section. As a final year student, the relevance to management in practice must be made clear (answer the ‘So What?’ question by using practical examples from the news).
The report should include the following sections but make sure you guide the reader and link (sub)sections through an organised structure.

1. a brief introduction of the aim of the report on behalf of Clever Clogs International and of the current state of globalization relevant to an executive in the finance industry. Give a practical example of the current challenges.

2. a brief overview of macro-level facts of The Netherlands (e.g., socio-political environment, economic environment, etc.) that are relevant for an executive to know. You should use reliable sources such as Financial Times, CIA handbook and government websites. ( A table must be provided)

3. a brief value comparison of the country of The Netherlands based on Hofstede’s work in comparison to Lebanon. You should also include a graph as shown in class and ensure that you make the analysis relevant to the reader.

4. a critique of Hofstede’s work in terms of the relevancy of macro-level indices for daily management practice (NOT critique of Hofstede in an academic sense)

5. An analysis of the business and management challenges that an international manager faces, using the reading from this module, integrating appropriate cross-cultural theory and evaluating the challenges the manager is likely to face. For example: “As an international manager, regardless of where one lives or works, it is useful to be aware that decision making is based on XXXX theory (Bloggs, 2013) and cultural variations exist in terms of A, B and C.”
NOTE: Do not continue to use Hofstede here! Use generic, culturally intelligent advice.
You CANNOT use Wikipedia and other non-academic sources, unless they are anecdotal or current affairs. You may also use your practical experience but keep it professional – i.e., frame these into practical anecdotes, not a diary.
Your subheadings must relate to seminar topics  Value differences and Person-Organisation Fit  Decision Making  Negotiation & Communication  Leadership

6. A conclusion (summary) evaluating information presented in section a and b and three key points of advice presented with bullet points (supported by cited credible sources)
Professional delivery Max word count 2000. Over or under 10% allowed. More than that, you are subject to the critique that you cannot focus (over) or read to little (under) and this will affect your grade. Ensure you do a grammar & spell check, use a professional lay out with subheadings, include an accurate reference list incl. at least 5 articles from the reading list.
Marking Criteria Evidence that you have systematically researched the assignment and covered required areas to the expected standard. Comprehensiveness (breadth and depth) of information. Evidence that you have understood key issues and been able to effectively integrate theory and practice. Relevance and balance of contents. Integration and coherence of component parts. Evidence of effective use of a range of relevant resources. Coherence, synthesis and integration of contents. Creativity and innovation.

 
Imagine that you are the founding entrepreneur of a software company that specializes in developing games for home computers. Customer demand for your games has grown from a busy one person operation to one with 16 employees. In addition to yourself, you employ six software developers to produce the software, three graphic artists, two computer technicians, two marketing and sales personnel and two secretaries. In the next year you expect to hire 30 new employees and you are wondering how best to manage your growing company.
1. Use the principles of Weber and Fayol to decide on the system of organization and management that you think will be most effective for your growing organization. How many levels will the managerial hierarchy of your organization have? How much authority will you decentralize to the subordinates? How will the division of labor between subordinates be establish ? Will the subordinates work alone and report to you or work in teams?
2. Which management approach do you propose to use to run the organization? Write a statement describing the management approach that will motivate and coordinate subordinates, and tell why this style is the best

 
REPORT GUIDELINES

Students are assigned to Project Teams, normally consisting of 3 to 5 students. Each group negotiates and agrees which project to undertake from the following projects:
1. Opening a subsidiary in a foreign country.
2. Opening a master franchise in another country.
3. Opening a division of ESE in Moscow, Paris or Mexico City.
4. Building a House for international clients.
5. Organising an international trade show.
6. Designing a new product or service.
BREAKDOWN OF WORK BETWEEN STUDENTS

Each member of the group should be assigned at least one distinct area of research to undertake, and at least one part of the Report to write. For groups of 3 or 4 there is some flexibility into the report content. For groups of 5 all areas have to be completed. Please see the Project Structure below.
PROJECT STRUCTURE

Introduction – this should be relatively short detailing the selection of the project. Group
(Compulsory)

Conceptualisation – the chosen solution, with regards to the triple constraints of Time, Cost and Specification. Critically reflect on the various forms of concept that could resolve the issue. Individual (Compulsory)

Project Planning – produce a project plan from work break down structure, timing, and precedence. Form an AON network diagram and a critical chain. Critically reflect on the advantages of PERT or CCPM in this particular project. Individual (Compulsory)

Risk Management – produce a risk management strategy for this project, critically reflect on numerate and non-numerate forms of risk analysis. Individual

Project Management Strategies – identify the team structure and management style of the project team. Critically reflect on the effects of diversity in an international project team. Individual

Control Strategy – Review the various forms of control strategy; select with critical evaluation the most appropriate control strategy for your chosen project. Individual

Conclusions – a review of the process undertaken and likelihood of success. Group (Compulsory)

i Arabia: Moderating of Cognitive Diversity
References must be from ranking Journals.
Literature review, Gap, Contribution, Methodology, Objectives, and Questions must be clear.

Additional Instructions:

Writing a convincing and well argued research proposal is an essential part of being accepted for a research degree. It meets several purposes:
1.It helps you to clarify your own ideas on what you want to do and what your priorities are.
2.It enables the department to which you have applied to decide whether or not it has the expertise to supervise you, and, if it does, to identify appropriate supervisors. It also enables us to discuss with you any changes which we might wish to suggest so that we are able to supervise it more appropriately. We recognise that in Science-based areas the research proposal may already be determined by a departmental research team or the supervisor in the context of a funded research project. In these cases, many of the guidelines presented here may not apply.
3.At an early stage it allows potential supervisors and other members of the department to ask questions about content, approach, values and methodology before you embark on the study and to determine the facilities required for the research.
4.It allows potential problems to be identified at this preliminary stage and to be resolved before you progress.

Normally, your proposal should be up to about 1400 words long (or up to 5-6 sides of A4), but it is advisable to check this with your chosen department as it may vary. Within it, you should ensure:
◾that the title indicates the field, scope and topic of the proposed study
◾that you can indicate an awareness of some of the significant literature in your chosen field or whether there is very little, if any, relevant literature in this field
◾that you formulate clearly the research question, problem or issue that you wish to address and indicate how it might contribute to the advancement of knowledge and scholarship in this field: in other words, you have to state why you think your proposed research is important and how you might make an original contribution to knowledge
◾that you provide an account of the kind of research methods you feel are appropriate to such a study (i.e. questionnaire, interviews, participant observation, archival and library research, laboratory work, team-based research etc.), and the balance between these
◾that you provide enough information on yourself and the topic to show how the study fits with your past or present experience, your concerns and interests, and, if appropriate, the concerns of your current employer or organisation
◾that you have already ascertained that the individuals, data sources and organisations that will be critical to your study will be accessible to you.

Summary

Provide evidence in your proposal of:
◾Appropriateness of title
◾Literature appreciation
◾A carefully framed research question or problem
◾Research methods
◾Suitability to personal situation and experience
◾Accessibility of information sources

If these are properly covered in your proposal, we will be able to provide you with a more helpful, accurate and quick response to your application.

 
– Report style approx 3,500 words
– Include graphs and tables
– Focus and discuss on management theories and how they are implemented in both the USA and China. For example (X and Y managerial style) and more.
– How does CULTURE INFLUENCE Managerial choices
– Emphasize on the cultural aspect of both countries.
– include many examples of case studies and actual events or incidents that took place.