Managing Human Resources 8th Global Edition Luis R Gomez Mejia, David B Balkin, Robert L Cardy - Solutions

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1 The case highlights the importance of skilled and well-trained cross-cultural interviewers. In order of importance, what are the main qualities of a skilled crosscultural interviewer?
As researchers have shown (e.g., Richard, 2000), a diverse workforce brings competitive advantage to an organization. One benefit is the development of novel and creative solutions to the company’s work problems. But to realize such benefits, an organization’s managers and HR professionals must
3 ‘When managers obtain an expatriate posting abroad they sometimes need to change their “natural” management style to be successful.’ Expand the argument, giving examples of situations where a new management style is essential.
2 Often managers are selected for expatriate assignments on the basis of technical expertise alone while other important qualities are ignored. Which other qualities are important for expatriate success, and why?
1 ‘Expatriate managers are responsible for overseeing the transfer of technology and for overcoming the problems that this entails.’ What are the problems? How can they be overcome?
2 Explain how employee motivation in Arab countries differs from the Western model. Give reasons for the difference.
1 ‘Expatriate managers need to take account of the cultural realities.’ Which cultural realities did the expatriate manager fail to take account of? How should he have dealt with the cultural realities?
The manager hit back by blaming the workforce for the productivity problem. He told the board that local employees lacked initiative. Even when simple problems cropped up which they were capable of fixing, they would wait until they were told what to do by the production manager or a supervisor.The
Expatriate managers who learn to speak the local language are able to discuss productivity and other job-related problems with employees, and are well-placed to find lasting solutions. But in addition to language skills, expatriate managers need communication skills and the willingness to use those
2 What alternative actions should the manager consider if he wishes to increase manufacturing output?
1 To what extent can the failure of the new bonus scheme be attributed to inadequate cross-cultural communication?
In companies in developing countries, imported management systems (like imported technology) can greatly boost efficiency and profits – but not when they run counter to local customs and values. In such cases the imported techniques may need to be adapted to suit the local reality, or quietly
3 Give examples of alternative strategies that could have been considered.
2 Which other people should have been involved in developing a strategy?
1 To what extent did the agricultural machinery strategy fail because it had been developed by only one person, the general manager?
Expatriate managers need to be equipped with up-to-date business and technological knowledge. But to be successful in their assignments, they also need to acquire a sound knowledge of local conditions – they need to know what approaches and strategies will work in that particular overseas
2 ‘HMC’s success in China depends on its ability to effectively manage cross-cultural communication with Chinese managers and employees.’ Suggest three specific ways in which cross-cultural communication in the plant might be improved.
1 What specific employment policies and practices would have the effect of improving relations between Chinese and Korean managers and employees at HMC’s Beijing plant?
The ability of expatriate managers to transfer technological and business knowledge to companies abroad is a key factor in many expatriate assignments. But the ability to establish good formal and informal communication links with a host organization is equally important – as Hyundai Motors
3 What causes conflict to erupt in multicultural teams? How can the risk of conflict be reduced? What are the different kinds of conflict in multicultural teams, and what effect does each kind of conflict have on team performance?
2 Identify and explain factors that allow a multicultural team to achieve high levels of performance. Rank the factors in order of importance.
1 Cultural differences in multicultural teams may prevent cooperation and collaboration.How can that risk be reduced? What can be done to ensure that the team’s goals are shared by all subgroups?
3 ‘Rational decision-making is less likely to occur in a multicultural team than in a single-culture team?’. Develop the argument, giving examples from your own experience.
2 How are rational decisions made, according to classical decision-making theory?To what extent is effective decision-making an orderly and systematic process?
1 To what extent could the decisions made by the project team be described as rational and effective?
Not all conflict is destructive. In multicultural teams conflict can have positive results by producing decisions and ideas for action of a quality superior to those produced without conflict. Task-related conflict, for instance, often leads to a deeper understanding of the issues and problems
2 If the project team had been much larger – more than 50, say – what additional actions would the project manager have needed to take to ensure that the team had a shared sense of purpose and a common focus?
1 ‘Cooperation and collaboration between the different national groups was excellent.’ To what extent was this due to the initial discussions held between the project manager and team members about performance goals? What other factors may have been involved?
When a multicultural team is first set up, ethnic or national differences often prevent cooperation and collaboration. But that risk is reduced when performance goals are discussed and shared by all members of the team. Cultural differences can usually be overcome by the team leader or the project
4 Give examples of positive and negative micromessages. Explain the impact on employee morale of receiving negative micromessages from colleagues and supervisors.
3 Give examples from your own experience of the cultural variability of gestures and facial expressions. Explain how this variability can lead to serious misunderstandings in cross-cultural interactions.
2 Why, in cross-cultural meetings and discussions, is nonverbal communication by participants liable to be misinterpreted? Give examples from your own experience.
1a) ‘In cross-cultural business negotiations, nonverbal signals give insights into the attitudes and priorities of the participants.’ Expand the argument, using appropriate examples.b) How can a person’s ability to accurately interpret nonverbal signals in crosscultural situations be
7 Explain the impact, positive and negative, that micromessages have on employee morale.
6 ‘Every culture has a language of nonverbal behaviour that can confuse people from other cultures.’ Give examples of nonverbal behaviours in Zimbabwe, China and the Middle East that can have this effect.
5 Give examples of how high social status can be communicated nonverbally. How do members of different cultures vary in the nonverbal signals they use for this purpose?
4 Why is it important to try to use culturally appropriate nonverbal behaviour when living and working in a foreign country?
3 Give examples of how in cross-cultural gatherings, dislike or distrust of people from other ethnic groups may be expressed nonverbally.
2 In cross-cultural discussions why are nonverbal messages often more believable than verbal communication? Give examples.
1 In the context of international business, identify three important functions of nonverbal communication. Briefly explain why each of the functions is important.
3 What actions could be taken by management in the company to reduce negative micromessaging and increase positive micromessaging?
2 How do employees typically respond to receivinga) negative micromessagesb) positive micromessages? Give specific examples from your own experience.
1 Why did the IT expert feel demotivated?
Nonverbal communication is sometimes used in the multicultural workplace to express negative feelings towards employees who are undervalued or regarded as being different in some way (Guirdham, 2005). Prejudice is often displayed by means of negative micromessages, which are subtle, devaluing
3 What would have been the advantages and disadvantages of using an interpreter in this particular situation?
2 Is it likely that the doctor would have reached similar conclusions if an interpreter had been used?
1 To what extent was the doctor right to put so much emphasis on nonverbal communication during the consultation?
In some situations nonverbal signals are more effective than speech at communicating meaning. Linguistic barriers can make verbal communication uncertain or misleading in some cross-cultural situations. One reason is that people from different countries have different communicative norms, leading
3 Explain the impact (positive or negative) that the paralinguistic aspects of speech –tone of voice, loudness, intensity etc. – can make during cross-cultural business discussions.
2 In what specific ways should the Japanese managers adjust their nonverbal behaviour when communicating with their Indian counterparts?
1 In what specific ways should the Indian managers adjust their nonverbal behaviour so as to reduce the risk of future misunderstandings and conflict when communicating with their Japanese counterparts?
Working in small groups, study the mini-case and discuss each of the questions that follow, writing down the group’s agreed answer to each question. At the end of the exercise, each group presents its answers to the other groups for comment.
3 ‘Personality factors strongly influence the extent and pace of cross-cultural adjustment.’Explain why and how, providing specific examples.
2 The recovery-from-shock model of cross-cultural adjustment is being replaced by a model based on adequate preparation and interaction with local people. Which model do you prefer, and why?
1 ‘Entering a new culture can be a stressful experience but it also gives opportunities for psychological growth and to learn new skills.’ Describe the psychological growth that can occur and the new skills that are learned when living in a foreign culture. Give examples from your own
6 Explain why an immigrant’s pre-existing social capital may have much less value in the new culture than it had at home.
5 Why is the ability to speak the local language an important predictor of successful cross-cultural adjustment?
4 ‘Cross-cultural adjustment is a multi-dimensional process.’ What are the different dimensions involved? What is the relationship between the different dimensions?
3 Identify personal qualities which would help a newcomer to quickly adjust to living and working in a foreign country. Give reasons for your choice.
2 What are the key features of the Preparation-and-Interaction model of crosscultural adjustment? What are the shortcomings of the model?
1 What causes culture shock? Give specific examples of the symptoms of culture shock and explain the effects.
2 What changes of approach and attitude would have helped the counsellor to adjust to the country?
1 Identify three reasons why the counsellor failed to adjust to living and working in the Middle East. Rank these reasons in order of importance.
Deep-level differences between the host society and a person’s own country can make cross-cultural adjustment difficult to attain. This was the lesson learnt by a Belgian counsellor when she went to live and work in a Middle Eastern country. The counsellor’s inability to deal with deep-level
3 Identify the different stages through which cross-cultural negotiations tend to move. Explain how each stage influences the outcome of negotiations.
2 ‘Cross-cultural negotiations are fundamentally different from domestic negotiations.’What are the main differences? What communication problems arise as a result? How can the problems be overcome?
1 Explain how choosing to use a particular language in preference to another language in a cross-cultural meeting can affect the interaction and the outcomes of the meeting.
2 What would have been the advantages and disadvantages of using an interpreter and conducting the meetings in the Malaysians’ own language?
1 What rules or procedures would have led to better communication in the meetings and enabled all participants to follow the discussion?
When an American sales manager visits Malaysia, the business meetings he attends are conducted in English. Even so, he finds it difficult to follow the discussion due to:● Frequent mispronunciations. The Malaysians do not speak loudly enough and tend to mispronounce words and to run words
2 If the Indian managers tried to introduce US-style business methods in their own company when they returned to India, what problems would they encounter?
1 Why is the pacing of business negotiations faster in the United States than in India? What cultural factors are involved?
Cross-cultural meetings often have periods of inactivity where nothing seems to be achieved, or where important decisions are made without proper discussion. One reason is that participants from different cultures differ in their attitudes towards time.Consequently, they have different ideas about
2 What kind of compromise solution would have been acceptable to both teams?
1 Which team was right – and why?
In many cross-cultural meetings, cultural diversity and the clash of views about procedures and methods to be adopted lead to slow progress; and major disagreements and communication problems sometimes emerge.As strong disagreement about the decision-making procedures that should be used occurs in
3 ‘Cross-cultural communication is more challenging than same-culture communication and requires greater knowledge and skill.’ True or false? Explain your reasoning, using appropriate examples.
2 Explain how the concept of cultural distance is used in the business world. From the viewpoint of MNEs, why is the concept so useful?
1 What is cultural distance? How can it be assessed or measured?
2 Explain why effective cross-cultural communication in a ‘distant’ culture depends on being aware of the communicative preferences and expectations of members of the culture. How can prior knowledge of these preferences and expectations be obtained?
1 Was the engineer right to change his ‘natural’ communication style during his visit to Brazil? Give reasons for and against.
Advance planning of an overseas business trip is, from one perspective, the most important stage of the visit. It allows the business person to acquire important information about the country to be visited in advance, and to define – and to discuss with colleagues – the issues to be debated
The professor mentions several aspects of Japanese communication that frustrate foreigners. How should a foreign business visitor who is looking for straight answers and clear information deal with these traits if they constantly occur in business discussions?
The wish to form a realistic picture of Japanese culture is what motivates a consulting engineer, preparing for an extended business trip to Japan, to attend a cultural briefing in London. The engineer hopes the briefing will give him a clear picture of important values, conventions and practices
2 To what extent should important social rules of a foreign culture always be observed by business visitors? Are there any exceptions to the rule?
1 Why was the sales manager wrong to cancel the rest of his tour? What other kind of actions could he have taken to reduce the problem?
When a German sales manager makes a business tour of countries in the Middle East he is unaware of local customs and is disappointed when reality collides with his expectations. For example, when the German arrives for an appointment with an Arab official he is sometimes kept waiting for an hour or
2 What would have been the likely effect if the manager had first discussed his plan with union leaders?
1 Why was the manager unable to win the workers’ understanding and cooperation?List the likely reasons in order of importance.
Expatriate managers’ success in culturally distant countries often depends on them making sure that they introduce appropriate techniques and approaches which do not run counter to local values. Expatriates who introduce inappropriate techniques often find themselves confronted by employee morale
The things that might lead a person to quit might not be the same things that lead a person to stay with an organization.For example, another job offer or the tendency to always be looking for new opportunities elsewhere can lead a person to quit.a. Using the employee equity framework, identify the
Divide the team into three groups. Each group will choose value, brand, or retention equity. Or, if team sizes are smaller, each team will select an equity component. For each equity component, generate survey items or interview questions that would measure that form of equity. For each item or
Generate survey or interview items that would capture value-, brand-, or retention-equity levels in workers. If possible, ask a sample of your friends and neighbors to take a survey based on your items. Are value, brand, and retention equities high or low? For low levels, ask your survey
Your company wants to introduce a series of new policies and procedures covering all interactions with external stakeholders. There is a need to ensure that all employees are trained in the same and consistent way so that there is a standardized approach to interactions in the future. Outline your
Illiterate workers can suffer from embarrassment and fear that keeps them from admitting their problem. Instead, they may cope by asking questions, observing others, and relying on informal assistance from others. If illiterate workers can effectively cope with a work environment, do you think
Your distribution company operates in several remote locations around the world. Annually, there is an opportunity for regional managers to meet with their counterparts for a week’s training and updating. The results of this are supposed to be passed on to other employees by the regional
Organizations recognize that crisis training is a necessary step. The problem is predicting the likelihood of a crisis and its nature. It begs the question as whether it should be preventive or post-crisis. What are the arguments for and against these radically different approaches?
In 2013, Ryanair were named the United Kingdom’s worst brand for customer service by Which?, a Consumer’s Association that had evaluated 100 companies on factors such as staff attitude and their ability to deal with problems. Ryanair was at least consistent with 2 stars out of 5. As a result of
The traditional training approach is meant to remove a deficit.The use of social media in training can shift the impact of training to supporting performance. Which approach do you think is better? Explain.
Can both the traditional deficit-reduction approach to training and the social media style of training be useful in the same organization? Describe.

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Managing Human Resources 8th Global Edition Luis R Gomez Mejia, David B Balkin, Robert L Cardy - Solutions

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