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A Cross Cultural Business Problem

After having had several email exchanges with his Mexican counterpart over several weeks without getting the expected actions and results, Gerrit Visser was getting a tongue-lashing from his British client, who was furious at the lack of progress. Visser, in the Rotterdam office of World Consulting Group (WCG), and his colleague in the Mexico City office, Antonio Perez, were both seasoned veterans, and Visser couldnt understand the lack of responsiveness.

A week earlier, the client, Leo Evans, had visited his office to express his mounting frustration. But this morning he had called with a stream of verbal abuse. His patience was exhausted.

Feeling angry himself, Visser composed a strongly worded message to Perez, and then decided to cool off. A half hour later, he edited it to stick to the facts while still communicating the appropriate level of urgency. As he clicked to send the message, he hoped that it would finally provoke some action to assuage his client with the reports he had been waiting for.

He reread the email, and as he saved it to the mounting record in Evans file, he thought, Im going to be happy when this project is over for another year!

Message for Antonio Perez

Subject: IAS 2019 Financial statements

From: Gerrit Visser (Rotterdam)

Date: 10/12/20 1:51pm

Dear Antonio,

This morning I had a conversation with Mr. Evans (CFO) and Mr. Parker (Controller) re the finalization of certain 2019 financial statements. Mr. Jones was not in a very good mood.

He told me that he was very displeased by the fact that the 2019 IAS financial statements of the Mexican subsidiary still has not been finalized. At the moment he holds us responsible for this process. Although he recognizes that local management is responsible for such financial statements, he blames us for not being responsive on this matter and inform him about the process adequately. I believe he also recognizes that we have been instructed by Mr. Whyte (CEO) not to do any handholding, but that should not keep us from monitoring the process and inform him about the progress.

He asked me to provide him tomorrow with an update on the status of the IAS report and other reports pending.

Therefore I would like to get the following information from you today:

What has to be done to finalize the Mexican subsidiarys IAS financials;

Who has to do it (local management, WCG Mexico, client headquarters, WCG Rotterdam),

A timetable when things have to be done in order to finalize within a couple of weeks or sooner;

A brief overview why it takes so long to prepare and audit the IAS f/s

Are there any other reports for 2019 pending (local GAAP, tax), if so, the above is also applicable for those reports.

As of today I would like to receive an update of the status every week. If any major problems arise during the finalization process I would like to be informed immediately. The next status update is due January 12, 2021.

Mr. Evans also indicated that in the future all reports (US GAAP, local GAAP and IAS) should be normally finalized within 60 days after the balance sheet date. He will hold local auditors responsible for monitoring this process.

Best regards and best wishes for 2021.

Gerrit

Gerrit Visser Receives a Reply

A little more than an hour later, with his own patience again wearing thin, Gerrit Visser watched with relief as Antonio Perezs name popped into his Inbox messages. His smile quickly turned to disbelief, and then horror, as he read to response from Mexico City. Not only was the clients need still unmet, but now he had another problem! Stung by the apparent anger from Perez, and totally puzzled as to the cause, he reread the email to make sure he had not misunderstood the message.

From: Perez, Antonio (Mexico City)

Sent: Wednesday December 10, 23:11

To: Visser, Gerrit (Rotterdam)

Subject: RE: IAS 2019 financial statements

Importance: High

Dear Gerrit

I am not surprised of the outcome of your meeting with Mr. Evans (CFO). However, I cannot answer your request until I heard from local management. As it was agreed on the last meeting, we were precluded from doing any work without first getting approval from the management at the headquarters and we were instructed by local management from not doing anything until they finalized what was required from us. It appears to me to be a Catch 22 game!

I believe we (your Firm and ours) should not fall in the game of passing the ball to someone else before getting a clear understanding of what is going on. We have had several meetings without local management where the issue has been raised and were responded that other priorities were established by the headquarters (on my end I thought they tell you everything they have been instructed of locally, unfortunately it does not seem to be the case). In my opinion it looks very easy that you accept from management at the headquarters to hold us accountable from something we are not responsible of, and this does not mean I do not understand the pressure you are receiving from your end. However, we are not the enemy. I am not sending copy of this message to our client because I believe that internal issues have to be primarily dealt of internally without involving our clients in the internal politics. The last is what myself truly believe.

Could you tell me how can you accept a deadline from our Firm without first having involved local management? Dont you think they are the first to be involved local management? Dont you think they are the first to be involved on this? I may be wrong but if we are in an international Firm I think we should understand the other side and not just blame someone else of our clients problems.

I really do not want to be rude, but you do not let me any option.

Despite the differences we have had, it has been a pleasure working with you.

Best regards and seasons greeting.

Antonio Perez

Worried that he had somehow offended Perez, Visser printed off a copy of the email which he had sent the day before, and asked the two partners on either side of his office for their reaction to the message. The audit and tax specialists, one Dutch and the other Belgian, had nearly identical replies. It seems to me that you got the point across clearly, Gerrit, they said. You laid out the facts and proposed actions to solve the problem. Why do you ask? they queried. When he showed them the letter, they too were puzzled. Evans will no doubt be the next person to send me a message! he thought. As a frown reflected his increasingly grim mood, Visser wondered what he should do now.

* * * * * * * *

Cut/paste the following material under the stars into a new word doc.

Be sure your name is on your submission; be sure to keep the same numbering system, fill in your answers, submit on time.

Note :do not cut/paste the whole doc; be sure to keep the same numbering system. (This is at least the 8th time this instruction has been made for assignment. Deductions of 5 points if this basic instruction is not followed.

* * * * * * * *

Your name(s):

Questions:

1. Identify the people and the four countries involved in this case. (4 points)

(insert name, insert country)

(insert name, insert country)

(insert name, insert country)

(insert name, insert country)

The context: (10 points)

Describe why is this an intercultural communication challenge

(Refer to concepts from our course )

Describe why it could affect business for these companies?

The situation (total 16 points):

From Mr Vissers point of view, what was his intention in sending the email? (2 points)

Is Mr Visser correct in assuming that the email from Mr Perez reflects anger? Why or why not? (2 points)

Describe how this communication is perceived by the two main people from their cultural perspective (3rd opportunity to use DIE see cpt 3) (6 points)

Visser

D

I

E

Perez

D

I

E

Is there anything in Mr Vissers email that would have upset Mr Perez? If so, what and why? (Refer to concepts from our course ) (6 points)

The intercultural communication issue(s) (total 15 points):

Identify the most critical issues in this intercultural communication event. (5 points) (Refer to concepts from our course)

Identify the cultural dimensions that impact the most critical issues in this communication. (Identify one taxonomy from Cpt 5, identify the cultural dimension(s) within that model)

What taxonomy are you using? (1 point)

Which dimensions of that taxonomy apply? (4 points)

Explain how those dimensions apply.(5 points) (be specific)

Going forward (total 10 points):

Which has more importance the lack of communication or the inappropriate way of communication? Explain why? (5 points)

What do you recommend Visser to do now? (5 points)

can you answer it serial wise please