Reference no: EM132523973 , Length: word count:2200

7928IBA Cross-Cultural Management - Griffith University

GOAL OF YOUR CASE ANALYSIS

It must be addressed in your business report, outlining your analysis of identified management issues interpreted by means of cultural dimensions/orientations;

a country or culture comparison is not sufficient, nor is discussion about cultural dimensions.

Based on your analysis, propose suitable culture-specific methods to implement Trendsetter Company's core competencies and company values in their new factory. Use your cultural management analysis to determine how these competencies, values and principles can be put into practice by means of suitable management mechanisms, such as organisational structure and/or systems, team design and/or management practices, that instill the desired problem solving, decision making or motivation. From these, focus in your analysis on 2-3 most critical management issues of your choice (determined as priority in your management analysis) and recommend other issues for future research in the scope section. Justify by means of your cultural analysis why the recommended methods would work in the local situation. Assume that local employees will be managed by supervisors from Trendsetter Company headquarters in the initial phase.

CASE STUDY: Trendsetter Company

Trendsetter Company is a well-known European car manufacturer that is making a number of efforts to embrace cross-cultural management. Its efforts have resulted from its multinational operations. This company has currently several production and assembly plants in Europe, Asia and South America. Trendsetter Company has managed to carve out a profitable niche market for itself in the luxury segment of the car-manufacturing industry through technological innovation. Through its Research and Development efforts, it has always tried hard to be at the cutting edge. It is the only car manufacturer that concentrates entirely on premium standards and outstanding quality for all its brands. It was the first company to unveil a prototype version of a car with a hydrogen-powered engine. This is not surprising since the prestige of this company relies on the engine-making ability of its brilliant engineers and continuous innovation of all employees, which requires cross- departmental collaboration and active information sharing. Staff in all plants are expected to proactively monitor quality with the aim of further improvement, and to generate innovative ideas for production, assembly and new product development.

The company has to manage an additional challenge to its success in the market. This challenge is to evolve and apply a company strategy and values that facilitate its advancement as a global corporation. This strategy influences the company's structure and it plays a vital role in the decision-making and problem-solving processes. The company ethos finds its expression in the uncompromising pursuit of luxury brands with an unmistakable profile. To achieve its goal, the company knows how to deploy its strengths with an efficiency that is unmatched in the international automotive industry. From research and development to sales and marketing, Trendsetter Company is committed to the very highest in quality for all its products and a high level of customer service.

The main goal of this global strategy, which Trendsetter Company calls 'glocalisation', is to find the right combination of global networking and local policy. Glocalisation revolves around a set of key company values that are followed in principle by all parts of the organisation, although implementation of the values is modified in each plant to suit local preferences. This allows management teams in individual countries to select organisational structure and/or systems and management practices, such as problem solving, decision making and motivational tools, that are suitable for the local culture but promote the same company values. The objective is to ensure that Trendsetter Company can think and act globally but also work within the framework of different cultures. This is achieved by adhering to the company philosophy and values while putting them into practice in a culturally acceptable manner.

As part of the Trendsetter Company expansion plan, it was decided to establish new operations (fully owned manufacturing plant) in YOUR ASSIGNED COUNTRY (CHILE)and design the appropriate organisational structure and systems as well as management practices. You were contracted as consultant to write a business report that would detail the conducted analysis and recommendations addressing the question stated on Page 1.

BUSINESS REPORT GUIDELINES

• Write the report as a consultant who is selling his/her services/expertise to a company involved in the case. You can write it in third person or in first person plural (as a representative of a consulting group).
• Make sure that your argument has a throughout logic and it flows. In other words:
o start with a clear scope (what is the case about, which issues are considered and why, which issues are outside the scope of this report, what is the intended outcome of your report)
o identify the problems/issues
o analyze them
o explain their causes through cultural differences (use Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck's model as required minimum - but only those orientations/dimensions that are applicable to your case; you can add supplementary applicable dimensions that are not available in K&S from other cultural models)
o from your explanation draw conclusions about possible solutions
o evaluate the identified solutions (consider alternatives)
o select the best solution(s) and justify why (using findings from your analysis, justified by the same cultural dimensions/orientations used in your analysis, you can add other dimensions/orientations to strengthen your justification)
o consider the feasibility/implications of their implementation (do you have resources, does it fit within the available time frame, etc.)
o apply your analysis to the company specifics (company's org. values, org. culture, strategy, etc.) - since the company name is fictitious, draw conclusions about these features from the case and state in your scope which additional assumptions you made

Attachment:- Cross-Cultural Management.rar