Reference no: EM133282879

The Case:  Details:
Janitorial service Windsor. Needs forty cleaners, ausually a few short. Many illegal immigrants. Immigrants paid 20 cents less. Cultures are different, some followed instructions and never questioned authority. Others felt no one should be in charge. Changing locations or routes weekly for variety, some were barely able to tolerate the change. Some workers were very clean. Hinton claims to be ethical. Uses his own garbage bags that are better for the environment. 10 cents for every bag to Friends of Windsor Landfills. Hinton garbage bag was developed thru a partnership with Southeastern University's Faculty of Engineering. Hinton provided a 50k research grant that was also matched by the provincial government. Many waste management companies are recently using these environmentally friendly garbage bags. The federal government that the bags could no longer be used because they refused to disclose its raw materials input list, arguing it was patented and private intellectual property. This was a problem because Robert had just taken delivery of 10 000 bags, enough for a year of operations. Robert went to the "spindoctor" Lewis, an experienced lobbyist and friend. He hired him for a couple of ments and instructed he decided to approach the bureaucrat who signed the letter. While Clem developed a strategy, Robert discovered a Facebook group started by a member of "Friends of Windsor's Landfills". The member said forcing Roberts company to stop using the branded garbage bags was the same as condoning environmental irresponsibility. The Facebook membership was approaching 5000. The issues was the minister or environment to reduce the use of carbon 29. The latter accelerated the decay of hydro-carbons and causes cancer for fish, in an early yet unproven laboratory research by the Taiwanese. Carbon-29 is present in the "Hinton" bags.

Moreover, from following the message trails it became apparent that what was driving this issue was a piece of federal government legislation, sponsored by the federal Minister of the Environment, to reduce the use of "Carbon Twenty Nine," a compound that accelerated decay of hydro-carbons that, although assisting in speeding up the decaying process of garbage and reducing the volume of garbage in landfills, had also been found to cause cancer in fish, in early but as yet unproven laboratory research conducted by the Taiwanese scientists. Carbon Twenty Nine was a key component in the "Hinton" garbage bags.

Robert Hinton owned and operated a janitorial cleaning service in Windsor and had a number of contracts to clean office buildings. At any point in time he needed forty cleaners, and he was usually a few short. Not only was he constantly recruiting, but he also frequently needed to employ illegal immigrants to get the work done. While he paid everyone what he thought was a fair wage, his "undocumented" employees were paid 20 percent less since, he reasoned, they were not paying taxes to the government.
His "staff" reflected an interesting cultural mix and included among the legal workers and the "undocumented" workers, people from China, Norway, and Mexico. He was always amazed how some
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cultures easily followed instructions and never questioned authority, while others seemed to feel that no one should be in charge because everyone was equal. As well, changing routes or building assignments weekly was intended to provide workers with a bit of variety, but some of these workers could barely tolerate these changes. Some of his workers were very patient and thorough in their work while for some others "reasonably clean" was "clean enough."
Hinton always considered himself as ethical and socially responsible who ran an ethical and socially responsible company. For Hinton, his corporation owed a duty to society as it was, in his view, a social institution with social responsibilities. He even used his own "company developed" garbage bags that were easier on the environment, and moreover, although they cost his clients a little more, for each garbage bag used, he contributed ten cents to "Friends of Windsor's Land-fills," a grassroots environmental organization. Dubbed the "Hinton Garbage Bag" these bags were developed through a partnership with Southeastern University's Faculty of Engineering for which Hinton provided a $50,000 research grant that the provincial government matched. Recently many waste-management companies were using these "environmentally friendly" garbage bags.
In early 2019, Robert received a letter from the federal government indicating that his branded garbage bags could no longer be used because the company producing the bags refused to disclose its raw materials' input list, arguing it was patented and private intellectual property. This was a huge problem for Robert because he had just taken delivery of 10,000 bags-enough inventory to hold him through this year of operations. Robert turned to Clem "The Spindoctor" Lewis, an old friend and an experienced lobbyist. Robert hired him, put him on the company payroll for a couple of months, and instructed him to do whatever he had to do-to which Clem decided, given the nature of the issues, to first approach "the idiot bureaucrat who signed the letter."
While Clem was developing his strategy, Robert was surfing the web one evening and discovered a Facebook group started by a member of Friends of Windsor's Landfills, expressing the opinion that forcing Robert's company to stop using the branded garbage bags was the very same as the government condoning "environmental irresponsibility." The Facebook membership was approaching 5,000!
Moreover, from following the message trails it became apparent that what was driving this issue was a piece of federal government legislation, sponsored by the federal Minister of the Environment, to reduce the use of "Carbon Twenty Nine," a compound that accelerated decay of hydro-carbons that, although assisting in speeding up the decaying process of garbage and reducing the volume of garbage in landfills, had also been found to cause cancer in fish, in early but as yet unproven laboratory research conducted by the Taiwanese scientists. Carbon Twenty Nine was a key component in the "Hinton" garbage bags.
Robert shook his head thoughtfully, amazed at how complicated things had become in running a simple "no-tech" building cleaning company!

Question: How might Hofestede's cultural dimensions for China, Norway and Mexico explain the differences noted by Robert in questioning authority, following instructions, thoroughness, and tolerance of change?