Choose a city in one of the following countries: Taiwan, Spain, Uruguay, Australia, or Turkey. Research the culture of the chosen city and write a one- to two-page essay to describe what you need to know about three cultural differences that would help you open a subsidiary, hire staff, and manage it for your corporation successfully in that country.
Your essay should be properly formatted to include a title page, running head, page numbers, and reference list. The paper should follow APA guidelines for all resources for in-text citations, paraphrasing, and references. Remember to use the CSU Online Library to assist you in the research for this assignment.
unitx BBA 2551, Intercultural Management 1 Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 2. Compare universal cultural variables that affect job behaviors. 2.1 Discuss how culture affects all aspects of interactions globally. 4. Examine the influence of culture on strategic choice. 4.1 Explain how a working cultural profile typical of people within a certain society will help managers plan and schedule work effectively. Reading Assignment Chapter 3: Understanding the Role of Culture Unit Lesson Because of the rapid changes in technology and in economic situations, businesses have set up headquarters or subsidiaries in many countries worldwide. You may never visit another country, but it is highly likely that you will interact with people from other cultures in your career. If you are a manager, you will meet business leaders from other cultures whether you are working at the company’s headquarters or are sent to manage at an overseas headquarters or subsidiary office. You will have to learn about the culture or cultures with which you have to interact. According to a PBS report, more than 20 large American companies have their headquarters outside the U.S. to avoid higher corporate taxes (Brown, 2014). This process is commonly known as tax inversion. This happens when the American company buys or merges with a company in another country and becomes a foreign corporation, no longer subject to American corporate taxes. Moving to another country requires you to have a working knowledge of the culture there. Deresky (2014) states “the culture of a society comprises the shared values, understandings, assumptions, and goals that are learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of a society, and passed on to succeeding generations” (p. 74). Culture is also universally regarded as shared norms of communication within groups of people. There are multiple cultures on every continent. People share certain values and beliefs that are normal to that particular group and use particular ways of expressing themselves and of reacting to circumstances. Culture plays an important part in any organization. The fundamental beliefs that people hold will determine how people behave at work. When people from different cultures interact, it is important to understand that cultural differences will determine how verbal communication and nonverbal communication are interpreted. Cultural differences include how we view time, how we feel about change, our attitude toward material factors, and our beliefs in individualism and collectivism. Managers who have prepared for their transition “to a foreign subsidiary must expect to find large and small differences” in the workforce (Deresky, 2015, p. 74). Religion and other sociocultural variables are some of the factors that will determine business and social norms in the manager’s new environment. If the manager is in a country that has strong religious ties, he or she must not schedule work on holy days. While other cultures, people may work on a holy day and be paid extra money, in some cultures work is not permitted. For example, in some Muslim cultures, Friday is set aside as a day of prayer. UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Understanding the Role of Culture BBA 2551, Intercultural Management 2 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title One thing that managers must avoid is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism occurs when we believe that our culture is superior to others and things can only be successful if they are done our way. When managers set up systems in other countries, they must create environments in which all employees feel comfortable. Stereotyping must be avoided; managers must not assume that the values held in the community will be the same as those held in the culture from which he or she came. Managers must also avoid judging people as different. He or she can overcome those mistakes by building and maintaining healthy relationships. Building relationships at work allows managers to view their ideas from differing perspectives. Listening to others and incorporating their ideas into his or her planning might be the best way to resolve any problems, while at the same time building morale within the organization. Business etiquette is one way that people show their understanding of relationship building. For example, in some countries, people may arrive at meetings a few minutes late and that is acceptable. In other countries, timeliness is extremely important. A manager from the United States holding a meeting in Brazil expects everyone to show up on time, but that may not occur if the meeting is held in Rio de Janeiro. Another example is that in the United States, it is expected that there will be no interruptions while someone is speaking. In other countries, the speaker might be interrupted at any time (Deresky, 2014). Accepting these cultural norms when residing in another country lets others know that you understand and respect their culture. One of the functions of being a manager is to ensure the well-being of employees and the health of the organization. Managers have to consider their interactions with their staff and ensure that their communication, verbal and non-verbal, will not be misinterpreted because of cultural differences. In fact, a manager who does not understand that people may misinterpret his or her communication because of cultural differences may not succeed in doing business globally. A system of rules, usually referred to as a code of conduct, signals the culture that defines the organization. In some countries, as a manager formulates that code of conduct, different perspectives on work, such as how people view employment, promotions, and reward must be taken into account (Deresky, 2014, p. 76). The manager is expected to uphold those rules for everyone, including himself or herself. Showing that he or she is culturally sensitive can help the manager to run a successful business. Our values derive mostly the concepts of good or bad, right or wrong, just or unjust, fair or unfair. Deresky (2015) used the term dimensions to explain how these variables affect managers in the business world, especially with regard to the cultural boundaries of politics and economics. If one does business in a country where people place community before the individual, the American manager must carefully consider all options as he or she plans for the organization and schedules work. Communicating with corporate stakeholders is an essential part of a manager’s job. When managers have to communicate across cultures, they must learn about the cultures they will encounter. They must understand the impact of their interactions and how culture will influence their management styles. As Deresky (2014) points out “Effective intercultural communication largely determines the success of international transactions or the output of a culturally diverse workforce” (p. 138). References Brown, J. (2014) American companies change address to avoid corporate taxes. [Television series episode]. PBS Newshour. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/american-companies-change- address-avoid-corporate-taxes/. Deresky, H. (2014). International management: Managing across borders and cultures (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Suggested Reading The article below is suggested reading that can provide further information on intercultural communication. The article can be located through the Business Source Complete database in the CSU Online Library. How culture affects communication preferences. (2001). Harvard Management Communication Letter, 4(1), 12.