Unit 5 Management and Cultural Diversity

Body Language  In your country or culture, is it considered acceptable to:  Gesticulate (make hand and arm movements) while you talk?  Move very close to someone as you talk to them?  Touch someone on the arm as you speak to them?

 Blow your nose in public?  Look at someone in the eye for a long time while talking to them?  Look at someone in the eyes for a long time while they are talking to you?  Laugh loudly at work, and in meetings?

Corporate Culture  In your company, is it acceptable to:  Show that you are emotionally involved in your work?  Make eye contact with hierarchical superiors?  Wear fairly casual clothes to work?  Make jokes in meetings?  Disagree with superiors in meetings?

 Occasionally arrive late for work or meetings?  Socialize with superiors and/or subordinates?

What nationality could the managers below typically be? 1.I want to get this contract signed fast and get the plane home. 2. If I go on selling like this, I’ll earn more than the boss! I can’t let that happen! 3. What an awful idea—reporting to two different bosses!

 4. There’s no hurry! Tonight, you can come and eat at my house, and tomorrow we’ll play golf!  5. He looks much too young to be doing a major deal like this!

Warm-up Questions  Have you got any experience of working in a multinational company?  What’s the difference between working in local and in foreign-founded enterprises?  There is the culture conflicts between Eastern and Western countries. Could you give some examples?

2 different cultures  Individualists (Universalists): North Atlantic cultures, including North America and Northwest Europe, such as Canada, the USA, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, etc.  Collectivists (Particularists): Latin and Asian cultures, including South America, Southern Europe, such as Japan, Chili, Greek, Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, etc..

Types of cultureNorth Atlantic cultureLatin and Asian culture countriesNorth America and Northwest Europe, such as Canada, the USA, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, etc. Latin and Asian cultures, including South America, Southern Europe, such as Japan, Chili, Greek, Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, etc.. Names Individualists （个人主义者） / Universalists （普遍论者） Collectivists （集体主义者） /Particularists( 具体论者 ) Status acquired bygood work performanceWorking experience AgeyoungOld but with a long working experience CharacteristicsYoung, inexperienced, dynamic, aggressive, well-educated (with MBA) Seniority, experienced Matrix Managementsuitableunsuitable Ways of doing businessFair to everyoneFriends first Pay-for-performancepopularunpopular Management based onAnalysis, rationality, logic and systemsPersonal relations, intuition, emotion and sensitivity

Questions  Which culture do you think is the best?  How glocalization (=globalization +localization) can be achieved?  If you were a manager in the MNCs (multi- national companies), how would you manage the company ?