1. Trouble at Computex Corporation

2. Case study
Six sales representative of Computex Corporation in Sweden write a letter to the European Vice president.
They reported that there are serious problems among their sales group and their General Manager, Mr. Miller. If the problems remain unsolved, the majority group of salespeople have threatened to leave the company.

3. Cultural Dimension: Sweden vs. USA

4. Dimensions of Culture: Sweden vs. USA
High femininity (2)
Lower Individualism (45)
Hostede (82)
Lower Power Distance (12)
Moderate Achievement (79)
USA
Masculinity (74)
Individualism (77)
(100)
Higher Power Distance (30)
High Achievement (97)

5. Main problems: (American manager vs. Swedes employees)
Individualism/ Communitarianism Swede (45)
- Tendency to be Communitarianism (regard as part of a group).
- Group reference
- Shared responsibility
- Fitting in desirable
Individualist US (77)
- Individual achievement
-Personal responsibility, remuneration based on individual rewards and individual punishments
- Standing out as individual desirable

6. Femininity vs. Masculinity:
Tendency of masculinity of American Manager:
Leadership style more authoritarian, motivational assumptions tends to have emphasis on performance and growth, excelling to be best, work central to life, job recognition important, Decision making tends to be decisive.
Tendency of femininity of Swedish Manager:
Leadership styles tend to more participative, emphasis on quality of life, work not central to life, decision making to be intuitive, group based

7. Conclusion: Miller displays a lack of cultural sensitivity and savvy
There are strong differences in values
regarding power distance, individualism, and
masculine management style
A clash of "cultural maps" between the U.S.
and Sweden.

8. As the vice president of the company
What could you have done differently in order to avoid problems among manager and their employees?
Have Miller prepare a cultural profile of his host country
Provide Miller with cross-cultural training
Provide Miller’s employees with cross-cultural training,
Provide Swedish managers cross cultural training given the internationalization of their company