China

SUMMARY:

China is a very popular country lately, as it has become a superpower due to its mass production. This country is leading production thanks to its huge population which is stimated around 1.300 billion; the most populated in the globe. Besides this, China is also the fourth biggest country,and the fourteen boders with other countries benefits it for international trade. Altough this is abig country, its most important cities are: Shanghai, Hong Kong and Pekin. This superpower has also enjoyed of benefits while sighning significant treaties to its internationalized economy, for example the one with the United States as most favored nation, which lets products in as if they were american.

In terms of management style, China always tends to the directive, subordiantes wont question superiors because it would be disrespectfull. The manager is the top figure and loyalty and obidience is expected, but he should also worry about his workers; it would be a two way benefit relation. In order to do business with the Chinesse you should follow an specific sequence of steps. First, preparation because most of the times the person with more tittles is not the one who negotiates, also take with you plenty of business cards. Second, use an interpreter and remember to be patient. And last but not least, we have gifts, giving corporate gifts is a tradition for this culture, make sure they are not in terms of money.

To contrarest this style I will compare it with the management style of Bangladesh, in this country they have a conservative style. They are respectful and like doing business with familiar people, their system adopts a hierarchy type. Bangladeshis have a low risk profile, and take desicions based in concrete information. Based on this, negotiations with this culture are slow because they need to build trusty relationships. They ask for flexibility in prices and terms but so can the other part do the same.

To conclude, we can see how these two countries can have simmilarities and differences in negotiation terms. The good thing about both is that they provide a cheap hand labor and mass production. one thing would be easy negotiation with the chinesse and the other part would be having good quality products with the bangladeshis, specially in clothes they have an expansive line of experience. After analysing each style of management a company can decide which country can serve better their requirements.

Watch this related video on chinesse management style:

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl1ZF6GrrC8

QUESTIONS:

1) Discuss the relevance of Guanxi and the existence of chinesse business networks as supporting factors to the internationalization process of chinesse companies.

A Guanxi relation is important because for international matters this is the ideal relation. Guanxi is a friendly relation, where there exists trust, cooperation and harmony. In order to achieve this state people should be loyal and responsible, to build a good ¨face¨. For chinesse this term is very important because it reveals the honor of the person wich is a essential aspect in negotiations. If you wanna keep the business negotiations with the chinesse you should also maintain the good relationship, wich is a primary requirement for them.

Guanxi relations part from two terms: the vertical and the horizontal.

Vertical Guanxi is to form good relations between managers and employees. This should cover the proper functioning of their oragnizations in the inside part. The other type of relation is the horizontal, which is business outside the organization but also in negotiating terms. Are ment to build good relations with partnership and trust.

In other words this type of relation seems essential when we speack in negotiation themes, but ofcourse these vary depending on the country you are dealing with. Its important to mention this because not all cultures have the process of close relations within its international business partners. And when you are dealing with close cultures which have no interest in a different relation than the one of business, the Guanxi relation will be harder, or in the worst conditions fail. But on the other hand, if you are the interested person in getting business with the chinesse it would be foolish not to have in consideration the Guanxi relation. Its clear that to be able to have successful negotiations with them you need to build relations based on the Guanxi tradition.

REFERENCES:
Photo taken from:

• http://guanxithegame.bureauvenhuizen.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/guanxi_game1.jpg
• my class presentation and investigation.
• http://http//es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rep%C3%BAblica_Popular_China
• http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Chinese-Management-Style.html
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Chinese-Management-Style&id=367602
• http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural/management/bangladesh.html

East Asia

SUMMARY:

For this topic we will take into account Japan and Korea, just two of the countries that belong to East Asia. Some of the similar aspects that these two countries share are: geography, religion( buddhism, confucianism, taoism, shinto), cultural beliefs and behaviors and have been victims from invasions. As a mayor topic I will introduce the management styles for each country. Showing simmilaryties and differences, which can be lead to convergence and divergence, two new topics that can simplify my explanation. Convergence shows how systems tend to assimilate as countries develope. While divergence shows exactly the opposite, systems will tend to differentiate due to national culture.

JAPAN:

• they use agressive pricing. (economies of scale)



• have close relation with suppliers. (cooperation)



• value their employees. (loyalty)



• connect product desighn with production.



• maximize value.

KOREA:

• big influence from Japan.



• individualistic. (flexible)



• authoritarian with employees.



• take own decisions, workers dont participate.

Convergence Aspects:

• in cultural terms.



• influence from Japanese management.



• business environment.

Divergence Aspects:

• importance to workers.



• flexibility from Koreans.



• japanese colectivism versus Koreas hierarchy.

Every country is in search of the most appropiate management style for their models, culture is a big influence when defining the process. Eventough flexibility, and acceptance for diversity are necessary as globalization spreads. An inevitable conclusion would be that both countries are facing a very competitive scene and as their cultures and styles can be alike, they need to work in differentiation to be able to step hard into business. Anyway the biggest challenge is confronting globalization in a competitive market, where they count with some advantages and disadvantages in a specific management style.

QUESTION:

1) In the case of Korean and Japanese management styles, do you think they tend to converge or diverge? are they likely to converge to each other or to another management style?

In my opinion both countries tend to converge between them because of their similar bases. We need to part from the history of the Korean management style, and this started as a influence ofrom the Japanese management style. Altough it has had modifications we need to take into consideration that both have passed trough similar changes. The two countries are preparing for a competitive globalized world where in spite of their cultural simmilarities and ptimization, their challenge is gain differentiation in the hole world in order to achieve high standards of competition. On the other hand, each of them could work in a similar way , because one management style can lead you to new forces and ideas that have not been inplemented in the market share. Even if the tendency shows that there is a higher probability of convergence among them, there is a last but not least point that influences the advantage for Japan. the advantage is in terms of time, because as you all know Japan has had a well stablished economy and a more ancient one. So in terms of time and experience which is unvaluable, Japan could have a slight preference over Korea, altough Koreas growth has been amazing, and a big influence in this period was Samsung. A huge company which has a special development in the electronic field. This company is defined as a ¨chaebol¨ in management terms, which works as a group of companies that manages almost everything in the country. And with this we go bak to convergence because the ¨chaebol model was taken originally from the Japanese system.

RFERENCES:

Photo taken from:

• http://gabuchan.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/japan-vs-korea-nike-ad.jpg
• Lee, Hangho, Thomas W. Roehl,& Soonkyoo Choe. 2000.What makes management style similar and distinct across borders? Growth, Experience and culture in Korean and Japanese firms. Journal of international business studies.

EXPATRIATE ASSIGNMENT AND OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE

SUMMARY:

In first place an expatriate assignment is about a person who works in a company and is asked to go fill a task in another country. This assignments are for a particular period of time, several basis are taken into account in the moment of choosing the right person. For example, men are considered more appropiate in this cases because women are always more related to a family and children, and this means more complications. Even tough families have moved to a different country as a result of an expatriate assignment is better for a company to find an adequate person but with less responsabilities because this ones are reflected to them in terms of higher costs. Companies should always consider costs because a mistake could represent loosing money, and now thanks to technology, traveling is not necessary in some cases. Net working is possible, and is so much easier because costs are reduced significantly and many objectives can be fullfilled.

In contrast to this an overseas experience doesnt have to do with work matters, its a personal decision that is taken by the person that will travel. The trip will be made to travel and develop freely in an international environment. This will be specially made as a personal growth experience, where the person can mix with other cultures and be in a constant learning process. The most frequent overseas experience is seen in students, young people who are preparing for a competitive and unlimited world that has no frontiers. This way students can apply for a work that helps them maintain their lifestyle, like traveling or just studying the home country language. An overseas experience can be so fulfilling that you dont only learn about a culture or a new language but you also learn life experiences, which can be very valuable; almost priceless.

Here is an interesting video for you to have a better perspective of the subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVqCbJEoON4

QUESTIONS:

1) Explain one of the causes for expatriate assignment failure and provide 3 recommendations to adress it:

One of the most important issues in an expatriate assignment is the family subject. Family can be a very critical point when a person, specially when is the head of the family is leaving to a different country. Altough the task is defined, that is not for good, its hard to leave behind such a huge responsability. In other cases where the person has the choice to leave with his family, other problems seem to arouse. For example all situations vary depending if there are children or not, because if there are no children things can be a little more practical. But in the case where child exist, comes a big numbre of necessities. Starting by, a school, an appropiate house (size), etc. As you can see costs in each implementation can vary and not in low terms. Other cases where there could exist issues are in the decision of the person as an individual, this means if the person has ever considered leaving the country or if he or she wishes to do it. This is not an easy task to perform because its not easy for everyone to leave their home and country even for a determined period of time.

It is very important for companies to make sure that any expatriate experience results in a positive way, for this they need to make sure to eliminate as much negative aspects as possible. Here are listed some recommendations:

1) give the family the opportunity of traveling with their family or better try searching a person who fullfills the requirements who has less responsabilities.

2) settle the person as a hole, by helping them to solve incomformities and negotiate determined aspects.

3) investigating first, in order to discover which are the persons interested for the experience and who adjust to the needed characteristics. Personalities are very important to take into consideration depending on the profile the organization is looking for.

REFERENCES:

Photo taken from:

• Inkson, Kerr et al.1999. Expatriate assighnments and overseas experience-contrasting models of international human resource development. Journal of world business.

Migrant Workers

SUMMARY:

Migrant workers are all those persons who work outside thier country of origin, in other words are the people who leave their country in search of a better future for them and their families. Some leave becuse they want to go in search of better opportunities, in a more developed country than their nation, but others leave because they have no other choice, due to violence or poverty. Normally migrant workers come from low countries and go in search of developed countries where they offer more security in terms of political backup in all basic human rights. In most cases migrant workers are unvalued and are exploited, because when they transfer to a different country, in most cases they are low class persons with few resources to lean to. For this reason a work permission is necessary in order to have the same working rights as other citizens. If not, migrants will have to accept works which are for people without a university tittle, even if they have one they wont be able to aim a good paying work in any place.

On the other hand we can see these migrant workers as contributors of cultural exchange.Because as they migrate to other nations they come along with all their traditions and beliefs, this is when we can get subculture in nations or mixed cultures. In a negative aspect migrant workers can also seem like a threat to the country they are moving to. In first instance, if they are high qualifyed, they can take jobs away from the non migrants, leaving the country with less opportunities of well paid salaries for them. And if they are not qualifyed or with experience, it would affect directly the domestic economy, so either ways this transaction would end with positive and negative results but anyway well developed countries dont want foreighns to keep the work from the nationals.

For you to understan the real issues of migrant workers here is a linked vieo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z5FpfiP6K8

QUESTIONS:

1) Do you think the point system in Canada is meant to protect the countrys sovereignity? Or is it just a deliberated form of discrimination? Why?

In my opinion Canada is not a discriminating nation, the truth is that every country should protect its own sovereignity. Canada cant afford letting every single person enter their country in search of work. They are choosing the people who best suits the profile for jobs in their country to reach a high level in economy and competition. I dont see the point system as a form of discrimination I see it as a proper way of selection to know what is best for all the people who live there. If it wasent for this measure any person could go in and out how they please, and this would cause internal problems sooner or later. Another thing to have into account is that migrant workers are a big part of a countrys population, because migrants are not only those of low resources and undeveloped countries, they are also students or people who travel constantly and looks for a working temporary contract. Anyway, there selection point is not so strict because sometimes people are able to enter eventough they dont achieve the expected standards. A country has to regulate and control, to prevent in the futur bigger complications. Discrimination has always been a very polemic theme, and it should because the truth is we are all equal, but in reality there will always exist discimination in a higher or lower proportion.

For the point system you need at least 67 points and it works with six categories which are:

1. 
   
   Education: (max 25 points) completed education.


2. 
   
   Languages: (max 24 points) english and french are the two official languages of this country.


3. 
   
   Work experience: (max 21points) it is requiered at least one year of experience.


4. 
   
   Age: (max 10 points) between the 21-49 years old you get the maximum of points.


5. 
   
   Arranged employment in Canada:(max 10 points) points will be given if you have a job at Canada with a valid work permission.


6. 
   
   Adaptability: (max 10 points) this factor gives you points when seeing the adaptability of getting settled in Canada.

REFERENCES:

Photo taken from:

• 
  

Managing Diversity

SUMMARY:

In the actuality diversity has been a very common tool used in organizations, thanks to the big information it gathers and how it goes beyond the limits. Diversity can share different types of information depending from the person its coming. Every single person has a own universe, everyone sees things in a different way. This is the special element that makes new ideas and brings research and discoverys throught times. Changes have always been brought by curiosities, or by things that should get better, because if incomformity didnt exist we wouldnt have so much technology and comfort.

Diversity within an organization can lead to new discoveries in all areas, like production for the creation of new products, marketing like getting the right message to the objective public and saving teamwork between workers. Considering as the principal objective of these means the optimal results in each of these areas.

Working with diversity skills can make working hours easier and easy to enjoy, because diversity is lead to change and this way monotony is vanished and along comes the every day learning. The good thing about diversity is that it helps you keep your mind open and aware of important aspects that you could miss when you are a close minded person. In many ocasions it has happened that the person that you expected the least had the right answer to an specific problem. This is why in an organization you should NEVER pass over a different opinion independent from the person who is giving it.

In general terms diversity has become in a necessity for all organizations due to the huge help that has been driven from it. This will continue to operate in our changing organizations, and there would still be the need for this management style in order to get in touch as much as possible with the different types of consumers.

QUESTION:

1) Is diversity management at IBM a source of competitive advantage? Why?

Yes, its a source of competitive advantage because it became a strategy in terms of human resources. As the same way that they gave more opportunities in jobs, in the same measure where they improving as an organization because as people see the good treatment and care for employees in a better concept will the company be for them. Sometimes the answer to complicated questions and organizational problems is so simple that is hard to find. The majority of times employees are not well treated or not valued enough and by small changes in their manging style they made a positive reward.

2) Do you think the IBM case reflects a strong organizational commitment to diversity? Why?

I think that meanwhile results where coming out in a satisfactory way the commitment grew. They noticed the importance of giving the workers the role they deserved, while happy costumers started to believe in the organization. This way they were able to reach another type of market, and as human resources was not a very reviewed subject it was even a more competited task because they gained time and consumers. This was how by assuming the necessary commitment for the diversity theme goals where adquired.

3) What are the limitations or challenges that a corporate diversity program faces?

Some aspects could be assimilating similar persons to others, like stereotyping. This is a really unjust thing to do because sometimes the real version is not how the stereotype is revealed or there could be millions of differences for example in terms of a culture. People share similar behaviors but they are not the same. Another could be making group division, this is not the objective of the group, bacause the more cooperation and loyalty there is the more positive results will it have.

REFERENCES:

Photo taken from:

• http://http://www.mscco.net/images/Coachi1.gif
• Thomas , David.,2004¨Diversity as strategy¨, Harvard Business review.
• class presentation.

Exploring diversity

SUMMARY:

Diversity is the way of understanding the importance of tolerance to what is different. It means that there are persons who differ from us in gender, age, physical appearance, knowledge, social class, etc. This way its easier to understand that we are all different but that there should not exist any discrimination pattern, on the contrary there should be tolerance and acceptance. The thruth is, that working together we can learn more from others and at the same time as we create bonds and relations we create a deeper experience of having an open mind. As frontiers vanish and all citizens from the world come closer, we create ideas of multiculturalism. In the present is easy to see a person that has a mixed culture with a thousand of different possibilities.

On the other hand, globalization constantly helps this phenomenom, because with the exchange of merchandise and knowledges contries have adquiered the facility of working with different cultures.

Diversity can be a usefull tool for any kind of company, and bring as much advantages as you can imagine. For example, diversity can be used in the inner part of a company like managing employees and the values such as respect within them. Having settled the importance of acceptance between work bodies gives the security of less problems in a management style. The other part of the advantages shows the outer part, this concerns the clients, suppliers, etc, as this is the other part of the company its appropiate functioning is defining. This is where there should be an emphasis in service to clients, personalized, depending on the costumer; at this point is where diversity plays an important role because as good as sales persons get in touch with the client as good as sales can get to be. Thanks to diversity there are all types of tasks for every personality, diversity is the special part of our personality that takes us to be different from others, and by this perspective is how we get to be unique.

QUESTION:

1) Do you think the entry and integration of new members to the European Union are processes that promote diversity, or on the contrary they strive to homogenize the European society?

I think that the European Union promotes diversity because they always stand up for the cultural differences of each country, there are laws that respect the diversity between members. Besides,accepting new members is already an act to promote it. They also have laws agaisnt discrimination, there is the strong belief that any employer should respect the culture of the person he hires. With this law what the E.U. wants to achieve is complete freedom of expresion and respect over values. In fact, diversity helps more than discrimination would, because when people think different is because they see things in a different way, and this is what brings changes. Different opinions can make much more than routines. Being a member of the European Union has many benefits, but overall the most important advantage is the diversity they manage between them, because thanks to this is why they can get stronger and facilitate trouble. A day has been prepared to celebrate diversity in four member states, their major objective is to have a day full of interaction and learn how to be responsible for your own behaviour towards discrimination. The biggest objective of this campaign is to create a sense of social responsability in order to make bonds between cultures stronger and to end with all bad behaviors that can indispose any person from a different culture.

REFERENCES:

Photo taken from:

http://http//www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/about/diversity/diversity.gif

• Toggenburg, Gabriel.N.2005¨Who is managing ethnic and cultural diversity in european Condominium?The moments of entry, integration and preservation¨.
• class presentation.

National and organizational culture

SUMMARY:
Both themes national and organizational cultures part from the definition where a group of people share the same values and beliefs,and where they behave in a particular way. These differ in: national culture is in geographic terms and organizational culture has to do with all topics within a company. In terms of a nation, aspects of culture could be food,costumes, religion, etc, by which people who belong to it share equally. But when we talk about culture in an organization we also talk about the same type of identity, the difference is that the value of their beliefs doesnt rely in the ones mentioned above, but in working skills, organizational values, appropiate behavior with suppliers and clients, etc. Its important to clarify that each of these cultures has to be well structured to be able to form capacitated and moral persons in order to get the optimal results in each group of culture. There have been interpreters in this theme of culture division but the most popular one is Geert Hofstede, in this subject he made the most complete amalisys and in my opinion i like very much his explanation bacause this way when doing a research, cultures can be well defined. Geert Hofstedes investigation about the division of cultures seems pretty deep because it takes in account all aspects, including work, psicology, skills and social behavior. In this research he included aspects as: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, collectivism and individualism. This general points help make a clear division in each culture.

An interesting video for you to watch about this theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92lg7EvwKBE

QUESTIONS:
1)ESSAY:
Organizational culture and corporate culture are not the same, but in order to have a well defined company and workers, corporate culture should be implied. I found a really good definition for corporate culture which is:
¨the total sum of the values, customs, traditions and meanings that a make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called ¨the character of an organization¨ since it embodies the vision of the companys founders. The values of a corporate culture influence the ethical standards within a corporation, as well as managerial behavior. ¨
This definition has to do more with the ethical and moral part of culture, because by these means a company can gain differentiation. It has to do very much with the inner part of the company, like employees. For a company to be succesful it is not enough to earn huge amounts of money or being highly recognized, thinking about employees and taking care of their needs says a lot about a good company and its name. This is where moral and ethic take place, because you cant abuse of the people who work in a company, because sooner or later they will get tired or bored of rules that can be changed in order to get more flexibility. And by this flexibility i mean that change CAN occur, because now everything evolves and there is not one society where change is not needed, change is always necessary in order to be better. The size of the company matters, because in a bigger company more changes would be needed, but size is not the only thing that matters, because the real thing is changing patterns. For example in a fusion with two big companies it could be even harder, because there has to be an equivalent level for each company to resign. Mixing different ways of management can be a leading path to discomformities, but at the end it can even take the company to a higher level because as it is well known...two heads think better than one.

REFERENCES:
Photo taken from:
http://edea360.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/organizational_culture2.jpg

• Millman,Gregory. The end of corporate culture? More myth than reality.
• class presentation.
  
  

ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

SUMMARY:

Ethnographic research is a way of doing investigation within cultures, at the begining it can seem as a simple way of gathering information but this way you are able to discover the amazing frontiers that separate us from the other cultures. This type of research splits in two different ways of doing it, one is a direct way which is when you get to know a culture by living in it and experimenting their traditions. The other way is indirect because you just investigate but without mixing with their environment. This research has to do very much with the social part of human beings, because in order to get to know a culture you have to feel what they feel and get in touch as much as you can with the other. Each culture is a different world, and for these reason we should get in touch because now aour world is every time smaller; less frontiers. Due to globalization and international trade people from across the world are able to do business. Another important factor is tecnology, for example internet is a huge help in these terms because is a way to gather general information in a few minutes and a fast medium to send and receive messages without any cost. For instance, when you find the need of investigating about a new culture the first tool you think of is internet, right? But here you can only collect general information, when you need specific data, like precise working skills, or personalities in order to get a new product in their market you should travel and live the hole experience. Ethnographic research gives you the needed material to understands how certain culture behaves and reacts toward changes. I hope you can understand the importance of this concept because it can be very useful in different aspects of life, not only in cultures but it can also be applied in all types of relations, between these, relations in oprganizations. This particular element gives you the facility of understandig others and it results to be a great help in terms of business.

QUESTIONS:
1)Find and explain in your blog 2 examples of how ethnographic research can be used for international business.

Ethnographic research can be very useful to communicate with others. It is well known that in every negotiation relation between both parts is one of the most important needs. Relations are marked by communication and a good way of having an optimal communication with others is by knowing them. In order to know someone its crucial to know their culture, where they come from because only this way you can be in touch with your business partner. This way you can know what they expect from you and what they would like and value from you. For International Business ethnographic research can make a difference, because its well known that you will make good contacts if you are a easy going person wich is open to new things, like lerning and changing. International Business is a path where you need to have an open mind and be flexible to changes; accomodating to new traditions and ways of business can lead you to success. For example in Colombia we love ¨bandeja paisa¨ but we cant take this type of food to a market like the japanese, because their way of eating is completely different. This traditional colombian food is too heavy to their stomachs because they eat very healthy and slim food. Our food has a lot of fat due to its high cholesterol contents and various types of meat, while they eat vegetables, rice and fish. Or to get a better picture imagine giving this ¨bandeja paisa¨ rich in different meats like ¨chicharron, chorizo, carne¨ to a vegetarian this could be the worst insult! this is how in simple things we need to be informed to avoid an embarrasment.

As a second example, i can mention a well known company as Coca-cola, for example in several classes in the university merketing teachers talk of how they make different formulas depending of the part of the world. What I mean, is that sometimes depending of the climate they can put more or less calories in the beverage. Another case could be Mexico, as everybody knows this country is known for liking hot species and sausages. For this reason they put hot sauce in the popcorn, something that can seem so unusual to us can be so normal to mexican culture. Food is an important subject in the business world, for instance look at Macdonalds, Coca-cola, and Taco bell between others, these are huge companies and for them is important doing a previus investigation before investing in an unknown territory.

The following video will support the information given:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fM_CJ5vDK4

REFERENCES:

• Image taken from:
  http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/05/ethnography/source/1.htm
• Genzuk Michael. A sinthesis of ethnographic research
• power point class presentation.