HR-Related Issues in Cultural Diversity: A Case Study of Crockett & Jones Company

This report discusses the HR-related issues faced by Crockett & Jones Company in cultural diversity and provides recommendations for expanding business operations in new locations.

BUS3011HR-RELATED
ISSUES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY........................................................................................................................................3
Cultural diversity scenario.................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................8
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is defined as managing the human resources associated
with the organisation. This report is based on the case study of the Crockett & Jones
Company in respect to its human resource management related practices. The organisation
has been engaged under shoes manufacturing based in the Northampton. Company is
planning to switch under the new market as a part of it company is planning to launch its set
up in China, Vietnam or Ethiopia to address better growth opportunities in new location.
Henceforth, report will emphasis over different issues company is facing against the shift at
the new location. This would address different cultural barriers that organisation needed to
involve. Furthermore, this project would highlight all different factors that create a barrier
over the operations of organisation in regards to the culture of organisation. Necessary
recommendations would also provide in this project to deal with all different challenges
associated with the barrier of cultural diversity in order to expand the business operations of
company at new location.
MAIN BODY
Cultural diversity scenario
Hofstede Cultural Dimension
Hofstede cultural dimension is a key model used to channelize the cultural diversity at
the organisation level. This model has been a wide used tool to deal with different culture at
the organisation level. This cultural diversity model involve different aspects related to
cultural diversity at the organisation that denoted as the power distance, individualism,
masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation and indulgence related aspects. All
these factors and tools denoted about different elements related to the cultural diversity at the
organisation level. All these models and techniques are a part of the cultural diversity aspects.
In order to entertain growth especially for the organization like Crockett & Jones Company
that are looking to expand business operations in new country and market this model is a
wide used tool to deliver the cultural diversity aspects of the organisation. This model of
cultural diversity cover all different areas related to the culture in order to entertain better and
more effective growth opportunities in favour of the organisation.
Power distance

Power distance is among the key tool related to the cultural diversity at the
organisation level. This aspect of the company denotes that power in the company must be
segregated in the equal manner. All power associated with the organisation must be
distributed in such way that all employees of the Crockett & Jones Company get to deliver
some kind of right in respect to the practices and operations of the organisation. Power
distance factor part of the cultural diversity aspect guide the organisation to deliver the best
possible situation where the organisation get to deliver the best level of power segregation at
the organisation. Every employee part of the company must hold some kind of power on the
basis of the associated designation post at the organisation. Based on the position in company
this is a key factor that supports the organisation to deliver the power at the operational level.
On the basis of the culture of the company in this tool management and senior authority
assess the level of power an individual deserve at the organisation level. High power at the
organization denoted about the discrimination at the work place and low power indicate about
the deficiencies of the employee in achieving the power at the organisation level (Wang and
et.al., 2016). Crockett & Jones Company is planning to expand the business operations at the
new location which allow the organisation to segregate power in all the employees part of the
company based on the designated position role at the organisation. Employee of company
must not feel discrimination as a result of the organisation approaches. Lower power distance
at the organisation indicates about the nature of management towards the fat feature of the
organisation to make decisions in the company. This indicates about the decentralised process
to make decisions and to take responsibility related to the operations in the company.
Crockett & Jones Company is planning to expand the business in new locations like
China, Vietnam and Ethiopia to address better growth opportunities in the market. All these
aspects of the organisation indicate in respect to the various aspects of the organisation
related to the power segregation at the organisation level. Management at the Crockett &
Jones Company give huge emphasis over segregation of the power at the organisation level.
This is a key aspect part of the organisation that reflect toward the strong decision making
ability of the organisation and the effective leadership ability of the organisation to establish
the favourable culture at the organisation level (Block and Walter, 2017). It is crucial for the
organisation to achieve the best level of power index that can guide the organisation to
deliver the best level of power in favour of the employee’s part of the company. Based on the
need and requirement associated with the designated position of the company all powers will
be allocated to the human resources part of the organisation. Power concept has been always

a key approach that organisation is addressing in against to the functional activity of the
company.
Individualism
Individualism is a core concept part of the cultural diversity. This concept of the
Hofstede cultural diversity model indicates towards the individual objectives of the employee
in organisation. This cultural aspect indicates towards the fulfilment of the individual
objective at the organisation level. In this cultural factor individual image of the employee
play the key role at the organisation level. Every employee contains its own image in the
organisation based on the efficiencies and proficiency of the employee at the organisation
level (Vrânceanu and Iorgulescu, 2016). This cultural aspect indicates about the aspect that
management addresses evey employee in company on the basis of the individual work
efficiency of the employee in organisation. In case of business expansion practices of the
company individualism is among the key factor that influence significantly at the
organisation to achieve the objectives of the organisation. Crockett & Jones Company is
planning to expand at new location which required organisation to transfer employees of
company at such locations.
On the basis of the work efficiency of employee and capability of the human resource
to meet the objectives of organisation only the employee that are efficiency will be
transferred at such locations. Individualism is a concept of Hofstede cultural diversity model
indicates that company must assess the individual capability of the organisation to achieve
the objectives of the organisation. As the busies expansion is a strong decision which
management take that project that company required strong and efficient employees at the
different designated position role at the organisation. This concept of culture indicates that
company should identify the individual potential of the employee to transfer at new locations
and offer higher position in the organisation. Management at the Crockett & Jones Company
already channelizes performance management operation to assess and evaluate about the
work efficiency of employee at the individual level. This concept has supported the
management of company to monitor the individual performance of every employee in order
to transfer the employees at such position in the organisation (Szymura-Tyc and Kucia,
2016). This concept has also driven the management of the Crockett & Jones Company to
motivate the individual employee in company to go at new locations by projecting better and
more advanced growth opportunities at the organisation level. In case of the transfer of

employee at the international location company address the strong disagreement from the
employee especially in case the organisation is shifting the business set up at new locations.
This directly impact over the mental level of the employee. This concept motivates the
employee in such a situation to go at the new location and address all different designated
level challenges at the new place. This concept of the culture is a key tool that supports the
company to convince the employee to take transfer at new location in order to entertain better
and more effective growth opportunities at the organisation level.
Masculinity
In context to the business expansion practice of the organisation masculinity is
another key concept that associated with the organisation to entertain in respect to the cultural
factor at the organisation. This involves attitude of the society and people at the location
towards the sexuality, couture, religion and various other elements of the society. Masculinity
is directly associated with different gender, assertive, concentrated over material achievement
and various other factors that influence the employee decision making in respect to getting
transfer at the new location. In majority of cases male employee of company do not report the
issue in getting the transfer at the international location in order to address better growth
opportunities for the individual employee in company. In case of female employee in
majority of the cases they report the issue in taking transfer at the international location
(SABRI, HAKIM and ZAILA, 2020). This concept of culture denotes that management must
project all the key points related to the career growth in process to get the international
transfer of business. Masculinity is always a key aspect related to the decision making in
respect to the employee in case the company is allowing them to visit the international
business locations. Management can refer all the key tool like the perks and advantages along
with positional growth in case of international transfer of employees at the vocational like
China, Vietnam, and Ethiopia to expand the growth potential of the employee.
Uncertainty avoidance
In case of international transfer uncertainty of the employee mindset is another key
aspect that impact over the decision making of the employee in shifting at the international
place. The decision related to go to the international location makes various uncertain aspect
of employee mindset that influences the decision of the human resources part of the
company. This involve various uncertain elements like is it the culture of the new location
and place would be favourable in context to the employee own cultural background, the

uncertainty inn relation to the nature and attitude of the local people at the new location,
acceptance of the people in respect to the employee and various other uncertain factor that
influence the employee decision making in accepting the transfer at such locations (Diaz and
et.al., 2016). Employee also looks uncertain in respect to having the fear of loneliness and the
far related to the society at the new location. Employee also feels uncertain about the criminal
activity at the new location. All these factors are uncertain which influence directly the
decision making of the employee in respect to accepting the international position of the
company. Human resource department at the Crockett & Jones Company can give proper
training to the employee related to the language of the local native, the briefing in respect to
the local people at the location, cultural overview of the new locations and various other
aspects to solve the various concerns of the employee. Company can also allocate the stay at
the new location so that employee can adjust at the new place in a very short span of time.
Long term orientation
Long term orientation is another key aspect that has been one of the key aspects of the
Hofstede cultural diversity model. Management and human resource department of the
Crockett & Jones Company can approach to the employee in respect to the long term growth
of the employee at the individual. International designated position will also allocate the
international level of exposure to the employee along with the designation promotion of
employee. All this is a key factor related to the cultural diversity aspect of the organisation.
Indulgence
Basically, when a business expands its business operations in the other countries, then
local cultural circumstances always affects to that business, in which it is very important task
to the management of Crockett & Jones for conducting a small study about the cultures of
Ethiopia as well as other selected countries. After knowing about the culture of local people
in Ethiopia, this shoe manufacturing venture will be able to develop its products and services
according to the actual needs of people in different selected new market places. Many times,
cultural study helps organisations for gaining huge competitive advantage as well, in which
this is very important task to the management of business for focusing on the study, because
this step will enable company for develop its shoe products accordingly (Diez, Bussin and
Lee, 2019). However, each person within the market place like to consume such products and
services which has very excellent quality, in which when expands its business operations,
then it will need to offer an excellent quality in products and services as well, because this is

very important in order to put a very positive impression on the people or customers of
Ethiopia, China and Vietnam. On the other side, Ethiopia and rest countries has the
developing economies, in which most people here like to buy quality products with
something lower or cheap price, in which upper management of have to use competitive-
based pricing strategy for attracting many new customers in own initial stage within these
countries or market places.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
On the basis of above finings, it can be concluded that upper management of a
business has always required to make a very specific as well as productive plan before
expanding is business operations in the selected market place. Currently most businesses try
to highly expand their business ventures in across the world, but they are not succeeding,
because they don’t have a specific plan in order to expand their ventures internationally.
There are top-level management at Crockett & Jones also need to formulate a very productive
business expansion plan in order expand their shoes products and services in the selected
countries, called; Chine, Ethiopia, Vietnam etc. Basically, when this shoe manufacturing
company of the Northampton expand own venture in these countries, then there will many
external and internal factors of these countries affect Crockett & Jones in both ways,
positively and negatively, so upper management of business have to be ready for
systematically dealing with impacts of different factors in these new market places.
It can be recommended that, upper management of business have to adopt and uses
tools like PESTEL and SWOT before expanding own ventures in these nations, because tools
will be able to for identifying key factors which can be affect its business operations after the
business expansion (Angrave and et.al., 2016). It can be also recommended that cultural
study of these country or market places is also very necessary task to the management of
business I order to gain better outcomes in these places.

REFERENCES
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