Cross Cultural Management

This article discusses Trompenaar's Onion Model of Culture, Cultural Intelligence, and Wesfarmers' Corporate Values. It also explains how population demographics can assist international managers in decision making. The article includes a personal reflection on cultural intelligence and how to make oneself indispensable at work.

Running head: CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Cross Cultural Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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1. Explain what Trompenaar means with the “Onion model” of the seven dimensions
of culture.
Answer- According to Trompenaar, culture refers to the series of methods and rules which a
society has evolved in order to deal with the ongoing and repeatedly occurring problem that it
faces (Trompenaar and Greene 2016). The outer layer of the Onion Model contains the basic
assumptions. As per Trompenaar, these assumption lay the most emphasis on the basic needs,
i.e. the surviving. Every society has its own way of dealing with environment and they
successfully face day to day issues. These are those basic assumptions that influence the
norms and the values as well as reflect the top layers. Overall, Onion model depicts how the
culture has different layers.
2. Apply this model to your own culture
Answer- The Onion model of culture depicts how a culture has so many layers. There are
many interpretations of the onion model but it is to note that the simplest Onion model
comprise of four main layers. The outer most layers shows the symbols and cultural aspects
like the flags, the traditional clothing or the architecture (Young and Rudin-Brown 2017).
The Australian flag is dark blue in colour and has a British Union Jack in the top left corner
of it and there is a seven-pointed stars too, that represents the Southern Cross constellation.
Furthermore, Australian people could be signified by very expensive clothing, homes and
motor vehicles. Most of the Australian wear casual wears only. However, it is to note that
because of the mild weather present in Australia, the Australian people tend to wear light
colour clothing (Bouvier 2018). Australia has a long list of world famous architecture. Some
of the most significant among them include the Victorian era buildings, the Sydney Opera
House, the Royal Exhibition Building, Hyde Park Barracks, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Central
Adelaide Mosque, Nan Tien Temple, Great Synagogue etc. The heroes of the country make

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up the very next layer to it. The Australian heroes such as Charles Summer, Henry Lawson
and Daniel Henry could fall under this category. This layer represents many of the beliefs and
values of a particular culture. The next layer is comprised of the common traditions and
values. The main values of Australia include equality of men and women, equality under the
law, equality of opportunity, fair play, ethnic and religion background, equality of
opportunities and mutual respect among each other (Terjesen, Aguilera and Lorenz 2015).
Australian people celebrate most of the holidays similar to the Western world like that of
Christmas and Easter. It could include how the people of the country greet one another, how
they eat their meals and the marriage and other related practices in their religion.
Furthermore, in the centre of the onion model lies the cultural assumptions and the values that
impact all the other layers of the model. Such norms, attitudes and beliefs are harder to
recognise without any further deeper analysis or thorough understanding of every layers of
the model and how they interact with each other.
3. How can statistics and other data on population demographics, such as the ABS
Population clock, CIA World Fact book and others, assist International managers in
their decision making?
Answer- Statistics and other data on population demographics, such as the ABS Population
clock, CIA World Fact book and others helps the international managers in their decision
making (Goodman and Douglas 2017). The statistics provide these managers with much
confidence in order to deal with the uncertainties. Data on the other hand, enables the
managers to make smarter decision more quickly as well as to provide much more stable
leadership to the staffs depending on them. All these data along with the CIA World Fact
book, statistics ABS population and the others could help the managers in gaining reasonably
cost effective and accurate snapshot of the business market. Hence, in this way, the decision
making process of the international managers becomes easier and effective.

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4. Question 4: Describe Cultural intelligence according to theory.
Answer- the conceptualisation of the cultural intelligence which guides the scale
development effort has described that here is the outcome of a decade long program of the
research which began with the articulation of the things that are included and the things that
are not in the process of construction, the process by which the facets are developed among
the individuals, the manner in which the underlying facets combine in order to form the
higher level construct of the cultural intelligence and lastly, the way by means of which these
construct impacts the intercultural effectiveness. It is to note that this theory of cultural
intelligence forms the case of measures that are been presented here. According to Ang and
Van Dyne (2015), cultural intelligence is the potential or the capability of a person to interact
or communicate in effective manner across all the cultural contexts along with culturally
diverse people. Furthermore, it is also to mention that it is theorised to comprise of three
different facets and they are of cross cultural skills, cultural knowledge and the cultural
metacognitions which reflect the high level of latent factors.
5. Question 5: Describe Cultural intelligence in your own words and reflect on your
own cultural intelligence.
Answer- Cultural intelligence refers to the ability of an individual to function in effective
manner in a multi-cultural or culturally diverse environment (Henderson, Stackman and
Lindekilde 2018). In other words, it can be said as the capabilities of a person to work and
related effectively across different cultures. Respecting people belonging from the cultures
different from me is one of my significant cultural intelligence to note in this context. With
the same, I also behave in culturally sensitive manner and at the same time, I get engaged in
courageous conversation with different people on the subject of privilege and racism.

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Furthermore, I would also like to state that I embrace and accept the discomfort that comes
along with the learning.
6. List 6 corporate values of Wesfarmers as mentioned by the Chairman in the video.
Answer-The six corporate values of Wesfarmers as mentioned by the Chairman in the video
are:
a) They expect the employees to operate honestly and ethically in transparent and
open manner
b) They expect their employees to observe and follow all the laws and regulations
(Islam, Jain and Haque 2016)
c) They want their employees to make customers and their needs, their primary focus
d) They want their employees to treat the suppliers with respect
e) In order to ensure that their employees are looked after, the company have a very
fulfilling and safe environment for their working
f) They expect their businesses to make solid and significant contribution to
societies in which they work and live.
7. Reflect on how you could make yourself indispensable at work.
Answer- In order to make myself indispensable at work, I would develop expertise in a task
that is critical. For example, I would make my expertise in fluency in one of the foreign
language and along with that I would work towards gaining knowledge about one of the
computer software that is used by the company in which I shall be working in my future.
With the same, I shall also be mentoring and supporting my colleagues and would impart my
expertise and knowledge to the employees who would be newbie in the organisation. Also, I
shall be encouraging them to improve their skills in the work place. Furthermore, I shall also

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be offering successful solution to the problems of my peers. This is because, I believe that the
employee who offer effective solutions are regarded as the individuals who have the interests
of the company at the heart.

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References:
Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L., 2015. Conceptualization of cultural intelligence: Definition,
distinctiveness, and nomological network. In Handbook of cultural intelligence (pp. 21-33).
Bouvier, G., 2018. Clothing and meaning making: a multimodal approach to women’s
abayas. Visual Communication, 17(2), pp.187-207.
Goodman, R. and Douglas, K., 2017. Dealing with Conflict in Local Planning: Reflections
from Australian Planners. Planning Practice & Research, 32(4), pp.345-360.
Henderson, L.S., Stackman, R.W. and Lindekilde, R., 2018. Why cultural intelligence matters
on global project teams. International Journal of Project Management, 36(7), pp.954-967.
Islam, M.A., Jain, A. and Haque, S., 2016. A preliminary analysis of Australian
Government’s Indigenous reform agenda ‘Closing the Gap’and corporate accountability.
In Key Initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility (pp. 341-354). Springer, Cham.
Terjesen, S., Aguilera, R.V. and Lorenz, R., 2015. Legislating a woman’s seat on the board:
Institutional factors driving gender quotas for boards of directors. Journal of Business
Ethics, 128(2), pp.233-251.
Trompenaars, F. and Greene, R.J., 2016. Cultures that Fit a Globalized Context.
In Rewarding Performance Globally (pp. 45-54).
Young, K.L. and Rudin-Brown, C.M., 2017. Designing Automotive Technology for Cross-
Cultural Acceptance. Driver Acceptance of New Technology: Theory, Measurement and
Optimisation, p.317.