International Management Report: IBM's Cultural Management Strategies

This report provides an in-depth analysis of IBM's international management practices, focusing on the impact of cultural differences between its headquarters in New York and its regional offices in Berlin, Argentina, and Tokyo. The report uses Hofstede's cultural dimensions model to assess factors like power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long-term orientation across these locations. It examines how these cultural differences affect the organizational culture and proposes strategies for effective management. The analysis highlights the importance of understanding cultural nuances to facilitate communication, employee relations, and overall business performance. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for firms to consider cultural factors to enhance their international business operations, improve customer satisfaction, and achieve long-term success. The study underlines the impact of cultural differences on IBM's operations and suggests ways to improve overall performance through cultural understanding and management.

International Management
part 1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
a) How the corporate organisational culture from head office might be affected when
encountering the regional cultures..............................................................................................1
b) Role of culture in international business including knowledge..............................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The management of the international business is the major factor that is taken in the
consideration by an enterprise in much effective and significant manner. This will help the firm
to enhance the quality of their products and services that are been offered by the organisation.
These measures are required to be taken in effective consideration in order to carry out group
dynamic operations. This will involve the proper management of the business operations and
activities in much effective way. For the present report, IBM is chosen. It is a New york based
financial service provider. The report will cover the effective placing of headquarter while
operating on the regional level. The resource distribution is been discussed. Besides this, the
effect of regional cultural issue on corporate culture is been taken in consideration.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
a) How the corporate organisational culture from head office might be affected when
encountering the regional cultures
In an organisation the proper management of the organisation at the head office will be
quite different from that of in the regional offices this will help the organisation to enhance the
quality of products and services this will support the proper placing of the business operations
and activities that will support the effective placing of the business operations in much suitable
manner. IBM will look after the proper placing of the operations and thus will also look after the
effective placing of business operations and action plans.
For the effective assessment of the business operations and action plans, the Hofsted
cultural management is been taken in insight that will support the proper management of the
business activities and other operations that are been taken within the organisation. It includes
various factors like Power distance, Individualism, Uncertainty avoidance and Masculinity. This
helps an organisation to have a good and effective idea about the operations.
The difference between Headquarter in USA and other regional location on the basis of Hofsted
Cultural management model is as follows
New York V/s Berlin V/s Argentina V/s Tokyo
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Factor New York Berlin Argentina Tokyo
Power distance As the individuals
at this place tends
to influence the
ideas and
behaviour of
other the rate of
Power distance in
New york is 40.
As the people are
highly
decentralised and
supported by
middle class it
has the low power
distance count of
35.
It has a score of
49 which shows
that there is a
power difference
that impacts the
work operations
of selected firm.
With score of 54,
this helps the fir
to enhance their
performance with
the following ofa
hierarchical
structure in much
suitable and
effective manner.
Individualism New york or USA
is most
individualised
nation with a
count of 91 due to
easy accessibility
of seniors and
other people.
The rating of
Berlin is 67 as the
people focuses
more on small
families and
loyalty is based
on sense of duty
towards others.
Score of 46
indicates that it
lies in almost
middle. There is a
division between
personal and
professional life
with relation
being very
calculative.
Alike Argentina,
employees in
Tokyo will look
after the proper
placing of the
loyal employees
within the
organisation.
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Masculinity It is a term used
to denote the
extent of
competition. The
low count of 62
shows that
peoples are more
concerning about
quality of life by
an employee.
With the score of
66, Germany is
considered as
most masculine
society that has a
good range of
competition. The
employees tries to
have a self esteem
from their work.
It has the lowest
count of 56 which
shows that the
society is
dominated by
values and
employees tends
to satisfy their
ego needs.
With the highest
score of 95, the
employees in the
regional branch of
Tokyo are the
most competitive
and based on the
orientation of the
team.
Uncertainty
Avoidance
The proper
management of
the operations
will support the
proper
management of
the employee's
behaviour and
thus have a low
score of 46.
One of the most
avoidant country
with the score f
65, employees are
largely
responsible for
their decision
making.
A score of 86,
this will help in
the proper
management of
the corruption and
thus demoralise
the employees.
Due to the regular
natural calamities,
the employee's of
Tokyo regional
office are always
prepared to the
uncertain
conditions at the
workplace.
Long term
orientation
With the score of
26, the employee
base of the New
york has oner of
the least long
term orientation
with the firm. If
the firm fails to
comply their
needs, the work
On the other
hand, the score of
Long term
orientation in
Berlin is about 83
which showcase
that the employee
force is loyal
towards the firm
and work for its
It has the least
count of 20 for
the long term
orientation with
the firm.
They have the
highest log term
orientation count
of 88 which
indicates that the
employees at
Tokyo office are
the most loyal.
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force prefer to
move on to other
firm.
development.
Indulgence It is a practice of
having the good
interpersonal
communication.
The score of 68
showcases that
employee's at
New york are
well connected
and indulged in
each other.
On the other
hand, employees
at Berlin have the
least indulgence
count with the
score of 40. it
indicates that
people are
reluctant to
interact and are
self centred.
It is one of the
few nations with
high rate of
indulgence with
the score of 62.
this indicates that
the employees
have a good
interaction with
each other.
The employees in
japan has the
indulgence score
of 42 which
showcase that
people are self
centred and work
oriented and
prefer not to hve
much of leisure
time.
Thus, it has the more acceptance towards the allocation of power among followers and
leaders. It involves the powerful communication to carry out the operations in much effective
way. This is the approach of the self actualisation and realisation that will help the fir to enhance
the quality of operations that will support the proper management of business activities. The
major reason of the focus of the operations of the organisation will help the firm to enhance the
quality of operations and action plans in much suitable manner. The proper management of the
cultural understanding will help the firm to improve the overall operations and action plans. It
helps the firm to carry out the operations and thus will support a proper management of the
interaction between headquarter and the other regional offices. This will help the organisation to
enhance the quality of operations that are been followed by the firm. This will facilitate a good
growth of interpersonal relationship between the work force of various offices.
b) Conclusion on role of culture in international business including knowledge
The firm has to see through the proper placing of the cultural operations and actions in
order to get the positive support related to operations and action plan in much effective manner.
As the work culture within the IBM's Headquarter in New York will be different from that in
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Berlin, Argentina and Tokyo. This can be critically concluded that this measure is required to be
taken in the consideration in order to have a good control over the operations and thus facilitates
a good rise in business operations in much effective way (H. Akbar and Vujić, 2014). The proper
placing of the business operations and activities that will help the organisation to carry out the
operations that will support the proper growth and development and thus, will impact the overall
growth and development of the organisation. This will also impact the overall growth of the
organisation and thus will support the firm to have a good growth and management of the
business operations and activities in much effective way. However, the various regional cultural
issues will be taken in the consideration by the organisation as it impacts the firm to carry out
business activities and operations in much effective and significant way (Rhodes and et.al.,
2017). On the basis of the above assessment, this can be concluded that the proper management
of the relationship between the employees of headquarter and the regional firm is very important
for the performance of the firm.
On the basis of the Hofsted Cultural assessment that is discussed above, this can be
concluded that the proper management of business operations and action plans that will support
the suitable growth of the firm. The lack of indulgence and long term orientation is one of the
major factor within the firm that is required to be taken in the consideration by the firm. This will
support a good and effective rise in the business operations and activities and develop a good
communication channel between headquarter and the regional offices. Besides this the proper
management of the masculinity or competition is also required to be managed by selected
organisation in order to carry out the proper rise of communication, development of the
interpersonal interaction and meeting of the objective goals and operations in much effective and
suitable manner (Geppert, Matten and Williams, 2016).
As per the Hofsted culture analysis, this can be critically summarised that it is one of the
biggest factor that is required to be taken in the consideration by the selected firm that will
impact the overall performance and operations of the organisation. It helps the firm to carry out
the business operations and action plans in much suitable manner. This will help the firm to have
a good rise in the operations and thus it will support the proper management of the conduction of
an international business. It will also facilitate the organisation to meet out the customer
requirements and thus will support the proper management of business activities. That will
support the good rise in the customer satisfaction level that will support the proper adoption of
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traits and qualities which will support an effective growth of the operations that are been taken
within the organisation (Deresky and Christopher, 2015). This will also help the firm to enhance
the quality of operations and thus will support the firm to enhance the quality of business actions
or operations. The proper management of the uncertainty and power management is also required
to be taken in consideration that will support the proper management of business action plans
and activities that will support the proper management of the needs and demands of the
organisation in much effective and significant manner. The selected enterprise will critically look
after the proper management of the business activities and thus will support a good rise in the
carrying out of operations in much effective manner. As the cultural difference is the major
factor of operations, it will impact the overall performance of the organisation (Deresky, 2017).
Thus, in this case, the firm is required to carry out effective operations and thus will support the
proper placing of business activities and operations. Hence, although the organisational culture
of the operation is required to be taken in consideration by the firm. Thus, this will be required to
be taken in the consideration. This will also impact the firm to enhance the quality of operations
and thus, will cause the organisation top enhance the quality of services that are been offered by
the firm. The selected nations will look after the proper management of the business operations
and thus will support a good placing of its business operations in much effective manner.
CONCLUSION
Based on the interpretation and assessment that is been carried out above, this can be said
that the proper management of operations will support the growth and development of the
organisation and thus, the management of the cultural factors is very important for the firm. The
assessment of these factors like Masculinity, long term orientation, individualism, power
distance, uncertainty avoidance and indulgence will help the fir to enhance the quality of
operations in much suitable manner. This will also support the effective placing of the operations
and thus will support the effective placing of the business activities and operations. Other than
this, it will help in creating a good and effective bonding of headquarter employees with the
working staff of regional offices. This measure will help in improving the overall performance
and thus will support the suitable placing of the business operations in much effective way.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cuervo-Cazurra, A. and Ramamurti, R. eds., 2014. Understanding multinationals from emerging
markets. Cambridge University Press.
Deresky, H. and Christopher, E., 2015. International management: Managing cultural diversity.
Pearson Higher Education AU.
Deresky, H., 2017. International management: Managing across borders and cultures. Pearson
Education India.
Döhner, H. and et.al., 2017. Diagnosis and management of AML in adults: 2017 ELN
recommendations from an international expert panel. Blood. 129(4). pp.424-447.
Geppert, M., Matten, D. and Williams, K. eds., 2016. Challenges for European management in a
global context: Experiences from Britain and Germany. Springer.
H. Akbar, Y. and Vujić, V., 2014. Explaining corruption: The role of national culture and its
implications for international management. Cross Cultural Management. 21(2). pp.191-
218.
Khan, A.A. And et.al., 2015. Diagnosis and management of osteonecrosis of the jaw: a
systematic review and international consensus. Journal of Bone and Mineral
Research. 30(1). pp.3-23.
Rhodes, A. and et.al., 2017. Surviving sepsis campaign: international guidelines for management
of sepsis and septic shock: 2016. Intensive care medicine. 43(3). pp.304-377.
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