University CCM Project: HydroGeneration Case Study in Tanzania

This assignment analyzes a case study involving HydroGeneration (HG), a UK-based company undertaking a dam construction project in Tanzania. The case focuses on the performance of Brett Jones, an employee demonstrating strong performance but facing cross-cultural issues. Jones's excessive integration with Tanzanian culture, overlooking HG's organizational culture and Christian values, raises concerns for vice president Graham Steinberg. The assignment explores the impact of Jones's hiring practices, which rely on word of mouth and may lead to lack of motivation among other employees, and communication failures with the vice president. The assignment also includes a reflection on group work, highlighting communication challenges and the application of Tuckman's team-building theory. The student, acting as team lead, implemented strategies like a buddy system to address these issues. Recommendations include promoting equality, ensuring transparency in hiring, fostering open communication, and leveraging Jones's specialist skills. The analysis incorporates Belbin Team Roles to evaluate Jones's role and suggests cross-cultural training and social gatherings to overcome cultural biases. The assignment provides insights into conflict resolution strategies, including competing, accommodating, avoiding, compromising, and collaborating, with a focus on achieving mutual understanding and professional conduct within the team.

Running head: CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Cross Cultural Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Podcast Script
The given case study talks about the different cross cultural issues taking place in the
company named HydroGeneration (HG), that is based in U.K. It is evident from the case
study that Jones, is an efficient employee in the company and has been actually showing a
considerable effort and good performance. It is because of this reason that the company has
been able to perform well on its current project of the dam construction that is taking place in
Tanzania. However it is seen that Jones is very well in handling the local people and can also
converse them well. However as per the opinion of GrahamSteinberg,vice president, there are
some very severe issues that are being seen in this organization. He has noticed that there are
some issues like excessive involvement with the local culture (Koley and Rao 2018). This is
one of the major faults that are seen within Jones. This is because of the fact that Jones is
avoiding the Christian values and culture and trying to promote only the Tanzanian ways of
business etiquette in the organization. The motivation theory must be used so that Jnes is
actually able to motivate all the employees, including himself to get id of the cultural biases
and embrace the cultural differences.
Therefore the organizational culture is getting affected. It is also evident from the
ways in which Jones is hiring the local episode. In order to carry on with the dam building
project, the company needs a good strength and also the knowledge and expertise of local
people to ensure that the work is a carried on smoothly. However Jones is using word of
mouth for hiring. This might make the other employees suffer from lack of motivation as they
will feel that there is nepotism going on around in the organization. Communication is the
key issues identified as Jones is not communicating his ideas and opinions with the VC or
other officials and vice versa.

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Reflection group
In order to work on this assignment, I had to work in a group and also make sure that the
work is going on smoothly. This is because of the fact that communication was a key issue in
my group. I was working as the team in charge and had to make sure that all the members are
being able to understand the work that is being assigned to them. I realized that the group
objectives and the decisions are not being communicated among all the members. This was
because some team members were new and they had no idea or no previous experience about
doing any group project. They were very shy and were not being able to reach out any one for
help. This was actually hampering the fast movement of the overall project work.
Reflection
I was working in a group in order to complete this project. However later on, I realized that
there were several good and also bad things that went on in my group. We were mainly
working on a case study that daft with the issues CCM or cross cultural management.
However it must also be mentioned in the similar context that in order to gain a successful
group project it is really essential to get a very good response from all team members. There
was a difference of opinion among my team mates, when I suggested the idea that we must
all undergo effective communication training. This was because communication was one of
major issues in my group. I realized that the team members were suffering from hesitation
and there were severe errors in the proper circulation of the messages or the team decisions at
the right moment.
I was of the opinion that in order to solve this group assignment all the team members must
try to understand the case study and also relate with them. As it has been seen that cross
cultural management and communication was the major issue in the given case study, I

4CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
wanted my team members to make sure that they are able to solve their own issues by taking
some valuable lesson from it. However I saw that there were conflicts among my team
members because they were fighting with each other rather than understanding about their
true strength.
Tuckmans’s theory of team building has been very useful.
1. Forming
I realized that I have to change this ongoing situation. In order to solve this issue, I had to
bring some changes. I thought of creating a buddy system (Montaruli 2017). There will 6
pairs and each pair will have one fresher along with one experienced member to help them. I
realized that the team bonding was missing. Team members were unclear with the goals and
objectives. It is because of this reason that I explained the buddy system to them all.
2. Storming
In the storming section, I saw that team members were now trying to understand about the
different goals and objectives that would make the team work a major success. However
there were still some uncertainties existing in the team.

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3. Norming
In this stage my team mates tried to develop a rational understanding and mindset. They were
now trying to focus on the differences that are actually present among them and also they
developed an effective communication system. There were some issues but they were gradual
being addressed as well. Effective communication was developed and all the team members
were trying to reach put to each other and also solving each other’s issue.
4. Performing
In this stage Jibes will be able to understand that he has to act in a very professional way and
have to make sure that he is not hurting the emotions of his managers or the other employees
of the organization.
Competing
This is the step where the involved parties do not like to compromise with any one and keep
on following their own set of arguments. The team members did also not like to understand
the views of each other.
Accommodating
This option involves a totally a unassertive and co-operative approach. This is when one
involved part gives in to the decisions of the others without raising their voice. However this
is not a good enough option in this case. In this stage I realized that the team member
were trying to adjust themselves so that they can at least work out some kinds of ideas in
order to solve the personal disputes ad behave in a well accepted and proper professional
manner

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Avoiding
This is an unassertive and unco-operative approach where the individuals usually try to avoid
the entire arguments that are going on. They usually like to avoid the situation fearing a
threatening situation.
Compromising
This is the stage which turns out to be beneficial. This is because both the parties make some
sacrifice (Wallace and Becker 2018). This shows that each party will be able to get some
kinds of benefit. This will be best suited option for the case study. I saw that the busy system
was now working properly as the experienced members and the new joiners were trying to
compromise on some grounds and also come to a certain mutual understanding.
Collaborating
This is the option where both the parties will be putting a joint mutual and collaborative
effort. This can take place only when there is a kind of mutual respect and understanding
among the parties. I realized that this method has turned out to be the best for my team. All
the team members were cooperating with one another and were also trying to make sure that
they can reach the company goals and objectives. This was the best suitable method as the
team work was now taking place at a proper place and also I could reduce the overall disputes
that were earlier taking place in the organization.

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Part 3 recommendation
 It is recommended that HR officials of the company must focus on equality and develop a
rational approach. Jones will have to ensure that he is using the same criteria to select the
employees, whether from the local Tanzanian place or from any other places. This will help in
protecting the reputation of the company and the employees will now that here is a
transparency among the company executives.
 In future all team members are able to get rid of their differences and reach out for the support
at the right time. This can be developed if the employees are getting a proper motivation. This
will be done if he is able to give some rewards to all the employees
 Feedbacks system must be developed so that the leaders are able to get the idea about the
issues that are actually being faced by the employees. His will help the employees know that
they are being valued in the organization and the managers are actually interested in knowing
about them and in understanding their queries.
As per the Belbin Team roles, I feel that Jones is a specialist. This is because he
shows a specific set of skill and knowledge. He has a very well versed understanding about
local culture and is good in communicating with the local Tanzanian people. Therefore he
must use this skill for the overall understanding of the business etiquettes of Tanzania. As he
is well versed with the culture of that place, he must use it as his resource for the overall
development of the organization but he must not make himself selectively social.
In other words he is trying to stay away from the Christian or the western managers
as he avoids staying in the houses allotted for them. This is not the right approach. He must
start staying with all the other managers or the executives. This will be helping him to
maintain a good term both with his colleagues and also he can maintain his relation with the
local people of Tanzania.

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However their strength is that they are very independent type of employees and do not
enjoy the interference of others. They want to work with the specialist knowledge that they
have. However Jones must get rid of this and try to work with an unbiased kind of mindset
that will be fair and justified for all.
Jones does not like the involvement of others and this is also becoming one of the
negative traits of his character. As the HR he must make sure that he is initiating a
participative approach where he is able to take the opinion and the ideas of all his team
members, his colleagues and also of all his seniors. This will be helping him to understand
that a collective and joint collaborative approach is needed for overall welfare of the HG
Company. This can be done by setting some cross cultural training session and also some
social gatherings along with interacting sessions so that all the employees are able to get rid
of their cultural biases.

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References
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Lynch, D.S., Lynch, M.J. and Clemens, C.M., 2018. Belbin Team Roles. The Handbook of
Communication Training: A Best Practices Framework for Assessing and Developing
Competence.
Montaruli, S., 2017. The relevance of Hegel’s Phenomenology in conflict resolution theory.
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