MAR015: Intercultural Management in Business - Case Study Analysis

This report presents an analysis of an intercultural management case study, focusing on the challenges faced by an American manager, Mark, in coordinating with Indian personnel. The report identifies Mark's shortcomings in understanding cultural differences and communication styles, specifically highlighting the mismatch in IQ levels and language barriers. It proposes solutions by emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances and communication preferences. The analysis incorporates intercultural theories, including Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions and Hall's Cultural Theory, to explain the differing behaviors of managers across cultures. The report advises Mark to adopt these frameworks to gain insights into both Indian and American cultures, fostering effective relationships and motivating Indian personnel. The conclusion stresses the importance of intercultural management in navigating diverse cultural contexts within global business settings.

Intercultural Management
in Business MAR015-2

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CASE STUDY 1..........................................................................................................................1
Where Mark went wrong?...........................................................................................................1
How to help Mark better understanding cross cultural problem?................................................1
Usage of Intercultural cultural theories for explanation of it and supporting discussion............2
Advice to Mark............................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural management is said to combination of skills, insights addition to skills that
are required to deal with differences within national together with regional cultures at several
management level at business (Holmes, 2018). Cross cultural management in business assists in
understanding human capital that belongs to different cultures. The report discusses application
of relevant theories and ideas for proposing solutions for demonstrating extent of intercultural
awareness within distinct business interactions.
MAIN BODY
CASE STUDY 1
Where Mark went wrong?
As per the case study, personnels belonging to different organisations in different nations
have different ways to perform work. In context to Mark, the America Manager went wrong
finding suitable ways with the help of which managers of Indian organisations manages
coordination and communicate with people for exchanging view points and ideas of all
personnels and accordingly persuade them for workings. In addition, Mark was unable to
properly understand ways to working of Indian human resources because of huge differences
among cross cultural working at India as well as America. The American manager was unable to
properly communicate with Indian personnel because of mismatch in IQ level addition to
language differences that resulted in issues of misunderstanding with the human capital.
How to help Mark better understanding cross cultural problem?
Mark could be helped through providing accurate insight related to differences in cultures
of various nations which will assist in understanding cross cultural problem in amended manner.
Mark by emphasising on adopting suitable approaches to know how personnels prefers
workings, sharing few words with them and understanding their viewpoints will help in
understanding the problem. By providing some insights to Mark related to differences in cultural
diversity and communication styles between Indian human resource and American human
resource will work for the manager to understand pertaining cross cultural issues.
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Usage of Intercultural cultural theories for explanation of it and supporting discussion.
Intercultural theories are mentioned to some disciplines that includes few aspects related
to culture addition to social groups (Ihtiyar, 2018). In other words, intercultural theories are
derived from various independent research lines which focuses on studying communication
across distinct social groups with cultures and the ways culture affects communication. As per
the case study, adoption of Hotstede Cultural Model and Hall's Cultural Theory would assist in
properly understanding behaviours of organisational managers behaviours across two different
cultural types.
Hostede Cultural Model.
The theory was propounded by Geert Hofstede that encompasses cultural dimensions
revolving around intercultural communication. The dimensions basically portrays cultural
impacts ingrained win society addition to values of society members (Kim, 2017). Various
elements are part of the theory that are elaborated below in relevance with distinct features
related to management behaviours within different cultures:
Power Distance Index: Within the dimension, extent at which acceptance of powers and
distribution of powers in equal or equal manner are explained. Considering American culture to
which Mark belongs, organisational managers have behaviour towards small power distance
wherein they adopts participative management style, flat organisational structure, less
supervisory staff and decentralised decision making responsibility. On other hand, in Indian
Culture, organisational managers prefers behaviour towards large power distance in which they
favours centralised authority, huge hierarchy levels. Huge supervisory staff and expectations of
inequality.
Uncertainty avoidance: It is concerned with the extent the organisational managers have
capability to cope with upcoming uncertainness through avoiding stress (). Within American
Culture, managers prefers adoption of low uncertainty avoidance with emphasis on building
personnels, maintaining harmony and welcoming unknown circumstances. In contrary,
organisational managers of Indian Culture have behaviour for high uncertainty index in which
they have limited tolerance for unknown deviants.
Collectivism and Individualism: Within the dimension, extent at which integration of
groups are emphasised. At American Culture, managers behaves to implement collectivism
element for placing consideration on wider collectivity of organisation objectives. On other hand,
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Indian cultural management behaviour emphasis on implication of individualism element to
achieve individual objectives first.
Masculinity and Femininity (MAS): Such dimension revolves around distribution of
emotional role among genders (Kiryakova-Dineva and Hadzhipetrova-Lachova, 2017). In
context to American Culture, major preference of management behaviours are on Low MAS is
favoured in which managers creates culture within which all people such as children, men and
women work with each other. In contrary, managers of Indian organisational culture have
behaviour for High MAS is favoured within which long hours are generally norms that makes
difficult for women to gain advancement as well as recognitions.
Short term as well as long term orientation: It majorly focuses on societal views
related top time horizon. In relevance with American Culture, organisational managers behaves
for application of long term orientation to attain growth and sustainability but within Indian
Culture, Managers have preferences for low term orientation to focus on stability achievement.
Restraint and Indulgence: The elements focuses on happiness. The American Culture in
which managers behaves to implement indulgence for delivering free gratitudes but on other
hand, management behaviours for restraint element which suppresses gratifications related to
individual needs.
Hall's cultural theory
The another cultural framework which was provided by Edward T. Hall. Within the
theory, various aspects are illustrated in regards to management behaviours of different cultures
that are discussed underneath:
Low context and high context: The element describes measures of the ways messages
are exchanged with workplace or culture (Tjosvold, 2017). In relevance with American Culture,
organisational managers behaves towards low context culture in which explicit messages are
provided in clear and simple manner and major emphasis on verbal communication. In contrary,
management of organisation within Indian Culture focuses on application of high cultural
context such as much of non-verbal communication, inward or reserved reactions and high
commitment to relationships.
Time: The element includes aspects of mono-chronic time as well as poly-chronic time.
Within American cultural context, managers behaves for mono-chronic time wherein they
performs one thing at one time, emphasis on job at hand and assumes careful scheduling with
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planning. In contrary, Indian culture, managers favours poly-chronic time in which people values
material things as well as over time.
According to above discussion of cultural theories, Mark must emphasis to opt both
frameworks so to gain insights related to both cultures that were Indian culture and American
culture for solving issues.
Few advices to Mark.
It has been advised to Mark to adopt both the theories for understanding ways of working
of Indian human capital and properly implement aspects to make effective relations in order to
persuade and motivate them for sharing ideas that will help in completing activities and
operations in innovative manner. Along with this, Mark is also advised to take help of Indian
Manager so to handle the personnels in effective manner.
CONCLUSION
The above report concludes that understanding all related aspects of intercultural
management are important for managers as to work across distinct cultures in different countries.
Managers goes wrong in understanding ways of workings of people in different culture. They are
helped throu8gh providing relevant concepts that assist in getting information due to which
issues of cross culture arises. Application of Hall's cultural theory as well as Hofstede's Theory
helps in understanding distinctive features related to different management behaviours within
two distinct cultures.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Holmes, J., 2018. Intercultural communication in the workplace. Routledge handbook of
language in the workplace, pp.335-347.
Ihtiyar, A., 2018. Interaction of intercultural service encounters: personality, intercultural
communication and customer satisfaction. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and
Logistics. 30(1). pp.2-22.
Kim, Y. Y., 2017. Contextual theory of interethnic communication. The International
Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, pp.1-10.
Kiryakova-Dineva, T. and Hadzhipetrova-Lachova, M., 2017. Intercultural Management–Main
Aspects And Perspectives For The Practice Of International Organizations.
Entrepreneurship, 5(1). pp.97-105.
Tjosvold, D., 2017. Cross-cultural management: foundations and future. Routledge.
Woodrow, D. and Et. Al., 2019. Intercultural education: theories, policies and practices.
Routledge.
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