BUMGT 5920 - Individual Research Essay: Multicultural Management

This essay examines the complexities of management within a multicultural environment, addressing the challenges and opportunities that arise from a diverse workforce. The student begins by reflecting on their personal growth as a manager, emphasizing the importance of feedback analysis as suggested by Peter Drucker to understand their strengths and decision-making processes. The essay then delves into critical factors for managers in multicultural settings, highlighting language barriers, cultural differences, and the impact of varying levels of technical skills and education. The student provides real-world examples of cultural differences, such as the contrasting work ethics of Eastern and Western employees, and how these differences can impact communication, teamwork, and overall organizational goals. The essay also touches upon the significance of adapting management styles to accommodate different cultural perspectives and the need for effective communication strategies to ensure organizational success in a globalized world. The student references several articles to support their arguments.

Running Head: MANAGEMENT IN A MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
MANAGEMENT IN A MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Answer to Question 1.
I believe, as a manager I belong to a position from where I can look back in retrospect
and identify the how I have improved and grown as a prudent leader. I am capable to gain an
actual idea about where do I belong by following the suggestion Peter F. Drucker. As per
suggestion provided by Peter F. Drucker in his article, “Managing Oneself”, the most effective
way for a person, to know where he or she belongs is feedback analysis (Drucker, 2008). Hence,
I have conducted feedback analysis, for the purpose of gaining knowledge about my own
strengths. This in turn has guided me to understand where I belong in terms of management
capacity. As a potential manager whenever I have taken a key action or decision, I have written
down the expected outcome of the action or decision, in a personal notebook. This processes ids
continued nearly 1 year after the decision or act5ion is taken. After 1 year I have compared the
real outcome or result of the key decision with the anticipated outcome. During the initial phase
of this feedback analysis there used to be a huge difference between the actual and anticipated
results, but I did not lose hope. Rather I always tried to figure out the factors that were
responsible behind the dissimilarities between the real as well as expected outcome of the key
action or decision. I used to write down the factors and remembered them, if I face similar kind
of decision making further (Drucker, 2008). TI continued this process almost 15 to 20 years.
Now when I look back I realize the drastic change that I am able to inculcate within me due to
this feedback analysis method. I realize that I was not prudent enough p 15 or 20 years ago when
I have started this experiment., but now a s a manager I am able to take decisions or actions after
estimating the result and finally after implementing the decision when I tally the actual as well as
the result anticipated prior to the implementation of the decision, I found that they are similar.

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Hence I belong to more prudent, knowledgeable experiences, as well as self-motivating position
of a manager.
Answer to Question 2.
There are several factors that I have found critical while playing the role of a manager in
an environment enriched with diverse culture. One of them is language barriers. Language
barrier gives birth to several problems. Due to the language barriers managers may find it critical
to understand the diverse requirements nature as well as traits of a multicultural workforce. This
in turn may create impediments in the maintenance of coordination among a multicultural
workforce and the managers (Drucker, 2008). Also, managers will be unable to communicate
organizational goals, vision as well as mission to the culturally diverse workforce. Further, the
managers cannot indulge into encouraging interaction within a work environment consisting of a
culturally diverse workforce. Further, I have also found its critical to overcome cultural
impediments. For example, as a manager, I have encountered a culturally enriched work
environment in which some of the employees belong to Western part of the world and some are
from Eastern part. The difference in the Eastern as well as Western culture reflects in their nature
and traits. Employees who belong to Western culture are more likely to express their opinion
freely, as well as protest against any inequalities or corruption. On the other hand employees
from Eastern countries, developing countries like India belong to a completely different culture
and possesses conservative thinking. Hence, they are less likely to express their viewpoints
freely or protest against any unfair incidents (Drucker, 2008). This difference in the nature and
traits often create hostility for the managers like me to understand and find out what are the
issues the employees are facing. Further I consider that lack of technical skills and knowledge is

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another factor which makes managers’ job of working with a multicultural workforce critical.
The cultural difference of several countries reflect in their education system and though process.
Workers from developing countries have undergone an education system which focuses less on
applications of advanced technology as compared to the education system of the Western
countries. This is the reason often as a manager I find it critical to explain a culturally diverse
workforce about the importance of technical knowhow for the achievement of organizational
goals. Again the less logical thinking process of the employees of a respectively conservative
Eastern culture, often makes my job of handling a culturally diverse workforce, interacting and
motivating employees from diverse cultural background very critical.

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References
Drucker, P. F. (2008). Managing oneself. Harvard Business Review Press.

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Bibliography
Drucker, P. F. (2005). Managing oneself. Harvard Business Review, 83(1), 100-109.
Turriago-Hoyos, A., Thoene, U., & Arjoon, S. (2016). Knowledge workers and virtues in Peter
Drucker’s management theory. SAGE Open, 6(1), 2158244016639631.
Drucker, P. F. (2017). Managing oneself: The key to success. Harvard Business Review Press.