University Assignment: Reflective Journal on Cross-Cultural Management

This document presents a reflective journal assignment on cross-cultural management. The student reflects on various aspects of cross-cultural management based on the provided resources and activities. The journal covers Dr. Fons Trompenaar's onion model of culture, Chris Smit's insights on humor and cultural differences, and the importance of statistics for international business expansion. It also explores cultural intelligence as a competitive edge for leaders, corporate culture as discussed by Michael Chaney of Westfarmers, and elements of transformational leadership. The student analyzes these concepts, applying them to real-world scenarios and personal reflections, drawing upon academic literature and videos to support their analysis. The assignment is structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of cross-cultural management principles and their practical applications in a business context. This solution is available on Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools for students.

Running head: MANAGEMENT OF CROSS-CULTURE
Management of Cross-Culture
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

MANAGEMENT OF CROSS- CULTURE
Table of Contents

MANAGEMENT OF CROSS- CULTURE
Discussion (Reflective Writing)
Step 1: Reflection on specific activities that are conducted during Week 5 to Week 8
Week 5:
Video made by Dr Fons Trompenaar:
a) Fons Trompenaar introduces us into the world associated with multicultural management.
He starts off his discussion associated with culture that has many layers, he resembles it
to that of an onion. Just on the outside of this well- imagined onion lies expressions as
well as products of culture for example various architectures that are built by us, the food
that is in taken by all, language spoken by us and also our behaviour. Often these
expressions that lie outside of individuals that portray various interpretations, lives of
people might get effected due to these reasons.
b) Second layer of onion that represents culture usually throws light on norms as well as
values possessed by people. Norms are shared orientations of what we find and what we
should do whereas values talk about things that are done by individuals out of their
interests and they love to do. When something is working for example the value of
oxygen has become norm through breathing, it lifts out of consciousness and become the
basic assumption of people in other words basic assumptions are the values that have
become norms.
c) We try to structure basic assumptions in three important areas: the way we relate with
human beings, we call them relationships among human beings and those can be
distinguished in five different aspects that are time and nature and those have been
described in seven dimensional model.
d) He gives an overview on seven particular dimensions, on one hand there lies a contrast
between Universalism as well as Particularism. From the perspective of Universalistic

MANAGEMENT OF CROSS- CULTURE
approach, it has been predicted that this type of culture usually abide by a set of rules as
well as standards and they are not in favour of exceptions much. They love to standardize
every aspect in universal form of rules. Whereas Particularism approach emphasize the
fact that although there might be a set of standard rules, they would love to go beyond
those rules and discover the things, this type of culture often possess more flexibility than
Universalistic approach.
e) The second set of contrast is usually associated with human relations that is Individualism
versus Communitarism. Individualistic culture usually go by autonomy approach as well
as creativity. Collectivism is all about consensus, taking care of all the group members
and spread positive team spirit.
f) The third set comes up a contrast between expression of neutral and effective emotions of
human beings, neutral cultures inhibit their emotions as they do not love to show them
while effective culture love to show emotions.
g) The fourth layer talks about contrast between specific as well as diffused. A specific
culture appear to be quite specific towards every action while diffused culture may not be
enough clear about their overall objectives for example talking the example of marriage
that is related to love between two individuals and the bonding that take place between
the two families.
h) Fifth is the contrast between Achievement as well as Ascription, that says that
achievements are measured in terms of success gained by individuals, their talents as well
as their abilities whereas Ascription in culture usually takes into account family back
ground, gender discrimination for defining the culture of an individual, the very best
example on it is that “What you studied?”, a question that would be put forwarded by
Achievement culture and “Where you studied?”, a question that would be put forwarded
by Ascription culture.

MANAGEMENT OF CROSS- CULTURE
i) The last one emphasize on two different factors that are time as well as nature, Time
usually focus on short term as well as long term cultures, the past, present as well as
future of individuals and ways in which people can manage time, step by step that talks
about synchronic culture.
j) Last one talks about internally controlled cultures as well as externally controlled ones. If
we like to control our own environment then it is termed as internally controlled and if
nature possess the capability to control that individual then it is called externally
controlled culture.
People need to reconcile among various differences in culture that exist in the society and it
demands another way of thinking about this. He also talks about dilemma that means double
proposition by Greek people, dilemma emphasizes on the fact human beings need to break
the line or barrier that is a single line into double axes that would help to justify teams may
also consist of creative individuals or otherwise various exceptions can help to prove the rule.
This essence of multi-cultural management can be implemented in an effective manner.
Video made by Chris Smit:
Chris Smit who has the Nationality Dutch was born in a family that used to mostly abide by
stereotypes. According to him, stereotypes usually display a general form of trend in the
society. His discussion revolves around that exist within various differences in culture in the
society. He comes up with certain examples like Rowan Atkinson, who plays the character of
Mr Bean and this is a resemblance to British sense of humour and a Dutch comedian singer
that resembles Dutch sense of humour. He displays that the fact if British sense of humour is
compared to that of Dutch, then certain terms would come in minds of people like blunt,
sexually connoted and Dutch people are more fond of making fun of other rather than
themselves. Whereas Germans think that there must be a perfect time as well as place to be

MANAGEMENT OF CROSS- CULTURE
funny and they do not crack jokes everywhere. According to Smit, jokes do not translate in
language neither they do translate in culture. Human do not serve to be culturally neutral,
there exist nothing good or bad as such, however there are number of cultural differences,
understanding these various differences would help to determine success as well as failure in
the organization. Culture is also defined as “Collective programming of the Human Mind”
that tells that culture is usually taught to people, it is the matter of behaviour of people and
people gradually adopt it. Culture is also defined as perceptions associated with managers
that means “It is important for a manager to know the exact answers to most of the questions
that his subordinates may ask about their work”, for example it is prevalent that a French
manager is expected to be more knowledgeable in terms of solving doubts of workers than
that is prevalent in United States. From the model of Hofstede, it can be said that there are
two different dimensions that is Power Distance otherwise Hierarchy as well as Uncertainty
Avoidance.
Uncertainties in different nations
Source: Chris Smit

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Lastly a quote of Carl Jung, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves”, with this he conclude his discussions.
Week 6:
In order to expand the businesses at international level, various statistics that might help in
making decision making processes:
a) From the Demographics of Australia, it can be determined that population usually
increase all total in every 1 minute as well as 13 seconds. Therefore it is necessary to
build jobs within the community growth to feed the mouths of so many people that
approximately numbers 25180 every year.
b) Large number of people usually migrate from different parts of the world since by the
end of December 2018, population rose by 2.8% in Australia.
c) Series of projections are shown in terms of growth in population in Australia that may
increase between 37.4 and 49.3 million people due to life expectancy at birth therefore it
is necessary to undertake societal development in Australia.
Cultural Intelligence as described in the video made by Julia Middleton that act as
competitive edge in association with leaders:
a) She started her lecture by narrating about her father who was a traitor, who used to travel
the whole world, and the father used to tell his little daughter that the world has turned out
smaller than it could have fulfilled his promises. Cultural Intelligence is actually going
beyond all the borders that are associated with cultural differences and wanting to do for
people something that cannot be done. It also talks about the fact that to lead different
types of people all around the world with different IQ and EQ. Flexibility is the measure
of acquiring trust of people. She believes that cultural intelligence lies between two
factors that are called core and flex.

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Week 7:
Video made by Michael Chaney on governance as well as corporate culture made by
Westfarmers
a) According to him, Westfarmers has achieved success because of its arrangements
associated with corporate governance. Usually board consist of number of directors that
help in supervision as well as control of management and this helps to run the Company
on a daily basis. The Company usually ensure that there is a proper management
committee that consist of chief executives, chief process controllers and also people who
are from different backgrounds working for the Company have the right to take individual
decisions towards managing the operations.
b) He thinks that most advantageous form of this operation usually associate with ability to
disseminating as well as being able to reinforce group culture among various existing
companies. In Westfarmers, the Company takes the responsibility to lend handsome
amount of returns to various shareholders in the marketplace. Culture at corporate level,
is basically a manner in which people behave within the organization without being
watched.
c) He says that Westfarmers look on certain factors such that people undertake every
operations inside the organization in honest attitude as well as ethical manner. They also
preserve various laws as well as regulations and thus they take care of the fact that people
in the organization usually put focus on demands as well as interests of customers. They
undertake various operations keeping in mind the safety of the environment and whatever
activities that are being undertaken are directed towards benefitting the society.
Week 8:
Elements of Transformational Leadership that is often referred as team- oriented:

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Transformational form of leadership usually lay focus on increasing motivation of
employees and also render their engagement as well as various attempts that help to link
senses of employees with that of values in the organization. Leadership style usually
emphasize on leading so that followers can easily identify vision as well as values of the
leader. This type of approach usually lay focus on strengths as well as weaknesses of number
of employees so that there can be enhancement in the capabilities as well as commitment
towards goals in the organization.
Step 2: Reviewing through notes as well as answers collected from those activities
Step 3: Personal reflection on those learnings
 Description of organization culture using seven dimensions of Trompenaar
 Impact on my thinking due to statistics as well as data associated with
population demographics
 Description of own cultural intelligence using the theories
 My thoughts on the attributes associated with corporate culture as suggested
by chairman of Westfarmers, Michael Chaney
 Prevalence of various aspects of transformational leadership in domestic
companies in my country

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Reference List
Week 5 Online activities:
Watch the following videos by Dr Fons Trompenaar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JqNI8le1bF4 (4:55 minutes); and
Humor and culture in international business | Chris Smit | TEDxLeuven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB6NXzGKMKg (14:42 minutes)
Week 6 Online activities:
Australia is a multicultural society. Visit the following site
https://www.australia.gov.au/aboutaustralia/our-country/our-people also click on the ABS
Population clock
(http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7
e25f aaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument) at the end of the page.
Watch the following video on EQ and CQ:
Cultural intelligence: the competitive edge for leaders | Julia Middleton | TEDxEastEnd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izeiRjUMau4
Week 7 Online activities:
Watch the video: Governance and corporate culture - Wesfarmers Chairman Michael Chaney
on governance and corporate culture.
http://2016.sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/case-studies/governance/governance-and-
corporateculture/