Human Resources, Real World Scenarios (culture, management styles, teams and more)

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Scenario One

You are the director of production at a multinational company. Your position is located in Tokyo, Japan. Recently, this division has been experiencing problems. You determine the first order of business is to identify a team leader who will lead the assigned work team to tackle a production quota problem. You identify several possible team leaders. Joan, a manager who is an expatriate U.S. citizen has recently arrived in your company's Japanese office. You are also aware of Bob, a European national who has worked at the facility for about a year. His experience includes re-engineering of production processes at one of the company's production facilities in Europe. The final candidate you identified for team leader is Noriko, a Japanese national who has been at the facility for several years.

Questions

The work team you assemble is composed of American expatriates and Japanese nationals. Compare the three candidates for the team lead position. Based on cultural norms and traditions, what cultural factors and management styles may benefit or present obstacles for the others on the team? Explain.

Scenario Two

You have been assigned to an overseas position with your company. The local government of the host country offers gifts periodically to senior management as a way of thanking them for opening a facility in their locale and employing locals. These gifts can include cash or merchandise into the thousands of dollars. Typically, to refuse a gift is considered an insult.

Questions

Your home country's policy is to prohibit employees from accepting anything from clients and customers of more than a nominal value of $50.00. Your employer values its relationship with the host country and government officials, and it intends to continue operating in the venue. How would you address a situation where you have been presented with a gift of more than $50.00? Explain your rationale. How could your actions affect your company? How could your decision affect your working relationship with your company's and the host country's officials?

Scenario Three

Christine, the leading expert in IT organizational design, works for a large consulting firm and has been asked to work on a temporary assignment in Saudi Arabia. One of her firm's biggest revenue-generating customers is embarking upon an initiative to redesign its IT structure to improve efficiency and effectiveness and to align the business unit's output with the organization's strategic objectives. The customer has read research reports and articles that Christine has published, and the CEO has asked Christine to handle this project. She is excited about the professional challenge of the assignment, but she is unsure of adopting customs and practices in a Muslim country.

Questions

Discuss the ethical considerations for Christine and her company. What implications does Christine need to consider when making her decision, and why? How might Christine's role as a female expatriate affect her employer's response if she decides to pass on the assignment?