OUTLINE OF ORGANIZATION CULTURE CHANGE IN A CROSS-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT - Free Essay Example

Most of the scholars agree that the field of management must be viewed in a broad perspective because of the environmental influence on management practices. The cross-cultural study of management involves the study of management cultural variables, which tend to have an impact on management practices in different cultures. Managing and organizing are culturally dependent because they do not consist of making or moving tangible objectives, but of manipulating symbols which have meaning to the people who are managed (Clark, 1998). Studies in the area of corporate culture seem to indicate that the success of many organizations is related to having a strong culture within the organization. Such a culture provides a foundation for the policies and practices of that particular organization. William Ouchi identifies the following as the features of Z type (a hybrid between American and Japanese type of organizations) of organizations: A place for criticism and honesty Trust, friendship and working together Teamwork Management by walking around Valuing people as resources (Ouchi, 1982). McKinsey presented a framework based on the idea that any management strategy, in order to be successfully implemented, must fit the culture of the organization. The seven variables listed in the framework are: Strategy Structure Systems Style Staff Shared values Skills (Waterman, 1982). The 7-s framework views corporate culture as a function of Seven Variables. If a Strategy of an orga nization fails or run into a problem, it is because the strategy doesnt fit one or more of the seven variables. All the above-mentioned variables are interrelated to each other. While the staff variable refers to people in the organization, skills refer to their capabilities. The style variable is the way management acts and behaves. Shared values are the beliefs commonly shared by many people in the organization. While the structure provides authority-responsibility relationship, systems indicate the processes, procedures, and flows involved in getting things done. The strategy relates to the way to shape the corporate culture. A better understanding of the mechanics and dynamics of an organization can be achieved through the culture that prevails in an organization. The term culture has been borrowed from anthropology where there is no consensus on its meaning. Just as societies have their own culture, corporations as entities also have their own culture. Culture is the collect ion of common views, expectations and beliefs of the members of the organizations. The values, beliefs and norms usually involve the following aspects: The basic goals of organization The preferred means by which those goals should be attained The role responsibilities assigned to each member in the organization The behavior patterns required to perform roles A set of rules or principles which relates to the preserving of organizational identity as well as integrity These values and norms which constitute corporate culture are not in writing but are understood by all the members of the organization. Even the newcomers to the organization get to know them either through formal training programs and orientations or from their peers. When members of an organization share the same values, they will become more cohesive and committed to their goals. Such commitment is essential for better performance and productivity improvement. Although it is not visible, corporate cu lture still exists and influences people and activities in organizations. Deal and Kennedy, in addition to values and norms, include heroes, rites and rituals as part of corporate culture (Deal and Kennedy, 1982). The rites, rituals and heroes are some ways of reinforcing desired behaviors and expectations among the members of an organization. Donnelly goes one step further by including ethics, life styles and to a great extent the personality of the chief executive as the elements which foster corporate culture (Donnelly, 1984). The Corporate culture can be summed up as a way of doing things in an organization, which is developed and fostered over a period of time through various socialization processes, some of which are formal processes while others are informal. Changing Corporate Culture Even in the most stable environments, change is a constant, no matter how slight. Change is any alteration of the organizations current situation. Creativity, the process by which n ovel ideas are generated or innovation, the transformation of creative ideas are all different forms of change. In this report, we will discuss change from the perspective of corporate culture One of the major questions raised in the area of corporate culture is: Is it possible to change corporate culture in an organization? People have conflicting views about it. Some contend that the culture in an organization is strongly imbedded and therefore it may be impossible to change. At the most, only a few modifications can be made as long as they dont affect the core of the existing culture. They may illustrate their point by citing some cases where the new Chief Executive failed to change the culture when he and his teammates took over the corporation and wanted to revamp it. On the other hand, there are those who believe that culture within a corporation can be changed. The organizations, which made a turnaround in their business, are cited as examples. For instance, an American electronics company was loosing money. The Japanese took over, introduced new values and new ways of doing things and the company made a turnaround in three years. According to Schwartz and Davis (1981) the successful implementation of major strategic shifts in any company depends to a great extent on how the organization combines its culture with changes in organizational structure, its systems and people to produce desired behavior. Changing corporate culture is a serious issue. A great deal of care and a well thought out plan must be utilized in this process. Ill founded assumptions, carelessness, and taking things for granted in changing corporate culture may have disastrous consequences on the organization, ranging from subtle protests to open revolt. Through such cultural changes, organizations lose their best people to competitors, productivity declines, and a poor image will be created for the organization. Thus, the whole survival of the organization maybe threatened by rushing to change corporate culture. Short and Ferratt (1984) suggest that in changing corporate culture, the focus should be on work units. Instead of trying to change values and beliefs first with the assumptions that work unit behaviors would follow, work unit, culture must be changed first. The behaviors, which establish and maintain the culture of work units, are: job enrichment, employee involvement, targeting behavior, reinforcing behavior, attending to production and attending to interpersonal relations. Managing Corporate Culture is not simple. It requires constant assessments and monitoring by examining the external and internal environment. Such examination would reveal the nature of changes that are anticipated or are taking place in these environments. These changes may force the organization to adapt or modify their corporate culture according to the demands of the environment. A relaxed attitude on the part of the managers who believe they have a strong culture built over the years to enable them to cope with any kind of situation is risky. Uttal asserts that a static culture means a continuation of old, inefficient ways (Uttal, 1982). Multicultural Organizations Every company has its own individuality in the market; this individuality or the isolated quality can be taken as its competitive advantage. Competitive advantage of the company is something on what company is far ahead from it competitors. The company, having a diverse workforce, is bound to have its impact on the effectiveness of the organization as well as on the career growth of an individual. One of the most important advantages of having a multicultural or diverse workforce is to attract the best available talent towards the organization. Such organization, which does not show any prejudice in recruiting, retaining and promoting the employees from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds easily gain competitive advantage and become able to sustain highest caliber of human resources (Adler, 1991). Different studies have proved that organizations having diverse workforce and multicultural environment usually display better problem solving ability (Adler, 1991). Due to their multicultural workforce such organizations are more capable to understand the problem with different perspectives, meanings and interpretations and hence have more capability to solve problems. Organizations need continuity, which can be achieved only through some change of adaptability and self-renewal. Multicultural organizations are designed specifically to find, accept, and use new ideas and so they are more able to adapt change and show more organizational flexibility. Different studies depicted that women possess higher tolerance for ambiguity than men (Rotter OConnell, 1982), similarly bilingual people possess more cognitive flexibility than monolingual (Lambert, 1977). Thus diverse workforce is an asset for the organizations while adapting change. It can eas ily be summed up that having a diverse workforce and its proper management provides a number of advantages to the organizations. Manage diversity well are more likely to gain competitive advantages, attain increased productivity from available human resources, and reduce the inter-group conflict cost (Triandis, Kurowski, and Gelfand, 1994, p. 775). But at the same time, too much diversity in the workforce may also cause ambiguity and confusion. Multicultural organizations sometimes find it difficult to reach to a single, unanimous decision because of the diversity in its workforce (Gannon, 2004). Due to the presence of people from different cultural backgrounds, there is a chance of cultural clashes between the people of different cultures. There is also a chance that majority group members may create obstacles for minority group member to take full participation. If such clashes cannot be handled and managed by the leaders then the organization may suffer ineffectiveness, les s productivity and absenteeism of the employees (Adler, 1991). If there is communication gap between a culturally diverse team then there is a chance that a homogenous group may outperform this culturally diverse group. Multicultural organizations require extensive trainings to overcome the communication barrier otherwise it will not perform up to their potential (House and Javidan, 2004). Managing Corporate Culture in Multicultural Organizations Globalization is the process of expanding global preferences in cultural, environmental, political, social and economical issues. The key economic characteristic of globalization is the free movement of goods throughout the world (Schaeffer, 2003). Diversity and Globalization in the new economy and the present business situation has produced a work force made up of people all around the world. They have different life experiences, perspectives, preferences, values and style. This diversity of work force is reshaping and rewriting the way of doing business (Dorfman, Hanges and Brodbeck, 2004). According to the Statistics the people filling jobs in the 2000s had a different racial and gender makeup than past employees. Native white males made up 47% of employees in 1989 but will constitute only 15% of new entrants. In the year 2000 Hispanic accounted for almost 28 percent of labor force growth and blacks about 17 percent. White women provided about 42 percent of labor force growth . Statistics have further depicted that by the year 2012 almost one-fifth of the total US workforce will be of 55 years or older (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998). Hamilton has said that, The great challenge facing the nation is to prepare a changing population to do new kinds of work. Failure imperils economic health, social progress, and democracy itself. (Hamilton, 1990; p.1). This trend of workforce diversity compelled leaders of multi-cultural organizations to adapt the changes with special recruiting programs targeted towards these groups and organizational changes to accommodate their needs. Day-care centers, special benefit packages and language training have all become the part of the inducements to employees (Grisham and Walker, 2005). In the present decade, the environment for organizations has changed radically (Olsen JinLin, 1997). In the past, leaders usually emphasized on the internal affairs of the management but the changing environment requires them to e mphasize more on externally oriented affairs. Many scholars are of the opinion that diversity in organizations is a source of strength if used properly otherwise it creates ethnic and cultural differences, conflicts etc. (Christensen Hughes, 1992). A study was conducted on transformational leadership in organizations, which depicted that leaders in organizations, who have a clear objective, strong sense of values and cultural differences and shown deep inclination towards high standards of ethics, are considered as models for others to follow (Tracy Hinkin, 1994). The following are some of the important points; an organizational leader has to consider while working in present global environment: Changing Occupational Profile: at present organizations try to provide more services to customers for the guaranteed customers satisfaction. This requires more knowledgeable and social employees. Major organizations also introduce some new posts like quality manager, yield manager , computer and technical service manager, management accounting expert and budget analyst to provide the wide range of services to the customers (Turner and Mueller, 2005) Developing Language Skills: in order to provide best services to culturally diverse clientele, major organizations provide different languages and culture training to their staff Increased staff responsibility and job satisfaction: it is hard to get and retain a good and trained employee in present business scenario. Many organizations impose more responsibilities to their good employees in order to enhance their job satisfaction Proper Motivation: In order to retain good employees it is necessary to motivate them. Motivation is either Financial or non-financial Financial: wages, salaries, fringe benefits etc. are financial incentives. Many believe that these incentives help to attract the more desirable and qualified type of employee, decrease turnover, and maintain morale and performance. Non-fina ncial: these are known as personal incentives because they offer an opportunity to develop personal initiative and achievement. A number of research studies have proved the impact of these incentives on performance. Opportunity for advancement, challenge, the type of work, responsibility, good supervision, good working conditions, and recreational programs are some examples of non-financial incentives. Conclusion Changing and managing corporate culture is one of the major problems of managers and executives at all levels at the present era of cultural diversity. Leadership is the capacity to guide, direct, and influence the behavior of others, imaginative, toward given ends. The trait theory holds that leadership is inherent in the psychological makeup of individuals. The situational pattern views leadership as contingent on the needs and resources of a given situation. In a synthesis of these two patterns, we concluded that both have contributed ideas of value, that neither a pproach alone is satisfactory. The supervisor is traditionally viewed as the man in the middle; but although this is often a fair portrayal of his role, in reality his beliefs are closer to those of other managers than to those of non-managerial employees. Managing and changing corporate culture in a multicultural environment is far more challenging than managing people in a uni-cultural environment. The leaders of cross cultural organizations have to use all the above-mentioned qualities as well as some extra qualities like emotional intelligence and understanding of different languages, values and cultures to manage and satisfy their followers more effectively.

Guidelines for Using Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes

Pitch Perfect Movie Review - 1967 Words

Film Review Outline Name: John Carlo V. Balmes Film Title: Pitch Perfect Adapted From: Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkins Release Date: September 28, 2012 Director: Jason Moore Genre(s): Musical, Comedy Setting: Barden University Lead Actor(s): Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp Main Characters and their Attributes: * Becca Mitchell – A musically-inclined reclusive girl who wants to pursue a music career, she joins the Bellas to please her father and finds herself being caught up in their world. * Jesse Swanson – A member of the Treblemakers who has a crush on Beca. * Fat Amy - A comedic and irresponsible member of the Bellas from Tasmania. * Aubrey Posen - One of the co-leaders of the†¦show more content†¦Theme(s): The theme of that film permeates Pitch Perfect and lends a heaping amount of inspiration to the final showdown between the two groups. Plot Summary: The Barden Bellas are a collegiate, all-girls a cappella singing group thriving on female pop songs and their perfect looks. After a disastrous failing at last years finals, they are forced to regroup. Among the new recruits is freshman Beca, an independent, aspiring DJ with no interest in the college life. But after she meets Jesse, from the rival all-male a cappella group, Beca has a new outlook and takes it upon herself to help the Bellas find their new look and sound and get back into the competition. Description/Summary: Beca, a Barden freshman, has no desire to go to college, but is forced to attend by her father, a professor at the university. Wishing to instead move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music making, she takes up an internship at the school radio station, where she meets fellow freshman Jesse who intends to start to have a not-so-secret crush on Beca. When Becas father finds out that Beca has not been attending classes, he offers to let Beca go to Los Angeles (which he will help pay for) if she joins a club and proves that she wants to be involved for the rest of the year. After some persuasion from Aubrey, the group leader, and Chloe, she joins the Bellas (an all girl acapella group), along with a group of otherShow MoreRelatedWhat Should Be Limited?1208 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Should be Limited? Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Pitch Perfect 3, Fifty Shades Freed, The New Mutants, and Avengers: Infinity War. These are seven out of the seventeen movies that appear when googling â€Å"movies coming out soon.† They stretch over various genres including comedy, action, children’s movies, musicals, and drama, however there is one common thread connecting all these movies; they are all either spin offs or sequels. In an ageRead MoreEntertainment Weekly Magazine Analysis : Entertainment884 Words   |  4 PagesEntertainment Weekly Magazine Analysis Entertainment Weekly is a weekly periodical featuring entertainment related news stories. The magazine is notable for featuring film, television, book, and music reviews. Unlike some magazines targeting specific demographics, Entertainment Weekly appeals to a broad audience. Considering many people of all ages have an interest in the arts, the magazine appeals to both young and old readers. The magazine features celebrities of all ages, along with typicallyRead MoreArt in Raw Form1434 Words   |  6 PagesArt in Raw Form The movie industry is for entertainment purposes. For many people, going to the movies is an escape; time to sit back and become someone else. However, once in a rare moment then a movie comes out that is not just foe entertainment and dares to address a controversial issue. â€Å"The Blind Side† and â€Å"Precious† are two movies that I was very surprised at my reaction to them. My reasons for wanting to see both movies were as different as night and day. I went to see the â€Å"BlindRead MoreSupply and Demand and Profit959 Words   |  4 Pagesfirms or industries can find a way to lower the total costs of production. When demand within a market increases, the equilibrium price of the product increases along with the quantity sold at the equilibrium price. If the market structure is a perfect competition, an increase in demand allows firms or industries to raise the price of the product as well as sell more of the product at the higher price. In this instance, total revenue increases and if the increase in total revenue is greater thanRead MoreMovie Analysis : Inside The Big Screen1961 Words   |  8 Pagesindustry is the leading company in entertainment. The whole process behind the film industry will be told from the main idea for the movie to the release of the feature film. Time to jump in and learn all about filmmaking. The first step in making a film, the development stage. The whole film starts with an idea, it could come from a book, could be a sequel to a preexisting movie, or a completely original idea. Once the idea is created the person who though the idea writes a treatment which is a short descriptionRead MoreFilmmaking Process Essay2090 Words   |  9 Pagestarget audience, success of films that were similar, and the success of the actors, actresses, and directors in previous films. These factors show how much the film will appeal to the target audience. Then they come together and form a film pitch. If the film pitch goes through and is successful, then they have financial backing to make the film. Then they make up contracts for everyone involved. At this time, only the second step, they’ve already developed their marketing strategy, which is how theyRead MoreMidnight in Paris2167 Words   |  9 Pagessuggestion by telling him, â€Å"You’re in love with a fantasy.† Wilson fits perfectly into the role of hardworking writer in the film and knocks the role out of the park. According to Rolling Stone Magazines Peter Travers, Wilson’s performance is pitch perfect to capturing the humor and gravity that Gil Pender’s role demanded. I have to agree with Travers because Wilson took on a few scenes where we were able to recognize his comedic rooms from other films. USA Today’s Claudia Puig doesn’t applaud Wilson’sRead MoreEssay on the Effects of Chemical Castration and Physical Castration1845 Words   |  8 Pages Lata Mangeshkar- The Pride of India India, one of the highest movie producing countries, has many great singers. One such singer, who has been singing for the past 60 years is non other then my favourite singer Lata Mangeshkar. Lata Mangeshkar is and has been the most heard voice in all of India for some time now. Lata has been active in all Indian popular and classical music, sung film songs, ghazals , bhajans and pop (Nagma, 2004). Latas mesmerizing melodious voice has won fans all over theRead MoreThe Film Friends With Benefits as a Case Study To Explore Workplace Behavior2966 Words   |  12 Pagesapply theory appropriately. To do this, I have studied English Character is Dylan Harper played by Justin Timberlake, in the movie Friends with Benefits. This report seeks to apply course theory, and develop actions (the actions can be initiated by others, managers, work colleagues, family members and /or by the characters themselves). In effect, this report has used the movie Friends with Benefits as an enriched case st udy that allows viewers to explore the complexity and subtlety of workplace behaviorRead More The Devastation of the Indies and Movie The Mission Essay2335 Words   |  10 PagesThe Devastation of the Indies and Movie The Mission The Mission and Bartolome De Las Casas book, The Devestation of the Indies Although The Mission and Bartolomà © De Las Casas book, The Devastation of the Indies portray events that took place over two centuries apart, similar features and effects of colonization are apparent in each account. Slight differences in viewpoints are evident, such as The Missions portrayal of the natives in a more humane fashion, but this goes along with the evolution

Malcolm X1 Essay Example For Students

Malcolm X1 Essay The name Malcolm X still stirs emotions of fear and hatred in many Americans. When he was murdered in the Ballroom in Harlem on February 21, 1965, he was world-famous as the angriest black man in America. This is true because unlike Martin Luther King Jr. , Malcolm X advocated freedom for blacks by any means necessary. For him, even the use of violence was a viable solution to fight racial discrimination. Because of such views some people still associate Malcolm X with the Black Panther movement of the sixties which they believe was a radical and violent organization. But portraying Malcolm X simply as a violent black activist fails to represent the whole picture. It does not take into account the post-Mecca Malcolm X when he recanted his black separatism message and started to support unity among all people. When we review Malcolm Xs life from his birth to his tragic death, then we will find a courageous leader who was able to do the following: First, he was able to turn his own personal life around. From a common criminal he became a leader of his people. Second, he was able to persuade others to what he believed in. In other words, he was a man full of charisma. Third, he was able to admit his mistakes and correct them even if meant losing his status and life. He fought for what he believed in which was justice, and he was not afraid to reverse his ideas when he found them erroneous.First of all, Malcolm X was able to turn his own personal life around. He turned all his beliefs and ways of life upside down when joining the Nation of Islam. Before joining the nation of Islam, he was a hustler who tried to earn enough money for his excessive life style. He was selfish and lost all his conscience. He did not fear any other people or death and used every kind of drugs. Although he hated the whites, he felt inferior and wanted to be like them. Because of this he straightened his hair and had a white girlfriend. He lived a life of crime, forming his own house robbing gang. He was arrested for robbery in February 1946, and sentenced to prison for seven years. When he was in prison, he had a prejudice against the Christian religion that he thought was a tool of the white society to keep the Negroes down. This led him to the perception that there must be a religion for the black people. His rebellious nature was not formed without any cause. He had reasons to his rebellious nature. The rebellious nature in Malcolm X has its beginning in the violent death of his father at the hands of white bigots. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Louise and Earl Little. Earl was a Baptist minister from Reynold, Ga. and became an organizer for Marcus Garveys Universal Negro Improvement Association, which wanted all Afro-Americans to go back to the land of their ancestors, Africa. Because of the fathers advocacy for Garvey movement, Malcolms family was terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan which was an organization of white racists. In September 1931, the white racists of Lansing killed Malcolms father and laid him on a railway track, claiming he committed suicide. This was not the end of the tragedies of his life, just the beginning. In the years that followed, Malcolms mother, Louise, deteriorated emotionally and mentally and in 1939, was committed to a mental institution in Kalamanzoo, Michigan by the white authorities. Malcolm had been removed from his mother and went to school in Mason, Michigan, living with different families. Malcolm did well in Mason and graduated from junior high school at the top of his class academically and athletically, but he was discouraged from continuing academically past the eighth grade due to his race. His whole childhood was miserable. His family, his desire for education, and his hope for the future were destroyed by the whites. .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 , .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .postImageUrl , .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 , .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:hover , .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:visited , .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:active { border:0!important; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:active , .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3 .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u70090ab5ab5adc42deddafb241c3a8e3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Physical Education In School Essay And this can do more than explain why he became a troublemaker and a hustler during his young adulthood. Despite all these disadvantages and his