ASSIGNMENT SUCCESS WORKSHOPS, MSc 08/09

Essay Writing Workshop 1: Analysing the Question

This extract is taken from one of the last year’s assignments for the Cross-Cultural
Management module. The students were free to choose their own topics for their essays.

The author of this assignment has kindly agreed for his/her work to be used in the
Assignment Success workshops. Whatever the shortcomings of the work, please treat it with
respect. The author’s original style and grammar are preserved.

INTRODUCTION # 6

TITLE: HOW DOES CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING HELP MANAGERS TO BECOME

GLOBAL MANAGERS?

As a new buzzword, globalization is dominating globe since nineties of the previous century
with the break-up of ex-Soviet Union and subsequent end of cold war. The frontiers of
nations with improved dependence on market economy and transformed trust in the
resources and capital being a process of structural alteration spurred by influences and
studies of World Bank and different other International funding bodies have commenced in
most of the developing countries. (Kedia and Mukherji 1999)

With the collapse of Soviet Union and the world found itself with just one superpower, it was
the end of bipolar world. The question is that did that support or hinder globalization. In the
political context the Cold War was in fact a globalizing experience. The year 1998 saw an
end of the Cold War. Its end has dis-globalized the significant strategic value of some
countries in a political sense. (Rajan 2005)

Even though the Cold War itself was considered a globalizing experience, on the economic
frontier the Cold War created sold walls autonomous trade and the independent movement of
capital between the sides of Iron Curtain. Certainly, communism not only in Soviet Union but
also among different other members of Warsaw Pact was an ideology termed as protectionist
which inhibited the vibrant forces of technological and economic exchange. To that particular
extent the Cold War as considered hindrance in economic context to globalisation – despite
of being strategically and politically a motivation to globalisation. Cold War can be termed as
globalisation-friendly in the scenario of politics but intimidating and hostile to globalization in
the frontier of world economy. (Govindarajan and Gupta 2001)
INTRODUCTION 6 – LECTURER’S COMMENTARY

TITLE: HOW DOES CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING HELP MANAGERS TO BECOME

GLOBAL MANAGERS?

Introduction
As a new buzzword, globalization is dominating globe since
nineties of the previous century with the break-up of ex-
Soviet Union and subsequent end of cold war. The frontiers
of nations with improved dependence on market economy
and transformed trust in the resources and capital being a
process of structural alteration spurred by influences and
studies of World Bank and different other International
funding bodies have commenced in most of the developing
countries. (Kedia and Mukherji 1999)
Commentary
This is a very unfortunate introduction
that shows a complete lack of
understanding of the essay topic.
There is no connection between the
essay topic and the introduction
content. The topic is about how cross-
cultural training may help build global
manager. The introduction is about
globalisation and the Cold War. There is
a possibility that both globalisation and
the Cold War are important for cross-
cultural training and global managers,
but the author does not show it.

With the collapse of Soviet Union and the world found itself
with just one superpower, it was the end of bipolar world.
The question is that did that support or hinder globalization.
In the political context the Cold War was in fact a
globalizing experience. The year 1998 saw an end of the
Cold War. Its end has dis-globalized the significant strategic
value of some countries in a political sense. (Rajan 2005)
The author seems to be making a
mistake of engaging with only small part
of the topic. Instead of trying to
understand the whole topic and how it
can be best approached, the author
dives straight into examining one small
part – the concept of globalisation.
MARK: 0/10

Even though the Cold War itself was considered a

globalizing experience, on the economic frontier the Cold
War created sold walls autonomous trade and the
independent movement of capital between the sides of Iron
Curtain. Certainly, communism not only in Soviet Union but
also among different other members of Warsaw Pact was
an ideology termed as protectionist which inhibited the
vibrant forces of technological and economic exchange. To
that particular extent the Cold War as considered hindrance
in economic context to globalisation – despite of being
strategically and politically a motivation to globalisation.
Cold War can be termed as globalisation-friendly in the
scenario of politics but intimidating and hostile to
globalization in the frontier of world economy.
(Govindarajan and Gupta 2001)