MGMT 110

INTERCULTURAL STUDIES
FINAL ‘TAKE-HOME’ EXAM

Please read the case study below and then answer the three
questions below.

CASE STUDY

Chloé is leading a project at her New York-based branding agency. It is a

diverse workplace. In Chloé’s project team alone, there are people who grew
up in India, Germany, Italy, and Japan and there are many Americans from
a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Chloé grew up in a small town not far
from New York. The team is working on a project to help a major brand
launch a new camera aimed at the elderly across 3 countries – Italy, China,
and the US. They are helping to develop the promotional materials
(advertising commercials etc.) that will be used to launch the product.

The team is having problems agreeing the best way forward and although
they are cordial to each other on the surface, Chloé knows that there are
tensions underneath. For example, Robert (who is German) is frequently
frustrated that his Indian co-worker seems not to be fully participating and
regularly defers decisions to other members of the team. Marinella feels that
her male American colleagues often dominate the discussion and don’t leave
room for others to voice their views. Mary feels the agency isn’t doing a
good enough job respecting the diverse working style of all its employees
and that some members of the team might have some subtle bias against
certain groups that they aren’t acknowledging. She thinks that only certain
people seem to get promoted in the organization, whist anyone that differs
from the majority experiences a ‘glass ceiling’.

Frankly, Chloé is tired of managing people’s personalities. She feels that

people should just learn to get along. She also believes that a good leader
has to unite the team, no matter what their differences are. She thinks it is
better to focus on what we have in common rather than what divides us.
Despite her experience as a team leader, though, she feels unsure about
how she can unite the team without offending anyone or making the
situation worse. She doesn’t really want to, but she wonders if she needs to
review and potentially update the agency’s diversity policy and practices,
that have been in place for around five years now.

In addition, Chloé needs to make the final decision about another issue that
has been dividing the team. Some members of the team want to take the
safe option for the camera launch, which would involve making a different

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commercial in each local market (Spain, Vietnam, and the US). Each
commercial would be aimed at the elderly target market and focus on
traditional family moments in the relevant country. Others want to be bolder
and focus on the idea that globally more and more older people are starting
to use social media and the internet to create stories and content for others.
This would mean using an almost identical commercial across the three
countries and using it to encourage older people from around the world to
engage in new ways of sharing photos online. The idea of the commercial
would be that older people can create forms of popular culture too; it’s not
just for the young. They feel this will help the brand to lead the way and
create a new market for their product. Chloé feels more comfortable with the
safer option but she doesn’t want to miss any opportunities.

QUESTIONS:

Please write AT LEAST two pages for each question. Aim to spend about 2-
2.5 hours for the whole case study

1. What sort of leadership style and organizational culture would you

try to foster in Chloé’s situation and why?

2. Thinking through everything we have covered in our intercultural studies

class, what sorts of concepts, tools, policies, and practices do you think it
would be helpful for Cholé and the other members of the team to be
aware of or try to put in place and why?

3. Explain the dilemma that Chloé faces in the final paragraph of the case
study. Would you go for the safer option or the option that pushes more
deep-seated changes and why? Do you agree that innovation, design, and
marketing can drive cultural change and why?

Return your answers BY THE END OF FRIDAY 15th MAY (Paris time) via
EMAIL TO: mgmt110.8h30@gmail.com OR mgmt110.12h30@gmail.com
depending on which class you are in.

LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is worth 20% of your

final grade. If I do not receive your exam, you will receive a 0 for this part of
your final grade.

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1. There are many problems in Chloe’s team and even the employees are not in a position

to have a good conversation. In this situation, I would prepare to follow participative

leadership. As a team leader I need to put a step forward to help my team. So, I will

make some private meetings with the team after the office time, So that the employees

can buy some time in order to know each other and it helps them to work with

coordination. I will play an active role in passing the information from higher to lower

levels because information plays a important role in the success of the organisation. I

will try to make all the employees to eat their lunch in a free place together, So that

they can get to know themselves . In addition to that, I will divide the groups according

to the work of the employees and use to appreciate the employees who puts a lot of

effort for the organisation, it leaves a mark in the employee’s mind that their Hard-work

is noticed by his company.

I have always believed that teamwork makes the dream work so, I will combine slow

workers and fast workers in a team and make sure that people work each other by

helping their colleagues without any discrimination, So that the employee’s can speed

up their work and play a good role. I will also make the employee’s to take a break of 5

minutes for every 2 hours. So that the people can restart they work after having a cup of

coffee and its also important to respect the workers free time. I will try to arrange family

meetings in the organisation during the company functions and I will recommend the

higher authorities to appreciate the employee’s for their Hard-work.

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2. According to the study, Chloe’s in a place where she cannot handle her colleagues in a

conversation about her upcoming business projects. In this situation, Chloe should start

interacting with her co-workers about everything that involved in their business projects

and they should try to avoid all the personal feelings among them while interacting with

all.

Instead of taking this meeting as personal the teammates should concentrate on the

outcome of the meeting and there is chance that while having this conversation some of

them may take offence but still the conversation should be healthy in a professional

way. Launching a new product is not a easy task without the help of all the employee’s

in an organisation. Chloe’s should take this as a challenging because a leader is a person

who is responsible for all of his co-workers and employee’s should think like in a way

that the launch of the product is so important for the company and their personal. the

difference in communication patterns is the main problem while having conversation in

intercultural interactions but still the employee’s should understand that their goal is to

achieve a successful position in their company.

The team should be in place to understand that every employee is responsible for their

company, in that way we can create successful organisation. Chloe should remember that

she needs each and every employee to achieve the success and she cannot give less

conscience to people from the lower standards because that is the first step that will divide

them in to groups and misunderstandings will take place among all the teammates.

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3. I agree with Chloe about launching the product in relevant countries because launching

the product globally becomes a risk. To say, there are different types of people, religions

castes or community in different parts of the world who stick with their own rules and

regulations and if we are launching the product the people in some countries may not

be able to understand the product and taking risk while releasing a new product may

lead to less sales where the product is actually relevant in other countries. There is

chance that we can take that if the product acquired less sales, its good to not release

the product globally and if the sales increased in in that relevant countries then we can

launch the product globally and can expect the higher sales as well.

Yes, I agree that marketing and design can drive cultural change because, when you are

working in an international company, there are people from different parts of the countries

who don’t speak your language and know your cultural behaviour. When you are working

with that type of people, one should be express their thoughts and ideas in a professional

way because some people may take offence when other’s express their ideas and talks. To

say, most of the people who work in international company try to learns a bit or two about

other culture but they may not be able to understands all their cultural behaviour like

people use some kind of gesture’s and hand signals while having a business conversation

with their colleagues and the rest of the group cannot understand that. To conclude, that

sometimes trying to maintain balance between your company and engaging with your co-

workers may be difficult but a good leader always try to keep up with his worke no matter

what.

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