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Total Weighted
Date Time: Mark:
40

Student’s Name

Student’s ID

Course Name/ Code Cross Cultural Management BUS 311

Instructor Dr. Imen Gharbi

Semester Fall- 2020

CLOs as per the

Syllabus CLO 2,5,6,7,8,9

For details of marking scheme, refer to Rubrics # ACA/F11.04

Note: This Project accounts for 40 % of the Student Final Grade.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction................................................................................................................3
2. Multicultural Teams, leadership, Adjustment and Diversity.....................................3
3. Stereotypes, Negotiations, Conflicts..........................................................................5
4. Mergers and acquisitions: a strategic or cultural issue?.............................................6
5. Cultural differences and decision making..................................................................8
6. Conclusion..................................................................................................................9
7. References................................................................................................................10
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1. Introduction

Culture, in every organization, sets expectations for how the people of different
cultures would behave in the multicultural environment [ CITATION Aga10 \l 1033 ].
The culture helps in breaking down the boundaries between different cultures. This
report has discussed about the concept of multicultural environment in the
organization and its influence on the diversity in the organization. The report has also
explained how effective leadership skills can play an effective role in managing cross
cultural and transcultural competencies in the organization be tactfully handling the
situations of stereotypes, conflicts and negotiations. It has also described the issues
generated due to mergers and acquisitions. At last, the report has highlighted the role
of culture in dealing with the impact of COVID 19.

2. Multicultural Teams, leadership, Adjustment and Diversity

This section of the report has discussed the extent to which it is essential for the leader
of a multicultural team to accustomed with the culture of every team member to
reduce the cultural disputes in the organization. If the leader of the team is not aware
about the cultural norms and importance of culture of the team members, he would
not be able to understand the disputed situation. This section has also discussed the
keys for individual as well as success of the whole team.

It is a very difficult and challenging task for leaders to lead multicultural team. But in
many cases, the situation can be rewarding as well [ CITATION Gee73 \l 1033 ]. A
leader must be aware about how to break down the differences while creating a
multicultural team. The main focus of the leaders should be on traversing the
language barriers and on promoting respect for every culture. These multicultural
teams can prove as a main factor responsible for the success of the organization. A
multicultural team consists of people from different countries and different region
who works at a common platform.
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Various examples in the literature has proved that it is difficult to manage the
multicultural candidates in an organization from all over the world. The main
problems faced by the organizations with multicultural team are issues related to
resource expenditure, problem solving and confrontations. These challenges results
into different expectations of the employees towards respecting the higher authorities
in the organization, prejudice and working capacity. They also show their different
opinions towards commitment and decisions [ CITATION Gor19 \l 1033 ]. Only
leader can help the organization to deal with all such issues. Therefore, it is essential
for the leader to be familiar and accustomed with the culture of each member of the
team.

According to me, for individual as well as team success, effective communication,

delegation, efficiency and motivation plays an effective role. Every individual team
member consisting these qualities can make an effective team and would contribute
for the success of the team.

 Transcultural competencies

After considering the influence of multicultural environment, this section of the report
has discussed the role of transcultural competencies for a leader when he is leading
and managing a team with multicultural and diverse employees. It has also discussed
about the factors leading to birth of these competencies in a human being
[ CITATION Jaf05 \l 1033 ].

Transcultural competence refers to knowledge and skills of the individuals which

makes them able to adapt cross cultural environment in an effective manner.
Literature has proved that it is through a core set of competencies that an individual
remains successful in the adaption of any culture. This transcultural competence also
promotes intercultural effectiveness. Any human being is not born with such kind of
skills but this capability can be inherited from the environment where the individual
has grown up. This transcultural competence is not a single phenomenon in itself,
there are various factors associated with it. transcultural competence is associated
with eth subjective outcome with its prime focus on the adjustment of the employees
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in the environment where they are working, but its outcome is associated with both
subjective as well as objective outcome [ CITATION Kot16 \l 1033 ]. These objective
outcomes consist of job performance of those individuals. The research studies have
also proved that personal and interpersonal adjustment by the individuals is associated
with the work adjustments which directly influence the job outcome as well. In many
cases, it has been observed that expatriates show relatively poor adjustments as
compared to the natives but their performance high effect the overall growth of the
organization. In short, diversity in an organization can influence the organizational
performance in an effective manner with the effectiveness of leadership in the
organization.

3. Stereotypes, Negotiations, Conflicts

Different people make use of different types of stereotypes in different situations for
example, while conducting meetings and negotiations with the people from different
cultures. This section of the report has discussed the reasons of these conflicts.

Stereotypes in the organization leads to making assumption for the individuals

working in the organization based on their gender and culture. Many a times, this
stereotyping is the result of innocent acts by some employees but results into hurting
the feelings of other employees working in the organization and makes them feel
discriminated [ CITATION Mal17 \l 1033 ]. This discrimination results into various
productivity issues and legal problems.

The term stereotyping at organizations forces the leaders to start thinking about
stereotyping and harassment related issues. Various cultural and generational
differences result into stereotyping.

A cross cultural conflict situation which I have observed in the organization is that a
female employee wearing a short skirt dress was getting compliments and were being
criticized by many employees in the organization. She was being discriminated based
on her gender and culture. Then, leader in that organization used collaborating type of
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conflict management style and made all the employees understand about the
importance of collaboration with each other and to avoid any kind of discrimination.

Collaborating conflict management style is known as the best approach to deal with
important issues in an organization. In case of conflict over any fairly unimportant
issues, accommodating strategy is the best method [ CITATION Man11 \l 1033 ]. But
when issue is fairly important, then only collaborating conflict management style can
work well to improve the relationship of the employees with the other parties.

4. Mergers and acquisitions: a strategic or cultural issue?

This section of the report has discussed about role of mergers and acquisitions in the
organization. It has described how two different cultures can unite and maintain their
duality using different forms of logics, values and principles.

The business expansion strategies, Merger and acquisition play an important role in
the organic growth of the business. This strategy helps the business to acquire other
business or to merge with other business to increase the growth of the business. This
helps the business to expand in the new as well as existing markets. When the two
businesses merge, their cultures also get merged [ CITATION Mar18 \l 1033 ]. This
merge of the cultures brings different ideas in the organization. The results of this
merging situation can be beneficial as well as disadvantages. It is also through
effective leadership in the organization to maintain duality of the cultures in the
organization. Only a leader with good qualities can maintain a balance between
different forms of logics, values and principles. Following graph describes the
reasons of mergers and acquisitions among firms.
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Idea- Vodafone merging is the best example of the successful merging of the two
different companies with employees of diverse cultures. Facebook-WhatsApp
acquisition is the best example of successful acquisition of a business by other
company. There are various other companies that are examples of successful
businesses after merging and acquisition. It reflects that merging and acquisition can
help in the expansion of business but only if the business is in the hands of effective
leaders [ CITATION Nas02 \l 1033 ].

Transcultural capability alludes to information and abilities of the people which

makes them ready to adjust diverse climate in a successful way. Writing has
demonstrated that it is through a center arrangement of capabilities that an
individual remaining parts fruitful in the adaption of any culture. This transcultural
fitness additionally advances intercultural viability [ CITATION Whe14 \l 1033 ].
Any person isn't brought into the world with such sort of aptitudes however this
capacity can be acquired from the climate where the individual has grown up.

This transcultural ability is anything but a solitary marvel in itself, there are
different variables related with it. transcultural capability is related with eth
emotional result with its prime spotlight on the change of the representatives in the
climate where they are working, yet its result is related with both abstract just as
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target result. These target results comprise of occupation execution of those people [
CITATION Pam16 \l 1033 ]. The examination contemplates have likewise
demonstrated that individual and relational change by the people is related with the
work changes which straightforwardly impact the occupation result also. As a rule,
it has been seen that exiles show moderately helpless changes when contrasted with
the locals however their exhibition high impact the general development of the
association. So, variety in an association can impact the hierarchical execution in a
compelling way with the viability of administration in the association.

5. Cultural differences and decision making

This section of the report has discussed how different countries have coped up with
the current pandemic. This section has discussed the cultural effect on COVID 19
with the example of Indian culture by measuring the different dimensions of the
cultures of the country and actions taken by them at the time of pandemic
[ CITATION Pam16 \l 1033 ].

Different countries have their different cultures and all cultures have their different
views to deal with a particular situation. In short, each culture has their own decision-
making view. This different view of every culture influence goals and behavior of the
individuals while working in the organization.
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There are two different types of culture i.e., individualists and collectivists. The
individuals with individualist's cultures have their own independent views for self-
construal and they experience happiness as their own self-engaging motion. The
individuals from collectivists cultures makes decisions for the fulfillment of their
personal accomplishments. They prefer to promote social connectedness. In any
organization, both of these types of individuals can be found which leads to
controversy based on their different opinions. Not only in organizations, but also in
different countries people, used to have different opinions to deal with a certain
situation. Latest example is COVID 19. Every country has used their own ways to
deal with the negative impact of COVID 19. Here, we have discussed the example of
India, which is a multicultural country and all different cultures have different
opinions to deal with these situations.

Every culture plays a different role in dealing with the impact of COVID -19. These
cultural impacts are different from country to country. If we look at the impact of
COVID 19 on the culture of India, it has been observed that movie industry has
given a scrambling respond for this COVID19 outbreak [CITATION Sha08 \l
1033 ]. The premier of various new Bollywood movies was cancelled. India is a
country with various cultures. Most of the cultural activities in this country are
celebrated with large gatherings. But it is due to COVID 19, all the large gatherings
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in the country have been banned. There are no literary festivals conducted in the
country since March 2019. Art galleries have been closed. In this way, Indian
culture has fully cooperated to deal with the negative impacts of COVID 19.

6. Conclusion

This report has concluded that cultures have their influence on all the aspects of life of
an individual. In every organization, cultures play an important role in increasing the
efficiency of the employees as well as overall organizational performance. But for
these positive impacts of culture, there should be effective leadership style followed
by the organization. It is only through an effective style of leadership, all the issues
arising from the cross-cultural competencies and transcultural competence can be
resolved. The report has also discussed that culture of different countries has also
played an effective role in dealing with the negative influence of COVID 19.
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7. References
Agarwal, Malhotra, & Bolton. (2010). A cross-national and cross-cultural approach to
global market segmentation: An application using consumers' perceived
service quality. Journal of International Marketing, 18(3), 18-40.
Geertz. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Wiley.
Gorondutse, A., & Hilman, H. (2019). Does organizational culture matter in the
relationship between trust and SMEs performance? Management Decsion,
57(7), 1638-1658.
Jaffe. (2005). Modernism and culture of celeberty. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Kotsokatna. (2016). German Culture: Facts, Customs and Traditions. Retrieved from
www.studying-in-germany.org: https://www.studying-in-
germany.org/german-culture/
Malik, A. R., & Singh, P. (2017). Transformational leadership and cultural minorities:
a conceptual model. European Business Review, 29(5), 500-514.
Manlio Del Giudice, E. G. (2011). Cross-Cultural Knowledge Management:
Fostering Innovation and Collaboration. Springer Science & Business Media.
Marwan. (2018). Youth, Media and Culture in the Arab World. London Sage
Publishers.
Nasaw, D. (2002). Popular Culture. American Heritage, 2(1), 1-12.
Shah. (2020). From global village to global marketplace: Metaphorical descriptions of
the global Internet. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 4(1),
9-26.
Uzuegbunam, C. E. (2017). BETWEEN MEDIA CELEBRITIES AND THE
YOUTH: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF EMERGING CELEBRITY
CULTURE ON THE LIFESTYLE OF YOUNG NIGERIANS. Journal of
African Studies, 6(2), 258-269.
Walkup, C. (2014). Build a positive culture by including personal values. Nation’s
Restaurant News,, 31(3), 70-80.
When, Rodney, & Jhan. (2014). Global use and access of social networking web sites:
a national culture perspective. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing,
8(1), 36-45.