Final Project Workshop Final Assessment (2347 words)

Title: Differences in manager-employee relationship between Spanish and XXX culture,

and how they impact on their decision-making process.

Academic Year 20XX/20XX,

Term 2 Student: XXX

Lecturer: XXX

xth of XX 20XX

European School of Economics (Campus XX)

Table of

Contents 1

Introduction

2 Backgroud to industry and organization & why this project is important to me

3 Primary souces of data

4 The research question

5 The hypothesis and Methodology

6 Conclusion

7 Bibliography
 1 Introduction

My final project, which is my dissertation focuses on the cultural differences

between Spain and XXX, thus, this paper concentrates on the cultural variations between

Spain and XXX. For instance, when you greet someone in Spain, you kiss his or her

cheeks for the respect of the people. On the other hand, in XXX, when you greet

someone, you have to make a bow for the respect. With respect to punctuality, my

Spanish friend once said that in Spain it is totally fine if you are late for 10 minutes as it

is their culture. He said that Spanish people will easily forgive if you are late. However,

in XXX, if you are late for only 1 second, it will be considered “rude” and “disrespect”

for others as you need to be on time if you promised or said it. The interesting story is

that my best Spanish friend was late for 90 minutes at the restaurant, and he did not

apologize or explain anything, he just said to me “oh I was sleeping”. Thus, it is obvious

that there are cultural differences between Spain and XXX, which is interesting as

sometimes it is totally different from XXX culture such as punctuality. It is enjoyable for

me learning and assimilating Spanish culture. My final project, which is the dissertation

focuses on the differences in manager-employee relationship between Spanish and XXX

culture at companies, and how the communication system impacts on their decision-

making process. Thus, I strongly believe that there are differences in the communication
system between
Spanish and XXX companies, and they have malign influences upon their decision- making

(Amadeo XXX 2013).

2 Backgroud to industry and organization & why this project is important to me

Organization examples (M--, T--, P--, S--, SEAT,

ZARA)

This topic is exceptionally intriguing as XXX culture have serious

repercussions upon their manager-employee communication system. As for the XXX

business management, the research makes it possible to determine that there are some

problems at a big manufacturing goods company. To demonstrate, Mitsubishi electric is

a large XXX electric firm. In 2021, Mitsubishi electric had a problem of “fraud in

testing”, which indicates that they did not test and recheck the process of producing the

air conditioning at the train. Additionally, they were doing the fraud in testing for more

than 35 years (Tim Kelly 2021). Takeno senior executive manager in Mitsubishi electric

explains that this issue stemmed from XXX culture, which is the manager-employee

communication system. Due to Mitsubishi electric is a very old company, most of

workers cannot go against their bosses, and they are being yes-man or suck-ups (The
XXX times
2021). The yes-man signifies that when a boss says something, you just say “Yes”, and

not going against his or her opinion. This is the typical XXX tradition and culture as we

respect a lot for our bosses, but we also do not express our opinion directly. This is

exceedingly weird and strange for Europeans, Latin Americans, or North Americans, but

this problem is now controversial issue in XXX companies. Additionally, TOSHIBA,

which was a large XXX electric company had a lot of accounting misconducts in 2015,

and they withdrew a lot of departments since 2015 in order to live as a company.

TOSHIBA affirms that the accounting misconducts resulted from the XXX culture (J.

WILLIAM CARPENTER 2021). There were a considerable number of suck-ups in

TOSHIBA since 2010, and all of the workers could not or were not willing to go against

their bosses, especially to CEO and their Vice CEO. Thus, all of workers have lied to

their bosses, saying that “we are making a lot of profits”, in spite of the fact that they

were not making profits, actually they were losing a lot of money. They were in a deficit

since 2010. Thus, TOSHIBA’s problem was also resulted from the XXX culture. The

primary data suggests that in TOSHIBA, there are a lot of yes-men in their firm. My

senior friends were working at there, and they told me that the company’s culture is not

great as most of workers are not willing to say their opinion to their bosses, they just say

“Yes” to their workers. Most of workers in TOSHIBA now do not have creativity to
thrive as a company.
Moreover, Panasonic, which is a huge XXX electric company has a different issue there.

Panasonic was founded by Konosuke Matsushita, who is said as “God of Business

management” all over the world. In addition, Panasonic has bought Sanyo in 2009 which

was a big XXX electric company. Thus, basically, within Panasonic, there are 2 groups,

which are Panasonic and Sanyo. The problem is that Sanyo members do not like

Panasonic people. This issue stemmed from the XXX culture. Even though Panasonic

bought Sanyo and fundamentally, Sanyo is Panasonic’s one of the departments now,

Panasonic and Sanyo cannot work or collaborate together. This is the XXX culture that

they make what is called “Groups” and they are not willing to collaborate with each

other. Thus, now Panasonic is still a global XXX electric company, but they are a very

weak company in the world in terms of profits. On the other hand, Sony is a global

conglomerate XXX company. Sony was always competing with Panasonic as they are

both electric companies. However, Sony is now winning against Panasonic as they were

successful in collaborating with each other. Sony also bought a lot of foreign firms, and

they are doing a great job collaborating with each other. Therefore, these are the

examples of XXX companies that were affected by negative XXX tradition. In addition,

in terms of Spanish manufacturing goods company, for instance, SEAT, which was a

Spanish big car company. In SEAT, the relationship between the bosses and workers are
very flat,
everyone can say anything to each other (Andrew Miller 2013). This has been positive

repercussions upon their development as a company. The primary data suggests that

most of workers are exceptionally comfortable with their bosses. A XXX worker who

has been working at SEAT said that the Spanish companies are very different from

XXX companies. It is evident that Spanish culture has been giving positive impact to

the development of the company. Another example would be “Zara”. The 3 friends who

are working at a Zara insisted that they have a great relationship with their managers.

All of workers are not afraid of speaking with their bosses. Hence, this is the example of

the Spanish company that is affected by Spanish culture. This final project, which is the

dissertation plays a pivotal role in my life, because I will be able to learn the cultural

differences in the communication system at each firm. This project will be exceptionally

useful and helpful in my future, as I would like to land a job at a XXX company in the

future, and I would like to work abroad. I will be able to assimilate the knowledge and I

will be utilizing this knowledge in my future. Therefore, this final project is of crucial

importance for me.

3 Primary souces of data

My primary sources of data will be academic papers, information of the

businesses and organizations, interviews with XXX and Spanish, and published material

by governmental offices. For instance, Mitsubishi and TOSHIBA issues are global

controversial issues, thus, there is a lot of information on their website and also on

governmental websites. In addition, Panasonic and Sanyo’s problem is also found in

academic papers as well. Therefore, as for differences in manager-employee relationship

for XXX ones, it can easily be found on their websites (HANNAH CHRISTINA

GLOCK 2014). Furthermore, lots of interviews will be carried out with XXX people

who are working at a XXX company in online. As for the communication system in

Spanish firms, there are also plenty of academic papers, and information of the

businesses and organizations. Lots of interviews will be carried out with Spanish people

who are working at Spanish firms for the primary data. There are published material by

Spanish governmental offices. Hence, they are my primary sources of data.

4 The research question

In addition, my research question is: Key factors enhancing and hindering the

communication system in both cultures, and how they influence upon their decision-

making.
 The SMART defines that Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and

Timely. To begin with, in my opinion, my research question is well defined, clear, and

also unambiguous. Thus, it is specific as the research question is well understandable.

Additionally, the research question is measurable. It is with clear criteria that measure

my progress toward the completion of my dissertation. Further, it is achievable for me

to finish this dissertation. This is because I am from XXX and have been living in Spain

for more than 2 years. Thus, my research topic is attainable, which is not impossible to

accomplish my goal. What is more, the research question is realistic. This is because it

is exceptionally relevant to my life purpose. Also, it is realistic and within reach.

Finally, I need to ask myself if the research question is time bound. My research

question in not time-bound, as there is no specific defined timeline. There is no starting

date and a target date in my research question. Reflection and reorganization are needed

by myself and rewriting the research question is necessary action to take. Therefore, my

research question is SMAR, as T section is missing.

5 The hypothesis and Methodology

My hypothesis is that: I strongly believe that there are certain main factors
enhancing and hindering the communication system in both cultures, and also that those

factors have been impacting their business decision-making in negative ways. This is

because XXX culture has been having an impact a lot on the XXX corporation

whether it is a positive influence or negative influence (Gloria García 2015). Thus, my

hypothesis is clear, and I would like to further research my topic to see if my hypothesis

is right or wrong. Regarding the methodologies, there are some practices that

‘Groupthink’ is a group pressure phenomenon that increases the risk of the group

making flawed decisions because of reduced mental sharpness, reality testing, and moral

judgment. For instance, in XXX culture, we can never say directly and straightforward to

our bosses that “I disagree with your idea”. This is because it is rude to say things in

straightforward for XXX culture. Therefore, if we do the group thinking, there will be

some people who do not disagree with CEO or their boss and they will just say, “Yes, I

agree with your idea”. In XXX work environment, you can see this a lot especially if

you work at a XXX company. There are symptoms or sings to recognize “Groupthink” in

a decision. To illustrate, “direct pressure on any member who expresses strong

arguments against any of the group’s stereotypes, illusions, or commitments”, this

means that everybody agrees even though a few people actually disagree, nobody

questions due to the direct pressure. “Self-censorship when members of the group
minimize their own doubts and
counterarguments”, this means that one person does not say his or her opinion,

considering the atmosphere of the meeting. “The emergence of self-appointed ‘mind

guards’ where one or more members protect the group from information that runs

counter to the group’s assumptions and course of action”, this means that the self-

appointed mind guard is very dictator, and nobody will question him or her due to he is

their boss. “Stereotyped views of out-groups are seen when groups discount rivals’

abilities to make effective responses”, this means that all of members in a firm look

down upon the rival’s abilities, wrong perception, which will result in a failure decision.

In a nutshell, these methodologies are the examples that can be useful and helpful for

my dissertation. In addition, the embassy of XXX in Spain can be a great place to talk

about my dissertation. If there is information that I can use for my dissertation from

them, I will definitely use them. In addition, I made 5 provisional questions for the

interview.

1 In what ways does your country culture affect your company management style?

2 Tell me about a time when you were working at your company. In your opinion, was

the company’s culture good in order to prosper as a company?

 3 Could you kindly give me an example when you felt that your culture is affecting

your decision-making and your firm’s business management style?

4 What was it like for you when you felt that your culture is bothering your company’s

development? Could you kindly tell me the situation if you could?

5 Could you kindly think about a situation or anecdote at your workplace, how could

you identify your company's culture?

These are my interview questions, of course, I will translate it into Spanish and XXX. I

will be using academic papers, information of the businesses and organizations from

their website, interviews with XXX and Spanish, articles that are reliable, and published

material by governmental offices.

6 Conclusion

In conclusion, this project was the great preparedness for me to undertake the

final dissertation. I am really interested in researching if the cultural differences affect

the
communication system between managers and employees in Spanish and XXX

companies. It can be said that I was able to know what has to be ameliorated in order to

accomplish my final dissertation such as the research question. I will be seeking a wider

variety of the primary data, and secondary data for my dissertation. The final

dissertation means a lot to me, since I can take advantage of my time in Spain, which

means that I can have an interview with Spanish people in person. There are a lot of

methodologies that can be useful such as “Groupthink”. There are also a considerable

number of corporations that will be helpful and useful for my dissertation such as

Mitsubish, Toshiba, or Zara. I would like to put a lot of effort for my dissertation as it is

relevant to my future career and life purpose.

 7 Bibliography

2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.synergymediaspecialists.com/150-years-on-

spain-and-XXX-strengthen-their-commitment-to-one-another/> [Accessed 13 March

2022].

2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/analyses/XXX-

cultural-values-in-business-relationships/> [Accessed 13 March 2022].

2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.reuters.com/technology/mitsubishi-electric-

apologises-falsifying-train-equipment-inspection-data-2021-07-02/> [Accessed 13

March 2022].

2022. [online] Available at:

<https://XXXtoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/differences-in-business-culture-

between-XXX-and-west> [Accessed 13 March 2022].

Answers.microsoft.com. 2022. C:¥Users¥user¥Downloads¥WindowsXPMode_eu-

us.exe is not a valid Win32 application. [online] Available at:

<https://answers.microsoft.com/enus/windows/forum/all/cusersuserdownloadswindows

xpmodeeu-usexe-is-not-a/6e912f58-335c-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5> [Accessed 13

March 2022].

Carbuyer.co.uk. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-

advice/154652/seat-skoda-and-volkswagen-whats-the-difference> [Accessed 13 March

2022].

New Horizons Global Partners. 2022. XXX Business Culture | 5 Things You Should

Know. [online] Available at: <https://nhglobalpartners.com/XXX-business-culture-five-

things-you-should-know/> [Accessed 13 March 2022].

Hofstede Insights. 2022. Country Comparison - Hofstede Insights. [online] Available at:

<https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/XXX,spain/> [Accessed 13

March 2022].
Glock, H., 2022. Preparing Western Managers for Business in XXX. An Analysis of the

XXX Culture. [online] Grin.com. Available at:

<https://www.grin.com/document/339717> [Accessed 13 March 2022].

The XXX Times. 2022. Mitsubishi Electric used rigged air conditioning test program

since 1980s. [online] Available at:

<https://www.XXXtimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/01/business/mitsubishi-electric-rigged-

test-program/> [Accessed 13 March 2022].

Okubo, M., 2022. 150 years on, Spain and XXX strengthen their commitment to one

another. [online] The XXX Times. Available at: <https://www.XXXtimes.co.jp/country-

report/2018/11/12/spain-report-2018/150-years-spain-XXX-strengthen-commitment-

one-another/> [Accessed 13 March 2022].

Rudlin, P., 2022. What's going on, Panasonic? - Rudlin Consulting. [online] Rudlin

Consulting. Available at: <https://rudlinconsulting.com/whats-going-on-panasonic/>

[Accessed 13 March 2022].

Volkswagenag.com. 2022. SEAT | Brands & Models of the Volkswagen Group. [online]

Available at: <https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/brands-and-models/seat.html>

[Accessed 13 March 2022].

the Guardian. 2022. Sony profits soar as it benefits from home entertainment boom.

[online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/aug/04/sony-

profits-soar-benefits-from-home-entertainment-boom-playstation-5> [Accessed 13

March 2022].

Investopedia. 2022. Toshiba's Accounting Scandal: How It Happened (OTCBB:

TOSBF). [online] Available at:

<https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/081315/toshibas-accounting-scandal-

how-it-happened.asp> [Accessed 13 March 2022].