Business in multicultural environment

Question: Analyse the relationships between 6 variables of the

Effectiveness of Work Group Model 
Introduction:
Once the groups have been formed, it happens that some groups perform well whereas
some groups do not perform well. This happens because there are several factors both
within and outside the groups, what affect its performance.

1. External conditions:
A group is a part of large organizations. They are created by the organization and as such,
they do not exist in isolation. A group has to rather work within the framework provided by
the organization. Every group is influenced by a number of external conditions imposed from
outside it. These external conditions include the organization’s strategy, its rules,
regulations, its culture, physical work setting, employee selection process, etc.
Part of the group behaviour is determined by the larger organization to which it belongs.
•Strategy
•Authority structure
•Regulations used
These factors determine a context which may have positive and negative effects on
performance. Firm strategy and HR practices may support or inhibit efforts by team
members in multicultural environments.
 

2. Group resources:
By the term group resources, we mean the resources that an individual member brings to
the group. The Group's performance to a large extent depends upon the resources of its
members.
These resources may be categorized into two types:
(i) Knowledge, skills, efficiency, capabilities and
(ii) Personality characteristics (such as openness, honesty, dominance, extroverted, etc.)
Both these resources strongly affect the group performance by influencing how an individual
will interact with other group members.

3. Group structure:
A group comprises of a number of individuals and has a well-defined structure. Groups have
structures that shape the behaviour of its members and make it possible to predict and
explain the individual behaviour within the group as well as the performance of the group as
a whole.
Some of the structural components are:

 Group Status:

The term status refers to the relative ranking that a person holds in a group. Status is
determined in the context of comparison. Therefore, status defines the rank of an individual
relative to others in the organization and the group. Status is in-fact defined in terms of
rights, privileges, duties, and obligations the individual holds in an organization.
It is an important factor in understanding human behaviour. When an individual perceives a
disparity between his status with that of other group members, it creates a disequilibrium that
results in interpersonal conflicts. So, what is important for the group members is to believe
that the status hierarchy is equitable and just.

 Group Norms:

A norm is accepted by group members. It is a rule of conduct that has been established by group
members. They are standardized generalizations concerning expected behaviour in matters that
are of some importance of the group.
A rule dictates what must be done by another whereas norm refers to what should be done.
Group norm is a standard of behaviour. In other words, group norm is a rule that tells the
individual how to behave in a particular group. Thus, group norms identify the standards against
which behaviour of group members will be evaluated and help the group members know what
they should not do. Norms could be formal or could be informal.
Group norms are the “Ought” or “should be” of behaviour. They are prescriptions for
acceptable behaviour determined by the group. “Group Norms are a set of beliefs, feelings,
and attitudes commonly shared by group members. These are also referred to as rules or
standards of behaviour that apply to group members”.
A very comprehensive definition of group norms is given by The Handbook of Industrial and
Organisational Psychology. According to this definition, “All groups have established norms,
that is, acceptable standards of behaviour that are shared by the group members. Norms tell
members what they ought and ought not to do under certain circumstances. From an
individual’s standpoint, they tell what is expected of them in certain situations. When agreed
to and accepted by the group, norms act as a means of influencing the behaviour of group
members with a minimum of external controls. Norms differ among groups, communities,
and societies, but they all have them.”
From the above definitions, we can observe the following characteristics
of group norms:

 Just as an individual’s characteristics are revealed through his personality, the

characteristics of a group are revealed or represented through norms.
 Norms are the basis of the behaviour of members in the group. For example, it is an
unwritten norm that employees do not criticize their bosses in public. Thus, this norm
is related to the behaviour which is considered important by most group members.
 The norms are the basis for predicting and controlling the behaviour of good
members. For example, norms may include behaviour in a particular manner both
within and outside the group meetings.
 The norms are applied to all members, though very stringent uniformity is not
followed. In certain cases, some deviations may be allowed but not to the extent of
jeopardizing group goals. For example, if a code of dress for the meetings or for the
workplace is there, it is to be followed by all the members.
 Norms also identify the values and ethics of the group members. They are
established on the basis of what is right and decent and expected of professionals.
 Though formalized norms are written up in organizational manuals setting out rules
and procedures for employees to follow, but by far the majority of norms in
organizations are informal. For example, you don’t have to tell someone that it is
unacceptable to gossip while the meeting is going on.
 Group Roles:

All members of the group are expected to play specific roles. By this term, we mean a set of
expected behaviour patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social
unit. Quite often, this role is a function of the individual’s job description. A role consists of a
pattern of norms, it is a position that can be acted out by an individual. The content of a
given role is prescribed by the prevailing norms. Role can best be defined as a position that
has expectations evolving from established norms.
The main issue is that a person is required to play a number of roles and the behaviour
varies with the role he is playing. Different groups impose different role requirements on
individuals. When we examine the concept of role in-depth, it becomes obvious that there
are different types of roles.
 Role Requirements of the Members:
 Role Identity:

Role identity is created by certain attitudes and actual behaviours that are consistent with a
role. When people change a job, the situation and job demand also change. It has been
observed that in such circumstances, people have the ability to shift their roles rapidly. For
example, in a particular workplace when some workers were promoted to supervisor jobs,
their attitudes changed from pro-union to pro-management within a few months of their
promotion. It means there was a rapid change in their role identities.

  Role Perception;

Every person has his own perception of how he should act in a given situation. Role
perception is the view of a person, which consists of those activities or behaviours the
individual believes are supposed to be fulfilled in the given situation. The individual gets this
perception from stimuli all around us—friends, books, movies, television, etc. In India, for
example, every female police officer will certainly be influenced by Mrs. Kiran Bedi. Because
of role perception, apprenticeship programs exist in many trades and professions, which
allow beginners to watch an ‘expert’, so that they can learn to act as they are supposed to.

 Role Expectations:

Role expectations are defined as how others believe or expect, you should act in a given
situation. How you behave is determined to a large extent in which way you are acting? The
Advertising manager of a company, for example, is expected to review the proposals and
plans of the subordinates, rejecting those that will not promote company products and
approving those that will contribute to increased roles.
Another example is that the role of a university professor is viewed as having dignity and
propriety, whereas a football coach is seen as aggressive, dynamic and inspiring to his
players. When role expectations are concentrated into generalized categories, we have role
stereotypes. In the workplace, it can be helpful to look at the topic of role expectations
through the perspective of the psychological contract. According to an unwritten agreement
that exists between employees and the employer, the psychological contract sets out mutual
expectations, what management expects from workers and vice versa.
Management is expected to treat the employees justly, provide good and acceptable working
conditions, proper communication and give feedback on how well the employee is doing.
Employees are expected to respond by demonstrating a positive attitude following directions
and showing loyalty to the organization. When role expectations as implied in a
psychological contract are not met, there will be negative repercussions from both the sides.
The psychological contract is regarded as a powerful determiner of behaviour in
organizations.

 Role Conflict:
When an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations, the result is role conflict. It
exists in a situation, where an individual finds that compliance with one role requirement may
make compliance with another more difficult. At the extreme, it would include situations in
which two or more role expectations are mutually contradictions. All of us are faced with and
will continue to face role conflicts.
The most critical question is how conflicts imposed by divergent expectations within the
organizations affect the behaviour. Certainly, they increase internal tension and frustration.
There are a number of behavioural responses a person may engage in.

4. Group tasks

From the task in which the group is engaged it will depend:

 The process
 The outcome
 Degree and nature of interdependence of group members
Classification of tasks:
 Clearly defined production tasks
 Cognitive or intellective tasks
 Creative idea generation / decision making tasks
 
5. Group Process:

Another component in our group performance model is the group process. A process can be
simply defined as a systematic method of handling activities. Some of these processes that
affect group performance include – the communication patterns, leader behaviour, group
decision making, intergroup behaviour, group cohesiveness, etc. The group processes may
have a positive or at times even a negative impact on the group performance.
When group processes like: communication patterns, decision processes and reactions to
conflicts, cause a failure in meeting the group’s potential, the group suffers a process loss.

 Groupthink: group consensus is more important than other courses of action

 Social loafing: I will do less because someone else will do my job
When group efforts exceed that of individual members, we have a process gain or a
synergy.
 
The group process may at times lead to synergy whereby the groups can create output
much greater than the sum of their inputs. The negative aspect is best depicted by social
loafing, which represents negative synergy i.e. the output is much less than the sum of
inputs. The impact of group process on the group’s performance to a great deal depends
upon the tasks that the group is doing.
Group Processes Over Time: 
All groups go through 5 stages, but not necessarily in sequence:

 Forming: members start to think of themselves as part of the group

 Storming: individual characteristics and expectations conflict with the group structure
 Norming: agreement is reached on expectations and acceptable behaviours
 Performing: accomplishing the task (teams remain here)
 Adjourning: for task forces and crews, when the task is completed.
When there is a deadline for the accomplishment of the task, the group could set its direction
in the first meeting, then adhere to the pattern decided, at least of the first half of its life.
Over time there may drop the previous behaviour to adopt new directions and alternative
enhanced activities.
Finally, each member presses each other to make their contribution to accomplish the task.
There is an equilibrium at each point and this development model is called «punctuated
equilibrium model»
 

6. Group Performance:

Group performance is contingent upon a number of factors. For instance, the external
conditions which include the rules, regulations, selection procedure of the organization, etc.
highly affect group performance. Similarly, the group is more likely to be productive when its
members have requisite skills and personality characteristics. The group size, composition,
norms, cohesiveness, etc.
< Thiếu conclusion >

Question: what are the main differences between task force, crew and team
Name When to use  Purpose Example Advantages
To address a major, Make complex and
Task Redesign the Temporary but of
complex issue or consequential
Force curriculum major importance
project recommendations
To accomplish a major, Assure that adequate Focuses talent and
Funded research
 Team focused task (not just talent and time are energy on important
project
recommendation) devoted to task deliverable
Curriculum Organizational
To address a recurring Give advice, make
committee, memory,
Crew need within an decisions or
admissions development of
organization recommendations
committee expertise
Formal or
Name Drawbacks Tips Other
Informal
Set up rotating
Can lead to Uses procedures
terms, succession Needs chair who
Crew entrenched power; often specified in
plan for understands role in system
people can burn out by-laws
leadership
Define the charge
Can get bogged Procedures
at the beginning;
down; overload, determined by Need to keep in mind final
Task keep in contact
poor commitment task; may be decision-makers and their
Force with sponsor
possible; can go formal or informal requirements
group via interim
astray. in tone
reports
Leader needs visible
Depends on task Provide focused support of higher authority
Can suffer from
or context; good leadership; use to assure member
lack of necessary
to have well project tools; contribution at times;
Team time commitment
developed team members members need to have a
from participating
methods, adapted may need training fixed portion of their time
units and members
to the task at hand up front committed to the project
and budgeted
Question: Company “Only One Man”, located in Los Angeles, California, USA.
We are an entertainment company, specializing in managing artists, producing
music, and the company also organizes production of professional cultural and
artistic exchange programs, and is the producer for cult international music
events in the USA. 

Six-step problem solving

Step 1:  Problem Definition
Recognizing that a decision is needed and Identifying the problem
 Problem define: Our company are looking for a new leader to lead a team
to produce a new music project 
 The root causes of the problem: We signed a contract to produce a music
project in the beginning of the next year. This will be the biggest tour
concert travel all over the USA with the participation of many famous
artists, performing newly composed songs as well as sharing about
upcoming personal projects. So, we need to choose between 1 of 5
candidates to be the leader for this project 

Step 2: Identify Decision Criteria 

Considering more than one objective
1. Skill to create MKT campaign
With any music project, MKT campaign really important because it decide the
popularity and level of influence on the audience and the media
2. Analysis trend and tastes
With a specific industry such as entertainment, quickly grasping new trends and
anticipating, analysing the tastes of the audience in the coming time, it will
determine the success of the project in particular and company in general.
3. Financial management skill
Financing is the core of any event. A good leader is someone who has the
ability to balance the finances, make accurate and timely decisions so as not to
cause lack of funding for the later stages of the project.
4. Team leadership
Group leading: Team leadership is very important when working in a team, a
talented leader must be able to connect team members, divide work in
accordance with each person's ability but at the same time create opportunities.
give your employees the opportunity to develop new skills and progress at work
Praise a job well done. This praise feels sincere since you took the time to spell
out details. You also emphasize the actions that you'd like to see the employee
do more often and everybody benefits when people experience clear direction.
Provide opportunity for advancement. People want chances for training and
cross-training. They want to participate in a special committee where their
talents are noticed. They like to attend professional association meetings and
represent your organization at civic and philanthropic events. 
5. Communication skill
Of all the qualities that a good leader has, communication has to be one of the
most important. Being able to communicate what you need both clearly and
concisely is essential in any workplace. If you can’t communicate your vision,
values and expectations to your team, it is almost impossible to work towards
and achieve the same objectives.
6. Event planning and ability to handle situations
Event management skills are essential for a music project leader. Experience not
only provides the ability to respond to unforeseen situations, but also connects
with stakeholders to create a successful event.
7. Technical issues
Technical issues are not the most important when organizing a music event, but
the leader also needs to have some knowledge to handle specific situations in a
timely manner.

Step 3: Weight the Criteria 

The criteria identified may not have the same importance; they must be
prioritized.

Criteria  Weight
Event planning and ability to handle 25%
situations
Communication skill 20%
Team leadership 20%
Skill to create MKT campaign 10%
Financial management skill 10%
Analysis trend and taste 10%
Technical issues 5%
Total  100%

Step 4: Generate the Alternatives

Identify all the possible alternatives that satisfy the criteria. No evaluation.
With this project, we have 5 candidates for the position of leader. They belong
to different areas of the company with rich experience and unique strengths
Candidates profile
Candidate 1 Candidate 2 Candidate 3 Candidate 4 Candidate 5

Name Lionel Messi  Katy Perry Adam G-Dragon Shawn

Levine  Mendes

Position MKT Manager Event Technical Music Financial

s Manager manager director Manager 

Year of 10 years at Sony An An 5 year- 7 year-

experien Picture accomplished experienced experience in experience
ce Entertainment , highly IT Manager the music working in
and Universal experienced with 13 years director Big4,
Pictures (8 years), and of experience position and participated
qualified of managing 8 year as in analysis
Events the IT music many
Manager infrastructure producer financial
cases for
huge
corporate 

Strength  Team M  Event  Operate   Busi

s anagement planning the technical Operational ness
 Performa & system process Develop
nce execution  Ability to optimisation ment
management  Proble handle  Media  Fina
 Trend/re m solving situations management ncial
venue and & manage
analysis troublesh accreditation  ment 
ooting

Weakne  Event  Business   Less  Event

ss planning & Development Team Manag skill in planning &
execution  Financial ement operate execution
 Problem management   the  Problem
solving and  Operate Performance technical solving and
troubleshooti the technical management system troubleshoot
ng system   Abilit ing
 Operate  Ability to Trend/revenu y to 
the technical handle e analysis handle Operational
system situations  Event situations process
planning &  Busin optimisation
execution ess
Develop
ment
 Finan
cial
managem
ent 
Competi  Ability  Adapt in  Has  Capab  ability to
tive to assessing and important le of persuade
advantag implement understanding expertise in adapting sponsors
e mkt the unique the to last  Financial
campaign needs of each management minute and expense
 ability to event  of high-tech change managemen
connect with  Excels in equipment  Have t for events
other team leading systems communi  develop
members projects from  The ability cation financial
 analyse initial concept to react with plans;
trends and to quickly to many efficiently
audience completion, unexpected artists, exploiting
tastes including incidents music and using
creating the producers capital
background , ... sources
operational  Involv
processes ed in the
which are music
critical to the industry
success of initially
large-scale as artists,
high-profile A&Rs, or
events. producers
for a
number of
years and
building a
strong
reputation
.

Step 5: Evaluate the Alternatives

Prediction on the outcomes and consequences of each choice.
Evaluate 
Candidate 1: 
 Have numerous experiences in creating a marketing campaign. 
 Can predict the market trend.
 Have many years of most work experience in all candidates.
 Have the capability to lead the team.
 Lack of knowledge about technical issues.
Candidate 2:
 Have the proficiency in planning events and handling emergency
situations.
 Lack of skill in financial management.
  Adapt quickly in assessing and understanding the unique needs of each
event.
 Have the ability to become a team leader.
 Shortage of ability to forecast the trend.
Candidate 3:
 Less experience in planning and running an entertainment event 
 Medium team leadership skills
 Never create mkt campaign and make financial decisions
 Lack of sensitivity to fluctuations of trends
 Have few relationships with event organizers or famous artists
Candidate 4:
 Have many relationships with artists and music producers
 Ability to analyse the market quite well
 Ability to manage the average financial
 Capable of implementing MKT campaigns
 Experienced in organizing events, handling unexpected situations and
leading the team
 Lack of ability to solve technical problems
Candidate 5:
 lack of experience in organizing events
 ability to make good financial decisions
 knowledgeable about the market
 poor ability to handle situations
 unable to resolve technical situations
 have many relationships with agencies such as entertainment companies,
rental units, costumes, sound and light equipment, ...

Evaluate 

Criteria  Weight Can Can Can Can Can

1 2 3 4 5
Event planning and handle 25% 10% 20% 5% 18% 10%
situations
Communication skill 20% 10% 18% 10% 17% 15%
Team leadership 20% 10% 15% 5% 15% 10%
Skill to create MKT campaign 10% 10% 5% 0% 8% 2%
Financial management skill 10% 2% 2% 0% 5% 10%
 Analysis trend and taste 10% 10% 5% 3% 8% 3%
Technical issues 5% 0% 2% 5% 3% 0%
Total  100% 52% 67% 28% 73% 50%

Step 6: Select the Optimal Solution 

For each solution, multiply effectiveness on each criterion times the
weighting
 Following 5 steps below, our company chose the candidate 4 (G-Dragon,
a music director) to become the new leader of our next music project
because he is the best one who can meet the requirements we need. 
Question: Situation: Interview 6 candidates to select 2 for
Marketing positions
The Rational Decision Making Process

STEP 1 Problem Definition Choose 2 people from 6 candidates for

Marketing position.

STEP 2 Identify Decision Criteria 6 candidates are described as below

STEP 3 Weight The Criteria Base on requirements above to identify

priority

STEP 4 Generate The Alternatives

STEP 5 Evaluate THe Alternatives

STEP 6 Select The Optimal Solution

● STEP 1
Choose 2 people from 6 candidates for Marketing position. Recruiting the candidates who
meet some criterias as follow:

1. Graduated from Marketing major or relevant majors.

2. Have at least 1 year experience at marketing specialist
 3. English in advanced: minimum IELTS 6.5, the third language is advantage
4. Time is flexible (for business trip or overtime)
5. Be able to be under pressure of the job
6. Familiar with advertising tools such as Google, Facebook and traditional media.
7. Willing to learn, share and teamwork with their colleagues.

● STEP 2

Candidate 1 Candidate 2 Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate

4 6
3 5

Name Im Yoona July Nguyen Mai Ngọc Vu Duc Do Daniel

Nguyen Hoang Anh Anh Kang

Age 25 24 26 27 25 28

Gender Female Male Female Female Male Male

Address Truc Bach, Hoang No. 1, Cau Hapulico 64 Quan Su, Kang Nam
Ha Noi, Quoc Viet, Giay Street, Tower,, Tran Hung Tower,
Viet Nam Cau Giay, Hanoi Thanh Dao, Hoan Nam Tu
Ha Noi, Xuan, Kiem, Ha Liem, Ha
Viet Nam Hanoi Noi Noi

Education Bachelor of Bachelor of Bachelor of Bachelor Bachelor of - Bachelor

Digital Marketing Foreign of Internationa in Vietnam
Marketing in National Economics Economics l Business National
in Saint Economics in Foreign in in University
Mary’s University Trade Nottingham
Seoul
University, University Trent
National
Canada University - MBA for
University
( 2012- Marketing

2016) in HEC
 Paris MSc
in
Marketing

Experience 2 years in 1 year in + 3 years as 3 years in + 1 year in 3 year

marketing Advertising, a sales Digital sales
(2016-
Associate- Writing specialist Marketing position
2019) as
SM content (2016 -
(2014-
Entertainme 2019) Team
2016)
nt ( 2017- + 7 months leader in

2019) in Content Marketing

+ 1 year as a Marketing Projects in
salesman in Swing
(2018-2019)
sales Company
department
(2019-2020)

Skills - English/ -Writing + Good - Negotia- Photoshop , -MS Excel,

marketing English tion make and powerpoint
Korea
content write
content
+Teamwork Teamwork -Digital
- Adobe
- Basic Marketing
photoshop photoshop Skill
+Confident, -Planning
dynamic,
- Microsoft good

Office Suite communica- -Time

tion, manage-

capable of ment

- Dreamweaver persuasive
 negotiation

Organiza- SM CleverAds Vingroup JYP Adsplus in K-connect

tion Entertain- entertainm Vietnam Company
ment ent

Certificates 7.5 ielts -5.5 ielts -6.5 ielts 8.0 ielts 7.5 ielts 1st in
Content
Topik 5 N3
Marketing
Japanese
Award for

Best
Project
MKT

7.5 ielts

Language English, -English -Vietnamese English English English,

Korean Korean,
-English Korean
Vietnames
Japan e, Japanese

Interest Books -Travel -Music Dance Edit video, Music,

travel, vlog Travel,
Music -Reading -Travel Sing
Take photo
book
- Playing Reading
-Music sports book

● STEP 3

No Elements Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate

 1 2 3 4 5

1 Bachelor of x x x x x x
Marketing or
relevant

2 Have at least 1- x x x x x x
year experience in
marketing

3 Language (at least x x x x x

6.0 IELTS)

4 Time x x
management

5 Teamwork x x x x

6 Knowledge about x x x x x
Advertising tools

7 Writing mkt x x x x
content

8 Design/Ps x x x x

9 Achievement x x x

10 Other foreign x x x
languages (except
English)

Attitude during Active A little bit Confident Perfectionist Sociable Professional

interview introverted and and and open- ,good at
Dynamic minded teamwork
Calm
 TOTAL (/10) 7 6 6 8 6 9

● STEP 4

Candidate Alternative 1 Candidate Alternative 2

Name Nguyễn Trần Linh Chi Trần Hoàng Nam

Age 25 26

Gender Female Male

Address Bạch Mai, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội Hàm Nghi, Nam Từ Liêm,
Hà Nội

Education Bachelor of International Business Bachelor of Digital

at International School, VNU Marketing at RMIT

Major: Marketing

Department 2 years in HR Manager 3 years in E-commerce (C2C

& B2C)

Experience in + Intensive study of marketing at + Intensive study of

Marketing University marketing and join
marketing club at University
+ Used to coordinate with the
marketing department to run events + 7 months internship at
for the company Marketing Specialist position

Skills - Social network (Fb, Ins, etc) - Planning

- Good presentation skills - Teamwork
- Time management - Enthusiasm
- Planning - Negotiation
- Responsibility - Critical thinking
- Good communicated ability - Good adaptability
Organization IC Joint Stock Company IC Joint Stock Company

Certificate IELTS 6.5 TOEIC 850, HSK 3

Language English English, Chinese

Interest Music, read books Travel, play sports, read

books

● STEP 5

Candidate Alternative 1 Candidate Alternative 2

Bachelor of Marketing or x
relevant
x

Have at least 1-year

experience in marketing

Language (at least 6.0 x x

IELTS)

Time management x

Teamwork x x

Knowledge about x x
Advertising tools

Writing mkt content x

Design/Ps x

Achievement

Other foreign languages x

(except English)
 Attitude during interview A little bit introverted Active

TOTAL 5 7

● STEP 6
Through 5 steps to identify and evaluate criterias of 6 candidates and 2 alternatives,
we compared and made optimal decision: choosing candidate 4 and 6, who scored
highest in accordance with the requirements of our recruitment.

 Question: Choose 1 out of 6 candidates to become the best employee of the

month in the Sales Team.

Steps Content
Problem Selecting the best Sales employee of the month is
definition the way to encourages the staff to work effectively
and enhance productivity.
Identify The employee of the month selection criterion depends
decision on two main aspects working performance in the teams
criteria and working attitude toward their job.

Weight the  The employees who are loyal to the company

criteria for more than 1 year. (1p)
 Greater employee engagement: passionate
about their job, devote wholeheartedly to the
task and complete the work in time. (3p)
 Provide better customer service ratings:
listen well and response to their complaints
or question in time. (2p)
 Less errors or complaints from the clients
(1.5p)
 Working performance: much contribution to
 the revenue, quickly solution when facing
problems. (4p)
 Discipline and punctuality (0.5p)
 Supporting and Cooperating with their co-
worker (1.5p)

Generate the  The employees are on probationary period

alternatives or work in nearly 1 years and provide the
best customer services or high contribution
to the revenue
 Employees who have complaints from
choosy customers but have highly working
performance.
 

Generate the alternative and evaluate the alternative

Criteria Loyal Employe Best Less Working Discipli Cooperat Tot

ty e custom errors performa ne ion with al
engagem er or nce co-
ent service complai workers
nts

Jim 1 2 1 0.5 2 0.5 1 8

(Retail
sales
clerk)

Greg 1 3 2 1 2 0.5 1 10.

(sales 5
assista
nt)
Irene 1 3 2 1 3.5 0.5 1.5 12.
(Retail 5
sales
clerk)
Sunny 1 2 1.5 1 3 0.5 1 10
(Sales
assista
nt)
Joy 1 2.5 2 0.5 2.5 0.5 1.5 10.
(Retail 5
sales
clerk)

5. Evaluation:

Jim had the lowest overall score.

Greg and Joy met all requirement at medium standards.

Irene did the best in all the criteria and also reached highest overall

score.

Sunny had high working performance but low at other criteria.

6. Selection:

According to the Evaluation Selection the optimal solution:

Optimal selection is Irene (Retail sales clerk). 

Question: Analyse 3 aspects of Cultural influences on Work group

Your team has 4 members: 1 from America, 1 from Singapore, 1 from France and the leader
is from China. The team works on 1 business project. How should the team leader do to
manage the team? 
Compare chart

Leader: China America Singapore France

Cultural - Following - American - Appreciate teamwork - The French are very
norms collectivism. workplaces follow a - one for all. attentive to your way of
system of "structured addressing both in life and
- Chinese often individualism". - Very respectful face. at work. Not only that,
work longer hours - In America, people In business, avoid avoid asking about
than most call each other by cases or statements personal issues (family,
Westerners. their first names. that offend them to children ...), especially
- Americans prefer lead to unfortunate when you first get to know
- In meetings, the friendly and friendly consequences. them. For the French, it is
older person will colleagues, and tend disrespectful and you will
introduce his or her to laugh a lot. But not have sympathy from
name first, even they do not like - Physical contact with them.
though the person contact when people of the same
has a lower position communicating. Take gender is normal. - Contributing opinions in
than the others. care not to stand too the meeting are highly
close when speaking appreciated by the French.
- When using a and minimize
name, please use physical contact. - Punctuality is very - At French companies,
"Mr / Mrs / Ms" as - Communication important. colleagues are very strict
the last name. style is direct and with your working attitude.
key. They argue that You need to be really
- Offering and it is frankly reliable attentive and serious at
receiving business and effective. -In meeting and work. For example,
cards both hands: - Things about greeting listening to music while
It is actually a income, age, politics working, being late for
Chinese courtesy to and religion are often +Greetings will follow work, chatting during work
show respect to considered taboo in a strict often based on hours is unacceptable and
others, especially in the US workplace. both the ethnic origin will be severely criticized.
the case when the Instead choose and age of the person 
younger and the neutral topics like - France is a country with a
inferior are giving hobbies, +Younger people or very diverse culture and
cards to the older entertainment, sports those who work in many of these are
and the superior. or other leisure multinational underground cultures. For
-Like most things in activities. companies may have example, in an office
China, business - Punctuality is very adopted the western setting, some colleagues
management is important.  concept of shaking have a habit of saying good
based upon the - During the meeting, hands with everyone. morning by "Bonjour",
teachings of attendees should This is not the case while others often kiss
Confucianism which actively listen and with the older or more their cheeks. Each
denote that no participate. Keep reserved Singaporeans. company has a different
relationship is quiet, using a laptop etiquette and you need to
underpinned by or phone can be +Men and women do pay attention and follow
equality. implied to be not traditionally shake exactly.
-There is always a indifferent. hands since Muslim
hierarchy - Older - Employees have to men do not touch - There is less familiarity
and most senior work long hours and women in public and socialising between
people command the don't have many colleagues.
most respect. vacations. +As with the older
Directives of groups, the elderly or - The French are good at
management start at working independently.
the top and are the person with the This goes hand-in-hand
passed down the most status is with their technical
chain. introduced first.  competence. They're very
-Those on the formal with people that
lowest rung of the - It is perfectly normal they haven't built a
ladder would not be to ask each other about relationship with, and
expected to question weight, income, they're unlikely to smile a
the motives or marital status and lot or do a lot of personal
decisions made by related issues. talk with people that they
the higher ranks; to don't know well.
do so would indicate - Speak with a low,
a lack of respect.  low voice and avoid
-Only senior raising your voice
members of the when communicating
negotiating team or being angry and
will speak. putting too much
Designate the most emotion into your
senior person in voice.
your group as your
spokesman for the - If you praise
introductory Singaporeans,
functions. compliment their
-Business achievements instead
negotiations occur at of their looks.
a slow pace.
-Be prepared for the - Singaporeans also
agenda to become a often wait 10 seconds
jumping off point after an opponent
for other finishes a reply, which
discussions. shows that you have
-Chinese are non- listened and thought
confrontational. carefully before
They will not answering.
overtly say 'no', they
will say 'they will - Eye contact is also
think about it' or important and you
'they will see'. should not glance at or
glare at others.

- In Singapore, there
are many different
cultures and beliefs.
As Muslims and
Hindus think the left
hand is not clean, so
avoid eating, holding it
with your left hand
and using your right
 hand instead. The feet
are also thought to be
unclean, so never
move or touch
anything with your
feet, nor cross your
legs and point your
toes at others.

Cultural - There are currently - The United States is The variety of - Languages: French is the
diversit 56 ethnic groups a multi-racial nation, religions is a direct official language, about 3
y recognized by the inhabited by people reflection of the percent of the population
Chinese of diverse national diversity. speaks German dialects,
government. and ethnic other dialects and
Buddhism is the backgrounds. -The Chinese are languages include Catalan,
most popular Because of its multi- predominantly Breton (the Celtic
religion in this racial population, the followers of language), Occitan
country United States is a Buddhism, Taoism, dialects, Kabyle and
- Chinese like to multicultural nation, Shenise, and some Antillean Creole.
place people in where many different considered as 'free- - Religion: Catholicism is
context in the search traditions and thinkers' (Those who the predominant religion of
for common ground, different values are do not belong to any France, the other religions
small talk about age, integrated. The religion).  in France include Islam,
income and marital predominantly Buddhism and Judaism
status. religion is Christian. -Malays have the - Values: The French
- Communication - American can feel Muslims and Indians embrace style and
style is indirect. intrusive and overly are Hindus.  sophistication and take
Thinking before you personal when asking pride in the fact that even
speak is important about family or The four official their public spaces strike a
to the Chinese, as is financial statements. languages of regal tone. The French
showing respect for - Communication Singapore are believe in égalité, which
those higher in the style is direct and Mandarin, Malay, means equality, and is part
hierarchy. equal among group. Tamil and English. of the country's motto:
- China remains - Gender English is the most "Liberté, Egalité,
strong on gender discrimination is common language Fraternité". The French
diversity with 32 lower in this country. used and is the embody romance and
percent of its However, racism is language which unites passion, and there is an
management roles still a matter of the different ethnic open attitude toward sex
filled by women. concern. groups. outside of marriage. rench
However, the couples also have the
gender Singapore English choice of getting a pacte
discrimination in usually come from civil de solidarité (PACS).
work in China is other languages This is a union that has
still very deep spoken in Singapore, many of the same benefits
because the idea of especially Malay and of marriage, like tax
"male chauvinist” Hokkien. Speakers of breaks, but can be
still exists in this Singlish are not dissolved with a notice or
country. necessarily aware of by marrying someone else
 or instead of a divorce
which language they - Clothing: Paris is known
are from however. as the home to many high-
end fashion houses, such as
Dior, Hermes, Louis
Vuitton and Chanel. Many
French people dress in a
sophisticated, professional
and fashionable style, but it
is not overly fussy. Typical
outfits include nice
dresses, suits, long coats,
scarves and berets.
- Art is everywhere in
France -particularly in
Paris and other major
cities-and Gothic,
Romanesque Rococo and
Neoclassic influences can
be seen in many churches
and other public buildings.
Many of history's most
renowned artists, including
Claude Monet, Edgar
Degas, and Camille
Pissarro, sought inspiration
in Paris, and they gave rise
to the movement.

Relative -Chinese believes -American premise of -With a Confucian - France is a society in

Cultural that inequality freedom and justice background, Singapore which a level of inequality
distance between people is for everyone. is a country with is accepted. Power is
acceptable. The -Both managers and power to focus on the concentrated not only in
subordinate-superior employees expect bosses and the rules. companies and
relationship tends toadvice and Employees are under governments, but also
be polarized and has information to be control and geographically.
no protection shared regularly. commanded to work.
against abuse of the -Americans are not - The French were taught
superior's [Link] to reach out to independently from an
their potential early age, meaning they are
-China is a highly partners to obtain or -Family is the only responsible for
collective culture search for prototype of all social looking after themselves
where people act for information.  organizations. and their families.
the benefit of the -Americans set
group and not precise goals, create a - The French encourage
necessarily their lot of social themselves to be the best in
own. dynamism, live to - They are modest, their trade, they expect
work so they can earn inclined to avoid respect for what they do,
- Chinese people rewards and as a conflict in personal then they are very willing
 will sacrifice family result achieve higher to serve you well.
priorities and status based on the and professional life.
entertainment to good of person.  - Life is also more serene
work. with a 35-hour workweek,
-They have a five weeks of holiday per
- Chinese language reasonable degree of -"Fine" culture, there year and a focus on quality
is full of vague acceptance for new are many laws that of life.
meanings which can ideas, creative penalize bad acts for
cause difficulties products and are society.
for  willing to try
something new or
different, which tends
to be more tolerant of
ideas or ideas from
anyone. and allow
free speech.

1. Introduction: 
 Culture's Influence on Work Groups: The general model of work group functioning
described in this chapter makes it possible to examine the way in which culture
influences work group processes and outcomes. While this influence is perhaps most
apparent in the cultural composition of the work group, the organizational context in
which the group functions, the work group structure, and the task in which the group
is involved also influence how much cultural differences affect the work group. The
cultural backgrounds of a work group's members affect the way they function through
three general types of mechani[Link]
 Cultural norms: the orientations of the specific cultures represented in the
group toward the functioning of groups. 
 Cultural diversity: the number of different cultures represented in the group. 
 Relative cultural distance: the extent to which group members are culturally
different from each other. 
 These mechanisms are interrelated, but each affects the way groups operate in
different ways.

2. Cultural norms:
  One of the most important influences on group effectiveness is the mix of cultural
norms represented in the work group.
 Different cultures have very different orientations toward what is appropriate in terms
of work group function and structure. These beliefs are not checked at the workplace
door but spill over into the work environment. For example, many collectivist cultures
believe that maintaining a sense of harmony is extremely important in interpersonal
interactions. This contrasts dramatically with notions of constructive conflict and
devil's advocacy popular in some individualist cultures, such as the United States.
Cultural orientations such as individualism and collectivism have been shown to be
related to the metaphors that individuals in different cultures used to describe their
teams. For example, metaphors in individualist cultures reflected clear team
objectives and voluntary membership, such as sports teams, while metaphors in
collectivist cultures emphasized a broad scope of activity and clear member roles,
such as in families. 
  A number of studies support the idea that individuals bring such mental
representations (metaphors or scripts) to the work group with which they interpret
events, behaviours, expectations, and other group members. For example, research
shows that group members initially base their actions on their previous experiences in
other groups. In one study, members of new groups who previously developed norms
for cooperation acted cooperatively in a subsequent similar situation. There is also
evidence to suggest that people with different cultural orientations have different
views of what are appropriate group processes. For example, the task-related norms of
a group might be set based on the individual cultural backgrounds of group members.
In another example, individuals from a collectivist culture have been found to be less
likely to engage in social loafing than were members from a more individualist
culture. The reason that social loafing does not occur among collectivists is that they
bring their norms for placing group goals ahead of their own interest to the work
group situation. By contrast, the motivation for personal gain of individualists also
carries over into the work group setting. 
 In summary, like other behavioural norms, the norms for interacting in a group can
vary according to culture. Although the norms for any work group are unique, one of
the bases for these norms in all groups is the individual's previous group experience
(Feldman, 1984). Therefore, in multicultural work groups, individuals from different
cultures are likely to have very different ideas, at least initially, about how the work
group should go about its task, how they should behave, and how they should interact
with other group members. 

3. Cultural diversity
Cultural diversity is important because our country, workplaces, and schools increasingly
consist of various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. 
 Groups acting face-to-face may suffer process losses: Because of cultural
differences, the way of thinking and acting will also be different. For example,
in China, their communication style is indirect following hierarchy. In the US,
they express ideas directly and equally among their group. In this situation, the
role of leader should be promoted to harmonize working styles between two
cultures to avoid suffering process losses.
 Formation of subgroups with negative effects on information flows: The
biggest challenge when working in a team where members come from
different countries is culture and language. Language can cause
misunderstandings in information flow. If forming subgroups under different
leaders, the information may be more easily misunderstood for subgroups’
members. Thereby, many negative effects will exist in performance of the
whole group.
 High or low cultural diversity groups perform better than the ones with a
moderate level because of development of fault lines: In a high cultural
diversity group, it is easy for leader to recognize and command the task based
on the quality of each member. In a low one, they usually act as common
culture and have the same working style, which are uncomplicated to work
together. At moderate level, the differences among members in a group are
ambiguous to recognize. 

Benefits of diversity:
a. Diverse cultural perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation
 Our culture influences the way in which we see the world. A variety of viewpoints
along with the wide-ranging personal and professional experience of an international
team can offer new perspectives that inspire colleagues to see the workplace—and the
world—differently.
Diversity of thought has been shown to breed creativity and drive innovation, helping
to solve problems and meet customer needs in new and exciting ways. For example,
cosmetic giant L’Oréal attributes much of its impressive success in emerging markets
to its multicultural product development teams.
Multiple voices, perspectives, and personalities bouncing off one another can give rise
to out-of-the-box thinking. By offering a platform for the open exchange of ideas,
businesses can reap the biggest benefits of diversity in the workplace. A recent study
from Forbes echoed this notion, concluding that “the best way to ensure the
development of new ideas is through a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

b. Local market knowledge and insight makes a business more competitive and
profitable
A multicultural workforce can give an organization an important edge when
expanding into new markets. Often, a product or service needs to be adapted to
succeed overseas. Understanding local laws, regulations, and customs, as well as the
competitive landscape, can help a business to thrive. Moreover, local connections,
native language skills, and cultural understanding can boost international business
development exponentially.
And being more competitive ultimately means being more profitable. DiversityInc
annually recognizes the top 50 most diverse companies and measures their success
against the broader market. Recent research from McKinsey also underscores the fact
that diversity is good for a business’s bottom line. In fact, ethnically diverse
companies were shown to be 35% more likely to have financial returns above the
national industry median.

1. Cultural sensitivity, insight, and local knowledge means higher quality, targeted
marketing
Cross-cultural understanding, along with local market knowledge, lends itself the
production of more effective marketing strategy and materials. For example, high
quality and culturally sensitive translations of websites, brochures, and other assets
are essential. But these can be overlooked without the input of a native speaker.
Even brand taglines can get badly lost in translation. A frequently cited example is
from KFC in China, whose chicken was marketed as so tasty, you’ll “eat your fingers
off!” (A poor translation of their brand tagline, “Finger lickin’ good.”).
The danger of making a serious marketing blunder, which can cause irreparable
damage to a brand or business abroad, can be mitigated by employing a diverse
workforce with local marketing savvy.

2. Drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool allows an organization to attract and
retain the best talent
In a competitive global job market, demonstrating that your business is invested in
fostering a multicultural and inclusive environment can make you stand out to the
right candidates. Making diversity an important part of the recruiting process will
broaden your talent pool of prospective employees.
 Not only does hiring from a more diverse talent pool makes your business attractive to
ambitious, globally minded candidates, it also helps you to keep them on board.
Diversity, including diversity of gender, religion, and ethnicity, has been shown to
improve retention and reduce the costs associated with employee turnover.
In a diverse workplace, employees are more likely to remain loyal when they feel
respected and valued for their unique contribution. This, in turn, fosters mutual
respect among colleagues who also value the diverse culture, perspectives, and
experiences of their team members. An inclusive atmosphere of cross-cultural
cooperation is an excellent way to bond colleagues and teams across the business.

3. A diverse skills base allows an organization to offer a broader and more adaptable
range of products and services
By drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool, companies benefit from hiring
professionals with a broad range of skills that are often not accessible when hiring
locally. Globally oriented companies can add to their service range by leveraging the
skills and experience their international employees bring to the table.
A broader skills base and a more potentially diverse offering of products and services
can help your business to have the competitive advantage of adaptability. In today’s
volatile and uncertain global business environment, nimble and adaptable
organizations are the ones that thrive.
Adaptability means faster and more effective planning, development, and execution.
A company with cultural and cognitive diversity can be quicker to spot a gap in the
market. It will also have the global (or market-specific) insight and experience to help
a new or adapted product to meet changing consumer behaviour—and succeed.

4. Diverse teams are more productive and perform better

The range of experience, expertise, and working methods that a diverse workplace
offers can boost problem-solving capacity and lead to greater productivity. In fact,
studies have shown organizations with a culture of diversity and inclusion are both
happier and more productive.
Where working in homogeneous teams can seem easier, it can cause a business to
settle for the status. Diversity, on the other hand, can breed healthy competition,
stretching a team in a positive way to achieve their best. This atmosphere of healthy
competition can lead to the optimization of company processes for greater efficiency.
As a recent article in the Harvard Business Review argues, the challenges of working
in a diverse team are one of the reasons why diverse teams perform better: “working
on diverse teams produces better outcomes precisely because it’s harder.”

5. Greater opportunity for personal and professional growth

Fundamentally, an inclusive and culturally diverse business will attract talented,
ambitious, and globally minded professionals who will appreciate the opportunity for
personal and professional growth.
Working across cultures can be a truly enriching experience, allowing others to learn
about perspectives and traditions from around the world. Bonding over similarities
and differences can help you to become a global citizen, abandoning prejudices or an
ethnocentric worldview—something that is increasingly valuable.
A diverse set of colleagues can be professionally enriching too—exposing you to new
skills and approaches to work, and developing an international network that can take
your career in exciting new directions or abroad.
Challenges:

1. Colleagues from some cultures may be less likely to let their voices be heard.
2. Integration across multicultural teams can be difficult in the face of prejudice or
negative cultural stereotypes.
3. Professional communication can be misinterpreted or difficult to understand across
languages and cultures.
4. Navigating visa requirements, employment laws, and the cost of accommodating
workplace requirements can be difficult.
5. Different understandings of professional etiquette.
6. Conflicting working styles across teams

3. Relative Cultural Distance

Cultural distance is an important concept in understanding diversity, and the way it affects
human relationships. Cultural distance can reflect differences in language, family structure,
religions, wealth and lifestyle and values.

Culturally different work group members are aware that they are different and this awareness
causes them to compare themselves to the other members of the group. Based on this
comparison, they evaluate the appropriateness of their behaviour and their status in the work
group. If group members perceive their status in the group favourably, they are likely to
participate more fully and to perceive the group more positively. 

The relative difference of individuals from other group members also influences the extent to
which they identify with the task group versus their cultural group. And, in general, group
members' willingness to participate depends on the salience of the task group identity versus
that of their cultural group. 

Sometimes the way the group members express their ideas and evaluate them is different
because it is because of their differences in thinking and culture, conflicts often occur. There
is a need for a common consensus in thinking when in the same group, there is always a way
to resolve the conflict.
Interaction between members will also be expected to be lower if the cultural gap is too large.
When a member has different thought and upholds it conservatively. That will be difficult to
recommend going in the same direction. That can lead to a worse trade-off effort in working
and of course, the result is not as high as expected.

Relative culture distance relates to perception of individual that effect on the communication
process is all about how the same message can be interpreted differently by different
people. ... Perception issues in workplace communication can lead to a number of distortions,
which are biases or judgments of others. This is where problems in communication can
develop.
In organizational behaviour and business, perception often helps shape a person's personality
and how they act in certain situations. These can affect how they respond to certain
things-like stressful situations-their performance at tasks, and even their creativity.2 For
management, paying attention to personality traits in employees can help them determine the
person's work ethic and strengths. That is, if the manager's perception is not hindered in some
way. In most cases, the root cause of perception problems can be linked to one particular
issue:
       Perception vs. Reality
It's safe to say that not everyone in a group of people are guaranteed to perceive something in
the exact same way, but they all tend to have some similar views that are based in reality.
Right? Strangely enough some people's perception is rather off on certain subjects or
situations, and not in a way that is suggestive of some kind of neurological condition either.
In the workplace, this difference between perception and reality can be problematic if it
interferes with a person's work. Things like a person's job satisfaction, communication with
others, relationships with their peers, and what tasks or responsibilities they have be
affected.3 What members of management think for any of those areas might not match with
what the employees think-both of which may be different from the actual truth. An example
may be how long it takes to do a task; a supervisor thinks it will only take 10 minutes while
the employee thinks it'll be closer to 20 minutes. Both may be right in their own regard-their
estimations are based on how long it's taken them to do it in the past-but the person actually
doing the task may be more realistic in their estimation based on their knowledge of the
situation.
Things like ego and attitude can also warp a person's perception in a situation from reality.
Those aspects of a person's personality can make it rather hard for others to work with them,
affecting their workplace relationships in addition to their performance. Another example of
perception vs. reality would be an employee who thinks that they've done more than enough
work to earn a promotion. However, their supervisor knows they've barely made a dent in the
workload of their current position, let alone enough to justify a move up. In such cases, it's
more than just a difference in opinion and it can be disruptive to the overall environment of
the workplace and the business' organizational behaviour.

 4. Role of leader

Leadership plays an important part in the success of any organization. In the absence of
effective leadership, no organization can work efficiently. An organization is created with the
purpose of achieving certain objectives through a human group; it becomes essential to
control this human group.
 Providing a vision for the entire healthcare team is the single most important
role of the practice owner.  Employees cannot be expected to participate in a
common effort if they don’t know the goals of the practice.  When team
members know the vision and goals of the practice, they are more focused and
understand how their individual role helps to drive the success of the
business.
 Inspire, motivate and guide employees: to find out enough about the needs
and wants of employees, giving them what they need and providing praise for
a job well done. Good leaders use effective communication and motivation
techniques to facilitate action by their teams.  Leaders that inspire and
motivate their teams solicit input from employees, keep team members
informed, give timely and specific feedback regarding job performance,
ensure training needs are met and hold employees accountable. Moreover,
they will explain the tasks, provide the digging tools, direct the work and be
available to assist the soldiers if they run into a problem.

5. How to harmonize the relationships 

When leading a multicultural group, the leader should:
  Increase your level of understanding about other cultures by interacting with people
outside of your own culture
 Avoid imposing values on others that may conflict or be inconsistent with other
cultures 
 When interacting with others who may not be proficient in English, recognize that
their limitations in English proficiency in no way reflects their level of intellectual
functioning
 Recognize and understand that concepts within the helping profession, such as family,
gender roles, spirituality, and emotional well-being, vary significantly among cultures
and influence behaviour
 Within the workplace, educational setting, and/or clinical setting, advocate for the use
of materials that are representative of the various cultural groups within the local
community and the society in general
 Intervene in an appropriate manner when you observe others engaging in behaviours
that show cultural insensitivity, bias, or prejudice
 Be proactive in listening, accepting, and welcoming people and ideas that are different
from your own.

6. Conclusion
In conclusion, cultural diversity in work groups influences the group through three distinct
but interrelated mechanisms of the cultural norms of group members, cultural diversity or the
number of different cultures represented in the group, and the extent to which group members
are culturally different from each other. In addition, the nature of the task and the structure of
the group influence the extent to which the cultural composition of a group affects its
processes and outcomes. One way in which many organizations are dealing with the
challenges of globalization is by forming work groups with geographically dispersed
structures that operate through electronic networks. These global virtual teams present the
opportunity for selecting the best members without regard to location but also present an
additional set of challenges. Their ability to work effectively depends on overcoming the
additional barriers presented by the discontinuity among group members and by electronic
mediation. Key organization factors that influence work group effectiveness are the level of
management support, the extent to which individual rewards come from the group, the status
afforded the group, the amount of training provided to the group, and the extent to which the
organization empowers the group. In short, managing multicultural work groups involves
trying to find ways to maximize the positive consequences of both homogeneity and
diversity, while at the same time minimizing their negative consequences.