60 minutes (5 minutes on individual work; 15 minutes to contrast worksheet with handout; 40 minutes for discussion and debriefing)
Work L P, T, O, M
1. To identify the ways that cultural values influence the structure of the organization and the expectations of managers and leaders
2. To examine the implications of individual and national differences for cross-cultural managers
3. To discuss the value and challenge of individual and national differences within an organization
4. To generate suggestions to enhance cross-cultural effectiveness
Note: This activity is intended for managers working in organizations that have an international mix of managers or leaders. It will be of maximum benefit for a group of international managers working in the same organization.
• Organizations in Cultural Perspective Worksheet
• International Responses Handout
• Overhead projector and overheads (optional; see Process, Step 2)
1. Ask participants to individually answer the six statements on the “Organizations in Cultural Perspective” worksheet.
2. Distribute the “International Responses” handout. Referring to the international responses to the questions, ask participants to compare their own responses with those of others from their own country and with those from other countries. (Note: The international responses can be shared by creating transparencies and/or photocopying the material and distributing it as a handout.)
3. Discuss both individual and national differences, asking how those differences can benefit their organization and how they might create challenges.
4. Discuss what members of the organization can do that will maximize the benefits and minimize the challenges of their differences.
1. What happened during this discussion? In what areas was there the greatest agreement? Disagreement?
2. How did you feel as you (a) read over the statements, (b) made your choice, (c) and learned of the responses from managers in other cultures?
3. What differences in cultural values were identified? Which actions or behaviors were helpful to you in the discussion of the differences? Were there actions or behaviors that interfered with your group participation? What values of yours got in your way?
4. What did you learn?
5. How can you apply this information to your work life?
1. Cultural values influence expectations and perceptions of the manager’s or leader’s role and of appropriate organizational structures.
2. The differences in expectations/perceptions can be an advantage to an organization’s effectiveness. These same differences can also present challenges to organizational effectiveness.
3. Recognition of the differences provides an opportunity to maximize the benefits of differences and minimize the challenges within an organization.
Adapted from research reported in “Reinventing Management at the Cross-Roads of Culture” by André Laurent.
For each of the six statements, please circle the response that best represents your feeling (SA = strongly agree; A= agree; N = neutral; D = disagree; SD = strongly disagree).
Adapted from research reported in “Reinventing Management at the Cross-Roads of Culture” by André Laurent.
1. Most managers have a clear notion of what we call an organizational structure.
2. The main reason for having a hierarchical structure is so that everyone knows who has authority over whom.
4. Most managers would achieve better results if their roles were less precisely defined.
5. It is important for a manager to have precise answers to most of the questions subordinates may raise about their work.
6. An organizational structure in which certain subordinates have two direct bosses should be avoided at all costs.
Adapted from research reported in “Reinventing Management at the Cross-Roads of Culture” by André Laurent.
