MGT 501: Effects of Culture and Environment on Environment

Essay Instructions:

The Nature of Organizations and the Contemporary Environment

Background

In this assignment we will look at how the environment affects institutions and how by managing this interaction successfully, we can increase organizational effectiveness.

Required Reading

Green, S. (2011). The would-be pioneer. Harvard Business Review. 89(4), 124-126. This article can be found in EBSCO.

Assignment

After reading the above fictional case of an American expatriate manager working in a South Korean firm and the background readings for this module, analyze the situation in a 4- to 5-page analysis that addresses the following:

How does culture and environment affect institutions and their management?

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper include:

Define the problem: What went wrong during Ms. Myers tenure from your point of view?
Analyze the cause: Explain the problem Ms. Myers is encountering using Hofstede's five dimensions of culture to compare Korean and American assumptions about interpersonal relationships and management.
Propose a solution: Make a recommendation of three specific changes Ms. Myers could have made to her management style to accommodate the Korean environment.

Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated using the following five (5) criteria:

Assignment-Driven Criteria (Precision and Breadth): Does the paper fully address all Keys to the Assignment? Are the concepts behind the Keys to the Assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
Critical Thinking (Critical Thinking and Depth): Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
Business Writing (Clarity and Organization): Is the paper well written (clear, developed logically, and well organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the Keys to the Assignment, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy and References): Does the paper demonstrate that the student has read, understood and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality (library?) sources? Do additional sources used in paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been included within the body of the paper as in-text citations?

Tips and Suggestions

Please note the following tips and suggestions:

Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 4-5 pages of analysis described above.
You are expected to demonstrate that you have read, understood, and can apply the required background readings for this module in your answer to this case. Be sure to read the required readings carefully, and use the theories and arguments you learn from them to support your analysis of Ms. Myers' situation and the recommendations for a more successful management style.
Cite your sources where you use them in the text of the paper, and only include sources in the reference list if you directly cited them in the text.
Include headings for all papers longer than two pages (basically all papers)
Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five words, and include citations for information that you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.
Follow TUI Guidelines for well-written papers. (If you are unsure of what those guidelines are, see The Elements of a Well Written Paper).

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Effects of Culture and Environment on Environment
Institution:
Name:
Assignment title:
Course number:
Instructor:
Date:
Introduction
Different cultures have different ways of approaching even the simplest aspects in general interactions among people, whether from the same culture or otherwise. These are aspects that have been adopted for thousands of years with some changes while other have remain virtually unchanged over time. Geographical differences act as one of the key drivers of the changes that exist between cultures of the world, as it bring about changes in the environment. What is acceptable in social or formal circles in the United States may not necessarily be acceptable in Asia. Global economics now allows people from different regions of the world to interact socially and formally(Mindtools.com, 2015). This means that people now form relationships that cross cultural boundaries across the globe. As such it is easy for people to move around. The same applies to businesses, as they can transact business across world cultures and employ in the same manner. This is subtly underlined by the fact in the recent past some of the American companies have expanded to other regions that show promising growth such as Asia and the Middle East. All these relationships are affected by the culture and the environment in which they take place(Gallant, 2013).
The main problem with Linda Myers
When Linda Myers took up the job opportunity SK Telecom in South Korea, her main goal was to implement changes to the company and get absorbed in the company for the long haul. She had been a lead consultant on matters related to cross cultural integration to managers and corporate officials moving abroad(Mindtools.com, 2015). In her case, one of the greatest mistakes that she made when she took up the position, was making assumptions about the differences that may exists between the American culture and the Korean culture. When she started working, she took to the firm the American culture instead of first understanding the culture of the firm and the environment she was in, in this South Korea. As such, her aggressive nature that is common in the American market and society in general was taken as abrasive and majority of the top management were not comfortable. This would explain why, when she tried to implement change, much of her ideas were not taken up by the senior management(Mindtools.com, 2015). Secondly she did not take into account that she now was in South Korea and not America, which subtly indicated a change of environment. This is a crucial change she needed to take into account and take time to understand the differences of her homeland and those of her new placement. Disregard of these two elements led to her frustration and latter dismissal from the company due to the level of conflict that she created between herself and the firmâ€™s culture.
Hofstede's five dimensions of culture
Dr Geert Hofstede was a psychologist who came up with some of the most subtle dimensions of evaluating cultural differences in any given society. It had taken him a decade to research and thousands of interviews when he came up with dimensions in the 70s, which are still applicable today (Mindtools.com, 2015).

Updated on January 26, 2024

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MGT 501: Effects of Culture and Environment on Environment

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