Keywords: working abroad cultural problems, hofstede aspect case
The purpose of this statement is to analyse the problems faced by Fred Bailey and his family to modify to the ethnic variations in Japan, our primary goal of this article is to provide answers to Fred in convincing his family, to make a good understanding with all the employees in Tokyo office to emerge as one of the fastest growing office buildings in the world.
1. 2 SCOPE WITH THE REPORT:
This gives a brief description about the Japanese culture that American director's should try to learn. For this research, we use Hofstede's aspect index to compare different cultures as they also affect the work place environment. Because of the effective use of the evaluation, Fred should produce some new suggestions to persuade his family and surface finish his task in Japan that was allocated to him from his head office in Boston. In this case study, we have discovered three major issues experienced by Fred Bailey in Japan. Why don't we start to see the three issues using the Hofstede's Research.
1. 3 CASE BACKGROUND:
Kline & Affiliates, where Fred Bailey was used in Boston was a sizable multinational providing professional consulting services for regulated finance institutions with offices in nineteen countries. The company was founded in 1997 with its head office in Boston.
One fine day, Fred was called for a gathering with one of the partners of the company. As the appointment commenced, Fred came to learn that the meeting was not regarding the job that he finished successfully, but about a good possibility to work in the company's relatively new office running a business district of Tokyo. Fred really was fired up to work in Tokyo with many incentives offered to him just like a sugar coated supplement. The incentives offered to him were well worth three times the gross salary he gets in Boston. He was offered a advertising which possessed a label of last step in position before becoming a spouse for the company, free education expenditures for his children, car accompanied with a drivers, expenses relating to the shipment of their what to Tokyo and an expensive house in the key commercial spaces of Tokyo. These mega offers really overshadowed the challenge that he didn't think of facing it in the present.
In this research study, we will analyse the issues encountered by Fred using Hofstede's Sizing of Index and provide a good solution for his success in concluding the job.
1. 4 REPORT OUTLINE:
The major three problems faced by Fred in Japan are analyzed by using Hofstede's cultural proportions. These issues recognized have a direct impact on the improvement and success of the firm's office in Tokyo. After the analysis, recommendations are given to make the company one of the quickest performing one of the other established companies.
2 BODY OF Wording:
2. 1 IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS
The strong social difference between the two countries of Japan and America created many problems to appear in the life of Fred Bailey. Fred Bailey was not only upset with the steps at work but also had some family issues with his wife about the life in Japan. Why don't we start to see the issues encountered by Fred in Japan.
The communication between the American and the Japanese employees were poor. Fred found that the Japanese employees in the firm were not organised and didn't give any particular reply for the problems in the organization.
Family problems faced by Fred in Japan. Mrs Fred Bailey found the approach to life of Japan very expensive and awkward to pass through. This created many problems during their stay in Japan. Actually Mrs. Bailey had made her mind to reunite home with her children in Boston.
Fred Bailey's poor management strategies which resulted in delay of the tasks for the most notable clients from Japan.
2. 1. 1 COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS FACED BY FRED BAILEY:
At the first case of the overall meeting held by Fred, he didn't notice that the American and Japanese personnel didn't sit mutually. The response acquired from the American staff had several different thoughts about certain things in the company which might fit or may well not easily fit into Fred's ideas regards for some problems. But he have get unclear answers from japan staffs rather received vague answers from them. This made Fred complete the conference and conclude that the meeting did not achieve his aims to find out problems in his ideas.
2. 1. 1. 1 Evaluation:
The firm contains seven People in the usa and thirty three Japanese staff. Fred Bailey experienced organised for a general ending up in his subordinates. The reaching was to discuss his plans for future years directions of the company office for achieving their goals. At the instance, Fred was not seriously interested in the American and Japanese personnel sitting separately. The explanation for the issue is as a result of strong cultural dissimilarities between Japanese staff and the American staff in the firm. The high individualistic rating of 91 state governments that the people with individualistic frame of mind and relatively doesn't connection with others. Individuals in American show a personal reliant frame of mind and targeted at gratifying their goals in the organization. As the People in the usa provide an high individualistic attitude, Fred did not take the problem of American and Japanese staff sitting separately into consideration. This was also a significant issue which influences the team work and coordination one of the staffs. As he didn't take this problem seriously, he was not in a position to get clear answers from japan staff as he didn't know their brain or know either their dialect. Fred also didn't get innovative ideas from the employees because the People in america and Japanese personnel didn't are a team. This also might be a justification for the delay in any projects they run into as People in america and Japan staffs give two various ways of handling the problem. After the specific ending up in every staffs, Americans were positive and offered different views to make his ideas successful. On the other side, Japanese staff offered obscure answers. This denotes that japan weren't completely alert to what Fred experienced put front. This demonstrates Japanese staff aren't self reliant and performed only be based upon the orders using their leaders for just about any work in the organization (J. Stewart Black, 2010, p. 2).
This is resulted because of their company to do terribly in their comes back during his program as a director. This impact was believed in the firm's performance when your client had not taken care of immediately the company's next task with them even after almost a year.
2. 1. 1. 2 Suggestions:
Fred should come up with some interpersonal activities in the organization to encourage team work between American and Japanese staff.
Fred should organise individual meeting with the Japanese staff to comprehend their problems and encourage them to take part in the firms decision making activities.
Fred should have discussed the composition and problems mixed up in company with the Ex-director of the Japan's office who acquired moved to well established office in Britain.
Fred should carry out conference in regular intervals of time to analyse and increase the results of the company.
Feedback from the employees should be studied in to take into account the improvement of the organization.
2. 1. 2 PROBLEMS IN FRED'S FAMILY:
After a month of their stay in Japan, Jennifer complained to Fred about several issues. She told that it was very rough to get day-to-day items like quality beef, maple syrup and peanut butter. She also complained that she experienced no understanding of the language they speak, so she had not been able to browse the road signs or to order a particular food in a restaurant. She informed that she got no person to speak to rather than American golf club in downtown and the also other products cost 2-3 times than in U. S. (J. Stewart Dark colored, 2010, p. 2). These problems combined with that of their children's quality education made Jennifer take some ambitious decision to leave Japan.
2. 1. 2. 1 Research:
Jennifer had not been enthusiastic as Fred at the beginning, when he informed about the fantastic chance for him in Japan. Jennifer thought that it might be difficult to serve their children's education in foreign countries. She also stated that their oldest boy Christine would be getting advertised to middle school the year after. Besides that she acquired also considered going to a part time work in the field of fashion designing in which she has her degree in. (J. Stewart Dark, 2010, p. 1). But Fred described about the huge opportunity like the firm would bare to provide a car, lease free house, accommodate the costs of these children's education bills and overseas payment that would equal 3 x his gross annual salary had convinced her to fly with him to Japan.
According to Hofstede's sizing, America has a high dimensions of masculinity (62) compared to the world average. Out of this we can declare that America encounters high state governments of differentiation of assignments in gender. The man in America are definitely more dominant and possess a more ability than women. So the situation turns in favour of the decisions taken by male which can be away from women. However the present situation has gone worse and Jennifer was adament on going back home. Jennifer really was frustrated with Japanese people in not understanding anybody or not able to find the items she wanted in store, not able to drive or read street signs. The primary reason for this may be because the Fred's family acquired virtually no time to explore the Japanese culture and people. Although their children were successful with the education, she questioned Fred as this task was also like finished. he has adopted in the past. So she acquired compelled Fred to leave Japan and return to their house country. Because of these stress from his family, Fred is at a problem about the proceedings in his work.
2. 1. 2. 2 RECOMMENDATIONS
Fred's family should have learned about the Japanese culture before their proceedings to Japan. They must have known about their geographic conditions that prevail in Japan.
As the same problems comes up with the expatriates managers, Fred should have kept his family in his home country and taken brief breaks often to fly back again to America to spend time with them. This might left him to focus properly on his job commitments in Japan.
Fred must have allocated time to spend with his family in regular intervals. He must have gone for brief vacations with his family to wipe out the strain in his job environment.
Jennifer, in her spare time should have taken initiative to learn the Japanese culture and dialect.
2. 1. 3 FRED'S While MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Fred Bailey's was preparing for a gathering with one of these important clients for a large project. You will find two issues to be discussed in this section.
The getting together with was headed by Fred, Ralph Webster and Kenichi Kurokawa from Kline & associates. The client experienced four people for the reaching between the firms. As the conference progressed, Fred told the client about the expenditures and charges for the job. As there were no reactions from the Japanese clients, he proceeded to the overview of the job to get rid of the getting together with.
After several months of the conference, there was no response about putting your signature on of the deal with the Japanese customer. So he was frustrated and bought Ralph to alter some proposals in the task and resubmit it to your client. But after recommendations from Ralph, this responsibility was designated to a research affiliate Tashiro Watanabe. He was allocated to complete the work within the week's time. And when the time came, Ralph came to know that Tashiro would not be able to conclude it within time. This received Fred frustrated about the communication with the Japanese employees. (J. Stewart Dark colored, 2010, p. 4).
2. 1. 3. 1 ANALYSIS:
Fred found himself quite definitely frustrated with these problems in the organization. This was as a result of strong cultural variations between the two countries. Us citizens expect clear communication and typically depended on the speaker to delivery the concept. But, on the other palm Japanese depend on hidden communication skills and placed responsibility on both speaker and the listener.
Fred presumed that, if an opinion or idea has to be transferred to another person, speaker held the entire responsibility in making the listener understand. This was totally different in case there is Tashiro, he assumed that Fred would know things that Tashiro had been going through even if he can have explained it clearly. The issue was caused as a result of different communication styles and assumptions between the two cultures. After a week later when asked to Tashiro about his inability to do the duty on time, Tashiro complained that he previously told them about any of it. But, Fred or Ralph was not in a position to get his answer that was told not told openly. This issue might have been easily determined if it could have been a Japanese manager taking up this matter. Because of these problems, Fred was frustrated with the Japanese customers and employees.
2. 1. 3. 2 RECOMMENDATION:
Fred must have allocated a Japanese supervisor for concluding this proposal with time rather depending on the American director.
Fred should have some understanding of the civilizations and behaviours of japan customers and employees.
Fred must have tracked the improvement of the record in regular intervals and also have recommended some valuable items to Tashiro.
Fred should have formed another team of Japanese employees to propose the job to the customers as they could have known their culture and behaviour more obviously than the People in america.
3. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FINAL PARAGRAPH:
Japan is considered as a major ability which has the other largest overall economy in terms of GDP and purchasing power parity. Japan is really the only Asian country to be a part of the G8 countries. It is a developed country which focuses mainly on consumer electronics. The country also relishes high quality lifestyle on the list of other developed countries.
The above paragraph evidently signifies the power of the Japanese people. Fred after searching from the screen, he observed the highway full of traffic and the vehicles didn't move even after the traffic signals were changed. This is also the same problem faced by his company. The firm had not been able to succeed because the head positions of the firm were going by the North american expatriates who didn't know about japan culture and understandings.
Now, when we see the underground passing of the street, which is the most advanced on earth, it migrated hundreds of individuals with their homes without any problems. This signifies that firm might have been productive and could have attained the spot of most effective growing firm on earth if the top management were the Japanese employees in the organization. This is because japan people might have handled the problem in a different way and could have solved the problems that were experienced by the company. It offers a hint to Fred that, the top management should be made up of Japanese mangers aided by an North american. This could have resolved many problems easily without coming to this situation.
4. CONCLUSIONS:
Fred's task was in which to stay Japan's office for 3 years and complete all the project put forth to him. His objective was to establish the Japan's office as the quickest growing company in the firm. The problems in the firm and in his family occur because of the cultural differences between your two countries. The very best management in U. S. should come up with some plans to resolve the issues or by helping Fred in handling them. Kline & Affiliates should have made the American managers and the analysts to learn the neighborhood culture of Japan to perform well in the company. As we know from the past that Japan is a super power in support of the people for the reason that country have made that happen. This expresses that Japanese people work and hard-working if aimed by the right one who understands them and helps them.
5. Execution AND IMPLICATIONS:
Kline & Affiliates management should educate the expatriates about the sponsor country's culture, they should produce training sessions which will help Fred and other American to avoid preliminary social shocks.
Vision of the business should have been discussed with all the employees in the organization, so that the performance of the firm could have advanced.
At regular intervals, the performance should be measured and this trials team should be headed by a Japanese employee. This could improve the difference between your two cultures. Americans would come to know about japan culture by executing these team works.
