Form: 2 essays (90p)

Topic 1: The challenging role of global manager

Review of global managers' specific position
The basic management functions are planning, organization, personnel management, and
control. These functions may entail some changes to execution, despite the unique
characteristics of international business.
The first thing is foreseeable. Managers need to plan their approach well in order to do
business internationally. You must determine how exactly you will do your business.
This includes deciding whether to export products or join companies with a local company.
By opening offices in several countries, they can also operate as an MNC by working from
one location.
In international planning, local political, social, and economic conditions must always be well
known. Factors such as political stability, pressure from the state, intellectual property,
competition, etc.
The latter is bureaucratic. An international company can't use standard and common
practices in multiple countries. International managers must always structure their
companies to fit all countries' local requirements.
First, a command hierarchy needs to be developed that involves people in several countries.
The nations in which they work must then abide by local laws and regulations. Managers can
also take local business and customs into account during their organization.
The management structures of international businesses are also complicated, as people
from many nations are active. In order to address this problem, managers must ensure they
have a solid communication protocol. Employees always need to be able to deal with their
complaints, ideas, and suggestions.
Personnel work is another world leader 's position. International managers must find out if
they're hiring local staff or sending their own staff abroad. As a result, if they plan to hire
workers locally, they will be mindful of all the applicable labor laws.
The next is the one that leads. When people from multiple countries work together, directing
can often become very difficult. Since cultural differences influence the way people function,
managers must adapt to each particular situation. In the cross-border industry, even
language may become a barrier.
Managers may try to include people from various cultures and nationalities in management
in order to deal with these problems. Large corporations' human resources departments also
strive to encourage cultural diversity in their organizations. They also organize empathy
workshops in order to raise awareness among their staff of different cultures.
In addition, control is the role of all global managers. The problems affecting the role of
guidance also relate to the control process. Controlling calls for people to meet to help in the
routine exchange of information. Also, important aspects of control are reporting and
inspections.

Such kinds of tasks can also be influenced by cultural differences between employees.
Managers should thus be able to adapt and facilitate the control process to all specific
features.

2. Growing economic connectivity

Topic 2: Cross-culture interaction

1. Culture norms  Culture identity  Social cognition

Cultural norms are the Cultural identity is the Social cognition is a sub-
standards we live by. They identity or feeling of topic of social psychology
 are the shared expectations belonging to a group. It is that focuses on how
and rules that guide part of a person's self- people process, store,
behavior of people within conception and self- and apply information
social groups. Cultural perception and is related about other people and
norms are learned and to nationality, ethnicity, social situations. It
reinforced from parents, religion, social class, focuses on the role that
friends, teachers and others generation, locality or any cognitive processes play
while growing up in a kind of social group that in our social interactions.
society. has its own distinct culture.

Topic 3: The manager as decision-maker

A. The model rational decision-making process [ 6 step Theories+Practice]
Rational decision-making is a multi-step, linear process that is designed to solve problems
from problem identification to the solution to logically sound decisions.
The rational model of choice is a good model for making good choices, as it focuses on the
logical approach used to overcome problems.
Step 1: Identify and define the problem:
The first step to a rational decision involves the identification and description of the problem
through the definition of the actual states and the alternatives:
 Be aware, not the symptoms, of the cause of the problem when identifying the
problem.
 Define the difference between the current and desired state. And this gap needs to
be sufficient to motivate the people involved to make the decision.
 Define all options available and don't worry about quick solutions.
Example: You have a small house that does not fulfill your needs if your family grows.
Suppose your decision is to purchase a larger home to overcome this problem.
Step 2: Identify the decision criteria:
The second step in the rational decision-making model is to define all parameters in advance
as they are a strong guiding principle for taking a decision
Example: Let's return to our dilemma, space is our issue and some parameters are required
to quantify all alternatives and to decide whether the solution is better than others.
Time: we should think about:
 When will we need that space?
 When will solving the problem be critical?
 And how long will each option take?
Cost: These criteria are important if some options are more expensive than others; you
should know, therefore:
1. How much will each option cost?
2. How much money do we have?
Now we’ve identified the problem and the decision’s criteria, it’s the time to weigh those
criteria:
Step3: weight established criteria:
We need to weigh those criteria because each criterion is unlikely to have the same level of
importance; there are a few ways you can use to accomplish this step:
1- Using an absolute comparison:
You can use this method in which you commonly find customers' ratings; this comparison is
helpful because it allows you to compare items side by side. So if you’re shopping for a
product, you can look through customers’ reports and ratings and compare different types of
the product in a specific category.
Those reports and ratings are accomplished by incorporating a ranking system where the
user enters a value reflecting the importance of the criteria on a scale.
Example: let’s say that there is a scale starting from “1” and going to “10”. “1” indicates that
the criteria have no importance to us and a score of “10” indicates that the item is very
important. So we would go through each criterion and use this method to weigh their
significance to us.
Since we are evaluating the criteria on their own metric and not in relation to other criteria so
we can assign the same value to different criteria.
2- Using relative comparison
Relative comparison is made by comparing each criterion with another. So by using relative
comparison; we can obtain what criteria are most important to us. This can be helpful when
you attempt to weigh criteria that have similar ratings by using an absolute comparison.
So by comparing them against one another we firmly know which one is more important.
Step 4: Generate a list of alternatives
Once we have identified a thorough list of criteria and weighed the importance of those
criteria, now we can generate a list of alternatives.
During this step, our goal is to generate as many alternatives as possible. The more
alternatives that we generate, the greater the likelihood is that we’ll come up with an
effective solution to our problem.
Going back to our problem, we can generate a few alternatives, including buying a new
house, building another room, placing possessions in storage, or even placing a few kids up
for adoption.
Keep in mind, in this stage we define all possible options, no matter if they are good or bad
solutions because we’ll think about that in the next stage.
Step 5: Evaluate the alternatives:
At this stage, we want to evaluate the alternatives that we’ve identified using the criteria that
we’ve identified in step2. This step may be lengthy depending on the number of criteria and
the number of alternatives.
Let’s go back to our Example: we’ll use a simple rank-order method to rank the alternatives
in the criteria that we’ve identified. We’re also establishing weights to each criterion based
on our findings from step 3. as shown in the following table:
Step 6: Determining the optimal decision
The sixth step in our rational decision-making model is determining the optimal decision. In
order to know the optimal decision, we’re going to multiply the ranking for each alternative by
that criteria’s respective weight.
Because each criterion has a different level of importance, we use these levels to influence
the results in the more important categories.
And as we have already weighed the criteria established in step 3, we know which criteria
we should give greater importance to when determining the optimum decision. As you can
see, the best option for the evaluation is the purchase of a new home.
I will leave you with a word of caution as we finish. Models are simple, ordered, and logical
by their very design. It's not just about the real world. So it's not easy to apply a model to an
environment, but it's a hard job.
This is valid statistically that, whether in his own business or in his own life, whoever uses
such a model makes more rational decisions. But resources, time, and other constraints will
affect the manager's ability to use the model as planned because maybe every solution can
not be tested and each potential choice can be found. But it is definitely a start if your goal
as a manager is to make more informed decisions.
B. Culture differences in decision-making
Decisions are different from each other so it is vital that the process is understood
Is it profit? Is it profit? Hour? Relationships: relationships? It's not just that, but it's essential
to know who decides and how others play their role. Decisions are often taken top-level in
autocratic cultures like those in Latin America, France or the Arab world, while consensus is
important in countries that are flatter management, such as the Netherlands, Australia or
Israel. On the other hand, some of the most relatively egalitarian societies can take a
remarkably low-level decision-making style. Corporate culture may, in other situations,
override all local cultural features. There will always be variations on cultural stereotypes, but
here are a few general examples of decision-making styles around the world.
3. The USA is a very flat management culture – until decision-making takes place. The
culture is similar in terms of the ability for people to question authority, but mostly
somewhat downward because the goal is typically swift and the boss can take a fast
decision to push things forward. It's not going to be challenged until this is over. This
obsession with speed may be America's downfall, when it can take a long while to
make decisions and try to rush onto the other end of the world puts people in a weak
position.
3. German firms tend to be more steeply hierarchical. In general, the boss is called in
the workplace, and formality is given. Nevertheless, German managers usually
involve their superiors and subordinates in the decision-making process, which
incorporates the advice of technical experts. All the main factors of German decision
taking are the structure, procedure, and efficiency. Since German culture is
individualistic, managers are willing to make their choices.
3. In comparison to individuals, Scandinavian cultural cultures are more likely to make
decisions based on social factors. Decision-making in Sweden will take a long time
by consensus. When a decision is taken, it generally won't change because there
has been so much discussion. Everybody is on board when a decision is reached.
3. Japan does not differ at the end of the day, but it differs significantly from Sweden in
terms of culture. What they have together, however, is that they want to maintain
harmony and the well-being of the group, which is more important than choices.
Traditional ways of achieving consensus in Japan are byways of 'ringi-sho,' in which
one person submits a set of documents, written documents, and distributes them to
everyone concerned. The document is stamped with a Hanko or personal seal by
each person. Those who disagree are not going to participate or reverse the Hanko,
but in any case, this lengthy process avoids open conflict in a meeting, leading to the
loss of face in people. A number of ringi can be in circulation at once in any given
organization.
3. China is a communist society, like Japan. Confucianism teaches people to keep up
their role in the hierarchy in order to prevent chaos. Decisions are slow and
deliberate; things rushing are a sign of foolishness. China 's culture of management
is typically risk-averse and tends to fix issues, and that is why the process is
sluggish. Decisions are determined by the social structure and the concept of the
group's good. Age is linked to knowledge and experience, therefore decisions are
normally made by the senior members of an undertaking who are generally in
charge.
3. In general, Arab cultures are also risk-averse and hierarchical. Decisions are made
from the top, often the following discussion with equally senior stakeholders. It is not
challenged once a decision is made. Over pace or risk, respect, integrity, and
connections are more important. Arabs tend to make business with friends and
family, not aliens. Nepotism or personal connections have a strong role in decision-
making.
C. Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication includes facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice,
gestures displayed through body language (kinesics), and the physical distance between the
communicators (proxemics).
These non-verbal signals can give clues and additional information and meaning over and
above spoken (verbal) communication. Indeed, some estimates suggest that around 70 to
80% of communication is non-verbal!
There are many different types of non-verbal communication. They include:
 Body movements (kinesics), for example, hand gestures or nodding or shaking the
head, which is often the easiest element of non-verbal communication to control;
 Posture, or how you stand or sit, whether your arms are crossed, and so on;
  Eye contact, where the amount of eye contact often determines the level of trust and
trustworthiness;
 Para-language, or aspects of the voice apart from speech, such as pitch, tone, and
speed of speaking;
 Closeness or personal space (proxemics), which determines the level of intimacy,
and which varies very much by culture;
 Facial expressions, including smiling, frowning, and blinking, are very hard to control
consciously. Interestingly, the broad facial expressions that show strong emotions,
such as fear, anger, and happiness, are the same throughout the world; and
 Physiological changes, for example, you may sweat or blink more when you are
nervous, and your heart rate is also likely to increase. These are almost impossible to
control consciously and are therefore a very important indicator of mental state.
Topic 4: Group & Teams
A. 3 kinds of the workgroup
1.Task forces: Often its members come from different parts of an organization, such
as various functional units or divisions, and different levels, ranging from line staff to
management. Individuals are selected for their expertise, their history in the
organization, and their interest in the project, focus on the completion of a project,
usually with limited time; members are selected on task-related skills (ex.: group of
national managers to manage an international fund). Some projects benefit greatly
from the advantages of a task force, while others may not justify the effort. A task
force is often essential when the project involves complex or thorny issues, or when
solutions will require organizational change. The involvement of staff brings multiple
perspectives to the table and can "grease the wheels" for implementation. The buy-in
a task force generates can be especially valuable when the outcome affects people
deeply, is emotionally charged, or impacts a large part of the organization.

2.Crews: focus on the tools required to perform a task, with regimented operations
and requirements (ex.: airline flight deck crews)

3.Teams: A team is any group of people organized to work together, both

interdependently and cooperatively to accomplish a purpose or a goal. Three
common types of workplace teams include functional or departmental, cross-
functional, and self-managing, focusing on interrelationships among the members,
with specific skills and abilities to address a task over a long period of time. The most
basic team is normally your department team, the group with whom you are
organized to produce a product or a service. Your end product either serves the
company's external customers directly or the internal customers whom you support
in producing the product that directly serves the customers.

B. The model of 6 variables of the workgroup

 C. The impact of culture on workgroup
Topic 5: Organization
1. Compare the organizational structure and organizational culture
2. Informal organization
Topic 6: The international assignment
I. Adjustment U-shape pattern 
( vẽ biểu đồ và phân tích, business nào, condition của công ty nào,...). Lý thuyết => cụ thể
tên công ty + tên quốc gia, phương thức áp dụng
Living abroad can be a joyous experience, promoting new world views, stimulating cultural
interest, and fostering the desire to discover foreign landscapes. Nevertheless, it can also
give the world a feeling of a bit lost.
Culture shock is a common phenomenon that often affects tourists and people living far from
home in unexpected ways although it can take months to grow. Cultural shock is more than
just unknown to social standards or new foods and even when they become familiar and
comfortable with new cultures it often affects travelers.
In general, the cultural shock passes through four phases: lunches, anger, adjustment, and
admission. Although these phases differ and the effect and structure of each step vary
widely, they are influenced by the ways that different cultures are adapted and treated.
The workforce in North Carolina, for example, involves people from around the globe who
live in the United States and throughout the United States. Americans who spent much time
elsewhere.
1. The Honeymoon Stage
The first stage of the shock is often overwhelmingly positive, during which travelers become
enthusiastic about their new environment with the language, people, and food. The journey
or transfer seems to be the biggest choice ever made at this stage, an exciting adventure for
the future.
"I went to the United States as an exchange student from Brazil to a host family and almost
didn't speak English. In just three months, I found a job, boyfriend, I moved to an apartment,
started a Brazilian dance club with another two roommates and I was traveling around
California. It made me feel easy and fast to make the United States my home. "— Fernanda
Araujo, event expert
In short trips, the entire experience will take over the honeymoon process, as there is no
time to start the later effects from the culture shock. On longer journeys, the honeymoon
stage usually ends.
Frustration may be the harshest stage of culture shock and it is definitely familiar to anyone
who has lived or travels abroad. At this point, the tiredness of failure to comprehend
gestures, signs, and language may frequently occur. Small details — misplaced keys,
missing or unable to buy food in a restaurant easily — could cause irritation. And while
frustration comes and goes, it’s a natural reaction for people spending extended time in new
countries.
“Coming from a really big city, the Research Triangle in North Carolina was tiny in
comparison (population-wise) but, at the same time, I realized how vast distances were in
the U.S. with cities spread out over miles. Not seeing people walking all over the place was
very new to me as I’ve always lived in very busy places. I also came to know good public
transport only exists in the biggest of cities in the U.S. In India, there are a lot of
neighborhood shops and markets so you don’t need to shop for groceries or household stuff
in bulk. That took a little getting used to and in grad school, I actually found it pretty
inconvenient.” — Nitya Mallikarjun, director of product development
Bouts of depression or homesickness and feelings of longing to go home where things are
familiar and comfortable are all common during the frustration stage.
2. The Hostility Stage 
Common thoughts during the Hostility Stage include: “We would never do that in my country!
Why can’t they just _____?” 
“I only have __ months before I go home. These people are so _____!” 
Characteristics of the Hostility Stage: 
• You begin to desire more personal relationships with members of the host culture 
• You find you have little time or opportunity to make friends 
• You are feeling isolated, out of place, tired, sick, depressed, angry, or frustrated 
• You have a growing awareness that your home culture’s behaviors may not be accepted in
the host culture, and you may have to give up, suspend, or modify your own behavior 
• Your high expectations remain unmet 
• You blame the host culture for your problems 
• You spend lots of time with members of your home culture complaining about the host
culture 
• You experience problems with the subtleties of the target language 
3. The Adjustment Stage
Frustrations are often subdued as travelers begin to feel more familiar and comfortable with
the cultures, people, food, and languages of new environments. Navigation becomes easier,
friends and communities of support are established and details of local languages may
become more recognizable during the adjustment stage.
“Because I was in Turkey for six months in a study abroad setting, acclimating to my new
environment was sped up due to all of the resources I was able to access. However, I found
that the best way to understand my new environment was to ask questions and learn to
respect the culture in the way it currently exists. The local Turkish people seemed much
more accommodating when I showed genuine interest in their customs, rather than
obviously being an American who was uncomfortable with her new situation. I also found
myself asking my Turkish roommates what was okay to do, not okay to do, where to go and
where not to go, so I was able to adjust to my environment more quickly.” — Kate Riley,
marketing and communications intern
4. The Acceptance Stage
Generally — though sometimes weeks, months, or years after wrestling with the emotional
stages outlined above — the final stage of culture shock is acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t
mean that new cultures or environments are completely understood, rather it signifies
realization that complete understanding isn’t necessary to function and thrive in the new
surroundings. During the acceptance stage, travelers have familiarity and are able to draw
together the resources they need to feel at ease.
“When I moved from California to North Carolina, I came to the conclusion that one culture is
not better than the other — there is no right or wrong, they are just different. And yes, that
brought peace of mind, no more judgment or coming to my own conclusions.” — Fernanda
Araujo
II. Individual vs organization factors for ex-pats success
Topic 7: The challenge of managing access culture in the
future
1. Pros and Cons of ICT in the challenging business environment
A. Advantages:

Better Decision-Making
ICT systems can save, process , analyze and share a huge amount of information in
your business. The information from corporate data makes it possible for managers
and employees to make quick and accurate decisions to effectively manage their
operations and to respond quickly to business opportunities or threats.
Communication networks also make it easy for decision makers in various locations
to work together when joint decisions are required.
Increased Manufacturing Productivity
Your business can enhance individual and overall productivity by automating
business processes and providing ICT instruments to its employees. Solutions such
as computer-assisted design on the production line, for example , can help reduce
set-up times and increase production accuracy so that staff can spend less time
reworking. Access to data from production makes it possible for managers to
schedule output more efficiently, use resources better and decrease lead times.
Improved Customer Service
A major differentiator for companies is the consistency of customer service. Your
organization should use ICT services to provide its customers with quicker response
and higher quality levels. For instance, you can access databases providing
comprehensive customer information including buying history or product preferences
if you run a call centre. The information helps them process inquiries quickly and
effectively and improves customer satisfaction. Field service staff can use
smartphones that have secure Internet connections to access customer, service and
products databases. This allows them to quickly and efficiently fix problems and to
enhance customer satisfaction again.
Greater and Virtual Collaboration
Communication networks enable effective collaboration between your project teams.
Video or web conferencing via the Internet can allow teams to hold virtual meetings
bringing together members from different places or organizations, such as business
partners or suppliers. This helps build stronger project teams and allows teams to
continue to advance important projects instead of waiting for members to meet in just
one location. For example, teams will minimize total project time and get new
products to market faster through a product development programme, giving the
business a strong competitive advantage.
Improved Financial Performance
ICT solutions can help you reduce costs , increase revenue and improve profitability
in your organization. Videoconferencing, for example, reduces travel costs by
hosting meetings between members at various locations. Output data will help
workers identify issues of quality, reduce waste and rework costs. Agency call
centers are able, by identifying opportunities for further products or services, to use
the information that is available on their customer databases to increase revenues.
Cost cuts and revenue gains lead greatly to overall productivity.
B. Disadvantages: 

Impersonal Perception
The belief that an organization is impersonal is a significant drawback of business
communication technology. That opinion is more likely to be shared by customers
who are continually peppered with electronic contact by businesses. Businesses
often use this communication tool to address customer questions about orders
posted on the company's website. The use of electronic communication methods will
frustrate customers who are trying to contact a company which can not touch a
human being.
Electronic communication may also be seen by staff as impersonal when they
receive only emails from managers or other employees. Email also may generate
misunderstanding that workers are needed in comparison with more personal
contact methods to look for feedback than expected.
Security Issues
Various security problems may occur by using business technology in
communication. Emails, text messages, and communication with other websites are
often vulnerable to hackers or other persons who should not have access to certain
information. These security problems can create grave legal liabilities if an
enterprise's business technology is used illegally to access the personal information
of the customer, including a credit card number , social security number and driver's
licence. Organizations must also create internal controls to protect information from
the employees' improper behavior.
Equipment Expense
In order to incorporate electronic communication technologies in its business
operations, businesses typically must buy additional equipment. The most popular
components needed are personal computers, servers, modems, and other software
or hardware. A company may also be needed in a few years to upgrade this
equipment in order to retain its business relevance. Corporate communications also
allows companies to hire an individual who can manage repairs or repair issues.
Although this function may be outsourced, this is usually more expensive than
recruiting a dedicated IT staff.
Difficulty Training Employees
Businesses are struggling to train older employees to use methods of
communication. These people might have a hard time understanding the technology
and how it works. Companies may need to spend a significant amount of time or
money preparing these individuals to interact with internal and external corporate
stakeholders using this technology. Recruitment strategies also have to be adjusted
to ensure that the company 's business communication technology is recognizable to
potential new employees.

2. The pressure on our natural environment in the challenging

business environment
2. The development of global managers to adapt to the challenging
business environment
2. How organizations and individual should do to adapt to the
changing business environment
 Use technological changes to your own advantage and learn how to use
them. Do not use new technologies; try them! Try them! Some people fear
trying new techniques to be dumb or old-fashioned before others – particularly
younger, technically more skilled. Checking the safety of your home or in the
presence of trustworthy friends and teachers if you're uncomfortable with
modern technology!
 Organizations can react quickly and have greater opportunities. Customers
are willing to pay additional for a quick response when delivering services and
orders. Fast and flexible employees usually reduce costs by reducing their
time spent on a project. As a superior, you need to constantly review, whether
in increments or quantum leaps, how you can save time spent on work.
Alongside information technology, also try breakthroughs that can make you
more easily and fewer people.
 Most people don't like confusion or doubt, but they are also realities of life in
the changing world. You will often have to decide without all the facts you
need to know what will happen with certainty. However, you will eventually
increase your value for the company if you embrace uncertainty and
discomfort and do not let it deter you from trying new stuff. Learning to
improvise and accommodate different and unexpected situations gives you
important skills to advance your career.
 Entrepreneurs always strive to do their best and make the most of their
employees. This is how companies act, because it's their job, their duty, their
prestige and their money to keep customers happy. These factors provide
 strong incentives for high rates of success. The supervisors and employees
also can benefit from an entrepreneurial attitude. A company attitude will give
you an additional incentive to reduce costs , improve profitability and prevent
you from satisfying customers. As change continues and more external
contractors start to be used by organisations, you can become one yourself.
An entrepreneurial attitude will help prepare you for that possibility.
 It should also be possible for the company to profit from your work. If you add
value, you give your job a return that exceeds the organization 's cost. Your
job is at risk if that is not the case. This is particularly true today when
companies are eager to find ways to reduce costs. Always ask if your
activities add value for your company or add cost to your company. If
someone asks what you contribute, you can give specific examples of what
you are doing and what you are making a difference.
 As a service provider, you are responsible for providing services both
internally and externally. You must understand and then leave the way to
meet the needs of your customers. Therefore, it is important to keep in touch
with your customers. Make sure that you are aware of the changes and
continuously enhance service delivery — for reliability, efficiency and cost. As
the needs change. It is a matter of taking care of those who depend on you
that is crucial to job security.
 There are often issues resulting from changing circumstances in every
organization. Some people get the reputation of complainant rather than
problem solver when they notice these problems. Those who complain and
accuse themselves or the organization are not helping themselves. Two
issues with the blame game are present.
 Most issues are caused by common causes, which means that nobody or
occurrence can determine a source.
 The way of solving them is to treat these problems as if there were an
identifiable cause.

To be a fixer, the root of the issue needs to be identified and clear steps introduced
to remedy it. The accusing person does not fix problems; the accusing person does
so and is an effective part of a group.