Questions and Answers of Organizational Culture

Working in small teams, analyze in depth the IHRM function of one globalizing or globalized firm. Then prepare a small number of PowerPoint slides.A new team made up of a representative from each
Are HRM requirements becoming similar globally? Why or why not? Please give two examples.
What is the Hay system? How does it relate to the conflict between internal equity and the demands of the external labor market?
Please describe three ways global companies can ensure the centrality of IHRM in their operations. Why is IHRM peripheral in many instances?
Many Western companies were unprofitable in China for several years. Why didn’t they withdraw from the Chinese marketplace to cut their losses?
Did Wal-Mart’s global growth pattern confirm Alan Rugman’s emphasis on regionalization rather than globalization? Why or why not?
Please review the ICI case discussion at the beginning of the chapter. Do you feel that ICI senior management is unrealistic? Why or why not?
Discuss and evaluate Cisco Systems’ method of integrating an acquired company into its organizational structure.
Why is the matrix structure particularly unstable? Why is this an issue for globalizing firms?
Each student should write a five-page paper outlining the relative advantages and disadvantages associated with globalization, paying particular attention to whether each point represents a threat or
Two self-selected teams representing advocates and opponents of globalization, respectively, should meet separately and prepare to debate in a formal manner. Relative advantages and disadvantages
Form small, self-selected groups: those who want to argue in favor of globalization and those who are of the opposite persuasion. Each small group should develop a list of advantages and
As globalization increases, so too do prosperity and inequality. Is this a major problem? Why or why not? Why do you feel this way?
What type of education does Alan Blinder believe can serve as a guard against or antidote to outsourcing of jobs? Why does he believe that the distinction between high school and college graduates is
Because of globalization, nations are becoming both more and less powerful, or at least possess this potential. Indicate how and why a nation conforms to this pattern.
Identify two winners and two losers as globalization strengthens. Why have you selected them? Are there other winners and losers you would like to highlight?If yes, why?
Why is globalization both an old and a new phenomenon? Identify two ways in which our current era of globalization differs from that experienced from 1870 until the start of World War I.
Discuss and critically analyze Alan Rugman’s theory that regionalization is the reality and globalization is a myth. How does he define his triad, and why is it important? Do you agree with Rugman?
Why is the increase in nationalism a threat to globalization? Please identify three ways to control this threat.
When would you expect cultural and political integration to increase as globalization proceeds? Why? Does economic integration require that cultural and political integration occur first? Why or why
What is the difference between risk and uncertainty? Why is the distinction between these two concepts relevant in a globalizing world?
How does stationary banditry relate to economic regression?
Discuss the work of Hernando de Soto. Is titling of land both necessary and sufficient for successful economic development? Why or why not?
Discuss the relationship between culture and institutions. Does culture influence institutions or vice versa? Please explain.
Why is the influence of trust on trade different from the influence of trade on peace or war? Please compare these two relationships. How great is the magnitude of the influence of trust on trade?
How do free markets differ from open markets? How are free markets related to democracy in many nations at the early stages of economic development?Please explain.
What are some of the major issues surrounding export-driven trade and the expanding economies of China and other developing nations?
Compare and contrast the Protestant ethic, the Catholic ethic, and Confucian dynamism.
Do you feel that one factor explains economic development better than other factors? Why? Identify five such factors and your preferred factor. Why do you prefer this factor?
Describe Ricardo’s theory of international trade. What is immiseration? How is Ricardo’s theory related to immiseration today? Why is the decoupling of the interests of multinational firms and
Class members should complete research on the incident involving the Danish newspaper’s depiction of Islam in 12 cartoons. Each member should then write a three-page paper on the issue, focusing on
Each small group of five should analyze one of the major religions treated by Huston Smith (1991). Using Smith and other sources, each group should develop a few PowerPoint slides to present to the
In groups of five, develop an interview schedule or protocol containing both open-ended and closed questions focusing on the issues examined in this chapter: multiethnicity, religion, geography, and
Does the conflict, stated frequently in religious terms, between authority-ranking cultures and both market-pricing and equality-matching cultures have the potential of derailing globalization? If
Have modern communication and transportation systems nullified the importance of geographic distance? Why or why not?
Do you feel that all religions should possess creeds and dogmas? Why? How do creeds and dogmas relate to the inclusion of others who do not share these creeds and dogmas?
How are the larger economic unions such as the EU, the World Trade Organization, NAFTA, and the International Court of Justice influencing this issue of ethical neutrality?
Do you feel that we should be “ethically neutral” when it comes to such cultural practices as the death penalty and female circumcision? Why or why not?
Identify and rank the degree of importance that you attach to the following concepts: race, ethnicity, national culture, and civilizational culture. Why do you feel this way?
What are the conditions under which ethnic cultures have the potential for facilitating and impeding globalization and borderless business?
Differentiate the following concepts: race, ethnicity, national culture, and civilizational culture. Are they related? Why or why not?
Does the yin-yang perspective and dynamic necessarily lead to a relativistic code of ethics? Why or why not?
How can time be viewed as only one circle encompassing the past, present, and future? What world religions advocate such a view? What are three major implications of such a view?
What is face, and how many types of face can you identify and describe?
Why should the advice about making an initially high offer be counterbalanced by other considerations? Identify three such considerations.
Compare the metaphors of Go and chess as they apply to negotiations.
Why do some negotiators have such a negative view of bargaining? How do metaphors of negotiation help us to understand and move beyond such a view?
How does a tough bargainer influence the dynamics of negotiations, and how can you deal with such a style?
Discuss the importance of and relationships between time, information, and power in negotiations.
Why is compromise a problematic way to approach bargaining?
The objective of a negotiation is to win as much as possible while leaving the other party satisfied. Why is it important to leave the other party satisfied?
Differentiate distributive from integrative bargaining, and integrative bargaining from genuinely integrative bargaining.
Each person in the class should interview a manager from the United States who has either worked abroad as an expat or been intensely involved in cross-cultural business activities in one or more
Each member of the class should visit the Web site of a major company, where the firm’s codes of ethical conduct are normally outlined. In small groups of five persons each, discuss the ethical
What is the difference between a small bribe and a major bribe? Is this distinction important? Why or why not?
How does the distinction between universal and relative ethical standards relate to the four types of generic cultures? Which of the types reflect the use of relative standards and universal
What is culture shock? Does reverse culture shock operate in the same fashion as culture shock? Why or why not? Who seems to suffer the most from culture shock, the expat or the spouse? Why?
Does crossing cultures involve only cross-cultural communication? Why or why not?
This chapter describes two models for understanding cultures when we cross them. What are three commonalities or conclusions that can be derived from these models?
Define and differentiate ethical standards, moral standards, and legal standards.Is it possible for these three types of standards to be completely separate from one another? Why or why not?
Describe some examples, from either your personal experience or other sources, of relative or particularistic ethical standards. Can there be conflicting ethical standards within one culture? Why or
Since ethical standards are an expression of a specific culture’s expectations, is it possible to have ethical standards that apply to all cultures around the globe? Why or why not?
When is understanding a culture more important than learning its language, and vice versa?
Mediated communication through cell phones, the Internet, or other devices can be beneficial and problematic. Why and how? Please be specific and provide examples from your own experience if possible.
Identify a phenomenon in your root culture that has a changing symbolic meaning. Please describe why.
Identify a phenomenon from your root culture that has a different symbolic meaning in another culture. Please describe why.
Identify a proverb from your root culture that seems to generate an opposing proverb, for example, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” and “Out of sight, out of mind.”
How can a low-context culture be high context, and vice versa?
How does the definition of culture as communication relate to music?
You are a first-line supervisor in a production company. As you are observing the factory floor, you notice that one employee is working with his safety guard up. Such a practice speeds up the work
In this chapter several exercises were suggested, including the identification of personal metaphors for leadership and the “20 items” relating to individualism and collectivism. Each small group
Class members should each identify an organization about which they are knowledgeable and draw nine charts to explore Thomas Stewart’s framework for nine leadership dilemmas. The charts can be
How does individualism-collectivism relate to Maslow’s needs hierarchy?
Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of guaranteed employment and employability from a cross-cultural perspective.
This chapter employs the dimension of individualism-collectivism not only when talking about groups but even when talking about individuals. Does this suggest that individualism-collectivism is not
How does group size relate to the free rider effect? Please explain. Critically compare this effect in individualistic and collectivistic cultures.
What is the fundamental attribution error? How does it relate to the self-serving bias in individualistic and collectivistic cultures?
How does the size of a nation’s population and its multiethnicity seem to influence its equality-matching, egalitarian focus?
How does charismatic leadership differ from transactional and visionary leadership?Identify a transformational leader who was not charismatic; explain why.
Did Chester Barnard argue that workers were of minor significance compared to managers or leaders? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Please cite and explain one factor not described in the chapter that nullifies the importance of culture.
What are demographic groups and cultural groups? How do they differ?Please give specific examples.
Describe and critically analyze the four generic types of cultures. Please draw a four-cell table, the x dimension of which is individualism-collectivism and the y dimension of which is power
Why do the GLOBE researchers distinguish between values and practices?Describe one situation you have personally encountered that highlights this distinction.
There are several definitions of culture in this chapter. Which specific definition do you prefer? Why? What do you consider to be the three most essential features of any definition of culture? Why?
How do individualism and collectivism relate to frames of reference and selfishness?
How did Bertrand Russell shed light on the famous Liar Paradox: All Cretans are liars; I never tell the truth? Is this approach emphasized in this book?Why or why not?
What are the three methods for shedding light on paradoxes? Which of these three methods is employed in this book? Do you feel that this method is more appropriate today than 50 years ago? Why or why
What do you consider to be the three most important strengths and the three most important limitations associated with paradoxical reasoning? Why?
What are the etic and emic perspectives on culture? Why is this distinction important? Does paradoxical reasoning represent a distinctive way of analyzing culture? Why or why not?
Do you feel that the famous statement in architecture that “less is more” is a paradox? Why or why not?
In what way or ways does paradoxical reasoning go beyond strict scientific reasoning?
8. What are the most significant insights about global technology teams and e-mail that have come from this exercise?
7. What was the effect of the face-to-face meeting? (Presumably, the third round was considerably more productive than the second because it took place after the face-toface meeting.)
6. How was the vision communicated? Could it have been communicated differently? Would the PM have done it differently knowing, now, some more about the other cultures? Discuss just how much impact
5. Did e-mail stifle communication? (Yes! In fact this is a part of the simulation. Deciphering the meaning of the e-mail messages sent among the teams is an integral part of the team experience and
4. Ask the participants whether they made assumptions about what they thought of the other teams, their cultures, and their work ethic.
3. Ask the group about its perceptions of project management, coordination, and communication issues. If you had observers, let them comment on these issues first, then let the teams respond.
2. Ask each team to evaluate the final product from the perspective of its synthetic culture. Is it a good map? Is it an aesthetically pleasing map?
1. Ask the project manager about his or her perception of the project and the workings of the teams. This will help this individual to “derole” and to vent any frustrations about personal

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