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DUE DATE MON 7/12 @ 5PM

Grading Rubric for Cases

Your grade is a combination of the following elements:

1. Appropriate length of answer. One paragraph per question answered. Individual question minimum of 3 well-structured sentences in 12 point font.

2. Identification of correct human resource or management topic.

3. Full quality answers which include research to determine how to apply standards, regulations, or laws covering human resources. These cases require you to research current federal employment law, regulations, and issues in order to answer them correctly.  Review “Website resources” tab. Also you can google topics, laws, cases, etc.

4. Correct notation of sources listed at the bottom of each answered case. You should list the textbook and any websites or other resources you used; cite direct quotes from sources in parenthesis and put (author’s last name, page #).

Case #105, page 293 “Fred Bailey: An Innocent Abroad”.  Each case requires you to answer the questions listed and to provide detailed answers with website resources, if used, listed at the bottom of each assignment. These are expatriate assignments and you can google “expartriate preparation” to help you find information that will support your answers to these questions. You can also google “Japanese business culture” to help you understand their business culture as it compares to the United States business culture to see what may have gone wrong and how to fix it. You will need to answer all 5 questions on page 296.

Your answer should be at least 2-3 pages with references listed at the end of the document on page 4 and in MLA 7th edition format

****** QUESTIONS SHOULD BE LISTED AND NUMBERED WITH ANSWERS PROVIDED BELOW *****

Instructors Manual  – Use Only as Guide – Plagiarism Software will be used!!!

105.        CASE: FRED BAILEY: AN INNOCENT ABROAD

I. OVERVIEW

The case begins with Fred in Tokyo wondering whether or not to tell his home office in Boston that he and his family are returning early from their overseas assignment.  Fred reflects back on the events that contributed to his current situation.

The case really begins with Fred receiving a chance to head-up the firm’s Tokyo office.  Although Fred’s wife, Jenny, is not so thrilled about the opportunity, Fred thinks he cannot pass it up.  Fred and family leave not long after the decision is made, basically by Fred, to accept the position in Tokyo.  Fred and his family receive little training and have almost no time to do any preparation themselves.

Fred made several mistakes early in his assignment:

1.       He failed to notice that there was a division between Japanese and foreign workers.

2.       He failed to realize that in the first meeting the Japanese felt put on the spot and were not comfortable giving their honest thoughts in that public situation.

3.       Fred took the John Wayne approach to trying to win a new contract, an approach that was uncomfortable for the Japanese client.

4.       Fred again failed to realize what a young Japanese research associate really was trying to say, and the situation got worse from there.

In addition, Jenny had trouble adjusting to Japan, and now she insisted that they go home.

II. OBJECTIVES

The teaching objective with this case is primarily to help students explore the factors that facilitate and inhibit successful cross-cultural adjustment for an American expatriate and his spouse and how their adjustment is related to each other.

III. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS

1.       What factors (individual, work, and organizational) contributed to Fred and Jenny’s lack of adjustment to Japan?

As was mentioned earlier, Fred made several mistakes:

He failed to notice that there was a division between Japanese and foreign workers.  He failed to realize that in the first meeting the Japanese felt put on the spot and were not comfortable giving their honest thoughts in that public situation.  Fred took a John Wayne approach to trying to win a new contract which clashed with the cultural values of the Japanese client.  Finally, Fred failed to realize what a young Japanese research associate really was trying to say, and the situation got worse from there.

It is usually easiest to get the class going by asking a student how adjusted they feel Fred is and what factors have contributed to his adjustment.  The student will nearly always state that Fred is not very adjusted and then begin to list factors.  It is often effective to group the factors on the board into four categories:  individual, work, organizational, and non-work.  This will provide a structure to the student’s laundry list of factors.  Also, it is helpful to ask the student from time to time to explain why a certain factor he or she mentioned either inhibited or facilitated Fred’s adjustment.  Generally, students will list primarily factors that are inhibiting Fred’s adjustment.  They should be pushed to consider factors that are facilitating Fred’s adjustment.  This process can be facilitated by statements such as, “with all these negative factors, it’s a wonder Fred has survived 6 months.  Why hasn’t he just jumped out his window?  Aren’t there any factors facilitating his adjustment?”

This same process should be repeated to analyze Jenny’s adjustment.  At this point it is quite normal for students to begin to discuss the relationship between Fred and Jenny’s adjustment.  In fact, it is not uncommon for students to list Fred as a significant negative factor of Jenny’s adjustment problems.

Although logically backwards, it is often useful at this point to discuss the various mistakes Fred has made because of his lack of understanding of Japan.  This provides a nice lead-in to a discussion or mini-lecture on the underlying process of cross-cultural adjustment.  What is culture shock and why does it happen?  What is the U-curve notion of cross-cultural adjustment and why does it happen?  Based on this discussion or lecture, students can begin to debate whether or not Fred and Jenny are simply going through normal cross-cultural adjustment.

2.       What mistakes did Fred make because of his lack of understanding of Japan?

See list in question 1.

3.       What criteria would be important in selecting employees for overseas assignments?

First it is important for organizations to carefully identify the types of skills needed by managers to successfully complete an overseas assignment.  Research on international selection issues indicates that companies often emphasize technical skills while neglecting cultural skills.  When international assignments fail it is usually because expatriates can’t fathom the customs of the new country or because their families cannot deal with the emotional stress of relocation to a foreign environment.  Criteria important in selecting employees for overseas assignment should include previous experience or knowledge of different cultures and demonstrated language skills.  These experiences would indicate a commitment and interest in living and working with different cultures.  For example, an individual who has been a foreign exchange student, traveled abroad, or who has studied another language would have some appreciation of how to interact with different cultures.

 

4.       What special training and development programs might have been beneficial to Fred and his family prior to his assignment to Japan?

One of the major reasons for Fred’s lack of success was that his company sent the family to Japan without any type of training or orientation.  Fred and his family only had three weeks to prepare for the trip.  Needless to say most of this time was spent on packing and other logistical activities.  The company should have provided both Fred and his family with an orientation program that would provide knowledge of the customs and culture of Japan.  This program could have involved lectures, films and videos, museum trips, and even a restaurant trip to familiarize the family with Japanese food.  Fred should have also been given a “realistic job preview” and the opportunity to talk with other executives in the company who had completed an assignment in Japan.  This preview should have included information on the benefits and idiosyncrasies of an assignment in Japan.  The entire family could have benefited from some language training that would at least familiarize them with everyday phrases.  Firms that provide training for executives with overseas assignments suggest four levels of training:  Level I – focus on the impact of cultural differences and the impact on business outcomes of these cultural differences; Level II – focus on attitudes and aim at getting participants to understand how attitudes influence behavior; Level III – focus on factual knowledge about the country in question; and Level IV – focus on skill building in areas like language and adjustment and adaptation skills.

5.       Assume you are Dave Steiner and you receive a call from Fred about his difficulties in Japan.  How would you respond?  What should be done now?

The real decision may rest with Fred and how he feels about staying in Japan.  Fred may see his options as either staying or leaving.  For those students that think Fred should leave, the self-esteem, career, and family consequences of that decision should be explored and carefully analyzed.  For those students that think Fred should stay a simple role play is often effective.  Usually someone will suggest that Fred try to convince Jenny to hang in there just a little longer.  Asking a female student who seems to identify with Jenny to play Jenny and the other student to play Fred creates an interesting means of analyzing the difficulty of staying.

Steiner needs to be supportive of Fred’s situation and help him to sort out the advantages and disadvantages of his situation.  Fred would naturally be concerned about this impact of his decision on his career future.  Steiner should offer support for language training for Jenny and Fred and to allow Fred more time to complete his goals and work plans.

 

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Week 2 HR Case Assignment

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

· Week 2 HR Case Assignment
Case 1
Homegrown Talent: Mary Barra Rises to GM’s Top Post
Pages 191-196 (Chapter 5)
Read the Case Study entitled, “Homegrown Talent: Mary Barra Rises to GM’s Top Post” on pages 195-196 (Chapter 5). Then, answer all of the questions at the end of the case.
Case 2
Loews Hotels: Training for Four-Diamond Service and More
Pages 274 – 275 (Chapter 7)
Read the Case Study entitled, “Loews Hotels: Training for Four-Diamond Service and More ” on pages 274-275 (Chapter 7). Then, answer all of the questions at the end of the case.

 

I selected the most interesting and applicable cases for the class. Please be sure to back up your answers to both of these cases with facts from the textbook. Please number each of your answers. This is very important so that I understand which questions you are responding to. Remember, it is quality that counts so be brief, thorough, and to the point. Good Luck!

Please be sure to back up your answers to both of these cases with facts from the textbook (please use APA format). Your case reports should have a minimum of 1000 words combined (500 words each). Please submit your case reports as Word documents (or both case reports as one Word document). Please number each of your answers, so that I understand which questions you are responding to.
Please make sure to include the other references  in the text

 

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PHIL 201 quiz 5 (All Correct answers) A+ Rated

(Set:1)

Question 1

Your noetic structure concerns only those beliefs that are actually true.

Question 2

The motivation behind internalism is:

Question 3

David Hume was a:

Question 4

A major criticism that internalism raises against externalism is:

Question 5

Noetic structure refers to:

Question 6

Intellectual virtue is best described as:

Question 7

The intellectual virtue of humility can be described as the mean between:

Question 8

Epistemic humility means the same thing that it means when applied to moral issues and questions.

Question 9

Virtue epistemology generally focuses on being intellectually virtuous as opposed to being absolutely certain.

Question 10

Which is not one of the ways that Wood says moral and intellectual virtues parallel each other?

Question 11

If Robert thinks that the only way in this world for a person to know whether God exists is to have some kind of sensory experience of God, along with an active mind that is able to process, structure and arrange ones experiences in a way that makes sense to him, then Robert would be following Kant in thinking that:

Question 12

According to externalism, there is really no way to test if one’s memories are reliable, but, in the absence of defeaters, one is reasonable in holding that they are. True or false?

Question 13

When Descartes employs systematic doubt against the beliefs he holds, he discovers that:

Question 14

What is the point of Descartes’ evil demon argument?

Question 15

Among some of the reasons why unmitigated skepticism is difficult for a person to consistently hold as a serious philosophical position is because

Question 16

Suppose a person is deeply concerned about whether her belief in God is rational. In order to make this determination, she reflects on the kind of evidence she thinks she has for God’s existence (e.g., the apparent design and beauty of the universe, the existence of other sentient beings, the almost universal acceptance of some degree of objective morality, etc.). In light of her awareness of, and access to, this potential evidence, she would be considered:

Question 17

Select the one below that does NOT belong : The justification of one’s beliefs is a matter that deals with.

Question 18

The virtue of studiousness does not take into account the proper motives for seeking knowledge. True of false?

Question 19

Select the one below that is NOT a difficulty with W.K. Clifford’s approach to evidentialis

Question 20

If an individual is an externalist in terms of epistemic warrant, then that person thinks that

(Set:2)

Question 1

By “high accessibility requirements” the internalist means:

Question 2

The view in which the basing relationship between beliefs is deductive:

Question 3

Rene Descartes was a:

Question 4

According to externalism one must be aware of whether his cognitive processes are functioning properly or not.

Question 5

Coherentism holds that some beliefs are more foundational than others.

Question 6

For Aristotle, the “Golden Mean” points to fixed and universal ethical norms for all people to follow.

Question 7

Thomas Aquinas thought that moral and intellectual virtues were closely related.

Question 8

The virtue of studiousness does not take into account the proper kinds of motives for seeking knowledge.

Question 9

Vices might be described as characteristics that are destructive in nature.

Question 10

Discussions of vice and virtues tend to arise within which major area of philosophy?

Question 11

What is the point of Descartes’ evil demon argument?

Question 12

According to Dew and Foreman, most rational people believe that it is extremely rarely for our senses to mislead us.

Question 13

To suggest that we should suspend all judgments about any claim to knowledge, is to suggest a softer and mitigated form of skepticism in contrast to its more unmitigated expressions.

Question 14

When Larry claims definitely and dogmatically that he knows we cannot know anything at all, he is expressing:

Question 15

Among some of the reasons why unmitigated skepticism is difficult for a person to consistently hold as a serious philosophical position is because

Question 16

Ginger believes that the dog she sees in her neighbor’s back yard is her own Labrador Retriever named Sam. Since there are no other Labrador Retrievers in the neighborhood fitting the same description as Sam, and since the dog Ginger sees in her neighbor’s yard seems to recognize Ginger’s voice when she calls out to it, Ginger quite naturally believes the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is her dog Sam. It turns out, however, that the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is in fact not Ginger’s dog but the Labrador of a visiting relative of her neighbor. On an internalist account of justification, since it turns out not to be true that Ginger saw her dog Sam in her neighbor’s back yard, Ginger was not justified in believing it was her own dog in the first place.

Question 17

While Clifford’s form of evidentialism may have its difficulties, most contemporary epistemologists agree that it is, at the very least, not a selfdefeating position, and this is part of what makes it a good option for epistemic justification.

Question 18

Select the one below that is NOT a difficulty with W.K. Clifford’s approach to evidentialism

Question 19

My belief is a justified belief if and only if it is, in fact, a true belief.

Question 20

Those holding to some form of externalism in rationality tend to argue that, since it is impossible for persons to have any cognitive access to the reasons and evidence that support some of a person’s beliefs, internalists cannot be right with respect to their account of justification for all beliefs.

(Set:3)

• Question 1 3 out of 3 points

The areas on knowledge that Descartes doubted include:

• Question 2 3 out of 3 points

According to externalism one must be aware of whether his cognitive processes are functioning properly or not.

• Question 3 3 out of 3 points

Coherentism holds that some beliefs are more foundational than others.

• Question 4 3 out of 3 points

The answers to the skeptical challenge suggested in the pointecast presentation include:

• Question 5 3 out of 3 points

Noetic structure refers to:

• Question 6 3 out of 3 points

Humility helps us fight against intellectual vices like pride and vanity that keep us from seeing the truth.

• Question 7 3 out of 3 points

Carefulness is an intellectual virtue that helps us:

• Question 8 3 out of 3 points

For Aristotle, the “Golden Mean” points to fixed and universal ethical norms for all people to follow.

• Question 9 3 out of 3 points

The intellectual virtue of humility can be described as the mean between:

• Question 10 3 out of 3 points

Which is not one of the ways that Wood says moral and intellectual virtues parallel each other?

• Question 11 3 out of 3 points

Hume thinks that, while we may assume connections of causality (i.e., every event has a cause), we never actually perceive a necessary connection of causality and therefore we cannot know a causal connection has actually occurred.

• Question 12 3 out of 3 points

If skepticism is an indefensible philosophical position to hold, then by the process of elimination, epistemic certainty is the only reasonable alternative.

• Question 13 3 out of 3 points

One of the factors that fuels skepticism is our inability to demonstrate epistemic certainty about many of the beliefs we think are true.

• Question 14 3 out of 3 points

It is a commonly accepted fact that it is impossible to be certain about any belief

• Question 15 3 out of 3 points

Those holding to some form of externalism in rationality tend to argue that, since it is impossible for persons to have any cognitive access to the reasons and evidence that support some of a person’s beliefs, internalists cannot be right with respect to their account of justification for all beliefs.

• Question 16 3 out of 3 points

Ginger believes that the dog she sees in her neighbor’s back yard is her own Labrador Retriever named Sam. Since there are no other Labrador Retrievers in the neighbourhood fitting the same description as Sam, and since the dog Ginger sees in her neighbor’s yard seems to recognize Ginger’s voice when she calls out to it, Ginger quite naturally believes the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is her dog Sam. It turns out, however, that the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is in fact not Ginger’s dog but the Labrador of a visiting relative of her neighbor. On an internalist account of justification, since it turns out not to be true that Ginger saw her dog Sam in her neighbor’s back yard, Ginger was not justified in believing it was her own dog in the first place.

• Question 17

If a person thinks she has a moral responsibility to determine that any belief she holds is based on sufficient evidence, that is, evidence that strikes her as being based on indisputably good reasons or arguments, she is likely representing the epistemological position of

• Question 18

The problem with W. K. Clifford’s statement “It is wrong always, everywhere and

for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence” is that:

• Question 19

When Larry claims definitely and dogmatically that he knows we cannot know anything at all, he is expressing:

• Question 20

Vices might be described as characteristics that are destructive in nature.

(Set: 4)

Question 1

Christopher Columbus was convinced that he discovered a route to the East Indies because it lined up with his maps and the current beliefs of his day. However, he was wrong. This example demonstrates a problem with:

Question 2

Noetic structure refers to:

Question 3

The doxastic assumption is:

Question 4

According to externalism one must be aware of whether his cognitive processes are functioning properly or not.

Question 5

The areas on knowledge that Descartes doubted include:

Question 6

Discussions of vice and virtues tend to arise within which major area of philosophy?

Question 7

Vices might be described as characteristics that are destructive in nature.

Question 8

Intellectual virtue is best described as:

Question 9

Thomas Aquinas thought that moral and intellectual virtues were closely related.

Question 10

Being intellectually virtuous helps us to avoid common mistakes in our thinking that keeps us from knowledge.

Question 11

When the used car salesman tells Steve that the particular car he is considering purchasing has less than fifteen thousand actual miles on it, Steve is, quite naturally, a bit skeptical about this claim, particularly since the car is over ten years old and looks a little worse for wear. In exhibiting this level of doubt, Steve is expressing:

Question 12

When Descartes employs systematic doubt against the beliefs he holds, he discovers that:

Question 13

According to Dew and Foreman, most rational people believe that it is extremely rarely for our senses to mislead us.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT commonly given by philosophers as a reason for adopting some form of skepticism:

Question 15

To say that it is impossible to have knowledge is itself a claim to knowledge, and is for that reason a selfdefeating assertion.

Question 16

Select the one below that is NOT a difficulty with W.K. Clifford’s approach to evidential ism

Question 17

Externalism in epistemology is an approach to rationality which argues that

Question 18

While Clifford’s form of evidentialism may have its difficulties, most contemporary epistemologists agree that it is, at the very least, not a selfdefeating position, and this is part of what makes it a good option for epistemic justification.

Question 19

Ginger believes that the dog she sees in her neighbor’s back yard is her own Labrador Retriever named Sam. Since there are no other Labrador Retrievers in the neighborhood fitting the same description as Sam, and since the dog Ginger sees in her neighbor’s yard seems to recognize Ginger’s voice when she calls out to it, Ginger quite naturally believes the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is her dog Sam. It turns out, however, that the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is in fact not Ginger’s dog but the Labrador of a visiting relative of her neighbor. On an internalist account of justification, since it turns out not to be true that Ginger saw her dog Sam in her neighbor’s back yard, Ginger was not justified in believing it was her own dog in the first place.

Question 20

Those holding to some form of externalism in rationality tend to argue that, since it is impossible for persons to have any cognitive access to the reasons and evidence that support some of a person’s beliefs, internalists cannot be right with respect to their account of justification for all beliefs.

(Set: 5)

Question 1

When considering our noetic structure we recognize that we hold beliefs in varying degrees of strength.

Question 2

The motivation behind externalism is:

Question 3

Coherentism holds that some beliefs are more foundational than others.

Question 4

According to externalism one must be aware of whether his cognitive processes are functioning properly or not.

Question 5

The view in which the basing relationship between beliefs is deductive:

Question 6

Intellectual virtue is best described as:

Question 7

Aristotle thought that the virtues are present naturally in all people.

Question 8

The intellectual virtue of humility can be described as the mean between:

Question 9

Vices might be described as characteristics that are destructive in nature.

Question 10

Discussions of vice and virtues tend to arise within which major area of philosophy?

Question 11

When Larry claims definitely and dogmatically that he knows we cannot know anything at all, he is expressing:

Question 12

According to Dew and Foreman, most rational people believe that it is extremely rarely for our senses to mislead us.

Question 13

One of the factors that fuels skepticism is our inability to demonstrate epistemic certainty about many of the beliefs we think are true.

Question 14

If skepticism is an indefensible philosophical position to hold, then by the process of elimination, epistemic certainty is the only reasonable alternative.

Question 15

Robert is a scientist who firmly believes in empirical truths and the physical laws of causality (e.g. when he builds a fire in his fireplace, it will produce heat), but he expresses serious reservations about the rational credibility of whether there are objective moral virtues, such as goodness, or whether such a being as the traditional God of theism does in fact exist. In such a case, Robert is expressing a form of

Question 16

Coherentism in epistemology is a position which holds that a particular belief is justified for a person so long as that belief is consistent with everything else that person holds to be true.

Question 17

Those holding to some form of externalism in rationality tend to argue that, since it is impossible for persons to have any cognitive access to the reasons and evidence that support some of a person’s beliefs, internalists cannot be right with respect to their account of justification for all beliefs.

Question 18

Suppose a person is deeply concerned about whether her belief in God is rational. In order to make this determination, she reflects on the kind of evidence she thinks she has for God’s existence (e.g., the apparent design and beauty of the universe, the existence of other sentient beings, the almost universal acceptance of some degree of objective morality, etc.). In light of her awareness of, and access to, this potential evidence, she would be considered:

Question 19

If Jacob thinks there is overwhelming evidence for the existence of God, especially in light of what he thinks is the apparent design and fine-tuning of the universe, but John claims that the obvious existence of evil argues against the rationality of Jacob’s belief in the existence of God, then John has

Question 20

Coherentism is a position in epistemic justification which holds that

(Set:6)

Question 1  3 out of 3 points

According to externalism one must be aware of whether his cognitive processes are functioning properly or not.

Question 2   3 out of 3 points

Coherentism holds that some beliefs are more foundational than others.

Question 3  3 out of 3 polnts

The motivation behind internal ism is:

Question 4  3 out of 3 points

The motivation behind externalism is:

Question 5   3 out of 3 points

The answers to the skeptical challenge suggested in the pointecast presentation include:

Question 6  3 out of 3 polnts

Aristotle said that virtue is the “mean between two vices, one of excess and one of deficiency.”

Question 7  3 out of 3 points

Carefulness is an intellectual virtue that helps us:

Question 8  3 out of 3 points

Virtue epistemologists think that intellectual virtues might helps us with the Gettier problem by:

Question 9  3 out of 3 points

Aristotle’s notion of happiness focused on:

Question 10  3 out of 3 points

The intellectual virtue of studiousness leads one to seek knowledge with the right kind of motives and desires.

Question 11  3 out of 3 points

When Descartes employs systematic doubt against the beliefs he holds, he discovers that:

Question 12 3 out of 3 points

Rather than having certainty about our beliefs, it is more likely that we have varying degrees of rational support for our beliefs.

Question 13  3 out of 3 points

One reason why certainty in knowledge is not likely a reasonable alternative to unmitigated scepticism is because

Question 14  3 out of 3 points

Among some of the reasons why unmitigated skepticism is difficult for a person to consistently hold as a serious philosophical position is because

Question 15  3 out of 3 points

Sextus Empiricus adopted a version of Pyhrro’s skepticism mainly because he believed that

Question 16  3 out of 3 points

While Clifford’s form of evidential ism may have its difficulties, most contemporary epistemologists agree that it is, at the very least, not a selfdefeating position, and this is part of what makes it a good option for epistemic justification.

Question 17   3 out of 3 points

If Jacob thinks there is overwhelming evidence for the existence of God, especially in light of what he thinks is the apparent design and finetuning of the universe, but John claims that the obvious existence of evil argues against the rationality of Jacob’s belief in the existence of God, then John has

Question 18

Coherentism is a position in epistemic justification which holds that

Question 19

Select the one below that does NOT belong: The justification of one’s beliefs is a matter that deals with

Question 20  3 out of 3 points

Ginger believes that the dog she sees in her neighbor’s back yard is her own Labrador Retriever named Sam. Since there are no other Labrador Retrievers in the neighborhood fitting the same description as Sam, and since the dog Ginger sees in her neighbor’s yard seems to recognize Ginger’s voice when she calls out to it, Ginger quite naturally believes the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is her dog Sam. It turns out, however, that the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is in fact not Ginger’s dog but the Labrador of a visiting relative of her neighbor. On an internalist account of justification, since it turns out not to be true that Ginger saw her dog Sam in her neighbor’s back yard, Ginger was not justified in believing it was her own dog in the first place.

(Set:7)

Question 1 The areas on knowledge that Descartes doubted include:

Question 2 Clifford was a:

Question 3 

Karen says she doesn’t believe that you can ever have real knowledge. When asked if

she claims to know that as a fact, she says no, but she believes that is the case. What category would you place her in:

Question 4 A major criticism that internal ism raises against externalism is:

Question 5 David Hume was a:

Question 6 Thomas Aquinas thought that moral and intellectual virtues were closely related.

Question 7 For Aristotle, the “Golden Mean” points to fixed and universal ethical norms for all people to follow.

Question 8 Intellectual courage helps us to:

Question 9 Being intellectually virtuous helps us to avoid common mistakes in our thinking that keeps us from knowledge.

Question 10 Aristotle thought that the virtues are present naturally in all people.

Question 11 If skepticism is an indefensible philosophical position to hold, then by the process of elimination, epistemic certainty is the only reasonable alternative.

Question 12 Robert is a scientist who firmly believes in empirical truths and the physical laws of causality (e.g. when he builds a fire in his fireplace, it will produce heat), but he expresses serious reservations about the rational credibility of whether there are objective moral virtues, such as goodness, or whether such a being as the traditional God of theism does in fact exist. In such a case, Robert is expressing a form of

Question 13 To suggest that we should suspend all judgments about any claim to knowledge, is to suggest a softer and mitigated form of skepticism in contrast to its more unmitigated

expressions.

Question 14 When Descartes employs systematic doubt against the beliefs he holds, he discovers that:

Question 15 Among some of the reasons why unmitigated skepticism is difficult for a person to consistently hold as a serious philosophical position is because

Question 16 If Jacob thinks there is overwhelming evidence for the existence of God, especially in light of what he thinks is the apparent design and finetuning of the universe, but John claims that the obvious existence of evil argues against the rationality of Jacob’s belief in the existence of God, then John has

Question 17 If an individual is an externalist in terms of epistemic warrant, then that person thinks that

Question 18 Select the one below that is NOT a difficulty with W.K. Clifford’s approach to

evidential ism

Question 19 Ginger believes that the dog she sees in her neighbor’s back yard is her own Labrador Retriever named Sam. Since there are no other Labrador Retrievers in the neighbourhood fitting the same description as Sam, and since the dog Ginger sees in her neighbor’s yard seems to recognize Ginger’s voice when she calls out to it, Ginger quite naturally believes the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is her dog Sam. It turns out, however, that the dog in her neighbor’s back yard is in fact not Ginger’s dog but the Labrador of a visiting relative of her neighbor. On an internalist account of justification, since it turns out not to be true that Ginger saw her dog Sam in her neighbor’s back yard, Ginger was not justified in believing it was her own dog in the first place.

Question 20 While Clifford’s form of evidential ism may have its difficulties, most contemporary epistemologists agree that it is, at the very least, not a selfdefeating position, and this is part of what makes it a good option for epistemic justification.

(Set:8)

Question 1 Coherentism holds that some beliefs are more foundational than others.

Question 2 A major criticism that internal ism raises against externalism is:

Question 3 Clifford was a:

Question 4 When considering our noetic structure we recognize that we hold beliefs in varying degrees of strength.

Question 5 To say that a belief is defeasible is to say;

Question 6 The intellectual virtue of humility can be described as the mean between:

Question 7 For Aristotle, the “Golden Mean” points to fixed and universal ethical norms for all people to follow.

Question 8 Aristotle thought that the virtues are present naturally in all people.

Question 9 Which is not one of the ways that Wood says moral and intellectual virtues parallel each other?

Question 10 Being intellectually virtuous helps us to avoid common mistakes in our thinking that keeps us from knowledge.

Question 11 Rather than having certainty about our beliefs, it is more likely that we have varying degrees of rational support for our beliefs.

Question 12 According to Dew and Foreman, most rational people believe that it is extremely rarely for our senses to mislead us.

Question 13 When the used car salesman tells Steve that the particular car he is considering

purchasing has less than fifteen thousand actual miles on it, Steve is, quite naturally, a bit

skeptical about this claim, particularly since the car is over ten years old and looks a little worse for wear. In exhibiting this level of doubt, Steve is expressing:

Question 14 Hume thinks that, while we may assume connections of causality (i.e., every event has a cause), we never actually perceive a necessary connection of causality and therefore we cannot know a causal connection has actually occurred.

Question 15 One of the factors that fuels skepticism is our inability to demonstrate epistemic

certainty about many of the beliefs we think are true.

Question 16 Select the one below that is NOT a difficulty with W.K. Clifford’s approach to

evidential ism

Question 17 Coherentism in epistemology is a position which holds that a particular belief is

justified for a person so long as that belief is consistent with everything else that person holds to be true.

Question 18 If an individual is an externalist in terms of epistemic warrant, then that person thinks that

Question 19 Those holding to some form of externalism in rationality tend to argue that, since it is impossible for persons to have any cognitive access to the reasons and evidence that support some of a person’s beliefs, internalists cannot be right with respect to their account of justification for all beliefs.

Question 20 According to reliabilism, in order for a person’s belief to be rational, that person

must at least:

(Set:9)

Question 1 Christopher Columbus was convinced that he discovered a route to the East Indies because it lined up with his maps and the current beliefs of his day. However, he was wrong. This example demonstrates a problem with:

Question 2 The doxastic assumption is:

Question 3 When considering our noetic structure we recognize that we hold beliefs in varying degrees of strength.

Question 4 By “high accessibility requirements” the internalist means:

Question 5 The areas on knowledge that Descartes doubted include:

Question 6 Intellectual courage helps us to:

Question 7

Your noetic structure concerns only those beliefs that are actually true. True or false?

Question 8 Carefulness is an intellectual virtue that helps us:

Question 9 Discussions of vice and virtues tend to arise within which major area of philosophy?

Question 10 For Aristotle, the “Golden Mean” points to fixed and universal ethical norms for all people to follow.

Question 11 One of the factors that fuels skepticism is our inability to demonstrate epistemic

certainty about many of the beliefs we think are true.

Question 12 If Robert thinks that the only way in this world for a person to know whether God exists is to have some kind of sensory experience of God, along with an active mind that is able to process, structure and arrange ones experiences in a way that makes sense to him, then Robert would be following Kant in thinking that:

Question 13 Rather than having certainty about our beliefs, it is more likely that we have varying degrees of rational support for our beliefs.

Question 14 Hume thinks that, while we may assume connections of causality (i.e., every event has a cause), we never actually perceive a necessary connection of causality and therefore we cannot know a causal connection has actually occurred.

Question 15 When Descartes employs systematic doubt against the beliefs he holds, he discovers that:

Question 16 According to reliabilism, in order for a person’s belief to be rational, that person

must at least:

Question 17 If an individual is an externalist in terms of epistemic warrant, then that person thinks that

Question 18 Select the one below that does NOT belong: To suggest that a person’s approach to justification is internalist is to suggest that

Question 19 Select the one below that is NOT a difficulty with W.K. Clifford’s approach to

evidential ism

Question 20 It is a commonly accepted fact that it is impossible to be certain about any belief

(Set:10)

Question 1 By “high accessibility requirements” the internalist means:

Question 2 To say that a belief is defeasible is to say;

Question 3 Coherentism holds that some beliefs are more foundational than others.

Question 4 David Hume was a:

Question 5 The doxastic assumption is:

Question 6 Thomas Aquinas thought that moral and intellectual virtues were closely related.

Question 7 Aristotle’s notion of happiness focused on:

Question 8 Humility helps us fight against intellectual vices like pride and vanity that keep us from seeing the truth.

Question 9 Being intellectually virtuous helps us to avoid common mistakes in our thinking that keeps us from knowledge.

Question 10 Virtue epistemologists think that intellectual virtues might helps us with the Gettier problem by:

Question 11 To suggest that we should suspend all judgments about any claim to knowledge, is to suggest a softer and mitigated form of skepticism in contrast to its more unmitigated expressions.

Question 12 Rather than having certainty about our beliefs, it is more likely that we have varying degrees of rational support for our beliefs.

Question 13 When the used car salesman tells Steve that the particular car he is considering purchasing has less than fifteen thousand actual miles on it, Steve is, quite naturally, a bit skeptical about this claim, particularly since the car is over ten years old and looks a little worse for wear. In exhibiting this level of doubt, Steve is expressing:

Question 14 If skepticism is an indefensible philosophical position to hold, then by the process of elimination, epistemic certainty is the only reasonable alternative.

Question 15 What is the point of Descartes’ evil demon argument?

Question 16 Those holding to some form of externalism in rationality tend to argue that, since it is impossible for persons to have any cognitive access to the reasons and evidence that support some of a person’s beliefs, internalists cannot be right with respect to their account of justification for all beliefs.

Question 17 If Jacob thinks there is overwhelming evidence for the existence of God, especially in light of what he thinks is the apparent design and finetuning of the universe, but John claims that the obvious existence of evil argues against the rationality of Jacob’s belief in the existence of God, then John has

Question 18

If a person thinks she has a moral responsibility to determine that any belief she

holds is based on sufficient evidence, that is, evidence that strikes her as being based on

indisputably good reasons or arguments, she is likely representing the epistemological position of

Question 19

Which is not one of the ways that Wood says moral and intellectual virtues parallel each other?

Question 20

According to Dew and Foreman, most rational people believe that it is extremely rarely for our senses to mislead us.

Phil/201 Quiz Five

 

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e colloquial e.^ To date, the 1950s, [he English-:cepted defi-

ted mainly r embodi-!cially their

mental pro-

latterns of lind”. This s behavior mate from vare of the

and thus ex-•acticed by a ne up in spe-

.sic elements

isychologists m them into Lictive, dense ured reason-lat the basic

; subsequent

3 t of culture.

not national given aware-ution of this , values and es and proc-•ch, but their ly or society. ;y are partly

CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

25

conscious and partly unconscious. The third level is described as underlying assumptions, which are often presumed to be self-evident. They include convictions, perceptions, thoughts and feelings, which are usually invisible and unconscious. Nevertheless, they are the sources of values and the actions based on them. Schein emphasizes that relationships that lead from artefacts through values to underlying assumptions are much weaker than those leading in the contrary direction, because the influence of underlying assumptions on values and artefacts is stronger than vice versa.

The basic assumptions of Schein’s ideas originate in the work of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck from 1961″ According to the authors, assumptions are organized independently of individual cases in typical patterns in each culture based on the human capacity to survive. Some of the underlying assumptions will be explained in more detail below, modeled according to explana-tions by Schein.”^ The following questions are implicit in the six underlying assumptions:^”

The nature of reality and the nature of truth: What is real and what is not? Do members of a culture a s s u m e more of an experimental position, where decisions about true and false depend on experiment, or do they follow more traditional convictions?

The time dimension: How Is the time dimension defined and calculated? How important is time? Do members of a culture live more in relation to thepast or to the future? Are they oriented more to the long-term or the short-term?

ThB-effect of spatial proximity and distance: How Is s p a c e attributed to members of a society? What objects and locations are private and what are public? What role does spatial distance play In evaluating relationships e.g. In regard to level of intimacy?

The nature of being human: What does it mean to be human? Is human nature marked more by

good or bad Intentions? C a n people change and develop, even a s adults? ;

The type of human activity: How

is the relationship to the environment

evaluated? Is the

A

environment considered more compelling or overpowering? Are the members of a society more

passive in their fate or do they try to actively change it?

The nature of human relationships:

What Ideas about criteria of social order dominate in a society

(e.g. age, origins, s u c c e s s ) ? What characterizes relationships between people? Is team s u c c e s s or

Individual s u c c e s s important?

_An example of Schein’s culture levels is found in Scholz, Messemer and Schrbter.^^ The authors analyze culture within the European Community using Schein’s concept. They state that there are great similarities on the artefact level of the European states, which evokes the impression that there are no major differences between countries. However, the consensus is much lower on the levels of values and basic assumptions. Under the heading of assumptions, the authors discuss Christianity, the basic understanding of democracy as well as capitalist market organiza-tions as examples. O n the values level, they mention national legislation on abortion as an example. The artefacts level addresses laws and guidelines that are initiated at the European level. The authors conclude that Europe is a culture corridor with major similarities and differ-ences on the levels of basic assumptions, values and artefacts. The diversity of definitions and concepts, only a small part of which can be presented in this chapter, underlines the need for a clear, unambiguous definition of the term culture for research work in intercultural comparative research.

Cross-cultural management Studies

Cross-cultural management studies aim to describe and compare the working behavior in vari-ous cultures. Suggestions on improving interaction between members of various cultures can be drawn from these analyses. This section will describe important results of cross-cultural

20

CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

i

management studies. The overview starts with the historically significant study

by

Hofstede.

The GLOBE study and results of the studies by Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner as well as

work by Hall and Hall are also presented and

discussed.””

H o f s t e d e ‘ s c r o s s – c u l t u r a l m a n a g e m e n t

study . The research of Hofstede occupies a special

place in the field of cross-cultural comparative research”^ because it was the first major study in

this field. It can be positioned on the values level, the intermediate level of Schein’s concept of

culture. This means that it results in variables that are partly conscious and partly unconscious.

A famil

This approach is different from other studies that primarily consider the artefacts

level. The lat-

a small

ter concentrates on easily measurable, but hard to interpret variables like, for example,

eco-

ture w<nomic growth of a country or its political system.

firm. Tt

In his original study, Hofstede identified four cultural dimensions based on preliminary theo-

retical considerations and statistical analyses, which can be used to describe cultural

differences

between countries.”^ This is the most comprehensive study on this subject ever conducted by

means of one questionnaire. In total, the analysis was based on 116 000 questionnaires

from

I B M employees. The surveyed employees represented all hierarchical levels of the company and

possessed

various qualifications, from unskilled workers

to university graduates.

Employees

from a total of 38 various profession groups were surveyed.^” In addition, the study was con-

ducted during two different periods in I B M subsidiaries (1967-1969 and 1971-1973).^’ The

questionnaire was translated into 20 different languages

in t o t a l . O u t of 150 questions,

60

were based on convictions and values of the

respondents.^” Since the survey questioned

only

The resindividuals employed at subsidiaries of the same company, there is a high probability according

accur to Hofstede that the determined differences are actually the result of national differences and the

‘mental program’ of the employees.”’ Four underlying dimensions of country cultures were

D i s c uss

identified from the values obtained within the scope of the study. These dimensions together

1 R.

explained

49 per cent of the variance .Hofstede named them power distance,

uncertainty

avoidance,

femininity vs. masculinity, and individualism

vs. collectivism. A later study involv-

ing participants from the Asian

Pacific region included a fifth dimension, Confucianism

or

long-term

orientation.

The power distance dimension

represents the scale on which the members of a culture accept

that power is not distributed equally in institutions. It expresses the emotional distance between

employees

and superiors.’^^ Power inequality exists in many cultures, but may be more or less

pronounced from culture to culture. Societies marked by high power distance, and high power

inequality, accept hierarchical organization structure, in which every individual can occupy their

place without any need for justification. Cultures with low power distance aspire to equal power

distribution and demand explanations for any instance of formalized power inequality. The im-

portant difference between societies that differ with respect to the Power Distance Index is in

how power inequalit}’ is dealt with. See I H R M in Action Case 2.1. Naturally, this implies conse-

quences for the structure of organizations.””

The cultural dimension of uncertainty’ avoidance represents the extent to which

the members of a culture feel threatened

by uncertain, ambiguous

and/or unstructured situations and try to avoid them. Cultures with strong uncertainty avoidance are characterized by strict beliefs and behavioral codes and do not tolerate people and ideas that deviate from these. In cultures with weak uncertainty avoidance, the significance of practice exceeds the significance of principles and there is high tolerance for deviations. The major difference between countries with differing Uncertainty Avoidance Index is the reaction of individuals to time pressure or uncertainties in the future. People try to influence and control the future to a varying extent.^^Just like the power distance dimension the uncertainty avoidance dimension implies consequences for the structure of organizations. Hofstede even goes as far as to claim that countries life.^° 1 with weaker uncertainty avoidance are more likely to bring about fundamental innovations,

Lited to because they have greater tolerance for deviate thinking. See I H R M in Action Case 2.2.

The

However, he sees a decisive drawback for these nations in the implementation of such

L vidual

Hofstede. as well as les a special jot study in concept of nconscious. rel. The lat-ample, eco-linary theo-1 differences inducted by naires from impany and

Employees dy was con-973).^’ The jestions, 60 ;tioned only :y according aces and the iltures were ms together

uncertainty tudy involv-

•icianism or

ilture accept nee between more or less high power occupy their equal power lity. The im-•t Index is in aplies conse-

;h the mem-mations and ed by strict om these. In significance :en countries ; pressure or ing extent.^* iplies conse-lat countries innovations, n Case 2.2. ion of such

r

CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

27

I

RM in Action Case 2

Establishing a branch of a family business in China

A family-owned carbon steel company from Germany has extended Its business to Hong Kong. The owners bought a small traditional Chinese firm and decided to copy the successful structure they had developed at home. This struc-ture was headed by three general managers who equally shared the responsibilities tor the business activities of the firm. The consequences were as tollows.

Now the Chinese employees were assigned tasks by people they have never seen before and whom they did not understand. Many misunderstandings occurred, some were quite costly.

The employees back In Europe were only concerned with whether the assigned tasks were completed and did not consider any other obligations to the Chinese employees, such as taking care of the relationships

with the Chinese government, banks, etc. _ „ .

3 Eventually, the local employees became frustrated and were ready to leave the company.

The result was that the management model was changed again and a single managing director of the subsidiary was accountable tor all business activities in Hong Kong.

D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t i o n s :

Relate the described situation to one of the cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede. How can you explain it?

How does this situation compare to comparable situations in your home country? What are the limits of a cultural explanation?

Source: Based on DGFP, M. Festing, K.-P. Gempper, G. Gesche, J. Hagenmuller, U. Hann, D. Slevogt, G. Trautwein, P. Esch and 8. Armutat (eds) Interkulturelle Managementsituation In der Praxis, Kommentierte Fallbeispiele tur Fuhrungskratte und Personalmanager (Bielefeld: Bertelsmann, 2004).

innovations, because detailed work and punctuality are required for implementation. An out-standing implementation of complex processes is associated with cultures with higher uncer-tainty avoidance. In summary, he ascertains that more Nobel Prize winners have come from

Great Britain than Japan, but Japan was able to introduce more new products into the world market.^^

The cultural dimension of femininity vs. masculinity identified by Hofstede is based on the assumption that values can be distinguished as more masculine or more feminine (see I H R M in Action Case 2.3). The masculine orientation comprises the pursuit of financial success, heroism and strong performance approach; the feminine orientation contains preferences for life quality, modesty and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, role flexibility in the feminine oriented cultures is more clear-cut than in more masculine cultures, in other words, roles of the sexes overlap, which means that both women and men could be modest and value a certain quality of life.”° The fundamental difference betv/een the two approaches is the form of social roles attrib-uted to gender by the relevant society.'”

The cultural dimension of individualism vs. collectivism describes the extent to which indi-vidual initiative and caring for oneself and che nearest relatives is preferred by a society as

CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

RM in Action Case 2.2

Long-term development plans of a German

Multlnatlonalin the USA

Peter

A German firm fiad developed Its activities in the electrical Industry in the USA for two years and the CEO1

Hansen was happy with their current performance: market share tor important products had increased significantly

and progress was better than expected. The number of employees had Increased,

Including quite a tew local

American managers in high-level management positions – a situation which was rather unusual tor a subsidiary of a German multinational in its early stage of development. The CEO’s goal from the beginning was to avoid an ethno-centric approach to the American activities of his firm and to take a polycentric approach that supported recruitment of local managers.

One of these US local managers was John Miller, the marketing director of the company. During the last two years, he has been thoroughly prepared tor his job. The company had sent him to various high-level training pro-grams at top business schools and had provided him with a long-term career plan, which included short-term vertical career advancement. While Peter Hansen wanted to support the development of an American management style he nevertheless tried to transfer some HP practices which are highly valued In Germany – particularly investing in training and taking a long-term intra-organizational career perspective. While some US firms took this approach, these ideas were not as widely accepted in the US as in Germany. However, Peter Hansen assumed that these policies would be valued by the new US employees of the firm and would provide an important incentive tor employee retention.

One morning, Peter Hansen was shocked to learn that John Miller was about to quit his job. A competitor had ottered John a challenging position – in large part because he had systematically built up his knowledge and experi-ence base – supported by his German employer. How can you interpret Peter Hansen’s surprise from a cultural point of view? ‘

D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t i o n s :

 

Relate the described situation to one of the cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede. Can you explain Peter Hansen’s surprise using this theory?

How does this situation compare to comparable situations in your home country? What are the limits of a cultural explanation? ‘

opposed to, for example, public assistance or the concept of extended family. In more indi-vidualist cultures, there is merely a casual network of relationships between people. Each person is primarily responsible for himself. More collective cultures, on the contrary, have closer, more clearly defined systems of relationships. This applies both to extended families as well as companies. A clear line is drawn between one’s own group and other groups. In exchange for the care offered by one’s own group, the group member provides very intense sense of loyalty. The distinguishing aspect of this dimension is the predominant self-sufficiency among individuals in a society. This applies to private life just as professional life. See I H R M in Action Case 2.4. Thus, this dimension is marked by consequences for the structure of organizations.

With regard to professional life, collectivist companies differ from individualist companies in that the relationship between the superior and the employee in collectivist structures can be described as more informal. Furthermore, recruitment and career progression is often within the so-called ingroup. Management means management of groups and the reward systems are fre-quently group-oriented. On the contrary, individualist companies focus on individual aspects

Ellsabe that be Ing a jc aged tc This manag Norwec it was: 40 per make It

D i s c u

1 Re

2 Ce

di£

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3rd ed Sonnta

when St usually I sented c pany, at worke d

Giver cultural land, N . was a p’ question results, : nese Va^ 100 peo from tht sions. D feminini could nc could nc by resea tion in t tains val

in Peter

of a cultural

, more indi-eople. Each icrary, have i families as

• groups. In very intense •ninant self-essional life, the structure

:ompanies in tures can be :n within the tems are fre-idual aspects

CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

29

RM in Action Case 2.3

Female Careers in Various Environments

Elisabeth Harstad was employed as a trainee at the Norwegian risk management consultancy DNV when she realized that being a woman was a barrier. Although trainees were supposed to go abroad the company had problems find-ing a job for Elisabeth in a foreign subsidiary. ‘I wanted to go to London, Houston, or Singapore. At the end I man-aged to get an International assignment from Oslo to Copenhagen’.

This was in the 1980s. However, Harstad did not give up and pursued her career intensively. Today she is the manager of the research & innovation unit at DNV – and since 2006 member of the board of directors of the large Norwegian chemical company Vara. When the new members of the board of directors were elected, for the first time it was an advantage tor Elisabeth to be a woman. Since 2008, Norwegian companies are required by law to have

40 per cent female members of their board of directors. Thus, Elizabeth is part of an experiment –

if women do not

make it to the top on their own, politics support this process in Norway.

.D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t i o n s :

Relate the situation in Norway to one of the cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede. How can you explain it?

Can the rules for quotas of female managers be applied In other countries as well? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Source: M. Festing, P. J. Dowling, W. Weber, A. D. Engle: Internationales Personalmanagement, Wiebaden: Gabler, 3rd ed. (2011) based on L. Nienhaus. Der neidische Blick auf die norwegische Quote, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung 2007, S. 42. Reproduced with kind permission from VS Verlag Fur Sozialwissenschaften.

when structuring reward systems. The relationship between the superior and the employee is usually based on a relatively neutral, impersonal contractual foundation. Although the four pre-sented dimensions were derived from data collected from employees of a multinational com-pany, according to Hofstede, they were confirmed in later studies by other researchers, who worked with different methods and studied different target groups.”^

Given the composition of the research team during Hofstede’s first study, the risk that the cultural identity of researchers from Western industrial countries (Great Britain, France, Hol-land, Norway, USA) influenced the form of the questionnaire could not be ruled out. There was a possibility that some questions were considered irrelevant in some cultures, while other questions relevant for these cultures were not even included. To rule out possible distortion of results, a questionnaire that clearly reflects Chinese cultural identity was later designed (Chi-nese Value Survey). This questionnaire was translated into ten languages and used to survey 100 people from 23 countries. Only a few items in the Chinese Value Survey were transferred from the I B M questionnaire in the same form. Nevertheless, the results reflected four dimen-sions. Dimensions similar to power distance, individualism vs. collectivism and masculinity vs. femininity were manifested in this study as well. Only the uncertainty avoidance dimension could not be confirmed in this study. Instead, another dimension was discovered, one which could not be related to the results of the original pan-European I B M study. It was described by researchers as Confucianism dynamics. This dimension essentially reflects a basic orienta-tion in the life of people, which can be either more long-term or short-term in nature. It con-tains values that Western researchers can recognize, but they were not taken into account in

30 CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

RM in Action Case 2.4

Meeting on a Friday in Kenya?

For a long time our building company had finished an important project concerning a new major route in Kenya. How-ever, not all the money had been paid by our customer. Therefore, the managing director of the Kenyan subsidiary of the building corporation organized a meeting with the representative of the respective Kenyan government agency. The meeting was scheduled for the next Friday at ten a.m.

The meeting started and the representative was very polite and friendly. However, at the same time he also seemed to be quite nervous. Every few minutes he received a telephone call or had to initiate a telephone call himself. All phone discussions were carried out in the local language. Despite the Interruptions, I tried to explain the reason for my visit – the outstanding account balance. Of course, the government representative apologized for every interrup-tion. However, after 15 minutes we were both extremely tense because the conversation did not advance at all.

Eventually, I said that I was sorry that my counterpart had so much to do and asked for another meeting the next Tuesday. Instantly, the government representative was relaxed again and happily confirmed the new meeting. Now he could finally concentrate on the preparation and organization of his big family meeting this weekend, which is typi-cal for large Kenyan families.

D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t i o n s :

Relate the described situation to one of the cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede. How can you explain it?

• • How does this situation compare to comparable situations in your home country? Please explain. Where are the limits of the cultural explanation?

Source: Based on DGFP, M. Festing, K.-P. Gempper, G. Gesche, J. Hagenmuller, U. Hann, D. Slevogt, G. Trautwein, P. Esch, and S. Aimutat, (eds) Interkulturelle Managementsituation in der Praxis. Kommentierte Fallbeispiele fur Fuhrungskratte und Personalmanager (Bielefeld: Bertelsmann, 2004).”*^

the previous questionnaire. Cultures that ate classified as long-term in this dimension ate characterized by:

great endurance and/or persistence in pursuing goais

position of ranking based on status

adaptation of traditions to modern conditions

respect of social and status obiigations within certain limits

high savings rates and high investment activity

readiness to subordinate oneseif to a purpose

the feeling of shame .

Short-term classified cultures, on the contrary, are characterized by:

personal candor and Stability

avoiding loss of face

The fir ence oriente all val of Con

3nya. How-jbsidiary of jnt agency.

•ne he also’ call himself. 3 reason for iry interrup-at all.

ng the next jBting. Now ;tuch |s typi-

explainit?

lerearethe m

5. Trautwein, beispiele fur

mension are

CHAPTER 2 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF IHRM

31

respect of social and status obligations without the consideration of costs low savings rates and low investment activity

expectations of quick profit; respect for traditions

greetings, presents and courtesies based on reciprocity.

The first set of values is viewed as more future-oriented and dynamic (in particular, persist-ence and frugality); the second set of values is viewed as more present-oriented or past-oriented and is relatively static.”” The name of this dimension comes from the fact that nearly all values of the short-term and long-term dimension could be drawn directly from the study of Confu ciamsm. 45

C o u n t r y – s p e c i f i c results of the Hofstede study . The results for individual countries were obtained by the evaluation of predetermined answers, which ensured that the results could be demonstrated by point values. The point values reflect relative and not absolute positions of the countries.’ The results are graphically represented with the help of coordinates systems, which contain a cultural dimension on the X-axis and another one on the Y-axis respectively. The rep-resentation demonstrates the extent of cultural distance between two countries with regard to these dimensions. For example, in Figure 2.1 individual countries are assigned to the coordi-nates system based on individualism vs. collectivism and power distance dimensions.

FIGURE 2.1 Results of the Hotstede study (I); Power distance and individualism vs. Collectivism

Small Power Distance

Collectivistic

Large Power Distance

ndividualistic

I

50 60 70 110 Power Distance Index

Source: G. H. Hofstede, ‘Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations’, 2nd ed. [Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2001), p. 217. Reproduced with permission.

 

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Need help responding to the 4 discussion post

Discussion 1

Steps of Control

Explain why the four steps involved in the controlling function are important. Why is a good understanding of the various ratios used by accountants and managers important to the controlling function? Give specific examples. Respond substantively to two other learners.

Guided Response:

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates’ posts.

Jewel Richardson

The Standard control process consist of four steps (/Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007; Steers, Ungston, & Mowday, 1985):

Review the standards set in the planning process.

Measure performance at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels.

Compare performance outcomes with the standards that were set.

Make a decision.

These steps are important because in order for a business to prosper they must be able to identify and correct problems.  By following these steps it allow one to always check its business performance.  The various ratios are important because it allows management to review and identify a business lost or profits.  Being able to review these ratios helps management make the appropriate adjustments and corrections.  My husband own and runs a DJ Business.  He had to pay for his equipment upfront which make his business start off with a current assets.  As his business begin to grow, he must charges people and events for sales then pay out help which is debts.  He will need to budget all of this weekly to see how his business is running.  If his debt is higher than his income/assets he will need to review/measure/compare and finally make a decision of Successful or unsuccessful performance.

Reference:

Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C., & (2014). The five functions of effective management (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Jonathan Watson

Explain why the four steps involved in the controlling function are important.

The four steps involved in the controlling function are as follows;

Review the standards set in the planning process.

Measure performance at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels.

Compare performance outcomes with the standards that were set.

Make a decision: Successful performance should be rewarded and Unsuccessful performance should be corrected. (Baack, Reilly, and Minnick, 2014).

These steps are important because they allow control in order to ensure everyone stays aligned with the organization’s goals. According to Baack, Reilly, and Minnick, (2014) “The controlling process may be considered as a feedback device for company leaders” (Section, 7.1). Basically, managers can check and make corrections to make for sure company goals are met.

Why is a good understanding of the various ratios used by accountants and managers important to the controlling function?

According to Baack, Reilly, and Minnick, (2014) “Ratio analysis takes the financial information made available to the accounting and finance departments and helps company leaders understand how well various operations are running (Section, 7.1). Basically, “Information is power”, if leaders understand what department are succeeding and which ones are failing, they can incorporate more control and make corrective decisions and plans.

Reference:

Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C., & (2014). The five functions of effective management (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Discussion 2

Changes in Management

Of the five management functions, which do you expect will experience the most dramatic changes in the next decade? Defend your answer. Which will have the least amount of change? Explain your answer. Respond substantively to two other learners.

Guided Response: Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates’ posts.

Justin Patterson

Of the five management functions, I believe that leading will have the most changes over the next decade. I say this because as the baby boomer generation is retiring, a completely different leadership style will take place from other generations. Younger generations are more tolerant in many aspects compared to older generations. They still expect hard work but are more likely to lead and not just manage a group of employees. Younger employees can relate to a younger manager or supervisor, therefore, they can feel like their opinions may be heard and understood better than from a generation of managers that do not understand, nor in some circumstances care to understand, their opinions and input on situations and how to better a company.

Out of the five management function, staffing will have the least changes. I say this because staffing functions will continue to be of the job design, recruiting, selection, training, safety, and labor. There aren’t many more changes in staffing that can take place. The hiring process is different for all companies, but, at the same time is the same. An employee puts in a resume, gets an interview and is hired or not. I do not foresee many changes in this process.

Kathryn Beasock

Changes in Management

Of the five management functions, which do you expect will experience the most dramatic changes in the next decade? Defend your answer. Which will have the least amount of change? Explain your answer.

The step that I believe will experience the most dramatic changes in the next decade is the planning stage. “Planning is a systematic process in which managers make decisions about future activities and the key goals that the organization will pursue” (Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C., & 2014). Due to swift and continual changes in social, economic, technological and competitive trends, it will be increasingly important for managers to plan accordingly. Managers must use the tools that are available to them to try to forecast potential changes in these fields if they expect to keep the business profitable.

The step that I believe will have the least amount of change is the leading step. “Leading in a business context consists of all activities to help people achieve the highest level of performance” (Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C., & 2014). I do not expect much to change in the controlling process because the art of leading, regardless of market trends, does not change. The management or supervisors, leading the organization will still be required to inspire, motivate and direct the employees to perform at their best (Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C., & 2014).

Kathryn

Reference

Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C., & (2014). The five functions of effective management (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

 

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