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Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
Additional Activities
Twitter Focus
As barriers to global business continue to fall, more people are encountering language
differences among the companies they work with, sell to, or buy from on a daily basis. One
field that continues to grow globally is the business of providing translations. The case
discusses three different companies that have capitalized on translating information into
various languages and how this global approach has become important in the business
environment.
Discussion Question
1. Do you think it would make sense for a company to have in-house translators, or
should it be outsourced? Explain.
Manager’s Hot Seat Exercise: Cultural Differences: Let’s Break a Deal-Please refer to
the Asset Gallery on the OLC for Hot Seat videos and notes.
I. Introduction
The internationalization of companies has created the need to become more aware of cultural
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Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
differences in order to successfully conduct business. This scenario depicts a situation where
individuals in a business relationship have incongruent cultural norms and values. Using this
vignette as a springboard to discussing how to manage cultural differences in the global
economy would be valuable for students of Management, Organizational Behavior, or Human
Resources.
II. Learning Objectives
1. To assess students’ understanding of different cultural values and their impact on
business relationships.
2. To analyze and evaluate a cross-cultural business meeting.
3. To explore aspects of self-awareness using Johari’s Window as a model.
III. Scenario Description:
Overview: Michael Sokolow has just been tasked with handling international clients.
He needs to close a deal with Norio Tokunaka from PopWear that has already been
thoroughly worked out with Sokolow’s predecessor, Roger Small. Michael is unaware
of the need to establish a relationship with Norio before he discusses business. Norio
becomes disenchanted and refuses to sign the deal.
Profile:
Michael Sokolow is the Director of Foreign Sales at Mustang Jeans. After
working at Mustang as a real estate attorney for six years, acquiring property
for retail and manufacturing, Sokolow moved into sales at an executive level.
Norio Tukunaka has worked at PopWear, a large retail clothing chain for his
entire career. In his current position as Vice President of Merchandising,
Norio is responsible for expanding the contemporary clothing line, which
includes adding new suppliers and brands for PopWear’s 36 stores throughout
Japan.
References: The references included in the DVD are:
National Cultural Values (PPT 8-3)
Hofstede’s Model: Definitions (PPT 8-4)
The Johari Window (PPT 8-10)
The Johari Window: Definitions (PPT 8-11)
Back History: Michael Sokolow has been a sales manager at Mustang Jeans for two
years. He was “recruited” or “wooed away” from a competing company. He was
given “an offer you can’t refuse”, an indication of his stellar reputation. Sokolow is
very much a no-nonsense straight-ahead kind of guy. He is friendly, but not big on
small talk. He fits the stereotypical American businessman in many ways – informal,
a little loud, all about money, very direct and forthright. Michael’s career has focused
in national sales – this is his first foray into international business. Mustang Jeans is
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Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
reorganizing to increase efficiency – all managers are now assuming larger territories.
Tokunaka has been with PopWear for his entire career. He has been working with
American companies for many years, importing a variety of products. Most of these
American companies are alliances that were formed by Tokunaka’s superiors, many
years before. All of Tokunaka’s accounts are pre-existing accounts as opposed to
newly created accounts. This year, PopWear is expanding their contemporary clothing
line, which includes adding new suppliers and new brands.
Tokunaka has been working on a deal with Michael’s associate for a very long time.
Michael has just taken over this region. The prior associate’s report indicates that the
Tokunaka account is a done deal, with only logistics and details remaining. Sokolow
and Tokunaka are having their first meeting.
Scene Set-up: Norio arrives at Michael’s office after arriving from Japan.
Scene Location: Michael’s office at Mustang Jeans corporate headquarters
The Meeting - Summary: Michael spends less than a minute building rapport with
Norio. He then begins to talk about signing the deal that had been previously worked
out with Small. Norio wants to continue to talk about good Japanese food and seems
insulted that Michael doesn’t like eel. Michael continues to press for the deal but
Norio is very evasive. Michael then gets interrupted by his assistant notifying him of
his next appointment. He apologizes to Norio about the short amount of time that he
has to spend with him. Norio says he’ll just leave and come back later in the week.
3 Days Later – Norio comes back and Michael apologizes for the prior meeting.
When asked to sign the deal again, Norio suggests that he’s been talking to other
companies in the past few days in New York. He doesn’t commit to the deal and says
he’d enjoy hosting Michael in Japan and hopes they can maintain their relationship.
He leaves before signing the deal to catch a plane.
Afterthoughts – Summary: Michael notes his frustration with the interaction. He
acknowledges that he should have waited for Norio to start talking about the deal first.
He understands that the Japanese businesspeople place a high priority on the
relationship but also points out that he didn’t have a long time to devote to small talk
when it was unclear whether Norio was going to sign the deal or not.
Dossier: The specific artifacts included in the DVD are:
1. Emails between Small and Sokolow after the 1st meeting
2. Small’s PopWear Account Notes
3. Voice message to Norio Tokunaka from Slo-Groove (competitor of
Mustang Jeans)
IV. Discussion Questions:
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
The References and related Discussion Questions may be found in PowerPoint slides 8-1 to
8-11 on the instructor’s side of the text’s Website.
Learning Objective #1: To assess students’ understanding of different cultural values and
their impact on business relationships.
1. How did the differences between Japan’s and the United States’ national cultural
values affect the interaction between Norio and Michael? Use the information on PPT
8-3 and 8-4 to support your answer.
Long-term orientation differences seemed to have a major impact. While Norio is
likely to value a long-term approach to developing and conducting business, Michael’s
2. Hofstede’s research on national cultural values has practical implications for business
people. Assume you are Michael and you have to conduct a similar meeting with
another client from Russia. How will you modify your behavior to effectively conduct
business with this individual? Use the information on PPT 8-3 and 8-4 to support your
answer.
2. What is Michael’s strategy?
A. Find problem
B. Pressure Norio
C. Show patience
3. How was this [initial] meeting?
A. Successful
B. A failure
C. A good start
Learning Objective #2: To analyze and evaluate a cross-cultural business meeting.
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Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
1. What information should Michael have possessed before his meeting with Norio?
Michael should have been better prepared by Roger as to what to expect from Norio.
2. Why is Norio acting somewhat evasive with his responses?
Even though the deal was almost done, Norio was expecting to now build a
1. What is Norio hinting [when he mentions Roger likes sushi]?
A. Misses Roger
B. He’s hungry
C. Dislikes deal
He misses Roger and that fact he knows Roger likes sushi indicates that they
3. What could Michael have done better in the second meeting to continue the business
relationship?
Learn more about the cultural differences at play. He also could have tried to contact
4. Norio is indicating [when he says he’s been meeting with other people]:
A. There’s competition
B. He enjoyed trip
C. Deal is off
He’s suggesting that there is competition but Michael doesn’t seems to grasp
5. Michael’s concern [that they are having a communication problem] is:
A. Accurate
B. Off target
C. Insulting
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Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
4. Both individuals in this scenario were acting in alignment with their cultural norms
and values. Who should have the primary responsibility for changing their interaction
style? When is it “too much”, as Michael suggests in the Afterthoughts, and necessary
to refuse to change one’s business style?
This question should generate an interesting discussion among students. Some factors
Learning Objective #3: To explore aspects of self-awareness using Johari’s Window as a
model.
1. Apply the concepts of the Johari Window to this scenario (see PPT 8-10 and 8-11).
How do these concepts help explain what happened in this scenario?
As relationships progress, more information about oneself becomes known to others
6. Michael should [when Norio says “I’m sure we’ll have a good relationship
in the future”]:
A. Be angry
B. Be gracious
C. Keep trying
Teaching Suggestions
The following activities are suggested for use in the classroom in order to get students
involved in the discussion of and application of material in this chapter. If several of your
students are international or have international experience, then they may be able to share
some perspectives on different cultures and adaptation. If your students tend to be fairly
homogeneous in background, using videotape like the one suggested or inviting a speaker
with international experience would be very useful.
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Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
1. A McKinsey & Co. study reported in The Wall Street Journal ("Study Sees U.S. Business
Stumbling on the Road toward Globalization," March 22, 1993, Section B. p. 7)
identifies a number of traits of the most internationally successful companies, after
ranking the 43 surveyed concerns by their relative international growth in sales and
profit within a specific industry. Among other things, they reported that more
successful corporations:
Tend to centralize their international decision making in every area except
new-product development.
Have a worldwide management development program and more nondomestic
individuals in senior management posts.
Require international experience for advancement into top management.
Link international managers with global electronic networks, such as
videoconferencing and electronic mail.
Integrate their international acquisitions in a superior way.
Let subsidiaries' product managers report to a country general manager.
After students have had a chance to reflect upon these findings, ask them to discuss
each of them, commenting upon why they believe these elements would lead to
greater success for the companies.
2. A useful outside speaker for this chapter would be a manager who has spent time on
an international assignment. Alternatively, a manager who is an expatriate working in
the United States would make a very effective speaker. These individuals could
discuss culture shock, the difficulty of adjusting to managing in a new culture, and
what they learned from the experience—how it affected their management style.
3. The "Going International" series of videos could be used effectively with this chapter.
These are available from:
Copeland Griggs Production, 3454 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, California
94118 (415-921-4410). Discussion guides are available with the various volumes.
Top
Case 15: Imported Labor: Safe to Hire?
Employers that hire contract laborers who have come to the United States on work visas need
to exercise proper caution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Missouri recently indicted operators
of several labor leasing companies for violations dating back to January 2001. Charges
included labor racketeering, forced labor trafficking, and falsifying H-2B work visas. (H-2B
visas allow nonimmigrant temporary nonagricultural workers to work for U.S. employers that
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 15 - Managing Human Resources Globally
have peak workload, seasonal, or one-time needs.)
The 45-count indictment alleges that several staffing companies contracted with hotel, casino,
and construction businesses nationwide to supply hundreds of laborers, many of them foreign
nationals from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines. In turn, the staffing
companies charged the workers fees as high as $3,000 to secure jobs for them.
Kansas City–based Giant Labor Solutions, one of the staffing companies under federal
indictment, provided workers throughout the Midwest and beyond but failed to pay
employment taxes or overtime. The indictment charges that Giant reportedly forced workers
to pay their own transportation costs and to rent substandard, company-owned lodging. If the
workers attempted to return to their native country, the staffing companies allegedly
threatened them with huge fines.
The indictment involves illegal aliens employed in several industries in 14 U.S. states.
Question
Suppose your organization needs to hire several laborers at entry-level pay. As an employer,
how can you avoid the problem of workers with improper documentation or unethical staffing
services?
Possible answers
Create and implement a process by which all new hires must present documents that
If you plan to use a staffing company to engage a group of workers, do some
Check with the Better Business Bureau in your community or the Office of the
Sources: “Staffing Firm Indicted for Labor Trafficking, Immigration,” Workforce
Management, May 28, 2009, http://www.workforce.com/ and U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Website press release, “Eight Arrested in RICO for Visa Fraud, Human
Trafficking Conspiracy,” May 27, 2009, http://www.ice.gov.
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