Management Styles: Converdgence and Divergence

SUMMARY

In a world where globalization is imposing itself more and more each time, two concepts are important to discuss:

CONVERGENCE: As the countries liberalize their markets, develop institutions, adopt modern technology, and achieve industrialization, the strategic business behaviorwould become similar because people will embrace common values with regard to economic activity and work‐related behavior

DIVERGENCE: Globalizationis not about convergence to best practice, but rather about leveraging differences in an increasingly borderless world to gain differentiated positions and advantages

Mention some positive and negative outputs of an homogenization of international business management strategies (Convergence) and of the differentiation (divergence school).

Positive:

1. Connection between nations, more space for international business and more opportunities for countries: underdeveloped and developed
2. As it also strenghtens the relationship between nations, this is not only good in terms of commerce but it also mainains good relationships and world peace.

Negative:

1. Everytime the world will be more alike, globalization is rapidly changing costumes and different things that are significant of each country.
2. There is less autonomy for countries, as the world is moving closely together everytime there is no opportunity for countries to act individually because they would be left behind.

References:

   Admin. Hands on World. http://familybuildersusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Hands-on-World.jpg. September 10, 2010.

Decision making and Ethic Behavior

SUMMARY

This chapter talks about the different ways of decision making:

Programmed decision: Routine matter for which someone has an established rule.

Not programmed desicion: new desition, requires a creative solution

Desition making Process: Describes how the process should be undertaken

-Recognition of the problem

-Identify the objective of the desition

-Gather information relevant to the problem

-Listening and evaluating alternative courses of action

-Select the activity that best meets the desition objective

-Solution is implemented- Follow up.

There are different models that describe the desition making process:

-Bounded rationality Model: It suggests that there are limits to how rational a decision maker can actually be.

-Garbage can Model: Desitions are random, unpredictable and unsystematic. The quality of the desition depends on time.

Ethical Behavior: It not only creates a better reputation, but it also brings practical benefits.

Rest Model of Moral Actions: bases on morality, both individualistic and collectively

Corporate Social responsability: responsability of a company with the community. Environmental, Ecological and Social.

How does culture help the process of decision making in multicultural environments?

Well culture influences deeply in the proces of desition making. Cultures respond differently in many situuations. Some as the chinese may take a long time to make a desition, while others such as American tend to make quick desitions. This is why the outcome may change according to who the desition is left to take since as I was Sying before different cultures tend to solve and manage situations differently, and they probably each think that its the correct way.

References:

1. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wlr7AgpuLGirEOBc_sX7V4sdzY_ZY4eKrA0DBQwMX_dKZ8cn18J-zW0Aea62wAtcaX2lKK2rZ0skh2HYY4FHvBvVtau3m3LN9PXQTgOWhfuogNLMpf3UAUoxhUmK3UU1nSx6Lth5b3jr/s400/Yes+No+Maybe+Dice.jpg

Multinational coorporations

SUMMARY

Enterprises operating in several countries but managed from one country.

There are different types of multinational coorporations:

Multinational:decentralized firm with strong home country presence

Global: centralized firm that acquires cost advantage through centralized production wherever cheaper resources are available,

International: firm that builds on the parent firm's technology or R&D

Transnational: firm that combines the previous three approaches

Transnational firms face great criticism, thanks to the great political and economical power that they have, they are accused of using this power for their own best interest, not for the community they are in.

How can we ensure corporations are held accountable for their actions “ethically” and “legally”?

Its extremely difficult due to the fact that Multinational Organizations have huge political and economical power representing great influence in the government and in the overall economy of different nations. This gives them the opportiunity to act as they please in many opportunities. Also the fact that they are investing in foreign countries and opening up job opportunities provides them with criteria of saying that they are beneficial for those countries.

References:
1. Youngman and Company Inc. http://www.yciarch.com/images/logos.jpg. 2011.

Organizational Motivation

SUMMARY

Motivation is the process of arousing and sustaining goal directed behavior.

Some figures in this motivation field are Max weber –work as a mean to achieve salvation- and Sigmund Freud- Unconcious nature-

Motivation considers both: Internal (self interest of individual) and external incentives (economic gain)

This chapter describes many theories of motivation:

-ERG Theory: Workers pursue multiple needs simultaneously: Growth, Relatedness and existence.

-Theory X and Y: Theory X lower order needs and theory W high order needs (According to chart)

-McClellands Need theory gives a response on how to motivate employees in different ways: Achievement, power, Affiliation.

Three categories of exchange between individuals and organizations: commited, calculated, aliniated.

-Adams theory of inequity: People are motivated when there is inequity/unfairness. Tension motivates a person to act.

-Expectancy Theory or VIE: Efforts lead to performance.

Is economic retribution enough to motivate employees?

Economic retribution is not enough to motivate employees. It can play an important roll in motivating but it also has to be accompanied with verbal motivation, stimuli such as employee of the month, birthay party or present, retribution for good work.

To properly motivate employees, managers have to take into account different things and activities knowing that not all employees respond the same way to different stimuly, so there has to be a mix in when coming to retributions to be able to do it properly and correctly.

References:

1. Time Managment y Prioritization. http://literacy.kent.edu/salt_fork/time_priority/graphics/carrot.gif.  march 11, 2010.

Personality and Perception

SUMMARY

Personality can be described as a set of characteristics that influences or triggers and individuals behavior. This chapter describes how personality affects an organization.

There are different personality theories that explains personality:

Trait theory, Psychodinamic Theory, Humanistic Theory, and Inteegrative theory. All of them giving a different perseption on personality.

Myers and Brigs type indicators are some other approaches to personalities: Extraversion vs Introversion, Sensing vs intuiting, Thinking vs Feeling, and Judging vs perceiving.

Locus of control is the individual generalized belief of internal control. It divides itself in INTERNAL locus of control, and EXTERNAL locus of control.

Lastly we can say that perceptuion is the way we view the world . and social perseption how we view others, and that can be influenced by the perceiver, the target and the situation.

There are two very important principles explained in this chapter: The Pollyana Priincipal and the Pygmalian Principle.

Why is important for managers and employees to be able to understand different types of personalities?

To understand different types of personalities in an organizational community is extremely important. Not only because understanding different personalities can avoid many conflicts and problems between members. Also it gives the opportunity of knowing how to approach different perople, how to say things according to each personality. We all know that everyone is different, so we have to deal and understand those difference and be flexible according to each personality. If a manager knows and understands the different personalities in his work team, than he!she will know how to approach them and how to use them in different situations.

References:

1. http://www.healthinharmony.com/images/s-half%20full%20glass.JPG

National and organizational culture

SUMMARY

This chapter of the course talks about nacional culture. First it shows the difference between Cultural and national Identity. Cultural Identity being the well defined identity and autonomous distinct between geographical place and cultural expressions, and national Iedentity is the deliberate cultural construction and mantenance via regulatory and socializing institutions of the the state.

COORPORATE CULTURE, refers to the different norms, practices and values that people adopt in their organization. Such norms in an organization provide identity, communication facility, and creates a bond between members of the organization.

Describe positive and negative aspects of corporate culture:

Members of an organization usually adopt a way of behaving within the same organization. This can sometimes bring positive but also negative consecuences:

Positive:

-It facilitates communication within the members of the organization, facilitating the flow of information and the overall development of the organization.

-It creates and strenghtens the bond within members of the same organization, stimulating the work ambience and keeps members motivated.

-Connects the whole organization since everyone is “speaking the same language”

Negative:

-Can be difficult for a new member to addapt to the new coorporate culture.

-Sometime it can shift peoples minds so much that in case they quit or get kicked out it can be hard for tehm to addapt to another job, and another coorporate culture.

-It can sometimes go against individual principles, so there will be a constant strugle to fit in, for example with members from other cultures .

-What if the company wants to go abroad where the culture is different, things will probably change, and there will be a difficult in the communication.

References:

1. Employee Engagement. Pacific Adventure Learning. http://www.pacificadventure.org/main/files/u1/employee_engagement.jpg. 2011