Problem/Solution Proposal Assignment

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Date: November 2, 2013 [FINAL]

To: Ms. Ethel Murrow

From: (name)

Re: Replacing CGC’s Supervising Editor in Moscow

I have read the reports on former supervising editor Sophia Rasmussen and her work for CGC in

Moscow, and I have come to the conclusion that it was insensitivity to her Russian employees

and their cultural depth that resulted in the loss of her position. As her replacement, I would like

to outline the steps I will take to mend relations in the office culture.

Section 1: The Problem

The conflicts created by Sophia Rasmussen resulted from her own callousness to Russian culture

and tradition, especially as it relates to gender relations. Unlike Western culture, Russia still

embraces an old-fashioned view of men and women’s social roles. Men are taught to behave as

chivalrous gentlemen, and although women are given much freedom, businesswomen “still have

to contend with disparaging views of women, especially if [they are] in a leadership position”

(Global Road Warrior). Rarely does a woman occupy a position of such standing as that of

supervising editor, and Ms. Rasmussen’s mistake was in taking that position lightly.

Ms. Rasmussen began her work in Moscow as supervising editor with a decidedly Western

attitude: that of the confidently feminine businesswoman. She dressed for work in brightly-

colored, figure-hugging blouses, skirts that barely reached her knees, and bold nail polish. She

did not take into account that in Russia, “women in business should always dress conservatively

or they will be thought below their position” (Dubas). Those who want to be taken seriously in

Russian business should be mindful of the message their attire speaks, because “wearing very

light or bright colors might make you appear lazy or unreliable to a Russian” (“Russia”).

In her determination to appear confident and self-competent in her new role, Ms. Rasmussen

neglected another important facet of Russian business culture: the concept of trust. While

Russians are often trapped into a stereotype of cold, stiff formality, many westerners do not

realize that Russians warm up significantly in social settings. Ms. Rasmussen rarely spoke to her

employees about matters unrelated to the publishing house. She spent her lunch breaks poring

over manuscripts, and she left the office promptly at the end of her work day. She neglected to

realize that “most Russians do not trust people who are all business” (“Intercultural

Management”). Russians primarily seek to build trust by “working in networks, relying not only

on formal agreements, but on friendship and social interaction” (Grachev). By denying her

Russian employees that crucial opportunity, Ms. Rasmussen unknowingly sabotaged her

relationships with them.

Ms. Ethel Murrow 2 November 2, 2013

Section 2: Making Changes

Stepping into the role of supervising editor, I will keep the Russian view of gender roles present

in mind. An article by the Global Road Warrior advocates that women in positions of leadership

in Russian business should “establish [their] position and purpose early on, and emphasize the

importance of [their] subordinates' contributions to the company's overall success,” which is

precisely the approach I mean to take. To ensure that I make a positive and respectable

impression on my Russian employees, I will commit to wearing only modest, professional attire

in subdued colors. I will exercise my authority when needed but will by no means flaunt my

femininity or my power over my employees. In an effort to build trust, I will make socializing

with coworkers a priority, spending time with them after hours and demonstrating a genuine

interest in their country and cultural history. In this manner, I hope to improve the office

environment with an overall sense of true camaraderie, making certain that everyone recognizes

that they are a valuable part of my team. I am determined to guarantee that no one in CGC’s

Moscow offices feels their cultural background or traditions have been at all compromised.

Section 3: My Pledge as Supervising Editor

In conclusion, as the supervising editor for CGC in our Moscow location, I pledge to build strong

relationships with my employees, actively promote mutual trust, and respect our cultural

differences.

Section 4: Works Cited

Dubas, Khalid M., and Jonathan Lee. “A Cultural Perspective on Doing Business in

Russia.” Allied Academies International Conference. Academy for Studies in

International Business.Proceedings 1.1 (2001): 1-5. ProQuest. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Global Road Warrior. “Russia: The Business Experience.” The Global Road Warrior. World

Trade Press. Web. 28 October 2013 <http://0-

www.globalroadwarrior.com.library.ccbcmd.edu/ContentInfo.asp?iso3ltr=RUS&nid=13.

12&cid=124&next_nid=13.13&parent=Business%20Culture>.

Grachev, Mikhail V. “Russia, Culture, and Leadership: Cross-Cultural Comparisons of

Managerial Values And Practices.” Problems of Post-Communism 56.1 (2009): 3-11.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

“Intercultural Management: Russia.” Kwintessential. Kwintessential Ltd., 2012. Web. 28 Oct.

2013.

“Russia.” eDiplomat. eDiplomat: 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

<http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_ru.htm>.

http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_ru.htm

Date: November 2, 2013 [DRAFT]

To: Ms. Ethel Murrow

From: (name)

Re: Business Problems in Moscow

Introduction to the situation; brief sentence or two. Supervising editor in Moscow is not being

sensitive enough with her foreign employees and their culture and it resulted in her being fired.

As her replacement, I would like to outline the steps I will take to mend relations in the office

culture.

Section 1: The Problem

The problem supervising editor Sophia Rasmussen faced resulted from her own callousness to

Russian culture and tradition, especially relating to gender relations. Unlike western culture,

Russia still embraces an old-fashioned view of men and women’s roles in society. Men must

behave as chivalrous gentlemen, and although women’s freedom has been accepted,

businesswomen “still have to contend with disparaging views of women, especially if [they are]

in a leadership position” (Global Road Warrior). Rarely does a woman occupy a position of such

standing as that of supervising editor, and where Ms. Rasmussen went wrong was in taking that

position lightly.

Ms. Rasmussen stepped into her role as supervising editor with a decidedly western attitude: that

of the confidently feminine businesswomen. She dressed in bright, figure-hugging blouses, skirts

that fell above her knees, and vibrant nail polish. However, “women in business should always

dress conservatively or they will be thought below their position” (Dubas). Those who want to be

taken seriously in a Russian business setting should be mindful of the message their attire speaks,

because “wearing very light or bright colors might make you appear lazy or unreliable to a

Russian” (“Russia”).

In her determination to appear confident and self-competent in her new role, Ms. Rasmussen

neglected another important facet of Russian business culture; the idea of trust. While Russians

are often trapped in a stereotype of cold and stiff-armed business, they warm up significantly

after socializing. Ms. Rasmussen rarely spoke to her employees about anything besides business,

spent her lunch breaks going over paperwork, and left the office directly at the end of her work

day. She neglected to realize that “most Russians do not trust people who are ‘all business’”

(“Intercultural Management”). Russians learn to build trust by “working in networks, relying not

only on formal agreements, but on friendship and social interaction” (Grachev). By denying

them that opportunity, Ms. Rasmussen sabotaged her relationships with her employees.

Section 2: What steps will you take to address the problems the offending manager created?

What specific things will you do to work to improve the office environment of your new team?

In the role of supervising editor, I will keep the Russian view of gender roles present in my mind.

An article by the Global Road Warrior advocates that women in positions of leadership in

Russian business should “establish [their] position and purpose early on, and emphasize the

importance of [their] subordinates' contributions to the company's overall success.” To ensure

that my Russian employees do not think of me in the wrong light, I will commit to wearing

modest, professional attire in subdued colors. I will exercise my authority when needed but will

by no means flaunt my femininity or my power over my employees. In order to build trust, I will

make a point of socializing with my employees, spending time with them after hours and

showing a genuine interest in their country and cultural history. Thus I hope to improve the

office environment with a sense of true camaraderie.

Section 3: What will you do as a new manager once you are there in order to do a better job so

that CGC won't need to fire you too?

In conclusion, as the supervising editor for CGC in our Moscow location, I pledge to build

relationships with my employees, actively build trust, and respect Russian culture.