Problem/Solution Proposal Assignment

Central Global Communications

Real Estate Development Division Survey Department

August 2, 2016

John Smith, Supervisor, Real Estate Development

1234 Enterprise Ave

Baltimore, Md. 21117

Dear Mr. Smith:

It is an honor to be considered for the Survey Department Supervisor position in Madrid. As you requested, I have prepared a brief proposal to highlight the problems of the previous regime, along with the solutions I plan to implement.

Problem

In Madrid, employee morale has dropped to an all-time low, due to changes made under previous management. Having worked with the previous supervisor, Mark Jones, here in Baltimore, I can attest that he is an excellent supervisor stateside, and an outstanding individual. However, he was not a good fit in Madrid; he failed to take into account various cultural and business norms. Instead of adapting his management and communication style to the Spanish culture, he forced employees to fit the western mold.

A key difference between Spain and the United States, in terms of communication, is one of context. That is to say, the United States is a low context culture, while Spain is a high context culture. Below are some fundamental differences between high and low context cultures, as pointed out in Essentials of Business Communication (Guffey, 15):

Low Context (USA) High Context (Spain) Direct Verbal Communication Indirect Verbal Communication

Say “No” Directly Avoid Saying “No” Rely on Logic Rely on Context

Value Individual Value Group Written Information Visual Information

Another key difference lies in the business culture itself. According to InterNations.org, “An ordinary day of working in Spain usually begins around 09:00–09:30 am and lasts until 8:00 pm, with an average lunch break between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm” (InterNations). Changing business hours to the traditional 8-5 of western cultures was an egregious mistake.

John Smith, Supervisor August 2, 2016

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Solution

In order to resolve our problem, we must show our employees that we have the utmost respect, both for their culture, and for their business practice. To help restore productivity, we must build a positive atmosphere.

Employee happiness is closely tied to employee productivity. According to Jonathan Hartley, of LeBow College of Business, we need to set small, achievable goals, early on to rebuild a positive atmosphere (Hartley).

Even though the situation seems dire at the moment, this is an easy dilemma to remedy.

Action Plan

As the new supervisor of the Madrid branch, my priority will be to rejuvenate team spirit and restore productivity.

To realize this goal, I plan to utilize several tactics:

 Issue a company memo to announce the upcoming changes  Reinstate customary Spanish business hours  Restore morale with team building activities  Conduct a brief survey, to find out what employees want from us

It is imperative to get back on track in Madrid. Spain has one of the fastest growing economies in the Eurozone. Tim Worstall, a contributor to Forbes magazine says, “Spain’s economy grew 3.2% in 2015 and is expected to expand by 2.7% this year, compared to estimates in the euro area of 1.5% and 1.6%, respectively” (Worstall). If we do not regain our employees’ trust, and rebuild a positive work environment, we stand to lose our competitive edge in the Spanish marketplace.

Sincerely,

William J. Everett, Professional Land Surveyor

John Smith, Supervisor August 2, 2016

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Works Cited Guffey, Mary Ellen., and Dana Loewy. Essentials of Business Communication. Boston, MA.:

Cengage Learning, 2014. Print. "Working in Spain." Community for Expatriates & Global Minds. InterNations.org, n.d. Web.

02 Aug. 2016. Hartley, Jonathan. "Balancing Employee Happiness and Productivity." LeBow College of

Business. Drexel University, 24 June 2016. Web. 03 Aug. 2016. Worstall, Tim. "Spain's Shining Economic Recovery." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 16 Apr. 2016.

Web. 03 Aug. 2016. “I have abided by CCBC’s academic honor code on this assignment, and I attest that I have neither cheated in any way nor have I failed to give proper credit to all other sources of ideas and materials.”