Managing Across Cultures (4000 Words)

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BUS5001D

Managing Across Cultures

Report

Date for Submission: Please refer to the timetable on ilearn

(The submission portal on ilearn will close at 14.00 UK time on the date of submission)

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Assignment Brief

As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a

Managing Across Cultures report. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full

details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and

submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing the module, you should be able to:

1. Evaluate the subject of cross cultural management.

2. Explore the relevance of culture to issues of management and organisational

behaviour.

3. Assess the impact of techniques for managing cross cultural teams for high

performance.

4. Demonstrate flexibility in changing organisational contexts.

5. Evaluate key issues influencing cultural difference, which may affect leadership

and motivation, communications and negotiating, decision making and

organisational relationships generally.

Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module

name, the submission deadline and a word count; the appendices if relevant; and a

reference list in the correct format. You should address all the elements of the assignment

task listed below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below

in assessing your work.

Maximum word count: 4000 words

Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a reduction in grade

by the same percentage that the word count is exceeded.

You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University

operates anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the

identity of the student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.

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Assignment Task – Report (LO: 1 – 5) (4000 words)

You are a consultant who has been hired to advise the manager of an international HRM

function for a firm whose staffing view is ethnocentric. You find out that the firm has been

spending far too much money assigning expatriates to manage its foreign operations

who then return early with the assignment incomplete, and that the host country

nationals working for the foreign subsidiaries are disgruntled because their managers

are foreigners and do things differently. Neither the foreign managers or the staff can

work well together and as a result, feelings are running high.

In the context of cross cultural adjustment and effective international staffing across

cultures, advise the company why they may be experiencing some of the problems

outlined and what they can do about it.

Source: Adapted from Rodrigues, C.,2009. International Management. A Cultural

Approach. 3rd Edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage (p268)

(100 marks)

END OF QUESTION

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Formative Feedback

You have the opportunity to submit an outline report to receive formative feedback.

The feedback is designed to help you develop areas of your work and it helps you develop

your skills as an independent learner.

Your work must be submitted to by email to: [email protected] no later than two

weeks before the assessment submission deadline date. This is to allow time for you to

reflect on the feedback and draft your final submission.

Formative feedback will not be given to work submitted after the above date.

Guidelines

You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and

wide ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the AU Harvard

system. The My Study Skills Area contains the following useful resources:

Guide to Harvard Referencing

http://moodle.bl.rdi.co.uk/guides/HarvardRef/AU_Harvard_Quick_Ref_Guide.pdf

Guide to Harvard Citation

http://moodle.bl.rdi.co.uk/guides/HarvardRef/AU_Guide_to_Harvard_Citation.pdf

You must use the AU Harvard Referencing method in your assignment.

Additional notes:

Students are required to indicate the exact word count on the title page of the

assessment. The word count excludes the title page, executive summary, tables,

figures, diagrams, footnotes, reference list and appendices. Where assessment

questions have been reprinted from the assessment brief these will also be excluded

from the word count. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count. See

‘Word Count Policy’ on the homepage of this module for more information.

Assignments submitted late will not be accepted and will be marked as a 0% fail.

Your assessment should be submitted as a single Word (MS Word) or PDF file. For more

information please see the “Guide to Submitting an Assignment” document available on

the module page on iLearn.

You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all sources

used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which show evidence of

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academic unfair practice. (See the Student Handbook which is on the homepage of your

module and also in the Induction Area).

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Assessment Criteria: Level 5

Level 5 reflects the continuing development in knowledge, understanding and skills from Level 4. At Level 5, students are not expected to be fully autonomous but are

able to take responsibility for their own learning with appropriate guidance and direction. Students are expected to further develop their theoretical knowledge within

a more intellectual context and to demonstrate this through more complex forms of expression which move beyond the descriptive or imitative domain. Students are

expected to demonstrate skills of analysis in both problem-solving and resolution.

Grade Mark

Bands Generic Assessment Criteria

First

(1)

80%+

An exceptional information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and any associated ethical considerations. There is

sophisticated use and management of learning resources and a high degree of autonomy is demonstrated. Writing is exceptionally well

structured and accurately referenced throughout. Where appropriate, outstanding professional skills are demonstrated. The work is original and

with some additional effort could be considered for internal publication.

70-79%

An excellent knowledge base within which the discipline is explored and analysed. There is a good degree of originality in the approach. The

work demonstrates confidence and autonomy and extends to consider ethical issues. Learning resources have been managed confidently.

Writing is exceptionally well structured and accurately referenced throughout. Where appropriate, an excellent level of professional skills are

demonstrated and the work demonstrates a high level of intellectual and academic skills.

Upper

second

(2:1)

60-69%

A very good knowledge base which explores and analyses the discipline, its theory and any associated ethical issues. There is evidence of some

originality and independence of thought. A very good range of learning resources underpin the work and there is evidence of growing confidence

and self-direction. The work demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject and apply theory with good academic and intellectual skills.

Academic writing skills are good, expression is accurate overall and the work is consistently referenced throughout.

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Lower

second

(2:2)

50-59%

A satisfactory understanding of the discipline which begins to analyse the subject and apply some underpinning theory. There may be reference

to some of the ethical considerations. The work shows a sound level of competence in managing basic sources and materials. Academic writing

skills are good and accurate overall and the work is planned and structured with some though. Professional skills are satisfactory (where

appropriate). The work lacks original thought but academic and intellectual skills are moving into the critical domain. The work is referenced

throughout.

Third

(3)

40-49%

Basic level of performance in which there are some omissions in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory and ethical considerations.

There is little evidence of independent thought and the work shows a basic use of sources and materials. Academic and intellectual skills are

limited. The work may lack structure overall. There are some difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate). There is an

attempt to reference the work.

Marginal

Fail

30-39%

A limited piece of work in which there are clear gaps in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory and ethical considerations. The work

shows a limited use of sources and materials. Academic and intellectual skills are weak and there are errors in expression and the work may lack

structure overall. There are difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate). The work lacks original thought and is largely

imitative.

29% and

below

A poor performance in which there are substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding, underpinning theory and ethical considerations. The

work shows little evidence in the use of appropriate sources and materials. Academic writing skills are very weak and there are numerous errors

in expression. The work lacks structure overall. Professional skills (where appropriate) are not developed. The work is imitative.