Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum. I need help with writing essays. I am a Dutch student, and as a Dutch student I found it not easy to write an essay.
I therefore could need a little help by those more experienced. I need to practise my English, secondly, writing an argumentative essay and compare and contrast essay's. For now I would like you to comment on an essay that I need to hand in about differences in culture. I need to make an compare and contrast essay. I am an international Dutch business student. I need to compare cultures and then add my point of view; or how I would deal with such differences in practise.
Thanks in advance.
Faiza
''The critical analysis of being an international manager''
I.Introduction:
The role of an international manager requires several requirements. In this essay I will like explain my cultural point of view of being a manager in the business world, according to the five dimension by Geert Hofstede: relationships and rules, the individualist and the group, neutral and the emotional, specific versus diffuse, and achievement versus ascriptive culture. Being a success full managers requires several qualities to survive differences in cultures such as dealing with international team, knowing my own culture, adapting to new situations, and sensitivity to different cultures.
After edits:
''The five dimension according Trompenaars and the extension of my role as an international business manager''
I. Introduction:
The role of an international manager requires several requirements. In this essay I will like explain my role as international manager in the question of how I would deal with the different cultures. The cultures have been categorised into five dimension by Trompenaars, which should be approach with delicacy when dealing with business cultures. The five dimensions are: relationships and rules, the individualist and the group, neutral and the emotional, specific versus diffuse, and achievement versus ascriptive culture. Being a success full manager requires several qualities and that differences should not stand in the way. Someone has to be able to deal with international teams, knowing your own culture, flexibility in adapting to different cultures, but moreover, by complementing my skills.
II. Body
A. Relationships and rules
Morality.
B. The individual and the group
Chameleon.
C. The emotional and the neutral
Delicacy.
E How far do we want to get involved?
Acting as a cold person in a relationship culture.
E. Ascriptive and achievement cultures
Respecting the elderly.
The role of an international manager requires several requirements. In this paper, I will argue my point of view on how I would deal with cultural differences if I were working as an international business manager. I will be using the five dimensions according to ' Trompenaars ' book 'Riding the waves of cultures'. Trompenaars studied cultures. They have categorised cultures into dimension. For instance, the dimensions are: relationships and rules, the individualist and the group, neutral and the emotional, specific versus diffuse, and achievement versus ascriptive cultures. These have been scientifically tested and categorised per culture and can act as a manual for future business managers.
Take the case of an international manager. International managers are required to have cultural intelligence, which means having the understanding of cultural differences. These are for instance, skills that will help them to deal with cultural differences in an business environment. However, these can be for instance, knowledge of someone's own culture, flexibility, and sensitivity to different cultures.
I first want to discuss the first dimensions according to Trompenaars: relationships and rules. Relationship cultures are cultures that value relationships. Non-relational cultures value a system, these can be, for instance, the law system.
I grew up in The Netherlands; in a traditional Moroccan family. Despite, these fact, I rather consider myself more as a chameleon in two different cultures, who are the opposite of each other.
You lie in the Moroccan culture, but you don't lie according the Dutch culture. In conclusion, I would not lie in any situation, because it is against my morals. I therefore, would find it hard if I were finding myself in such a situation. I think I would try to seek help from inside the company.
The second dimension I like to discuss are the dimensions about individualistic and communitarian cultures. Trompenaars explains these differences. Individual cultures are more self-reliant, and act independently. In contrast, people who have the communitarian culture rely on a group, both in business and in private life. In addition, loyalty is the norm in communitarian culture, whereas, self-help in a individualistic culture.
Delicacy is important here, because the group plays an important role in communitatian cultures. For instance, such groups support each other on each level. Understanding this fact, would help me understand if I would be dealing in certain situation, such on a division where people relying on each other. This also is true for status. However, delicacy is essential in matters of praising, criticising, and guiding. Knowledge about the cultures customs, and complementing my skills with their culture will make the relationship a success.
The third dimension mentioned by Trompenaars are emotional versus neutral cultures. Neutral cultures do not show emotions. Whereas emotional culture show emotions. For instance, emotions are recoginised by gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice, whereas the neutral hardly shows emotions. In addition, this does not mean that the neutral cultures are colder.
The Moroccan culture is very emotional. However, the culture I grew up in, is neutral. I understand that dealing with people from neutral cultures requires understanding, moreover, delicacy. Emotion vary in degree. As a business manager, I would be expected to act warm, and in other situation cold. I would therefore, have to customise myself, if I wanted to be successful.
The fourth dimension Trompenaars explains, are about the degree in which cultures want to get involved. For instance, specific cultures separate work and private life. Whereas, cultures who are diffuse do not separate work and private life.
It is common to meet your boss outside work, in diffuse cultures. I would not see it as a problem if I were invited to meet up with the boss. It would, therefore, rather be impolite not to come.
The last dimensions according Trompenaars are the ascriptive and achievement cultures. For instance, job titles and achievements are part of the achievement cultures. In contrast, to ascriptive cultures where age and family name is valued above achievement (s).
Complementing my skills to either both culture would be showing respect, which is the solid basis in business. I would have to understand that I would have to respect someone older than I am, or that I would have to show more modesty in my role as a manager. This can be very true for very strong ascriptive cultures such as for instance, the Arab or Italian cultures.
The role of an international manager requires that you have some cultural intelligence. For instance, sensitivity for different cultures are those characteristics that are necessary to avoid miscommunication. Despite, the fact of being grown up between two cultures, it is important to approach each situation with delicacy. Complementing my skills to their customs would be a way of showing my respect, which in turn will strengthen the bond, and I would be taken seriously.
