Managing across culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing across culture - Essay Example Being the Management Consultant for the telecommunications company which is planning to take its business to the international level and market; it becomes very important to make a thorough study about the available literatures on the different challenges that a company faces on a foreign soil and make recommendations accordingly. During the initial study, the team has found a number of possible challenges that could pose a threat to the smooth internationalisation of the company. Among the several challenges â€Å"culture shock and poor adjustment† seems to have the greater potential for disturbing the smooth internationalisation of the company. The first part or Part One of this research paper discusses the different available literatures and their observations. 1.2: Definition of â€Å"Culture† According to Adler (2008) culture can be defined as an integrated system of behavior among the human beings which takes into consideration the thoughts, beliefs, languages, co mmunications, customs and values, mannerisms of ethnic, religious, racial or social groups of people and the ability of those very people in conveying the same attitude their succeeding generations. Thus, a lot of elements joins together to form a specific culture for a group of people. From the very elements, it could be understood that culture is not a day’s process or a matter of a few months but instead culmination of habits and attitudes over a prolonged period of time and as result of multiple behavioral elements or factors (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1998). 1.3: Relation between Culture and Working Attitude According to the study and observations made by Berry, et al (2002) a human being is highly influenced by the culture to which he or she has been raised up in. As observed by Browaeys and Price (2008), culture is a system of behavior consisting of varied elements that shapes up their life and other activities associated with their lives. The culture of an individual affe cts the psychology, that is, the thought process. The psychology in turn decides the behavior, attitude and goal of an individual’s life, the likes and dislikes, and even most importantly, their working attitude. The findings of Buchanan and Huczynski (2004) in their study indicate this very fact. An individual is highly influenced by the culture to which he or she belongs. It is so because it impacts an individual from a very tender age, during the very basic years of an individual when one’s beliefs, emotions, outlook and attitude is at the nascent stage. Culture moulds the attitude of an individual at every stage, when an individual forms their attitudes towards their family, education and institutional life, their personal circles, and their attitude towards work. Culture has a greater role to play in shaping the attitude towards work of an individual. Burnes (2000) observe that different cultural factors have been influencing the communication skills and practices of the individuals in the workplace and working atmosphere for a long time. The perception of work and work pressure is also dependent on an individual’s attitude towards work. For instance, one who has been surrounded by a strong working culture will be highly motivated to work hard, turn the most impossible task into reality, the individual will not give up in any case. On the other hand an individual who has been experiencing a lethargic working culture w

The impact of social networking on our daily lives Research Paper

The impact of social networking on our daily lives - Research Paper Example The development of formal and informal contacts takes place in the social networks, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and Google plus. Statistics show that over 1.2 billion people use Facebook as a social network (Hunter 27). Despite the fact that it can be termed by many as the greatest development of the twenty-first century, it is still a high predator against social values, social structures and moral development. This paper aims at discussing the impacts of social networking (both positive and negatives) and arriving at a point of concluding whether social networking should acclaim praise or reprimands. Discussion Most people believe firmly that social networks breed better than evil in society. There are major positive impacts as a result of electronic information exchange. To start with is the promotion and facilitation of competition in trade. This can be achieved through harmonization of business practices, standardization of information, convenience in reaching out to sister comp anies and the market. Social networks have enabled consumers to maximize their freedom of choice. Organizations can, therefore, win consumers by producing only the best and also having an up to date integrated information system (Hunter 30). Such like competition enhance economic growth and development. To add further on the impact of social networking to the global economy, millions of people today get employed by social institutions. These employments can be appreciated for alleviating poverty, higher standards of living and the decrease of the dependency ratio. The management of huge organizations can enjoy reduced costs of managing this can mainly be through, ease in channeling of information between and/or among branches, eased supervision, and coordination of decision making in different branches (Peacock 42). The social network has also been a major tool used by investors who are willing to establish new companies. The major role played by the networking is the identification of new brand name. This can be achieved by the sharing of ideas in the networking. The companies can also use the network to advertise their products. This is easily achievable because many people use the social network therefore, the company can reach its market in a more convenient way. The network has also enabled organizations to spy on their competitors. This tool has led to the success of firms as they have defined level of competition and are able to perform within the standards of competitors (Hunter 32). Social networking has also developed a platform where businesses can do their research on. Organizations are able to view the comments of their customers towards the products they are producing. This is caused by the fact that people are able to express themselves and also share their own ideas (Gattike 14). The network gives the firms a platform where they can interact with its customers; they are able to ask their customers' questions. This gives them a chance to know th e quality of their products and respond accordingly. They are also able to understand the amount of utility a consumer derives from their products (Ryan 59). Social networking also enables people who may be seeking a job. Many sites in the social network contain many job opportunities which are advertised by different