LA498 M4D1

Please follow ALL directions. Make discussion post and come to a consensus in 300 words or more. Ensure to have no plagiarism and complete my 9:30 PM EST, which is in 4 hours. Make sure to use all group discussions to discuss Case study: G2Q is a multinational company specializing in the commodification of water. In response to company shareholders’ demands for higher revenue, the company has adopted increasingly aggressive practices in its quest to acquire controlling rights to regional water resources around the globe. As part of that initiative, the company secretly proposed a profit-sharing agreement with some local leaders in a South Pacific location in exchange for the right to divert more surface and spring water to expand their bottled water production. This has resulted in local protests and work slowdowns at the local plant, which in turn decreased productivity and financial losses.

In an attempt to return to profitability, G2Q brought in managers from company headquarters to displace indigenous people previously hired in supervisory and leadership roles. None of the incoming managers speak the local language, and most complain about what they consider to be substandard living and working conditions.

Most of the employees are members of ethnic minorities from the host country with distinct differences in cultural norms and language preferences. For example, some behave as though they speak no English, while others refuse to make eye contact with managers. Still others appear to agree with everything managers say, then ignore their directions.

One former manager who quit, married a local, and lives in a nearby village has advised the incoming managers that “things are done differently over here” and cautions them against rushing to judgment. That presents a dilemma, as the company CEO has promised all managers a sizeable bonus if the plant regains its formerly profitable status within two years. Otherwise, the company will close down that location, firing the managers and leaving hundreds of people with little hope of finding other employment.

Directions:

Reach a consensus on possible strategies to strengthen workplace harmony and improve performance at the local plant in case study use sections under GROUP DISCUSSIONS.

Include:

Short-term actionsLong-term strategies and policy recommendationsHow will you measure success?

GROUP DISCUSSIONS:

There are several things that could immediately be done to attempt to fix the problem.

*Immediate mandatory cultural immersion for the new managers funded by the company and taught by the locals. This provides income to locals and embraces their societal norms.

*Initiate zero tolerance for intergroup conflict and enforce it.  In the future demand corporate oversight to scrutinize all decisions for ethnic soundness.

*Initiate dialogue with the workers to make sure that the cultural sensitivity of water and its distribution is addressed.  Make sure that the local populous is not suffering for lack of a vital resource. Blatant disregard for cultural norms has upset the indigenous population.

Long-term strategies and policy recommendations

*Address profit sharing for the entire workforce, not just the in-group of leaders.  This is supported by the utilitarian ethical theory and is the morally correct thing to do.  A worker can see that he will get an annual kick back based on productivity from the highest to the lowest level he generally will work to achieve that goal.

*Initiate diversity training.  Set up a program in country for the new hires from abroad to become integrated into the culture and language and customs of the environment in which they now find themselves.

*Set up a training program for the workers to rotate to the company headquarters as for corporate indoctrination on the policies, principles and strategy of increased production and the positive outcome that this will bring to the local population.

*Promote locals into positions of management and send in a team from the corporate to provide direction and guidance on corporate policies and procedures.  Once again comingle foreign and local managers.

*Provide an incentive to learn the language of the locals for the employee and the family. Provide the same incentive to the locals to become fluent in the language of the business.

How will you measure success?

*Give the situation 2 years and review with the local workers every 90 days the progress and address any pitfalls still requiring concentration.   Give the ownership of the problem to the people.  Explain that if there is not an increase in productivity then the company will close the site and move elsewhere.

*Change is inevitable either for more or less money or new management or realignment of workers.  A cross-cultural sensitivity approach is the key.  Kantian ethics apply.  Put yourself in the other's shoes and then try to decide what you would be best.

Alice Ann

Me

Some strategies I would recommend:

Short-term stategies

     Coming in of the new managers with social compliance is very important just as stated in the post. The managers should be immediately educated on the cultural norms of the society that the company is established because this would largely affect the reception that they are likely to receive from the locals. However, in my perspectives, I think training the managers using the locals could be to some extent a little bit tricky, and so training should be done by specialized individuals with the help of some few experienced locals who knows the cultural ways of the locals. Another important part of the discussion is the initiation of dialogue with the employees. In my view, this should be the first thing done to improve the acceptance of the managers.

Long-term strategies and policy recommendations

     Utilitarian ethical theory application to the company state is very beneficial. In improving the productivity of a decline, company motivation is more important that structural changes. Structural changes would make the employees feel being led or forced into work .however when they are motivated they will feed automatically compelled to work in meeting the company goals. By this, the long-term strategy here would work since the employees will have self-goals to achieve within the company. Training the employees on basics skills of relating with other is very important. It would ensure integration is achieved in the company that would ensure prolonged intact workforce. Learning the local language is very important more so to the managers, and it would work well when coupled with a form of incentive. However promoting the locals into the managerial position would lead to a lot of problems later.

How to measure success?

     Two years for the situation would be long being that it profit organizations. Reviewing the situation after every 90 days for the employees is a good strategy. Realignment of the workers is a good parameter for measuring his success as well as the observable productivity of the company .however the post was not very clear on the actual mechanism of measuring the success equally the process was not detailed. Majoring on the productivity of the company on the long-term basis is very important as well as being keen on the employee dynamics.

Alice,

I cannot express how much of a great idea it would be to have mandatory cultural immersion taught by the locals. I agree that this would certainly be an incitement to embrace, or at least understand cultural and societal norms of the Southern Pacific, and create an income for the inhabitants who are willing to participate. This would also encourage compliance and acceptance on the part of the indigenous people who are against the company's policies to begin with. Perhaps this would be a step in the right direction to address multiple problems that have arisen including intergroup conflict, biases on both ends, and ethnocentrism.

I also like the idea of meeting with the local workers every three months to get feedback and make new goals that all employees are responsible for achieving. By getting the employees more involved and making them feel more of a responsibility for the success of the company, will come more innovation and productivity that will help the company flourish.

-Rachel

Kelly,

I think we all can agree that cultural training is a definite must to foster acceptance for differing cultures so that collaboration and cooperation could ensue. I like the idea of establishing a work/life balance since everyone has lives that go beyond what one would see at the office. By offering maternity leave, flexible hours, and a more comfortable work environment, the employees would definitely be more inclined to contribute more to the company and to make the necessary changes in workplace attitudes to better suit the needs and requirements of the company. This, along with throwing parties that extends invitations to all employees, and perhaps even their families would make a more friendly and inviting atmosphere for the employees.

-Rachel

Rachel,

Spot on with your ideas. The statement you made about moving past a passive respect for the locals and onto integrating the beliefs and customs of the native people is a great strategy. We spent a great deal looking mostly at the impact of what the G2Q did to the native people of South Pacific countries, but what if the company's justified in their letting go of the managers that have a direct bias toward the vision of the company ie; the indigenous people. Given that the company employs more than just the native people of South Pacific, once the company went into the South pacific to deal, those who were unbiased and not of that country were also affected by what was happening. So is the company completely wrong? I don't think so. either way great post.

KM

Strategies thread: Based on the results of steps 1-4, brainstorm by Sunday possible strategies to strengthen workplace harmony and improve performance:

1.Short-term actions

2.Long-term strategies and policy recommendations

3.How will you measure success?

Group # 1

Everyone had great ideas to improve workplace harmony and performance, many of which I myself would have chosen. To fully concur with my group mates short term actions would consist of;

1. some form of cultural sensitivity training, which would better equip all employees working for G2Q, not matter what country they find themselves in.

2. I believe that G2Q should find a different place to divert land and water for profit.

3. I believe the company should re-hire those who were fired to increase work moral.

4. I think a team building exercise should be in order to help managers and regular workers trust one another.

5. With every increase made by being in the South Pacific, those native to the country and working for the country should see some of the profit increase.

Long term strategies and policy remediation should focus on ethical implications that stay within the guidelines of being morally right.

1. G2Q should create new strategies to produce the same product but without secretly trying to take over other territories.

2. Profit sharing would be a good idea to help promote longevity and hard work throughout the company.

3. G2Q may want to think about partnering with organizations who's goals are the same to possibly improve profits.

4. The company should establish some form of cultural brokering, which would allow for people to understand what's being communicated on both ends.

How would success be measured?

-Like most businesses, success first starts with profit increases. How well the product is being supplied and demanded. Customer loyalty would also measure success, because that means whomever is buying the product is happy enough to continue buying the product. How well the employees respond to the physical and mental demands of the job, this will measure company durability. Success is measure also by how well a company sticks to their mission/vision statement. Lastly increased organizational values, helps to foster good ethical practices making it easy for the company to remain on the right side of the law.

KM