Fred Bailey An Innocent Abroad(1) Exam case study Essay

Fred Bailey An Innocent Abroad(1) Exam case study - Essay Example So before venturing out on any project, a global project manager must do a complete examination of communal, fiscal, governmental, traditional and technical factors so that he is better equipped to alleviate trials posed with global projects (Varner, 2011). Analysis A cautious scrutiny of this case discloses a unsophisticated lack of cross-cultural knowledge, Personality stereotyping, miscommunication and poor decision making ability (Cheerla, 2010). Fred does not reveal a high level of cultural awareness enough to identify some of the noticeable cultural challenges, which were steady in showing the greatest gaps. Fred, the project manager culture is evidently different from that of Japan. This is key to a company overall performance because it encompasses the four cultural dimensions, which are, emotion, time, power and thinking. Problems encountered by Fred during his meeting with subordinates denote communication problems (Deresky, 2000). Having laid down his plans for future dire ction of the company office, he did not receive the desired response from his Japanese colleagues. United States is vastly individual oriented (Briscoe et al, 2012). People are anticipated to make decisions, and those decisions are expected to be in the best interest of the individual and his or her close family. In contrast, Japan is a community oriented; community and/or group interests take preference over the privileges of individuals. This contributed to miscommunication problems between Fred and his new colleagues. First, during the staff first meeting, he asked people for their individual opinions on how to improve things, and second, when he asked Tashiro, â€Å"what he thought† about the significant task being assigned to him. In both situations, they were reluctant to answer and, when they did answer, they gave vague explanations. To achieve success, Fred would have invited the group as a whole to discuss ideas and come up with a unified group vision. Personality st ereotyping was contributed by Fred lack of cross-cultural knowledge (Nkomo et al, 2010). Establishment of heartfelt relations with coworkers is necessary for Japanese. Employees intermingle with each other informally outside of the office and these relationships are taken into description when making professional decisions. Fred had to maintain authority, yet create a relationship that would unite all staff. On his arrival, he relaxed for two days at home then headed straight to work where he clearly assumed authority. He did not take time to know about his colleagues outside the company environment. Thus, when he assigned the project to an individual and encouraged him that he was worthy of the task required, that was stereotyping from him. He approached the employees in an impersonal style and expected them to be engaged because the company anticipated it. Lack of cross-cultural knowledge was the basis for poor decisions Fred made (Stroh, 2005). Relying on his American culture, he immediately lays down his proposal to the prospective Japanese client and he expects him to respond immediately. Fred was actually was not aware of the importance of personal relationship in business dealings in Japan during his strategizing and staff meeting. In Japan, comfort during business meetings is essential for success. Lack of basic knowledge of Japanese business environment; lead Fred to make poor decisions even before he arrived in Japan. For instance, his