Managing In a Global Environment - Coursework Example

Higgins’ turning point, according to Prescott, had to do with his marriage to a Japanese woman, which pulled him further into the Japanese culture. Prescott believed that success as an international executive involved blending the home viewpoint and comprehension of foreign culture. This paper aims to discuss the nature of this managerial problem, give alternative solutions to the problem and finally give recommendations on how to deal with the problem. The major conflict between Leonard Prescott and his assistant, Higgins John, comes from the fact that while Prescott is an international businessman possessing over twenty five years of experience at Weaver, Higgins is relatively young and has more attachment to Japan.

Prescott has spent most of his time in various countries such as the Philippines, India, and Mexico, as well as years spent at the company’s US international division. He believed that the American way was best, an ethnocentric attitude that was in stark contrast to Higgins. Higgins was more attached to Japan and even involved himself in the lives of his employees and his Japanese neighbors. Higgins preferred to use his fully paid leave to visit remote areas in Japan, instead of returning to the United States.

Prescott followed an entirely different behavioral practice, preferring to keep his distance from the Japanese. As an experienced businessman from the US, he preferred to maintain a distance between him and his subordinates. His viewpoint was that the personal life of employees must not be mixed with their professional life and that the employees doing so were engaging in time-wasting activities, including Higgins. Prescott is also not in favor of the decentralized decision making approach adopted by Higgins that included employee suggestions in management policies.

Higgins, on the other hand, does not believe in power distance. Rather, he insists on consultation and maintenance of employee relationships. Higgins’ approach led to him vehemently rejecting the dismissal of one manager who apparently lacked initiative, general competency and leadership. Prescott’s attitude focuses on individualism and personal performance while Higgins leant more towards a collective workplace atmosphere. Higgins was also more trusting of his Japanese employees than Prescott, and thus, laid down contingency plans for future failure.

As the Weaver Corporate Manager, it is vital that people have a good working relationship in the workplace to achieve the organization’s objectives (Daft, 2012: p23). Therefore, where the conflict between Higgins and Prescott is concerned, it is vital that it is determined immediately in order to ensure the entire organization runs smoothly. First, Higgins and Prescott should forge a mutual understanding fast. Higgins must not forget that he represents the American parent company, and not his attachment to the people and culture of Japan.

Prescott, on the other hand, needs to understand that all employees need to work in a happy environment rather than being made to work for a rigid autocratic structure. To achieve this, Prescott needs to manage change at Weaver, as well as mange the conflict arising from these changes. Both Higgins and Prescott need to be more effective in their various management abilities. The following section puts,