Cultural Considerations of Management Decisions in Dilemmas - Research Proposal Example

Cultural Considerations of Management Decisions in Dilemmas Research Prospectus: – Survey of Research Methods X Term 2007 © 2007 Component Description Topic Introduction The concept of workplace diversity has been widely accepted in today’s business organizations around the globe. The social and moral pressures exerted by minority groups, together with the legislation of certain legal provisions allowing cultural integration has increased the rate by which diversity permeated the business environment. Diversity, on itself, opens a wider avenue for organizations in terms of setting up strategic positions with internal and external clients. However, diversity, like any other opportunities are double-edged swords that can easily ruin the strategy of the organization. Only organizations that are able to see through the unique Cultural diversity is loosely defined as the variety of individuals coming from different race and cultural background pooled together to work in an organization. Some organizations seek cultural diversity because of some advantages it offers, like a diverse perspectives and ease in relating to customers. Some organizations regulate the cultural diversity in its ranks in order to reduce culture-related conflicts. This just asserts the inability of most organizations to fully grasp diversity and its related strengths and weaknesses. Because of the relatively new concepts introduced by diversity, some areas of the organization are yet to encounter the effects of having a diverse workforce. One of the most interesting aspects of the organization that is affected by diversity is decision making. According to Chow & Crawford (2004), the ability of organizations to make decisions lies on two aspects – objective data gathering and synthesis and the socio-cultural background of the people involved in the decision making process. This is a specific statement to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in decision-making. The decision of individuals generally reflects his personality, belief systems, and his biases (Hofstede, 1997). For example, Japanese would decide against risky investments mainly because his cultural style does not approve of such types of investments compared to his American counterpart. Another example is a Mexican decision-maker would make a choice that would have significant impact to groups or families simply because he can relate to familial relationships more than isolations. From this, it can be argued that the decisions made by organizations on certain management dilemmas are influenced by the cultural background, perspectives, biases and idealisms of the individuals making the decision. Problem / Opportunity Statement With workplace diversity increasingly becoming an integral aspect of organization’s decision making, how culture affects the results of the decision-making process of organizations becomes even more important. This paper will then identify various decisions made within a selected organization and determine whether the cultural diversity of decision makers influence the decision. Consequently, this paper aims to understand the manner with which cultural diversity affects decision making. Purpose Statement Organizations rely on objective decision making process as well as on the objectivity of the decisions. Strategic growth and development can only be achieved if strategic planning process relies heavily on, well, strategies. Objectivity in the decision-making process is of essence in organizations. Strategic planning requires that objective goals and aims are prepared, implemented, and managed. Cultural biases and perspectives grounded on a biased belief would render all the efforts of the company useless. The purpose of this paper is to identify the likelihood of culture affecting management decisions during dilemmas. Understanding the extent by which cultural considerations affect the outcome of an objective decision-making activity allows organizations to prepare the people with the right, or appropriate, cultural background in the decision-making body; or allows the predictability of the direction by which the organization’s decision will lean based on the cultural profile of the decision-making body. Similarly, the organization can also create a decision-making body that either has the ability to invoke culture or shun it from affecting the decisions made by the organization. Conceptual / Theoretical Framework From the introductory discussion, it was shown that cultural considerations sway decisions from the expected results to something that closely resembles the dominant cultural factor of the decision-making body. The cultural factor is not only restricted to the cultural origins of individuals comprising the organization but the organizational culture as well. As management dilemma becomes an apparent concern, a pool of experts, or a group of individuals with the capability to decide for the strategic moves of the organization are gathered together to curb the adverse effects of these dilemmas. Organizations expect to achieve a very linear solution, predicting a problem-solution pattern, granting that the solution provided by the decision-making team is the best possible scenario for the organization. However, because of socio-cultural considerations, biases, and perspectives, the linearity of the solutions provided no longer becomes apparent. Moreover, because of cultural considerations, decisions are made through the cultural lens with the decision-makers relying heavily on his cultural orientation for insights. The cultural considerations may have the tendency to blind the decision-makers from seeing the right problems, or barring them from interpreting the problems correctly. Culture then becomes a filter that selects which types of interpretations, or solutions, are approved. The conceptual framework shows two parts of the decision making process where cultural considerations and biases come into play. Cultural considerations, biases, and perspectives have the tendency to cloud the interpretation of decision-makers. The limited understanding and culturally-oriented abilities of decision-makers allows them to see the problem they want to see it, rather than seeing the problem as it should be seen. Because of this constraint, decision-makers will be unable to interpret the problem on the right context. The second aspect of the decision-making process where culture comes into play is the proposition of solutions. According to Chow & Crawford (2004), the ability of the decision-makers to provide solutions relies on their abilities to interpret problems and perceive solutions, which are often clouded by their cultural orientations. Because decisions made are culturally-biased, the results are often culturally biased as well. Culturally-biased decisions are often not the most appropriate or the most strategic. From this perspective, the need to control and optimize cultural diversity in decision making is immense. Management / Research Questions In this regard, this paper aims to answer the following questions to shed light to the scope of influence exerted by cultural considerations in management dilemma: (a) How is cultural consideration able to affect the interpretation of management dilemma; (b) what is the extent or degree of deviation of these interpretations from the original, unbiased interpretation; (c) how can this culturally-dependent interpretation affect the outcomes of the decision; and (d) what can organizations do to optimize culturally-oriented decisions on management dilemmas. Literature Review / Current Understanding of the Phenomena Hofstede (1997) suggests five cultural dimensions management leaders can use to understand various cultures. These five dimensions are power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, long-term vs. short-term orientation, and uncertainty avoidance. Business deals and business management scenarios that involves people from various cultural background have reported difficulties in achieving coherent business details compared to doing business or working with people from one’s own culture. Theoretically speaking, all cultures can be checked vis-à-vis the Hofstede dimensions in order to allow common understanding. For example, Hofstede’s power distance refers to the degree by which one social subgroup defers to the other like how blue collar workers differ to corporate workers where such distinction does not matter in United States and does in India with their caste system. Masculinity vs. femininity refers to which the preference of a certain culture over social dominance against the communal feelings and quality of life. Opening an office in Japan would be successful if a male person is to be placed as the head. The male-female preference does not exist in Sweden.       Individualism vs. collectivism is the term used to refer to how society relates to each other. A society with high individualism index means that individuals in the society are more attuned on their own whereas a society with high collectivism index means that people belonging to the society generally build stronger relationships with each other. Countries like Panama and Guatemala are known as cultures inclined to collectivism and so advertising must exploit on socio-cultural collectivism in order to gain positive response. Uncertainty avoidance index measures the tendency of the culture to stick to rules and seek order.  Some cultures do not want to be confronted by risks and so they would pry every detail from every business proposals. Germans demand more options and alternatives from a business plan than do Thais as Thais are more fatalistic of their view in life. Long-term orientation means that cultures with high LTO index are more likely to value traditions and cultural practices. Most of the Asian countries adhere to the cultural practices and traditions whereas Americans and people from Great Britain do not. Thus said, British and American businessmen are expected to come up with novel concepts and ideas whereas Japanese and Singaporeans may be rigid and formal when it comes to workplace strictures.   Methodological Approach & Research Design Since the proposal aims to understand the various effects of culture in the decision-making process, the proposal will use a purely qualitative research approach and design in order to answer the research questions posted. Establishing a theoretical link is very important for this paper since there is no knowledge whatsoever about the extent by which culture affects or influences decisions in management dilemma. Sources of Information & Measurement Plan The sources of information considered for this research are books, peer-reviewed articles on management dilemma, white papers and unpublished dissertations, and other secondary sources. The paper will attempt to substantiate the conceptual framework by discussing various management and organizational theories associated with management dilemma. This paper will then evaluate the wealth of information based on the research questions in order to determine the relevance of the data and information. References Brown, Nina. (2007). Edward Hall: Proxemic Theory. Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science. Accessed from http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/13   Chow, I.H.S, Crawford, R. (2004). Gender, Ethnic diversity, and Career Advancement in the Workplace: A Social Identity Perspective. Society for the Advancement of Management. SAM Advance Management Journal. 12(4); 224-29 Hall, Edward. (1966). The Hidden Dimension. Garden City, New York. Doubleday. Hofstede, Geert. (1997) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ Journal of Intercultural Communication. (October 2008). Accessed from http://www.immi.se/intercultural Appendices (as needed)(some examples below) Project Management / Data Collection Flow / PERT Chart Data Collection Instrument (e.g., survey, questionnaire, interview protocol) Informed Consent Form Read More