Intercultural Communication and International Work Teams - Assignment Example

Assignment Intercultural Communication and International Work Teams s 25th June Assignment One Summary of the article This present assignment seeks to review an article that is based on the topic of intercultural communication, the article that was selected is titled as ‘Key issues in cross-cultural business communication and anthropological approaches to international business,’ and both Guang and Trotter (2012) collaborated in writing the article. First, this article is built on the premise that international business is largely affected by cultural factors that equally influence the communication and the likelihood of a business organization succeeding in the international market. The article acknowledges that the level of cultural awareness directly reflects how a business organization will conduct itself in international market and therefore, a good understanding of cultural differences is a potential source of competitive advantage for a business organization. These assertions presented in the article equal the argument by Gudykunst (2003), that multicultural organization can only succeed if there is cultural awareness within the organization and managers are able to apply intercultural management more so in managing communication. In this regard, the article has provided a critical analysis on some vital elements of inter-cultural issues that are prevalent in international business communication and it has even provided a framework through which multicultural organizations that operate in the international market can gain competitive advantage. While discussing these different aspects of intercultural communication and their implications on international businesses, Guang and Trotter (2012) introduce and incorporate anthropological approaches to international business and they demonstrate using case examples how business can use such approaches to remain competitive in a cross-cultural market. The article concludes by recommending that business anthropology should be utilised by businesses to understand the impact of cultural differences on multinational businesses. Critique of the article To being with this article written by Guang and Trotter (2012) is of great significance not only to scholars studying the topic but also to business managers of multicultural organizations. Moreover, because of the fact that the article was formally accepted on 8th of March 2013 it means that it contains details that are relevant and reflect the current international business environment. The article has been present in a perfect format that comprises of introduction, body, and conclusion. The body has been structured in such a manner that there is perfect flow of information and coherence. Guang and Trotter (2012) used secondary research method in the preparation of this article since most of the facts presented in the article are credited to over fifty different authors who have been listed in the reference section of the article. With reference to the writings by Belcher (2009), he suggested that by the fact that the article mainly relies on other secondary sources, questions might arise pertaining to the validity and reliability of the information that were obtained from third parties. However, according to Kumar (2010), the use of over fifty different sources means that the article is rich in content and offers different perspective on the issues discussed. Furthermore, it is evident that the article has presented insightful information because of the use of case examples to elaborate on the facts presented (Belcher, 2009). The strengths of the article Silvia (2007) in his studies stated that a well-written scholarly article not only presents insightful information but it also substantiates such information and even provide the source of such information. This is one of the strengths of this article because it is has been adequately referenced thereby acknowledging the actual source of the information that has been presented in the article. Moreover, this is a sign that the authors of the article conducted a comprehensive research on the topic. The other strength of the article is that it has discussed the issue of intercultural communication along various perspectives using different examples, for example, American perception of the Chinese culture and Japanese perception of the same culture. Additionally, the article has also discussed how people of different cultures handle intercultural communication in business in different countries. This approach taken in writing the article ensured that the topic was covered from a broader or international perspective. The weaknesses of the article With reference to the title of the article, it is implied that it would talk about anthropological approaches to international business but a simple look at the sub-titles show that the article has not provided the reader with comprehensive detail about the concept of business anthropology and how it relates to intercultural communication. The second weakness of the article is that it leaves the reader thirsty for more information because of the themes and issues that need to be probed and discussed further, these themes, and issues are listed on page 6463 of the article thereby denoting that there were research gaps in the study. References Belcher, W. (2009). Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. U.S: SAGE Publications Guang, T. and Trotter, D. (2012). Key issues in cross-cultural business communication: Anthropological approaches to international business. African Journal of Business Management Vol.6 (22), pp. 6456-6464, Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM Gudykunst, W. (2003). Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Communication. U.S: SAGE Publications Kumar, R. (2010). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. (3rd edition). U.S: SAGE Publications Ltd Silvia, P. (2007). How to Write a lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. U.S: American Psychological Association Publishers Assignment Two Summary of the article This second assignment will review an article that is based on the topic of international work teams and with reference to the writings by Guilherme et al. (2010), they described international work teams as teams that exist within an organization whose composition is made up of people from different countries and/ or cultural backgrounds. The article that was selected for review is titled ‘creating synergy for cross-cultural teams in international R&D projects’ and it was written by Zeng et al. (2010). The article was prepared based on the premise that international management involves cultural management, which simply seeks to ensure that the existence of different cultures within a work team does not become the source of conflict but rather the team members work harmoniously to achieve the set goals. Guilherme et al. (2010) also stated that international managers are managers with the skills and ability to work within a cross-cultural organization. The study presented in the article used the Principal Component Analysis technique to explore factors that normally affect intercultural management in research and development projects that are performed by international work teams. In particular, the research study presented in the article focused on analyzing cross-cultural management in research and development project whose international work teams are solely made up of employees who practice the Western culture and those who practice the Chinese culture. Among the findings of the research study that were presented in the article include the fact that Chinese workers have high preference for working in places where there is stability and they dislike unfamiliar working environment unlike their Western counterparts. Secondly, Chinese workers would show a stronger reaction in an event whereby they lose ‘face’ such as when they have being publicly humiliated by the manager. It is vital to note that these research findings in the article concur with the ranking of cultural dimensions that were developed by Hofstede (2001). The other finding was that the Chinese government plays a critical role in the social environment where projects are being undertaken. Zeng et al. (2010) hoped that from the article, managers would be able to have knowledge on how to create synergy for effective management of international work team of research and development projects in multicultural organization. Critique of the article To begin with, this article presents information that have been gathered through secondary and primary data collection methods, which means there were participants who were involved in the research project. According to Cohen et al. (2011) the integration of these two research methods increases the validity and reliability of a research study since the data collected from secondary research are validated by factual data collected through the primary research method. The research study presented unfamiliar technique of summarizing data collected from the original variables, which is known as the Principal Component Analysis technique. The use of such unfamiliar technique means that only a few readers who are already familiar with the technique will be able to understand as well as correctly analyze that data presented. The research article is additionally unique and specific since it seeks to provide business managers with strategies on how to create synergy for effective management of international work teams of R&D projects in multicultural organization. This is unlike other studies where they state strategies for ensuring international work teams operate effectively without any hurdles. The strength of the article The main strength of the article is that it has obtained information from secondary sources as well as primary sources who were credible participants who had actual experiences of being in international work teams and according to Baumgarten (2012), this increases the validity and reliability of the entire study. Additionally, the facts presented in the literature review were properly citied thereby ensuring that every assertion made in the article is properly substantiated or supported. The weakness of the article The main weakness of the article is that it limited the number of research participants to only people who have worked in international work teams and practice the Western culture or the Chinese culture. This therefore, means that the recommendations might not be applicable on international work team that is made up of employees from different culture such as the Japanese culture and the Indian culture. The other weakness of the article is that it has introduced a new technique for summarizing data collected from the original variables but it has offered very little information concerning this technique and instead Zeng et al. (2010) refer readers to another source where they can get more information concerning the technique. The use of unfamiliar technique that is not widely tested and proven creates the possibility that the summarization of data could have been wrong or inaccurate. References Baumgarten, M. (2012). Paradigm Wars- Validity and Reliability in Qualitative Research. Germany: GRIN Verlag Cohen, L. Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2011). Research Methods in Education. London: Routledge Guilherme, M. Glaser, E. and García, M. (2010). The Intercultural Dynamics of Multicultural Working. U.K Multilingual Matters Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations across Nations. (2nd edition). U.S: SAGE Publications Zeng, S. Tam, C. Tong, T. and Sun, P. (2010). Creating synergy for cross-cultural teams in international R&D projects. African Journal of Business Management Vol. 4(13), pp. 2625-2633. Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM Read More