Cross-cultural Conflict.
a). Scene Description.
Todd is educating his new Indian trainees on the different kinds of products to be sold. One trainee, Rani, asks about product A221, and Todd explains that it is a burger brand. Rani shakes her head to communicate that she does not know what a burger brand is. Todd proceeds to tell them that ‘Americans eat a lot of beef and some people like to burn their initials into their food with a red hot iron before eating’ (outsourced, 27:14). Rani seems more confused as she frowns and asks why. Todd responds by saying that it is a cow brand, further clarifying its use is to burn a symbol into the cow.'(outsourced, 27:21). He continues to explain how that is the method Americans use to keep track of their cows. Rani, in disbelief, asks, ‘With a red hot iron?'(outsourced, 27:27) he nods, and another trainee comments the cow would run away. Todd responds by telling them they only do it to baby cows as they are small enough to hold down. Rani holds her mouth with her hand as a sign of shock. Asha raises her hand, and when instructed to speak, she tells Todd that he needs to learn about India. The scene ends with Todd’s exhibition of confusion in response to that statement.
- b) Concept.
Culture is a word that describes the characteristics, knowledge and the way of life of a group of people, inclusive of their religion, language, social habits, among others. Conflict is a serious disagreement between people or groups of people. Therefore, cross-cultural conflicts are disagreements brought about by people’s different ways of life. In Organizational Behaviour, cross-cultural conflict is the disagreements brought about by cultural differences between people or groups of people at work. It encompasses how culture is related to micro organizational phenomena like motives, meso organizational aspects such as leadership, macro organizational phenomena like organizational structure, and the interrelationships among these levels’ ( Gelfand, Michele J., et al. pg 480). Cross-cultural conflicts in the workplace emerge when an individual behaves per their culture. Another individual with a different culture misinterprets their behaviour, leading to conflict. The scene showcases the concept of cross-cultural conflict in OB because Todd is confident when talking about eating beef and branding of cows, especially calves, much to the dismay of his trainees. This goes to show that he is not aware that cows are considered sacred in some religions such as Hinduism, which is the dominant religion in India.
- c) My approach.
If I were Todd, when explaining the beef brander, I would have also taken time to see the mood in the room had changed as everyone seemed shocked by what Todd was saying. I would have asked the trainees why they reacted in that manner. Upon explanation, I would apologize for the insensitive comments and remind them that there was no ill intention. As a trainee, I would have explained to Todd why his remarks shocked everyone to avoid conflict.
- d) Why it would work.
My approach would work better because if Todd had asked why they seemed shocked by his comments, he would have understood the offensive nature of his words, quit while he was still ahead, and apologize for his mistakes. If one of the trainees had taken time to explain their reaction, Todd would have understood his offensive remarks, and this would prevent future conflict. Overall, it would show the trainees that Todd, cares about how his actions affect them and according to McShane and Von Glinow, ‘effective organizations take into account how their actions affect others, and this requires them to understand, manage, and satisfy the interests of their stakeholders’ (McShane& Glinow,25).
2.High power distance vs low power distance.
- Scene Description.
At the beginning of the movie, Todd is summoned by his boss, and the first thing Todd asks when he gets to his office is whether ‘ it will take a while as he had just ordered from Thai Garden.’ As the scene unfolds, his boss lets him know they have decided to restructure order performance. Todd seems confused and asks how. His boss proceeds to tell him the company’s plan of offshoring the entire department, Todd is currently managing. Todd laughs and says “that’s a good one” (outsourced,1.44) His boss tells him he is not kidding and tells him to look at the spreadsheet which indicates that American job done online or on the phone is going overseas to cut on spending. Todd proceeds to laugh and asks his boss whether ‘this is some physiological test'(outsourced, 1.53) He continues to tell his boss that he cannot outsource his job, telling him that if a customer form Wisconsin orders a product and is responded to by a person from a different country, “he’s going to flip out.” (Outsourced,2.12) Dave responds by telling him that the accent training will tackle that issue. Todd, realizing the seriousness of the situation as he is no longer laughing or smiling, asks his boss if he expects him to tell the rest of the workers that their jobs have been outsourced. His boss responds by telling him that he (Dave) will do it instead.
Power distance is the method by which power is distributed. Cultures with high power distance accept the unequal distribution of power while those in low power distance expect some form of power-sharing. From the scene, it is evident that American countries subscribe to low power distance. This is shown in how Todd does not use “Mr.” or “sir ” while talking to his boss. It also manifests in how Todd expects to be consulted on decisions affecting him at work when he implies his boss is joking when he tells him about the company’s plans and that they cannot outsource his job. Individuals who work in cultures with low power distance do not accept commands, unlike in high power distance. This can result in conflict in the workplace because the senior members of the organization will feel disrespected by their subordinates when their commands are critiqued or questioned.
- My approach.
As Todd’s boss, I would have handled the situation differently to avoid going back and forth with him. I would have summoned him by using his second name as opposed to calling him Todd I would have proceeded by asking him to have a seat as opposed to having him stand by the door. I would have then told him that I had summoned him as his superior with orders from my superior. I would have avoided asking him about his preference for spicy food as it sets a relaxed mood. I would then proceed to tell him that he’s being transferred to India and include reasons why and if he had any objections, he would have to resign.
- Why it would work.
My approach would work because it is essential to set clear boundaries in the workplace to avoid conflict between management and the subordinates. If a worker critiques every decision made by the supervisor, this will create a hostile working environment conflict that will arise, and the organizations, goals will not be achieved.
- Individualism vs Collectivism.
- Scene Description.
Todd receives a phone call from his boss Dave who asks him what is wrong and whether he wants to bankrupt the company. Todd does not seem bothered by the question and proceeds to ask Dave whether he has seen the MPI. Dave proceeds to tell him that he is talking about Todd’s request to ship hundreds of their products to India. He continues by saying to him that te agents can see the products online and that they do not need to fondle them(outsourced, 49:26). Todd disagrees with Dave and tells him the workers need incentives, and they need to understand what they are selling. Dave tells him to the workers the shipment has been delayed and that Todd needs to understand the bottom line. Todd responds and says he does understand the bottom line and that is the reason he wants to introduce ‘ our products to a potentially new market of over one billion people.'(outsourced,49:42), Dave proceeds to hang up the phone.
Individualism is the extent to which we value independence and personal uniqueness. While collectivism is the extent to which we value our duty to groups to which we belong and to group harmony ((McShane& Glinow 50). In an individualistic workplace, the emphasis is laid on personal goals, achievements, stability, and individuals’ work autonomously. Motivation stems from their rewards and individuals are encouraged to be creative and come up with new and innovative ideas in handling issues. In a collectivist workplace, members are encouraged to work in groups and for the benefit of everyone. Individual decision making is discouraged, and managers praise those showing tendencies for collective success. In an individualistic society, personal success is praised whether or not one was working alone or in a group. This can lead to unhealthy competition due to encouraging individual thinking. Individualism can also lead to less restrictive organizational structures which leads to chaos when an individual partakes on decisions without consulting their superiors. At the same time, collectivism can lead to conflict when a person cannot realize their full potential for fear of outshining the rest. The scene exhibits Todd’s individualism when Dave reprimands him on ordering hundreds of merchandise for the new workers. Todd does not think he did anything wrong, and in fact, tells his boss that he needed to as an incentive. He further goes to say he is introducing their products to billions of potential customers. To him, he is merely exercising out of the box thinking.
- My Approach.
I would approach the situation differently if I were Todd by consulting my boss before ordering the merchandise. This would exhibit respect towards authority and protocol and would show consideration towards the company budget. If I were in Dave’s position, I would first commend Todd for coming up with the idea of the use of incentives but would strongly suggest consultation before such drastic decisions.
- Why it would work.
This approach would work because both parties feel that their opinions matter and protocol is observed. This, in turn, leads to the realization of organizational goals.
References.
Gelfand, Michele J., et al. “Cross-Cultural Organizational Behavior.” Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 58, no. 1, Jan. 2007, pp. 479–514., doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085559.
Jeffcoat, John, director. Outsourced. ShadowCatcher Entertainment, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWa5WlMm2AI.
McShane and Von Glinow. Organizational Behaviour. 4th ed., McGraw-Hill / Irwin, 2019.