You are required to identify a multinational company (MNC) of your choice to carry out a case study analysis

Assessment 1:

Case Study  Task:

You are required to identify a multinational company (MNC) of your choice to carry out a case study analysis. You will use relevant cross-cultural management theories to ground your evaluation and answers to the following questions:

Part 1 (20 marks) Introduction - context and framework for the essay.

Provide an overview of your chosen MNC. The overview should discuss the key characteristics of the company – its aims, objectives, size, structure, and locations of its international operations. Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages for the company operating in different countries, and the relevance and importance of cross-cultural management for the success of the MNC.

Part 2 (40 marks) With reference to relevant cross-cultural theories and leadership theories, discuss how national cultural differences might influence the management of people at foreign subsidiaries of the MNC.

Part 3 (20 marks) Discuss how international managers might overcome barriers to effective communication in multicultural teams.

Answer guidelines:

• You will need to consider the different institutional and cultural factors that influence human resource management policies and practices in different countries.

• Consider how Hofstede’s cultural dimensions might give insight into differences between national cultures and organizational practices.

• Use evidence from research to illustrate divergence and convergence of practices between the home country and the two host countries of subsidiaries for the MNC.

• Identify the elements of intercultural communication process, highlighting potential barriers to intercultural communication.

• Consider Hall’s typology of low- context and high-context culture in explaining intercultural communication.

2500 words.