Riordan Culture
Multicultural Challenges and Opportunities Facing Riordan Manufacturing: An Application of Theory
Globalization continues to be a buzzword for business today as it has been for the last several decades, and with good reason -- the pace at which the world is becoming ever more interconnected through business and economic ties has only increased as technology has continued to close the practical gaps between different peoples and regions of the world. A message that might have taken weeks or months to send around the globe a century and a half ago was steadily reduced to mere minutes through the growth of telegraph and then telephone systems; radio and then satellite technologies made communication even faster for those that had the resources to make use of such innovations. Now, with the Internet a ubiquitous feature in households throughout the developed world -- and increasingly in countries that are still developing their overall infrastructure, as well -- near-instant communication with people anywhere on the planet has become the expected norm.
This increase in communications capabilities has been met with a commensurate rise in the level of direct foreign investment. Setting up operations in a foreign country comes with a host of complications and potential problems stemming from a variety of intercultural relationships that will necessary come into play with such an operation. From government regulators to employees and management teams, foreign operations will necessitate a meshing of cultural values and perspectives so that the necessary interpersonal relationships in the company are seen as productive and mutually beneficial.
The issues that are an inherent part of foreign operations can be clearly seen in the case of Riordan Manufacturing and the establishment and growth of its operations in the Hangzhou province of China. A manufacturer of various plastic parts made from a variety of raw materials, Riordan Manufacturing has been operating one plant in Hangzhou already with a great deal of success -- so much so that a second, larger facility has been purchased, retooled, and is ready to come online. The company has yet to develop a personnel management plan for the facility or its operations in the region, however, and given the likely diversity of the individuals at the facility and the cultures they represent, this is a major stumbling block. A lack of skilled Chinese labor in the region means that Pakistani, Indian, and Korean laborers will likely be hired in the plant, making the task of culturally integrating this workplace and developing a successful personnel management plan that much more difficult due to the added diversity that will be a factor at all levels of operation.
Analysis of Alternative Solutions
Riordan Manufacturing can choose to try to instill its own culture at the Hangzhou facility and require employees and managers to conform to this culture, but this is likely to yield negative results (Hodgetts, Luthans, & Doh, 2005). Instead, the company should focus on building an effective communications strategy t ensure that cultural issues are brought to attention in an open and direct manner, facilitating change (Apollo, 2010). At the same time, concrete management plans that foster this communication and clarify expectations and roles would also be beneficial (Elashmawi, 2001).
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Techniques
A major risk that Riordan runs as a Western-owned and Western-based organization is being seen as greedy and uncooperative by managers, officials, and employees if it does not address cultural issues and differences in a proactive and understanding manner (Elashmawi, 2001). Because the company is already successful and is based in the United States, which is imagined by many to be a land of "rich millionaires," there exists a general impression that "foreigners should come to China with technology, expertise, and money and that the Chinese will provide the land, labor, and hopefully the market" (Elashmawi, 2005. p. 215). In other words, there are certain expectations regarding the attitude of Riordan and its Western managers towards other personnel managers, employees, business contacts and associates, and government officials.
Additional risks can of course be seen in each of the manager-employee relationships that can be imagined, with highly different management styles and expectations existing between Korean and Indian managers and employees, for example (Hodgetts, Luthans, & Doh, 2005). The diverse pool of employees that is expected as well as the diverse cultural backgrounds of potential managers creates a complex series of potential interpersonal difficulties and problems, making a mapping and comparison of the various relationship all but impossible. The need for clear objectives and targets in the company also necessitates a strong and consistent management plan, however, further complicating matters (Apollo, 2010).
Mitigating...
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