Richard Evans, the newly appointed General Manager of the Siam Chemicals Company (SCC) returns to his Bangkok office after a two-week absence to find his in-box full of emails from his Thai team. Under time pressure he must first prioritise and then decide how best to respond to them. However, SCC is his first posting outside Europe and he has begun to realise that in this very different cultural environment, his previous managerial experience and assumptions are not applicable. If he is to gain the respect of his local managers and motivate them to increase SCC’s productivity in a highly competitive regional market, then he must decipher what lies behind the requestions and problems in their messages and respond appropriately. Evans has one hour before he must leave to catch a flight to Basel to attend a Board meeting at SCC’s parent HQ. There he is expected to report on his progress and future plans for improving the subsidiary’s performance.
. To increase understanding of the impact of culture on decision-making, particularly when operating internationally. . To discuss and assess the alternative approaches and pratices – and their possible consequences – managers might adopt in order to cope with the challenges posed by cultural differences when dealing with human, organizational and societal issues, particularly in international operations. . To enlarge participants’ knowledge and awareness of business practices and leadership expectations in the Asia-Pacific environment through the particular example of one Thai company. . To enhance awareness of the complex ethical dimensions surrounding cultural and management practices in Asia.
- Cross-cultural awareness
- International management
- Asian business environment
- Leadership
- Managing change
- Business ethics
- Business ethics
- Transfer of management practices
- Western expatriate management
- Q22021
