instruction
Cross-Cultural Management and Communication Assignment Guidelines
Length: Report: 2,000 words
Presentation: 10 minutes (15 SLIDES AT LEAST)
Background Information
Each student group is required to design, create and deliver a ‘role play simulation’ of a business meeting in which expatriate staffing and management needs are discussed in relation to a company that is looking to establish an overseas operation in one particular country.
For this exercise your group must:
- Design and create a meeting outline/overview of the proposed role-play simulation
- Decide and nominate the “home” location and the “host” location for the exercise
- Identify and discuss at least 7 key issues and challenges that may arise when managing business and staff across the two cultures
- Identify key macro and micro environmental factors that are likely to impact the business’ success in the new ‘host’ country
As part of the meetings, students are required to address at least 7 relevant core issues that are involved in international HRM within the simulated company.
The meetings will result in a written report that provides the theoretical framework from a cross- cultural management point of view for the decisions in addition to addressing the specific issues relevant to the host country.
Requirements: for this group assignment you will be required to:
- Meeting Outline:
By week 9 class each group must submit a typed presentation outline to their lecturer on a single A4 paper that includes:
- Group member names, student IDs, contact details, group leader’s name
- Clearly identifies (a) the nominated ‘home’ country and (b) ‘host’ country selected for the exercise
- A clear outline for the ‘role play’ meeting that includes:
- The role each team member will play in the simulation e. home country manager, host
- country manager, expatriate staff member(s)
- Identifies the 7+ key issues that will be discussed in the meeting
- How you plan to use your time (the 10 minutes allocated for the role play)
- What other props, support materials, you will require on the day
- Presentation:
Presentations/Role Plays will be delivered in tutorial time during week 10 and 11. Each group must:
- Deliver a 10 minute role play presentation that covers and addresses the key issues identified in managing HRM and cross-cultural management between host and home countries
- Role play presentations will be assessed based on:
- The relevance and quality of discussion on key cross-cultural issues that have been identified
- The identification and proposal of appropriate solutions to manage or contain these issues
- The overall quality, effort and practice that has been applied to the ‘role play’
Assignment Format → Report Format
This assignment is to be presented as a standard business report that should include the following key sections:
- Report Cover/Title Page
- Executive Summary – with key research findings and your team’s recommendation
- Table of Contents
- Brief overview of the company selected for the role play and the home/host countries
- Identification of key macro and micro environmental factors and issues impacting the selected host country
- Identification of key cross-cultural and HRM issues (at least 7) that may arise between home & host countries
- Recommendations: Proposal of appropriate solutions and contingency to manage and contain these issues
- Reference Listing (presented in standard Harvard Referencing format)
Your report should be presented with clear use of relevant section headings, in a standard true type (e.g. Arial) 12pt font with 1.5 line spacing.
Research
Groups will be required to perform relevant academic research and show evidence of that research within their report using standard Harvard Referencing format. At least 5-10 relevant research and academic sources should be included in your report.
- Refer to Proquest database for relevant sources
- Google Scholar
- Relevant Business Communication Journals
Use of Referencing
Students will be required to use standard Harvard Referencing for both in-text citations and in the final reference list / bibliography.
While Harvard Referencing will be discussed in detail in Lecture 5 of this course, it is recommended that students visit the resource centre and obtain a copy of the Holmes Academic Guide to Harvard Referencing. This is also available in the student resources area of Blackboard.
You can also find additional information on Harvard Referencing style here:
- http://www.swinburne.edu.au/library/referencing/harvard-style-guide/
Assessment Guidelines
| Assessment Criteria for Written Report | Maximum |
| Clear and concise identification and explanation of the key cross-cultural and HRM issues between the two countries and its context.
Comprehensive analysis of all relevant issues. |
6 |
| Demonstrated understanding, logic and reasoning evidenced in report. Quality of primary and secondary research and referencing to support your analysis.
Demonstrated understanding of the theory discussed during lectures. |
3 |
| Quality of final recommendations, contingency and executive summary | 3 |
| Style, structure, spelling, grammar, punctuation, images and overall excellence | 3 |
| Total | 15 |