Favorite Time of Year

A Little Christmas Dinner Christmas is the time of year renowned for bringing families together in a way no other holiday can quite muster up to. Family togetherness feels like a cup of hot chocolate on the first cold night of the year; heart warming. That magical day when relatives flock from all over to be in one house, at one table, and to eat one meal, nothing is more special than a little Christmas dinner. Christmas is known for coming quicker and quicker each passing year.

Many people begin to silently panic as soon as they hear the first Christmas song on the radio. To me it strikes into my head that our yearly family Christmas dinner is ever so close. As a child I enjoyed the Christmas dinner but not for the wholesome heart warming reasons that echo through my words now, but for the greedy natured presents. Admittedly the presents still are a highlight of the Christmas dinner, but after a few seasoned years of learning that Christmas is not about materialistic items I now feel that the Christmas dinner is the best part of this day.

Every year we have the dinner at my grand parent’s quant house in the country. It takes a few hours to get there, but the country ride is more mesmerizing than any movie that I have ever seen. The twists and turns on a single lane road surrounded by tree’s help set the tone for what the day will bring. Every year I am always the first one there to help my grandparents to set up. The first thing I always remember to do is hug each one of them for as long as I can, thankful for another year to take in their open arms.

After the greetings I always help Grandpa with the yard, raking up the final of the fall leaves and stringing up a few lights on top of the house because the little cousins always look forward to it. Grandpa is a hard working man that refuses to retire and knows his best working days are behind him. It seemed like yesterday all of this work he could have done with his eyes closed. Knowing how much sense of pride he gets on his hard work and watching him stand there helpless unable to do any of the work reminds me cherish the moments we have together.

Soon Grandpa would be too tired to do much more and I would hustle back into the house to find Grandma hard at work. She has just as much work ethic as Grandpa but is ten years younger so she still has that fire that seems to burn deep in all of the Little family. She is hustling away baking cakes and cooking the ham. Watching how hard she works gives me a greater sense of joy than any present that I could possibly receive on this day. The other family members begin to arrive group by group.

The food is still not done and the cake still needs to be frosted, but I believe Grandma sets it up like that so my four and five year old cousins can lick the spoon. Everyone pitches in to help on the final sides and setting the table while having casual conversation. And just as fast as Christmas seemed to come it was time to sit down and enjoy the famous Little Christmas Dinner. We all gather around the large mahogany table and join hands and pray. My Grandpa always leads us into a wonderful prayer that always seems to summarize how we as a family feel.

After the prayer we all line up from youngest to oldest to gather a plate load of the best food we will have the rest of year. Everyone hurry’s to get a big helping of Grandma’s mashed potatoes because she always seems to never cook enough. After we have all placed as much food that our little styrofoam plates can handle the food disappears almost as quickly as it was put on the plate. As soon as the food seems to settle into everyone’s system that is when the true Christmas spirit seems to have hit. The joy on everyone’s face echoes my sentiments that this Little Christmas Dinner is what life is truly about.

Read more

Hilton Hotel Offers Late Check-Out Option

Table of contents

Daylight-saving time was conceptualized at the time of the First World War in the United States to conserve energy for the production of materials needed for the war by making use of the later hours of daylight between April and October. For the second time during the Second World War,  the federal government mandated all the states to adhere to the modifications in time. To formalize the changes, the Congress approved the Uniform Time Act in 1966 that standardized the duration of daylight-saving time.

In the modern age, conservation of energy is still the main thrust regarding the adaptation of the change in time. The concept of daylight-saving time operates by “making” the sun “set” one hour later, which results to the time contraction of one hour  between sunset and sun down. As a result, usage of electricity from the April to October have greatly reduced.  Beginning in 2007, Daylight-saving time was extended for one month and began for most of the United States at 2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday in March and lasts until 2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday of November.  As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest reasons we modify our clocks according to daylight-saving time is for saving energy. In fact, the entire country’s electricity usage decreases by one percent every day because of daylight-saving time.

It is the desire of the hotel that we adhere to this modification and we will greatly appreciate if our guests joins us in our efforts conserving energy. This joint endeavor will  further enhance our hotel-guest relationship. We ensure you that these changes will not affect in any way the quality of our services.

Daylight saving time does start this weekend. Here are some tips to help you cope up  with the change:

  1. Change your clocks in the afternoon on Saturday instead of the morning on Sunday. You will be able to adjust faster if you start thinking in terms of the new time.
  2. Reset all the clocks in your room, including your wrist watch, the microwave, the time stamp message on your telephone answering machine and the alarm clock. Reset your car’s clock as well. Your computer and cell phone should be able to automatically update the time.
  3. Try to change your sleep schedule by sleeping one hour earlier than your usual time of sleep.
  4. Adjust your schedule of eating. For example, eating an hour earlier for dinner or any meal of the day.
  5. Maintain a light schedule to avoid stress on the day after the time change.
  6. Drink a lot of water through our complimentary bottled water in your room.
  7. Be active by utilizing the facilities of the hotel such as the swimming pool and the gym.

Remember to enjoy the extra hour of sleep in our comfortable beds while you can. And also remember, next year you wont have to fall back until the first Sunday in November. As a hotel we understand that the time change can be disruptive for out guests as they may lose track of the date, forget to change the clocks in their rooms and miss appointments. At Hilton we strive to make our guests go through the time change as though everything is normal. For this to be successful we know we require cooperation from our guests.

In line with this, were are instituting the “Give Back the Hour” promotion. We are offering guests extra time to enjoy the arrival of Spring by extending the check-out time to 2:00 in the afternoon on March 9, 2008 which falls on a Sunday at no additional cost. At the front desk, guests can inquire about this promotion. More so, front desk staff will also inform guests about the extension of their  their check-out time which is free of charge.

Meanwhile, for those guests who will have appointments, you are advised to make a request for a wake up call at the reception. The receptionists will gladly assist you in this matter to make your stay trouble-free. Because of the possible time confusion, your clock could indicate the time at 7:00 A.M. but the actual time is really  8.00 A.M., it will be more convenient if you request for a wake up call an hour earlier before your intended departure. It is our privilege to help you on this confusing matter.

Decoration of Work Areas for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is just around the corner. Many of the employees would want to decorate their workspaces to enliven the holiday spirit. The company is permitting the decoration of each employee’s work area. However, employees are reminded to take the necessary precautions to avoid a accidents within the work premises.

Here are some guidelines on how to safely decorate work spaces:

  • Use decorative lights in areas that are not congested with electrical wirings to prevent the occurrence of electrical short circuits that can lead to fire.
  • Place only minimal decorations to make the work area free from clutter.
  • Remember to unplug lights and other electrical decorations before leaving the workplace.
  • The use of hot lights are not allowed.
  • Be sensitive to the cultures of others in choosing decorations to prevent discrimination and prejudice in the work place.
  • The use of any combustible items or materials such as candles as displays or decor are not encourage in order to prevent the occurrence of fire.

Meaning of Idioms for Non-Native Speaker

  • Across the Board: This idiom pertains to the inclusion of  all categories or members, particularly in an occupation or industry.
  • Ballpark Figure: These words are used to indicate an approximately proper range of possibilities or alternatives.
  • Banker’s Hours: This indicates a short working day.
  • Captain of the Industry: These words pertain to a top ranking person in a specific field.
  • Write off: These words mean to discard something.
  • Turnaround: An idiom that means to return to one’s previous way of living or to leave a certain course behind and follow a new path.
  • Red Ink: These words are defined as a financial loss in business
  • Downhill/Uphill: Downhill means towards a lower or worse condition while uphill means towards a higher or better condition.
  • Number Cruncher: These words refer to a person who is able to perform complex and lengthy calculations.
  • In the Black: This idiom suggests being in a hard situation.
  • Give Someone the Green Light: This idiom means to tell someone to push through or to go ahead with a plan or an action.
  • Cut Corners: This idiom is used to indicate that something have been done in a quick, cheap or easy manner that most often than not jeopardizes the quality of the output.
  • Cold Call: This idiom is defined as the telephone call or visit made to someone who is not known or not expecting contact. This is frequently done in order to sell something.
  • Big Gun: This idiom refers to someone who is powerful or influential.
  • Sell Like Hotcakes: This idiom indicates that something is of great demand or have been disposed of quickly.
  • Strike while the iron is hot: This means to seize an opportunity.

Strike While the Iron Is Hot

It is the regular practice of a metal or iron maker to strike the iron in order to shape it while it is still hot. By doing these, an iron maker creates the rightful shape of the metal according to his preference. This process is frequently associated with a person’s quest to find his or her purpose in life and the eagerness to stir one’s life based on his or her liking. As opportunities arise, it is important to handle these chances very well in order to achieve success.

Read more

China – world economic power or one time wonder?

China – is a world’s future economic power or Just one-time wonder? The world has seen the stunning transformation from the closed, self-reliant economy to the free market system open to international trade and investments. China s economy is one of the most significant current discussions in economy-related issues. The COED released a new report forecasting the global economy in the future. According to it ћThe United States (US) is expected to cede its place as the world’s largest economy to China, as early as 2016. 1 This essay gives an example of a reason why admiration of Chinese economic growth is exaggerated. China is the second largest economy at the list of countries sorted by their gross domestic product. This is not surprising, taking into account its population and size of the country, what is surprising is the fact that this economy has been growing rapidly during last three decades even when other large economies are experiencing economic stagnation or recession.

Statistics conducting by COED shows this point clearly – the economic growth (measures as annual increases of the gross domestic product – GAP) of China was 9, 2 % in 2009 while this number for the US was -2, 7%. 1 assume that many studies are only focused on growth of GAP and compare China with the US, Japan or European Union countries economy. As a result Chinese transformation is said to be an economic miracle. However; I think these economies are not comparable. These analyses tend to overlook the theory called “catch-up effect”.

It means that “countries that start off poor tend to grow more rapidly than countries that start off rich. “3 This effect may be one of the possible explanations of China ‘ success. The main reason why I do not believe in China s future economic power is their political situation which I consider as the crucial weakness of their economy. Despite their successful transformation process of the economy, there has not been any change in politics. The Communist Party is ruling the market. Thus it is not market economy but still command economy, the government plays the main role.

It still imposes a lot of regulations, most of the enterprises are state-owned, it allocates resources and corruption is a genuine problem. “The Party is shallow, corrupt and has no public support. “4 Returning to the main question whether it will be the future economic power I would answer “no”. In my opinion operating the economy without broad public support, modern legal framework and sufficient transparency cannot work for long time. Furthermore China is still facing the problem with human rights compliance.

To conclude this China may become the best economy in numbers for a while but it is not based on appropriate and long-term sustainable principles

Read more

Managing Across Culture

Table of contents

Executive Summary

This paper examines a case study sprouting mergers of two firms Alcatel and Lucent technologies.

This paper provides an insight into the French and American cultures taking into consideration the parent company cultural imbroglio. Alcatel, an American company, was previously owned by the technological giant, the AT&T group. However in the year 1996, the company parted ways from the group of AT &T and merged with the French company, Alcatel. Alcatel, headquartered in France, provides hardware-software services to the telecommunications sector involving service providers and enterprises. On the 1st December, 2006, Alcatel- Lucent merged to explore greater productivity by utilizing jointly owned resources, products and services.

Cross-cultural barriers hindered Alcatel-Lucent’s strategic advantageover its competitors. In this paper, the Alcatel- Lucent merger will be critically analysed with help reference frameworks and cultural tools such as Hofstede’s dimensions, Trompenaar’s theories on culture and related articles from newspapers. In the recent years, companies have been adopting the strategy to expand their markets globally with different strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, licensing etc.

However, companies trying to achieve synergetic benefits often fail in their process of expansion due to the cultural problems revolving between the host and home countries. Introduction Alcatel-Lucent, headquartered in Paris, France, is the Telecom giant with over 77,000 employees in its payroll a with annual revenue generated as reported in the financial report standing at a staggering 16. 98 billion Euros. The merger of parent companies Alcatel and Lucent was anticipated to be the ‘shining star’ of mergers and was aptly phrased as a merger of equals (Sutherland, 2006).

This paper discusses the importance of cultural differences and indicates the problems that can be create when different cultural interaction occurs between different strata’s of organizations.

Short Brief about different cultures

Culture can be considered to be a vast word having no unified idea that can summarize the true essence of it. Some scholars and researchers define Culture as a part of our environmental conditioning, usually distributed among members of similar nations, regions and areas. This case study is used to communicate the study of cross culture and its related problems.

In regards to job environment, the French Culture believes in providing security for the members of the society. The Culture is competitive yet assertive but however is risk averse and consumes too much time to take decisions to deal with a situation. On the contrary, the American Culture is easy going and flexible. Americans believe in quick decision making with a “win-lose” approach and as a result accept uncertainties in a positive manner. In a recent article, Holstein (2007) stated, that the two parent companies addressed the issue of crisis taking measures differently.

In times of crisis, the Americans believe in reducing costs through scaling down job opportunities whereas the French have a supportive approach towards their employees with the government acting as the back bone to resolve such issues making the process of decision slow but unaffected by the crisis piling on the company with additional operational costs. The inclination of the American Culture is towards achieving short term goals such as profit making, however, the French culture denotes a negative aspect of doing business with haste.

The French decision making processes are long and tend to measure each step taking important aspects into consideration.

Literature review

The Dutch anthropologist, Trompenaars , conducted a research over 10 years and eventually publishing his work in 1994. Expatriates in an organisation can benefit from his dimensions by having knowledge on the managing tasks in different cultures (Trompeenars et. al. , 1997).

Universalism vs Particularism

According to Trompenaars, Universalism and Particularism are terms used to denote a culture which is governed by rules and relationships.

In the words of French (2007), rules are flexible in particularistic societies and relationships are given more importance than rules. Trompenaar’s classifies of USA as a universalistic society bound by rules. Hence, Lucent as a company believes in developing rules, codes and standards that can be applicable to everyone in every situation without any modification. In USA, negotiation takes place in written agreements, shows that a formal procedure is to be followed to do business. However in a particularistic culture, the type of relationship determines the business.

Whereas the French culture is average in Universalism indicating Alcatel, the French company is neither too particularistic nor too universalistic and rationally develop inter personal relationship and trust bearing in mind the expected standards (Gesteland, 2005).

Affective/Emotional vs Neutral

Affective and Neutral are terms used to represent emotions with in a culture. In affective cultures individuals tend to show their emotions explicitly in public like the American culture. However Neutral cultures believe in implicit behaviour towards their emotions.

According to French (2007), different cultures exhibit different behaviours when it comes to emotions. American people tend to deliver their disgust spot-on using verbal communication where as the French do so with sign language such as frowning and smirks. The US and French cultures are both alignedvery close to each other in terms of how emotional or neutral they are. Both of them are moderately average, which means people working in Lucent as well as Alcatel neither express their feelings too enthusiastically nor do they try to hide their feelings (Gesteland, 2005).

Specificity vs Diffuseness

According to Hampden (1998), Specificity is a term used to represent cultures where difference between work life and personalised life are applicable. In diffused cultures, the society is non- segregated as work and personalised life are closely interlinked. According to Guirdham (1999), the French are diffused in their cultural believes hence personal and professional life is considered to be a part of the culture whereas the Americans believe in keeping the two separate.

Achievement vs Ascription

Trompenaar describes cultures which believe in achieving status through performance with a generic belief that status can be gained and lost if performances are not measured accordingly. Ascribed status is where people believe that status is gained through inherent right and not according to what they perform in everyday life (French,2007). Achievement oriented societies formed by individuals who believe in achieving goals independently. For example the reigning President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama is an individual who became the president with his qualities and perseverance.

In Ascribed societies, people believe in the status and the background of individuals. This juxtaposes the idea that in France one can participate in politics only if their family has been inclined politically in the past. The American culture is achievement oriented thus at Lucent, social status or position of an employee is derived from his/her achievements. The employees in Alcatel could grow only if their business links with the superiors are concrete (Guirdham, 1999).

Sequential Time vs Synchronisation

The word, sequence, is used to describe time where events follow one another whereas in synchronised time, events are arranged at a parallel basis. Multi-tasking is the main feature of synchronisation. Lucent being a North American company follows monochromic time that is tangible and divisible. They view time as a narrow spectrum of distinct, consecutive segments. Hence they perform only one activity at a time with greater focus, keeping a strict schedule of appointments and showing a strong resistance from deviating their plans (Gesteland, 2005).

Whereas Alcatel being a Mediterranean country follows Polychromic time, for them time is indivisible and flexible. Time is viewed as a norm and people perform multiple activities simultaneously which makes them distracted very easily. For them appointments are approximate and can be changed at any point of time, schedules are not as important as relationships are.

Future vs Past Orientation

Lucent focuses more on the present and the immediate future than what has happened in the past. They concentrate on achieving result within a short p of time. In Alcatel, the present and future are valued by looking at events that occurred previously.

Any given situation is compared to the previous happenings. Time orientation does matter a lot when companies operate in different cultures. It creates chaos specially in taking long term decisions.

High vs Low context cultures

Lucent (USA)- as a company possesses the attributes of a low context culture where it relies on information explicitly provided, detailed communication and even higher detailed instruction at workplace. However at Alcatel (France), employees practice moderate levels of cultural context interms of communication, information and even instruction at workplace.

Alcatel being a French company practices very high power distance, which means a wide gap exists between leaders, subordinates and management decisions are made at the top level only without the consent of fellow employees. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Dutch Anthropologist, Geert Hofstede defines culture as “The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another” (Hofstede, 2001). Using his survey at the IBM involving employees from world over, he formulated the cultural dimensional framework.

High vs Low Power Distance

Power distance is related to a society which is divided into classes and ranks. In USA, ranks are least important to individuals as they believe in Equality. Organisational ranks often make employees feel uncomfortable and are not practiced widely. In France such distinction between classes and ranks are acceptable. Though high organisational ranked employees believe in respecting employees of lower ranks but make sure that the distinction is clear. In such countries it is wise for a subordinate to use terms such as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’.

Whereas, at Lucent- a US based company, power distance is relatively low. The gap between superior and subordinate is minimal likewise salary and decisions are made consulting with everyone, though organizational hierarchy exists but for convenience.

High vs Low Uncertainty Avoidance

The term Uncertainty denotes societies that are risk averse and risk takers. In US, the culture believes in taking risks and with France, risk taking is not a wise decision and is often followed with monotonous long-term decision making. The French are known for high uncertainty avoidance.

Hence at Alcatel people prefer not to take risks unnecessarily, they usually are loyal to their employers and have long work records. The organization is structured with explicit rules and regulations with the employee (French, 2007). Therefore, Lucent as an organization is not well structured and people are eager to take risk, thus being flexible that makes them not loyal enough and are clear indicators of short term employees. As France is extremely cautious about uncertainty decisions, thus employees at Alcatel are extremely concerned about job losses.

In a recent article Sutherland (2006) stated that: “About 10 percent, or 8,800 employees, will be laid-off. Lucent could not answer which percentage of the job losses will be borne by the U. S. Company, but French laws tightly control when employers can fire workers”.

Individualism vs Collectivism

In Individualistic societies, individuals tend to look after their family and themselves. Organisational goals are based on individualistic performance and not on the group effort. Team works are performed with individual rewarding system.

Collectivist countries believe that the essence of good performance is based on team work. Individuals must sacrifice their personal interest for the benefit of the team. Rewards and bonuses are according to the team’s performance on activities. The French and American individualistic characteristics are common, causing a clash of cultures while working in conglomerate companies such as Alcatel-lucent. Individualism evolved when the two companies merged because the people started thinking of their own self interests instead of considering the company on the whole. This leads to chaotic asynchronous processes that are disruptive for productivity.

Masculinity vs Femininity

Masculinity and femininity are characterized by behaviours such as assertiveness, competitiveness, caring and loving. Masculinity is a composition of tough values whereas Femininity shows tender traits. Both the nations are masculine in nature but the roles of women in the two societies are very different. In USA, Women can reach the top layers of the organisation whereas in the France it is the other way round and men are given more precedence as the society male dominant.

In an article Holstein (2007) stated that: “One is that there is confusion about who’s in charge. Russo became CEO of the combined entity and Tchuruk became chairman. In American cultural terms, that means Russo runs the company. After all, she’s the CEO. But in a European context, and particularly a French setting, the chairman is the boss. Confusion at the top is deadly”. Masculinity is relatively high in Alcatel compared to Lucent. At Alcatel, people believe in competition, performance and male dominance.

Whereas at Lucent, people seek equal opportunity, better quality of work, solidarity over other factors including competitive behaviour. Patricia Russo, a successful business entrepreneur from the USA is an example of a Masculine dominant society where women scale the height of opportunities. According to Verwaayen (2008), decisions making in Alcatel-Lucent remains a crucial factor as the two companies have different reporting standards. In Alcatel the Chairman is the head who takes the final decisions relating to a company and in Lucent the CEO is the person who delegates decisions.

The two different distinct approaches have clearly confused the role of employees in both the companies. Verwaayen (2008) also stated that in mergers, long distances usually creates trauma as processes cannot be co-ordinated hence provides freehand edge to competitors. According Gubbins (2007), it is important for the government to have a top-bottom flat structured system so as to make the operations of the company smooth and efficient to survive the competitive environment. Cultural clashes were so evident that Patricia Russo, the chief executive decided to leave the company and stakeholders expected changes after his reign.

This can be analysed from the newsfeed of Alcatel-Lucent (2009) stating that: “We hope that a new CEO will be able to bridge the cultural divide between the Americans and the French and get all sides pulling together” (Cited in, Windsor, 2008).

As a part of the recruitment opportunities, Alcatel Lucent revamped its business training programs into sessions that integrated technical training with hands-on experience on security products and data transmission . Further emphasis on sales methodologies, reaching out to partners to engage with the end-users and to carve out solutions to address their needs. In order to convert innovative ideas into reality products or services, Alcatel-Lucent launched the Entrepreneurial Boot Camp housed in Belgium in the spring of 2006.

Aimed at a constructive build of a global knowledge base where creativity blossoms, a business foundation like the Boot Camp is a grooming factory for all the budding business developers of the next generation. Alcatel-Lucent’s strategic security partnership with renowned financial sector reseller Abraxas Partners paves wave for new job opportunities showering prosperity in the near future (Alcatel-Lucent, 2008).

Considerations

The primary objective of a merger is the integration of skills, resources, and business networks and their harmonic implementation.

Taking into account Cultural differences, mergers are drafted, and contingency plans are prepared in order to tackle such differences. When cultural differences arise at higher level of the organizational hierarchy, the execution of these pre planned contingencies become haphazard(Turner & Trompenaars, 2000). The analysis of this uber-merger case study has given us a clear insight in to the detrimental situations aroused by unsuccessful execution of mergers. The cultural differences seem irrelevant considering the fallacies involved with it are not redundant while assessing shifts in fiscal trends.

The persistent pressure enforced a moral obligation, convincing the American chief executive, Patricia Russo and the French Chairman, Serge Tchuruk to step down. (Ruitenberg,2008). The ignorance of demographic and geographic interests might have had a negative impact on the merger. Previous acquisitions and mergers may have misunderstood the merger as a change in organizational goals. According to Jolly (2008), Alcatel-Lucent’s current vision can be quoted as “CSR is about being a value driven company, where values are not words on pieces of paper but things we do automatically .

It’s about being a company that is inclusive and has respect for the individuals, respect for differences and respect for cultures “.

Challenges

Mergers and Acquisitions have a tendency to confront various issues and involve constant reframing of policies. Differences can be resolved at the nascent stages of the Merger or Acquisition only. Alcatel-Lucent faces a challenge in restoring their longstanding relation with their previous collaborators like Bell Labs, Packet Engines and Xylan who might have experienced difficulties while the management underwent changes, so that they may continue providing and developing their services.

They also face the challenge of retaining existing customers especially those who might have endured inept services while the organization resolved its differences. The merger of the parent companies has taken a toll of time and the company has experienced positive development in turnovers, cultural integration thus reoccupying the held market share and brand goodwill.

Internal Organization

Alcatel-Lucent’s design and consultancy service convolutes the vital processes necessary to ensure an integration of cost-effective, flexible network infrastructure.

Business Consulting, Operations Consulting, Applications Consulting, Security Consulting, Network Consulting & Design, Network & Service Optimization are Business units and processes that constitute this esteemed organization (Alcatel-Lucent,2008).

Conclusion and Recommendation

Complications usually occur when two companies from two different countries merge to benefit synergetic effects. In terms of Alcatel- lucent, the two parent companies follow an individualistic approach which motivates employees to work towards individualistic goals and often the objective of the company is not taken into mere consideration.

The essence of good successful business is to adopt a collectivistic approach giving the goal and the mission of the company at the top priority. Team work will motivate employees of Alcatel- Lucent to take decision jointly (Alcatel-Lucent, 2008). To bridge the gap between America and the France, it is important to reduce the distance by sending employees of each company onto expatriate missions. To understand a culture, it is important to stand in the threshold of the other. Managers in expatriate missions will gain better understanding of the French and the American cultures thus adjusting to the new inter-cross culture.

Leadership should be vested in hands of one and not many, therefore confusion at the top should be avoided by integrating processes with clear objectives. Employees should be made to report to only one superior. It is important for the company, Alcatel- Lucent, to use new technologies such as video conferencing to reduce communication barriers between the employees of the two countries. In this time of financial crisis, it is important to cut costs to sustain in the global business market. Top heavy structures in the company with higher pay packs to the employees could create operational loss.

In the reduction of financial position, the competitors would benefit by reaping advantage of the situation and overlapping it by way of acquisition. As the French are more protective about the job loss scenario, the company should take effective measures such as putting employee rolls stagnant thereby reducing its financial cost.

References

  1. French, R. (2007),“Cross-Cultural management in work organizations,” Kerry Press LTD, London.
  2. Hofstede, G (2001) “Cultures and organizations: software of mind” McGraw Hill, New York.
  3. Turner,C. H. & Trompenaars,F. (2000) “Building Cross cultural Competence,” John Wiley &Sons Inc, USA.
  4. Alcatel-Lucent, (2008) “Alcatel-Lucent launches new channel recruitment drive in UK and Ireland and announces security partnership with Abraxas” [Online] Available at: http://www. subtelforum. com/articles/? p=190 (Accessed on 2nd Dec. 2009).
  5. Alcatel-Lucent, (2009) “Alcatel-Lucent announces Chairman Serge Tchuruk and CEO Pat Russo to step down” [Online] Available at: http://www. alcatellucent. com/wps/portal/! ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLd4x3tXDUL8h2VAQAURh_YwLMSG_CABINET=Docs_and_Resource_Ctr&LMSG_CONTENT_FILE=News_Releases_2008/News_Article_001159. xml (Accessed on 2nd December 2009).
  6. Fons,T. , Turner,H. , Charles, (1997), “ Riding the waves of culture”, Gardners [Online] Available at: http://www. businessmate. org/Article. php? ArtikelId=5 (Accessed on 10th Nov. 2009).
  7. Gubbins,E. (2007), “ UBS: Alcatel faces mobility decline, culture clash” telephony online: Penton media online press [Online] Available at : http://telephonyonline. com/wireless/news/alcatel_mobility_revenue_121907/ (Accessed on :23rd Nov 2009).
  8. Hall, E. T. and Hall, M. T. (1990), “Understanding Cultural Differences, Germans French and Americans” , USA, pg 129;130.
  9. Holstein,W. J. (2007), “Lucent-Alcatel: Why Cross-Cultural Mergers Are So Tough”New York Times [Online] available at: http:// www. nytimes. com/2007/11/01/business/worldbusiness (Accessed on 10th nov. 2009).
  10. Jolly,D. (2008), “Culture clash hits home at Alcatel-Lucent” New York Times [Online] available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/07/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-alcatel. 4. 14867263. html? pagewanted=1 ( Accessed on 1st December 2009).
  11. Ruitenberg,R. 2008),” Alcatel-Lucent’s Russo, Tchuruk to Quit; Loss Widens” Bloomberg[Online] Available at: http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601085=a6fn02kzojwE=europe (Accessed on, 20th November 2009).
  12. Sorensen,G. (1984) “How much Poison is Another Man’s Meat? ” Notes on the Logic of World Systems Analysis, page 29.
  13. Sorensen,O. J. (1984) “ Marketing Systems and Economic Development. An Institutional-Structural Approach” page 41.
  14. Sutherland,E. (2006), “Lucent Brushes Up on French With Alcatel Merger” Internetnews [Online] Available at: http://www. internetnews. com/bus-news/article. hp/3596246 (accessed on 23rd Nov 2009).
  15. Verwaayen ,B. (2008), “Alcatel-Lucent: New CEO, Same Three Problems” The Wall street journal.
  16. Windsor. R(2008), “Alcatel-Lucent confronts its cross-cultural challenges” BBC News[Online] available at: http://leaderswedeserve. wordpress. com/2008/07/31/alcatel-lucent-confronts-its -cross-cultural-challenges (Accessed on 5th Nov. 2009).

Read more

Types Of Multidimensional Behaviors

Performance is multidimensional that we need to consider many different types of behaviors to understand performance. Types of multidimensional behaviors include task performance and contextual performance. Task performance is activities that transform raw materials into goods and services and help with the transformation process by replenishing the supply of raw materials, distributing its finished products, ore providing important planning, coordination, supervising, or staff functions that enable the organization to function effectively and efficiently. Contextual performance is defined as those behaviors that contribute to the organization’s effectiveness by providing a good environment in which task performance can occur. Both task and contextual performance are important dimensions to take into account in performance management systems. Global competition is raising the levels of effort required of employees. The organization needs to employ a workforce engage in both task and contextual behaviors. Contextual performance behaviors can make a profound impact on customer satisfaction. When employees put in extra effort to satisfy customer’s needs, it brings a different result.

Interpersonal cooperation is a key determinant of team effectiveness, so contextual performance becomes particularly relevant for teamwork. Employees are aware that contextual performance is important in affecting organizational effectiveness, so they are more satisfied with the system and believe the system is faired if contextual performance is measured in additional to task performance. Measuring contextual performance explicitly is also important because, unless carefully defined, it can be subjective and subject to bias compared to measuring task performance.  Wows that employees work in an organizational context, engaging in certain behaviors that produce certain results. The same employee may behave differently if placed in different situation. Behavior approach emphasizes how an employee does the Job. It is most appropriate when. The link between behaviors and results is not obvious; it is beneficial to focus on behaviors as opposed to outcomes. Outcomes occur in the distant future. When the desired results will not be seen for months, or even years, the measurement of behaviors is beneficial.  Poor results are due to causes beyond he performer’s control.

When result of an employees’ performance are beyond the employee’s control, it makes sense to emphasize the measurement of behaviors. The results approach emphasizes the outcomes and results produced by the employees. Defining and measuring results usually takes less time than defining and measuring behaviors needed to achieve these results. The results approach is usually seen as more cost effective because results can be less expensive to track than behaviors. Data resulting from a results approach seem to be objective and are intuitively very appealing.

Is most appropriate when workers are skilled in the needed behaviors. The workers must have the necessary knowledge and skills to do the work and know what specific behaviors are needed to achieve the desired results and they are also sufficiently skilled to know what to do to correct any process-related problems when the desired results are not obtained.  Behaviors and results obviously related. Certain results can be obtained only if worker engages in certain specific behaviors.  Consistent improvement in results over time.

When results improve consistently over time, it is n indication that workers are aware of the behaviors needed to complete the Job successfully. In these situations, it is appropriate to adopt a results approach to assessing performance.  Many ways to do the Job right. When there are a different ways in which one can do the tasks required for a Job, a result approach is appropriate. An emphasis on results can be beneficial because it could encourage employees to achieve the desired outcomes in creative and innovative ways. The traits approach emphasized the individual performer and ignores the specific tuition, behaviors, and results.

If one adopts he traits approach, raters evaluate relatively stable traits, which include cognitive abilities and personality. Traits are not under the control of individuals. They are not likely to change even if an individual is willing to exert substantial effort to do so. Employees may feel that the system base on traits is not fair because the development of these traits is usually beyond their control. The fact that an individual processes a certain trait does not mean that this trait will necessarily lead to desired results and behaviors.

Read more

Abstract of Judgement & Decision Making Topics

Reading 1. 3 (Jackall, R. (1988)) : Looking Up and Looking Around In every corporation the crux of a manager’s charisma is his decision making prowess. Though there is an abundance of scientific theories and myths related to decision making, generally decisions are made in a highly rationalized context. A manager would prefer taking decisions that are based on well-formulated and generally agreed upon strategies rather than evaluating all the possible solutions to the problem in hand and then taking a well reasoned decision.

In contrast, managers are highly uncomfortable when faced with situations in which there are no specific procedures. Managers vouch for their own safety, safety in terms of reputation and therefore tend to look around and see what others opinions are, the perspective of their superiors. In situations where their reputation is at stake, or huge sums of money involved, or even the company’s goodwill is at stake managers tend to hesitate and wait for an opinion not due to lack of experience but due to fear of failure.

Another aspect why managers tend to look around is the accusation or blame time after a problem occurs because there is no means to track down responsibility. As a result of bureaucratic structure higher authorities can easily sneak out of such situations leaving the subordinates hung out to dry. A negative aspect in an organization would be milking a plant which is generally performed by a top level authority in order to maximize gains. The negative aspect in this is of course the organisation bears the brunt of it, moreover at the end of it all, the person assigned the charge of the milked plant eventually becomes the scapegoat.

Another aspect is that if focus remains on short term profit it may not be the key to lasting achievements though it may be profitable for a short duration. Likewise individuals look out for their own interests instead of the organisations when there are immediate personal benefits. Experience: In my experience this occasion has occurred a number of times when my manager tends to avoid the risky or rather sticky situations. As a newly appointed sales engineer in a trading firm my manager used to pass on a number of sales quotations to me for processing and finalizing the deal.

Since I was fresh to the field of sales I didn’t realize that he was forwarding me these sales orders just because those orders were from clients who weren’t credible enough. Though I managed to get a couple of orders, two of the orders went kaput in terms of payment for which I was held responsible. My manager washed his hands of me accusing me with not consulting him before I plunged to seal the deal. Though on the other profitable orders he too had a take on the credit but the blame only fell on me.

Reading 4. 3 (Wildavsky, A. , and Dake, K. (1990)): Theories of Risk Perception: Who Fears What and Why? This article mainly focuses on the outlook of different kinds of people, outlook such as the perception of risk of different products and practices, the diverse effect of a particular practice or event on these different groups, the intensity of the effect on these groups and the varying concerns on an individual basis to a diverse range of risks so as to understand the patterns of risk perception.

Fundamentally an individual perceives a hazard as a risk with greater anxiety if his wellbeing is likely to be in danger. If the hazard doesn’t seem to affect him or his beliefs in any way it wouldn’t be of any concern to him though it might be of ample concern to someone else who will be directly affected. By classifying people on the basis of social relations such as hierarchical, egalitarian and individualist, along with the cultural biases that support them, turned out to be the best way to account for the perception of risk.

It was found that people who support egalitarianism would be more inclined to risk taking individually but as a social group would be more risk averse, whereas those who favour hierarchy tend to be the opposite. An individualist would be risk taking when it comes to technology as they see an opportunity for growth. These observations were in respect to technology and environment but in terms of personality structure there is no evidence as to variation in risk perception.

In spite of these observations one cannot presume that risk taking is preferred by cultures of individualism and hierarchy neither can one presume that egalitarians are always risk averse this is because as risks pertaining to technology and environment are feared by egalitarians in a similar way social deviance is feared by hierarchists and the risk of war is feared by individualists. In conclusion, depending on the object of attention risk perception also varies. Experience: During my tenure in a shipping company as a procurement executive I had once the task to procure water pump for eight ships.

Since this was a high priority requirement and involved huge costs I made sure I had researched the market well and decided on a particular brand (Grundfos) even though there was another pump (Davey) that perfectly suited our requirements. The reason was that Davey’s technical support was really bad. So I forwarded the research report to my MD who called for me and told me to go ahead with the purchase of the Davey pump telling me that it was profitable and worthwhile to get our own technicians trained since we could use more of their pumps.

To me it seemed like a big risk especially since it involved a huge cost but to him it didn’t seem a risk at all. Reading 6. 1 (Lindblom, C. E. (1959)): The Science of “Muddling Through” The author compares and contrasts two different approaches to policy making – Rational comprehensive method (Root) and the Successive limited comparisons (Branch) and explains why branch method is a better approach in formulating policies. The root method starts from the fundamentals, improving on the past only if included in a theory.

This method cannot be used for complex problems simply because the facts needed require a gigantic compilation of observations. Whereas the branch method continually springs up from the present situation in a step by step manner, varying in small degrees and is more appropriate for complex problems because facts requirements are small and are relevant to the policy. In the root method, initially values or objectives have to be clarified before the alternative policies are examined. Disagreement is unavoidable even when objectives are clearly stated.

Another difficulty is ranking of conflicting values since objectives may not have the same relative values. Whereas in the branch method values and policies are selected simultaneously and only incremental values are focussed on making it simpler. Secondly, in the root method, ends are initially chosen in a means-end relationship and means are then developed whereas in branch method means as well as ends are simultaneously chosen. Thirdly, in the root method decisions are termed “good” if an objective is achieved even when the decision hasn’t been described.

In the case of branch method where the objectives are defined only by the incremental values it is still possible to determine if the policy achieved the desired objective. Again in the root method it is impossible to take all factors into consideration due to limitations unless the complex problem is simplified whereas the branch method by limiting the policy comparisons to relevant ones only differing slightly from the current policy the problem is simplified. Finally policy is made and re-made endlessly in the branch method.

Nevertheless, branch method does have its disadvantages but is far superior for decision making in complex problems. Experience: In a new start up firm generally new policies are made often or even old ones are amended. During my work as a business development manager in a newly start up firm, I along with another colleague had the major task to formulate policies for my division. We decided to put together basic policies related to our past experience from similar jobs. This served as the base to us and the other employees of the division.

There were revisions to these base policies only when there was a need to amend it because it wasn’t working for us or when some mishap happened and a new policy was inevitable. But the fact was that the new policies didn’t vary from the old policies in such a large manner. So it wasn’t difficult for the employees to get accustomed to the new policy. And slowly we managed to put together a solid set of policies. Reading 7. 1 (McIntyre, R. M. & Salas, E. (1995)): Measuring and Managing For Team Performance: Emerging Principles From Complex Environments

The author of this chapter focuses on a fairly neglected but critical aspect namely teamwork that develops as teams mature over a period of time. The base for this research was military teams but due to the similarities between military and any organisation the findings can be extended to teams in an organisation too. The model formed for this research was The Team Evolution and Maturation (TEAM) Research Paradigm. The TEAM paradigm program observed and measured a number of tactical decision-making teams. Interviews were conducted, data instruments and self-report questionnaire were developed and employed to assist in the research.

The data analysed were scanned for evidence of behavioural trends that characterized team performance and the results were presented. Teamwork is the interactive behaviour between members of a team but depending on circumstance may include technical activities. Teamwork consists of four major factors-performance monitoring, feedback, closed-loop communication, back-up behaviour and also performance norms such as team’s self awareness and supporting interdependence among team-mates. Also effective teams modify their behaviour depending on the situation and do change over a period of time.

Another category that led to a better understanding of team performance was Team leadership. A team leader must be able to serve as models of teamwork in order to maintain the team’s effectiveness by engaging in teamwork and improving the team performance, being prepared technically, by listening and benefiting from the knowledge of team members, accepting and providing feedback but at the same time being cautious about his leadership style and the respect he commands. The role of each individual team member was also important in this context.

Team members should be individually competent so that effective team work can take place but at the same time be aware of the tasks of his team-mate. Also, a team member must not be dependent on an outstanding team member by evading responsibility. Experience: During my career in a software company a team was formed for every project. The team was formed depending on the requirement of the particular phase of the project, budget and duration. The team members were selected based on their experience. Meetings were conducted with the project managers on an individual basis as well as a team.

New ideas as well as difficulties faced by each team member were noted. Another method employed by the company was the team appraisal form in which team members rated their team mates in different tasks. At the completion of the project too a review of the performance of the team as well as the project manager was conducted. For the next project the outcomes of these reviews were specially taken into consideration to form another team. What I observed was as a team our performance improved and tasks were completed with less difficulty among team members.

Reading 5. 3 (Parkin (2000)): Expert Judgment This reading discusses about how the conceptualization of information can help in retaining information for longer periods of time and achieving expertise. It also classifies the characteristics of an expert and finally whether experts are better judges in their own domain. The short term memory in human beings can only absorb and process few chunks of memory and that too for a short period of time whereas to remember data for a longer period it is necessary to put them in long term memory.

Some recent findings have shown that in order to support the short-term memory, experts developed their long term memory thereby overcoming the limited capacity of the short term memory. But again the storage capacity isn’t what makes a difference between a novice and an expert. It is the ability of an expert to visualize and analyse as well as reason the patterns and data in such a way that it provides room for more planning that differentiates him from an amateur. In order to have this ability of an expert, practice seems to be the only solution.

Again being an expert in problem solving in a particular domain is not the only skill required by an expert but good planning skill too is critical. By deciding on the right methods and goals based on past experiences experts are more successful in predicting likely outcomes. Thus in order to facilitate quick retrieval of information from the long term memory it is necessary to conceptualize the largely disaggregated data that one acquires during education and training. Through a continuous series of trial, error and reliable feedback, information gets stored in memory and readily available.

But in spite of these characteristics experts may not be better judges also in their own domains. An expert’s decision would differ from another one based on his knowledge and experience. But again agreement cannot be the only criteria to judge an expert. Experience: During my career as a computer engineer I had done multiple projects. But I remember one of the projects in the early days of my career which was a fairly complex one. It was a complex one only because in spite of learning that programming language in my undergraduate course and also having been rained for it in the company I had to struggle through the coding because I hadn’t practised it actually. But the irony was that the project manager was quite an expert at it and had an extensive knowledge in that programming language despite the fact that this language came into actual practice long after his graduation. I later came to know that he had successfully completed a number of projects using this programming language. Thus practice and definitely the multiple projects he executed got him to this level of expertise. Reference 1. UTS November 2002, ‘Judgment and Decision making’, CN2118 Lectures & Reading Material.

Read more

7 Tasks You Do Every Day That Waste Time and Cost Your Business Money

Table of contents

No business is 100 percent productive all day, every day. On-site employees will stand by the coffeepot in the morning, discussing last night’s game at length. Remote workers will take a few minutes to let the dog out or have a conversation with a neighbor, who stopped by. Both types of employees will occasionally take long lunch breaks, and check their personal social media accounts throughout the day.

Related: 

While these small interruptions cut into a business’ bottom line, they aren’t the only productivity thieves companies have. In fact, some of the biggest time-wasters are things leaders themselves ask employees to do. Here are seven tasks employees engage in every day that hurt a business’ bottom line.

1. Unnecessary meetings

In numerous surveys, employees as one of the top time-wasters in their workplaces. This includes unnecessary meetings as well as those that take longer than they should. If you’re in a position to tame meetings in your organization, consider implementing a system where meetings happen only when necessary. When meetings do take place, an agenda can keep everyone on track to avoid side conversations, which waste everyone’s time.

2. Unnecessary reports

That report you’re compiling on the number of applications you process or the number of products manufactured may be important only to you. If management has requested a particular report, there’s little you can do, of course. But, if you’re voluntarily putting these reports together and sending them to everyone, determine which ones have value. You may be able to convince your boss that your time is better spent on more important tasks.

3. Outdated processes

Businesses still waste time doing things the way they did them 10 years ago. Paper-based, manual processes take extra time, and over the course of the year, those minutes add up to hours, days and weeks. Do a thorough audit of your job, and question why you do things a certain way, then look for a replacement method that might save time.

Related: 

4. Too much communication

Back in the time when when employees needed to discuss something, they’d either pick up the phone or walk to each other’s offices. Today, this communication is increasingly happening over email or chat, which are seen as easier ways to share ideas, and get answers to questions. However, in the time it takes to have an email or chat conversation, an employee could have cleared the issue up with a quick phone call. Employees should reconsider using email and chat only for certain discussions because those methods tend to involve numerous delays or back-and-forth messages.

5. Unimportant data

With so many analytics tools available, businesses can easily access real-time data on almost every area of operations. However, not all of this information is useful. As more companies realize the value of extracting data, there will be growing pains, forcing companies to determine which data is important and which doesn’t matter.

6. Responding to distractions

In today’s open-plan offices, it’s easy to get distracted. A meeting on speakerphone, a chatty conversation in the hallway or a chronic cougher can pull you away from the task at hand. This only becomes more complicated when coworkers drop by to talk about various things. If possible, find a quiet place to work when you’re trying to get things done. If not, invest in a pair of noise-canceling headphones that will help you focus when distractions are all around.

7. Complaining and gossiping

Team-building is important in any organization, but employee interactions should always be productive. While everyone enjoys venting occasionally, complaining and gossiping with coworkers can hurt your career. Management will see you as negative and those coworkers who are the topic of your conversations, will take it personally. Strive to be seen as a positive force in the workplace rather than an instigator or a chronic complainer.

Related: 

As hard as you strive to be productive during the workweek, there are inevitable distractions and time-wasters. By identifying the tasks which are affecting your productivity, and taking measures to minimize them, you’ll be able to boost your career prospects and help your employer reach a higher level.

Read more
OUR GIFT TO YOU
15% OFF your first order
Use a coupon FIRST15 and enjoy expert help with any task at the most affordable price.
Claim my 15% OFF Order in Chat
Close

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own

Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses. Let us handle your;

  • Dissertations and Thesis
  • Essays
  • All Assignments

  • Research papers
  • Terms Papers
  • Online Classes
Live ChatWhatsApp