Gap Analysis: Riodoran

Running head: GAP ANALYSIS: RIORDAN

Gap Analysis: Riordan

University of Phoenix

Gap Analysis: Riordan Riodoran has entered the global market. Its new plant in China is evidence, they are using researching resources, markets, and customer needs to remain competitive. This is a new experience for Riodoran where other locations are based in the United States. The Riodoran corporate culture is based on American culture which values diversity. Based on the labor market in China, to properly staff their plant they will have to recruit outside the local talent pool into neighboring regions. This will provide a diverse workforce in the new plant. Riordan is faced with creating a strategy to develop a culture within the plant that will allow employees to work harmoniously and effectively.
Situation Analysis
Issue and Opportunity Identification Riordan has researched the pros and cons on how the new plant will affect business strategy, but when dealing with the staff for new facility, they are finding they have to recruit from outside the local talent pool to attain the employees with the skills needed to be successful. With the diverse workforce, there is potential conflict between the different cultures and backgrounds of the employees. “The term culture refers to a way of life—traditions and customs—transmitted through learning, which play a vital role in molding the beliefs and behavior of the people exposed to them” (Kottak and Kazaitis, 2003). To create an environment, Riordan will need to develop a strategy to promote communication and learning to develop a blended corporate culture. With this diverse workforce, Riordan will have to develop an environment in which different cultures can work together. Riordan will have to incorporate American values of tolerance and acceptance of different values and cultures. “Integral to contemporary American mass culture is human diversity. To be mainstream today increasingly means to be multicultural—exposed to and tolerant of, if not active in, a myriad of customs, traditions, and rituals” (Kottak and Kazaitis, 2003). Riordan corporate culture is based on American culture where diversity is encouraged. “Cultures in contact typically get traits from each other through borrowing or diffusion” Kottak & Kazaitis, 2003). Per Webb (2008), culture is fluid and flexible and can change by the needs of society based on the studies by Eric L. Jones. The new plant will not have the same values as Riordan because of geographical differences in culture. Therefore, Riodoran will need to provide flexibility to the management staff in the new plant to create a strategy using some of the American values and blending them into the current existing culture of the area. Many organizations retain symbols or aspects of the current culture when trying to incorporate change within a culture. For example, Christianity incorporates some of the pagan religious symbols when evangelizing Christianity to make it easier to accept (Layser, 2000).
Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas The corporate officers are investing in the new plant to help improve efficiencies and improve trade with global markets in Asia and Europe. Corporate officers are concerned that Riodoran culture can be implemented within a diverse workforce. Managers at the plant are tasked with creating a diverse yet productive workforce of blended cultures; creating an environment in which diversity is accepted and encouraged. Riodoran employees are a blend from local talent as well as recruited Pakistan, Indians, and Koreans to incorporate additional skills and talents needed. Employees are from different cultures and will need to communicate and work together seamlessly. Although Riodoran corporate officers want all areas of the organization to have the same corporate culture, they should understand that due to geographically culture differences will not allow this. The managers of this new plant are given a situation to encourage Riodoran American culture onto the local employees. Managers have a choice of managing based on the culture within their plant or based on Riodorian’s corporate wishes. The employees are stuck in an environment they are not used to and assimilation of culture does not always happen easily (Kottak & Kazaitis, 2003).
End-State Vision Riodoran’s goal is to have a new plant for production that will allow them better access to global market. The plant in China will give them geographically better access to markets in Asia and Europe. The China plant will be staffed with skilled employees consisting of Chinese, Koreans, Pakistanis, Indians, and Americans due to a hiring strategy based on applicant’s skills and not on cultural background. Workers in the plant have developed a team atmosphere of collaboration and multiculturalism using a cross-cultural training program that educates and develops an open environment in which diversity is valued.
Gap Analysis Riodoran will need to employ a diverse staff in the China plant to have a properly skilled workforce. Diversity in this region is approached differently from the United States where Riodoran is based. “Breaking down ethnic barriers and prejudices within the workforce to enable more harmonious work relations, increased productivity, flexibility and innovation” (Bertone & Leahy, 2001) is the goal of Riodoran. To bridge this gap, Riodoran will need to provide flexibility to the management staff in this plant to develop a “hybrid” culture that will consist of teamwork, tolerance and collaboration from American culture but also authority, hierarchy, centralization which are values of local culture. “From a practical and managerial perspective, based on the local managers ' experience, corporations should use communicative practices such as sensitive and empathetic listening to help local mangers identify cultural mixtures in their managerial experience; this will grant local managers the opportunity to bring to a conscious level the hybrid elements that in practice guide their management and to develop them creatively” (Shimoni, 2011). Organizations have to create a culture of open discussion, democratic environment in which the flow ideas is encouraged. This can be accomplished by created an equal opportunity hiring practices, develop cross cultural training to develop understanding of other cultures and creation of a rewards system that will encourage creativity and teamwork.

Conclusion Riodoran new plant in China will be unlike its other locations within the United States. The China plant will have a diverse workforce based on the hiring strategy to attract skilled workers. Riodoran will have to allow flexibility with the managers of this plant to incorporate Riodoran corporate culture along with local traditional values to allow the culture to be effective and accepted. Training and communication between the cross-cultural workforces will provide a team environment based on collaboration, trust, and respect.

References Bertone, S., & Leahy, M. (2001). Chapter 11: Globalization and Diversity Management. In , Globalization, Employment & the Workplace (pp. 207-238). Taylor & Francis Ltd / Books. Kottak & Kozaitis. (2003). On Being Different: Diversity and Multiculturalism in the North American Mainstream (2nd ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. Layser, E. F. (2000). From Pagans to Presidents. World & I, 15(12), 168. Shimoni, B. (2011). RETHINKING CULTURAL CONTROL IN GLOBAL CORPORATIONS: FROM PERSONAL SOCIALIZATION TO CULTURAL HYBRIDIZATIONS. International Journal Of Organization Theory & Behavior (Pracademics Press), 14(3), 404-431. Webb, A. (2008). Eric L. Jones, Cultures Merging: A Historical and Economic Critique of Culture. 32(1), 83-86. doi:10.1007/s10824-007-9047-6

Table 1
Issue and Opportunity Identification
|Issue |Opportunity |Reference to Specific |Concept |
| | |Course Concept | |
| | |(Include citation) | |
|Riordan has researched the pros and cons on how the|Riordan will have to |“Integral to contemporary |Multiculturalism |
|new plant will affect business strategy, but when |incorporate American |American mass culture is | |
|dealing with the staff for new facility, they are |values of tolerance and |human diversity. To be | |
|finding they have to recruit from outside the local|acceptance of different |mainstream today increasingly| |
|talent pool to attain the employees with the skills|values and cultures. |means to be | |
|needed to be successful. With this diverse | |multicultural—exposed to and | |
|workforce, Riordan will have to develop an | |tolerant of, if not active | |
|environment where different cultures can work | |in, a myriad of customs, | |
|together. | |traditions, and rituals” | |
| | |(Kottak & Kazaitis, 2003). | |
| | | | |
|With the diverse workforce, there is potential |To create an environment, |“The term culture refers to a|Culture is shared through |
|conflict between the different cultures and |Riordan will need to |way of life—traditions and |communication and learning.|
|backgrounds of the employees. |develop a strategy to |customs—transmitted through | |
| |promote communication and |learning, which play a vital | |
| |learning to develop a |role in molding the beliefs | |
| |blended corporate culture.|and behavior of the people | |
| | |exposed to them”(Kottak & | |
| | |Kazaitis, 2003). | |
| | | | |
|Riordan corporate culture is based on American |Managers at the new plant |“Cultures in contact |Culture can change to meet |
|culture where diversity is encouraged. The new |will need to be flexible |typically get traits from |the needs of the |
|plant will not have the same values as Riordan due |to incorporate parts of |each other through borrowing |environment. |
|to geographical differences in culture. |Riordan culture with local|or diffusion” Kottak & | |
| |traditions to blend the |Kazaitis, 2003). Per Webb | |
| |different cultures into an|(2008), culture is fluid and | |
| |environment where the |flexible and can change by | |
| |diversity will be |the needs of society based on| |
| |accepted. |the studies by Eric L. Jones.| |
| | | | |

Table 2
Stakeholder Perspectives
|Stakeholder Perspectives |
| | |
|Stakeholder Groups |The Interests, Rights, and |
| |Values of Each Group |
|Corporate officers |The corporate officers are investing in the new plant to help improve |
| |efficiencies and improve trade with global markets in Asia and Europe. |
| |Corporate officers are concerned that Riodoran culture can be implemented |
| |within a diverse workforce. |
|Managers at Plant |Managers at the plant are tasked with creating a diverse yet productive |
| |workforce of blended cultures. Creating a environment where diversity is |
| |accepted and encouraged. |
|Employees at plant |Riordian employees are a blend from local talent as well as recruited |
| |Pakistan, Indians, and Koreans to incorporate additional skills and |
| |talents needed. Employees are from different cultures and will need to be |
| |able to communicate and work together seamlessly. |

Table 3
End State Goals
|End-State Goals |
|Culturally sensitive work environment where Chinese, Koreans, Pakistanis, Indians, and Americans can work together respectfully and |
|efficiently. |
|Hiring strategy that is based on applicant’s skills and not on cultural background. |
|A cross cultural training program that educates and develops an open environment where diversity is valued. |
|Workers in the plant have developed a team atmosphere of collaboration and multiculturalism. |

References: Bertone, S., & Leahy, M. (2001). Chapter 11: Globalization and Diversity Management. In , Globalization, Employment & the Workplace (pp. 207-238). Taylor & Francis Ltd / Books. Kottak & Kozaitis. (2003). On Being Different: Diversity and Multiculturalism in the North American Mainstream (2nd ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. Layser, E. F. (2000). From Pagans to Presidents. World & I, 15(12), 168. Shimoni, B. (2011). RETHINKING CULTURAL CONTROL IN GLOBAL CORPORATIONS: FROM PERSONAL SOCIALIZATION TO CULTURAL HYBRIDIZATIONS. International Journal Of Organization Theory & Behavior (Pracademics Press), 14(3), 404-431. Webb, A. (2008). Eric L. Jones, Cultures Merging: A Historical and Economic Critique of Culture. 32(1), 83-86. doi:10.1007/s10824-007-9047-6 Table 1 |together. | |traditions, and rituals” | | | | |(Kottak & Kazaitis, 2003) | | |Kazaitis, 2003). | | | | | | | | |traditions to blend the |Kazaitis, 2003). Per Webb | | | |different cultures into an|(2008), culture is fluid and | |