West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide
MGMT Case Study
West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide
Task 1
Problem | Causes | Remedial Measures | High expatriate turnover | * Cultural shock: poor communication with the local staff; money not as the motivator for the local * High workload low job satisfaction, e.g. writing memo instead of demonstration in the US * Government’s regulation: not fire the local staff, restricted no. of work permits for expatriate | * Better communication * Personality fit (high in openness and low in neuroticism) | Rising number of guest complaints / decreases in the motivation of level of local employees | * Bonus based on seniority, not performance * Different communication style: memo vs. demonstration (illiteracy) * Different management style: distance between managers and staff; want managers that will ‘get their hand dirty’ | * ∵ No motivation in self-actualization (1) Use demonstration to give them instruction (top-down) (2) No participative management | Tension between expatriate and local staff | * Lack mutual understanding: (1) the US: need for achievement and power (2) BVI: need for affiliation [due to collectivism and high power distance] * Different role perception (e.g. marketing and special promotions) | * Johari windows: increase the ‘open area’ by: * Cross-cultural training * Job rotation (may not work, high certainty avoidance) * Cultural change: ‘cultural training’ to increase the adaptability of expatriates |
Task 2 | US | BVI | Examples | Individualism / Collectivism | I | C | Not want to get promoted: afraid of having less time with friends | Power distance | L | H | | Uncertainty avoidance | L | H | Avoid risks and only take orders and instructions from the expatriates | Achievement nurturing | L | H | The consultant said they could earn one hundred tips do not want to sacrifice friends |
Task 3 Short-term | 1. ‘Management by walking around’ (MBWA): use
West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide
Task 1
Problem | Causes | Remedial Measures | High expatriate turnover | * Cultural shock: poor communication with the local staff; money not as the motivator for the local * High workload low job satisfaction, e.g. writing memo instead of demonstration in the US * Government’s regulation: not fire the local staff, restricted no. of work permits for expatriate | * Better communication * Personality fit (high in openness and low in neuroticism) | Rising number of guest complaints / decreases in the motivation of level of local employees | * Bonus based on seniority, not performance * Different communication style: memo vs. demonstration (illiteracy) * Different management style: distance between managers and staff; want managers that will ‘get their hand dirty’ | * ∵ No motivation in self-actualization (1) Use demonstration to give them instruction (top-down) (2) No participative management | Tension between expatriate and local staff | * Lack mutual understanding: (1) the US: need for achievement and power (2) BVI: need for affiliation [due to collectivism and high power distance] * Different role perception (e.g. marketing and special promotions) | * Johari windows: increase the ‘open area’ by: * Cross-cultural training * Job rotation (may not work, high certainty avoidance) * Cultural change: ‘cultural training’ to increase the adaptability of expatriates |
Task 2 | US | BVI | Examples | Individualism / Collectivism | I | C | Not want to get promoted: afraid of having less time with friends | Power distance | L | H | | Uncertainty avoidance | L | H | Avoid risks and only take orders and instructions from the expatriates | Achievement nurturing | L | H | The consultant said they could earn one hundred tips do not want to sacrifice friends |
Task 3 Short-term | 1. ‘Management by walking around’ (MBWA): use