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Business Dilemmas

  
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Based on our extensive research and consultancy across the World, we have accumulated a large number of critical incidents that we can use to illustrate our methodologies. These Case Studies serve to illustrate our approach to reconciling cultural differences.

NOTE: before considering this Case Study, please ensure you understand the dimension of Achievement-Ascription from our model and also consider where you would place yourself along this dimension.

Example Business Dilemma

It was in 1985 that US based Belly Electronics (BE) started to manufacture in South Korea. About a year ago, margins from the Korean operations came under pressure because of increasing Thai and Vietnamese competition. For the first time BE flew in well experienced US managers from the Bay Area to determine why the Korean managers were not getting the job done. On the basis of a continuous improvement program Korean managers were put under pressure to get "their act together."

The American manager told the Korean managers "You haven't been doing a good job of managing. I expect that you will correct your previous mistakes to achieve improvements in the numbers within 6 months. You must work harder to become a profit generating company. I expect you to show me that Koreans are capable of achieving the measurable benchmarks for profitability and quality.This will be rewarded by "significant monetary bonusses." After six months of demands and very disappointing results, a second US manager was flown in, but his similar words made no difference.
 
Now it's your turn....You have just arrived from the airport, what are you going to do ?
   
I would reinforce the previous manager's positions. After all, the Korean managers were not achieving the results BE was getting in other operations. I would find ways to pressure them more to achieve the improvements.
   
I would explain that I had been assigned to make improvements in Korean results. Whatever has happened in the past was not important. I would ask each one of them to work with me to create the necessary changes and take advantage of their actual attributed positions.
   
I would reinforce the previous manager's positions. However, I would not only reward them by measures of output but by promotion.
   
I would identify those Korean managers who were most respected by the others. I would work with that group, create trust with those in charge and thus support their efforts to improve the operations.

 
 
         
  >back to question   You have chosen what can be described as: "achievement rejecting ascription"
I would reinforce the previous manager's positions. After all, the Korean managers were not achieving the results BE was getting in other operations. I would find ways to pressure them more to achieve the improvements.
Based on where you consider you are along this dimension (compared to the typical Korean):		  
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if you are more ascribed oriented than the Koreans
You obviously believe in the US achievement logic for motivating colleagues for higher performance. At the same time, however, this might not work optimally since you have rejected the Korean orientation for attributed status. There is a risk that you repeat the results of the US predecessors.
Your answer is very surprising since your self-evaluation suggests that you are even more ascription oriented than the Koreans.
if you are similar to the Koreans
You obviously believe in the US achievement logic for motivating colleagues for higher performance. At the same time, however, this might not work optimally since you have rejected the Korean orientation for attributed status. There is a risk that you repeat the results of the US predecessors.
Your answer is surprising since your self-evaluation suggests that you are similarly in ascription orientiation to the Koreans.
if you are more achievement oriented than the Koreans
You obviously believe in the US achievement logic for motivating colleagues for higher performance. At the same time, however, this might not work optimally since you have rejected the Korean orientation for attributed status. There is a risk that you repeat the results of the US predecessors.
Your answer is not very surprising since your self-evaluation suggests that you are significantly more achievement oriented than the Koreans.

 
         
  > back to question   You have chosen what can be described as: "ascription rejecting achievement"
I would explain that I had been assigned to make improvements in Korean results. Whatever has happened in the past was not important. I would ask each one of them to work with me to create the necessary changes and take advantage of their actual attributed positions.

Based on where you consider you are along this dimension (compared to the typical Korean):

  
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if you are more ascribed oriented than the Koreans
You obviously do not believe in the dominant US achievement logic for motivating colleagues for higher performance. You have rather chosen by supproting the existing dominant Korean orientation for attributed status. There is a risk that you might go for a process that is not fully understood by your colleagues since it is a US-based company.
Your response, however, is not very surprising since your self-evaluation suggests that you are even more ascription oriented than the Koreans.
if you are similar to the Koreans
You obviously do not believe in the dominant US achievement logic for motivating colleagues for higher performance. You have rather chosen by supporting the existing dominant Korean orientation for attributed status. There is a risk that you might go for a process that is not fully understood by your colleagues since it is a US-based company.
Your answer is surprising since your self-evaluation suggests that you are similarly in ascription orientiation to the Koreans.
if you are more achievement oriented than the Koreans
You obviously do not believe in the dominant US achievement logic for motivating colleagues for higher performance. You have rather chosen by supporting the existing dominant Korean orientation for attributed status. There is a risk that you might go for a process that is not fully understood by your colleagues since it is a US-based company.
Your answer is very surprising since your self-evaluation suggests that you are significantly more achievement oriented than the Koreans.
 

 
     

 

  
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You have chosen what can be described as: "achievement affirming ascription"
I would reinforce the previous manager's positions. However, I would not only reward them by measures of output but by promotion.

Based on where you consider you are along this dimension (compared to the typical Korean):

  
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if you are more ascribed oriented than the Koreans

You have chosen the achievement oriented response, while affirming the ascription oriented nature of Korean culture. This is a very effective answer since you start by recognizing the need for having a performance motivating system in place stimulating the achievement orientation while at the same time you acknowledge that the Koreans have a strongly developed status system based on age, gender and seniority. Status in Korea is a matter of what the employee has actually achieved, his/her track record. Yet over time this deserved reputation follows the person to become a permanent attribute, allowing success to be renewed and enabling even more achievement to occur. This might be the most effective answer resulting from pursuing this option.

Your answer is however kind of a surprise since you evaluated yourself even more ascription oriented than the Koreans. This might reveal a great other directedness in you, but be careful not to loose your own value set.

if you are similar to the Koreans
You have chosen the achievement oriented response, while affirming the ascription oriented nature of Korean culture. This is a very effective answer since you start by recognizing the need for having a performance motivating system in place stimulating the achievement orientation while at the same time you acknowledge that the Koreans have a strongly developed status system based on age, gender and seniority. Status in Korea is a matter of what the employee has actually achieved, his/her track record. Yet over time this deserved reputation follows the person to become a permanent attribute, allowing success to be renewed and enabling even more achievement to occur. This might be the most effective answer resulting from pursuing this option.

Although your self-evaluation of your position on this dimension is similar to the average Koreans, your answer is very effective in view of your sensitivity to the relatively ascriptive Koreans and the US based achievement orientation.
While you start from your companies own dominant achievement orientation, you reconcile Korean ascription orientation in the process.

if you are more achievement oriented than the Koreans
You have chosen the achievement oriented response, while affirming the ascription oriented nature of Korean culture. This is a very effective answer since you start by recognizing the need for having a performance motivating system in place stimulating the achievement orientation while at the same time you acknowledge that the Koreans have a strongly developed status system based on age, gender and seniority. Status in Korea is a matter of what the employee has actually achieved, his/her track record. Yet over time this deserved reputation follows the person to become a permanent attribute, allowing success to be renewed and enabling even more achievement to occur. This might be the most effective answer resulting from pursuing this option.

Your answer is not a surprise since you evaluated yourself more achievement oriented than the Koreans. This might be very effective since you start from your own value set and take advantage of the Korean orientation towards attributed status.

 

 
         
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You have chosen what can be described as: "ascription affirming achievement"
I would identify those Korean managers who were most respected by the others. I would work with that group, create trust with those in charge and thus support their efforts to improve the operations.

Based on where you consider you are along this dimension (compared to the typical Korean) :
  
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if you are more ascribed oriented than the Koreans
You have chosen the ascription oriented response nature of Korean culture, while affirming the achievement oriented nature of the company you are working for. This is an effective answer since you start by recognizing the need for identifying those Korean managers who were most respected by the others. You indicate that you would work with that group, create trust with those in charge and thus support their efforts to improve the achievements of the operations. In Korea, status should inhere within the permanent attributes of employees, i.e. their education, seniority, age, position and the level of responsibility ascribed. Such status tends to be self-fulfilling with achievement and leadership resulting from what the corporation values in you and expects of you.

Your answer is not surprising since you are even more ascription oriented that the average Korean manager and very effective since at the same time you are trying for reconciliation.

if you are similar to the Koreans
You have chosen the ascription oriented response nature of Korean culture, while affirming the achievement oriented nature of the company you are working for. This is an effective answer since you start by recognizing the need for identifying those Korean managers who were most respected by the others. You indicate that you would work with that group, create trust with those in charge and thus support their efforts to improve the achievements of the operations. In Korea, status should inhere within the permanent attributes of employees, i.e. their education, seniority, age, position and the level of responsibility ascribed. Such status tends to be self-fulfilling with achievement and leadership resulting from what the corporation values in you and expects of you.

Your answer is not surprising since you are similarly ascription oriented than the average Korean manager and very effective since at the same time you are trying for reconciliation.

if you are more achievement oriented than the Koreans
You have chosen the ascription oriented response nature of Korean culture, while affirming the achievement oriented nature of the company you are working for. This is an effective answerrecognizing the need for identifying those Korean managers who were most respected by the others. You indicate that you would work with that group, create trust with those in charge and thus support their efforts to improve the achievements of the operations. In Korea, status should inhere within the permanent attributes of employees, i.e. their education, seniority, age, position and the level of responsibility ascribed. Such status tends to be self-fulfilling with achievement and leadership resulting from what the corporation values in you and expects of you.

However, your answer is quite surprising since you are significantly more achievement oriented than the average Korean manager. Therefore, you will only be effective if you are able to try to achieve reconciliation.