Introduction
The modern business world could be characterized by numerous tendencies towards the globalization and rapid development of giant corporations that function at the international level and have their offices in different regions of our planet. It impacts their functioning and introduces numerous concerns connected with the culture and management of multinational corporations that hire employees from diverse states. Thus, the efficiency of such firms to a great extent depends on managers ability to create the environment beneficial for the cooperation of representatives of all cultures and their interaction. It is the key to the evolution of any corporation as an appropriate managerial approach determines the state of all aspects of the companies functioning, starting from the financial and ending with the communicational ones. In this regard, the work of managers responsible for the cultivation of the needed atmosphere acquires top priority as the only possible way to support the evolution of the brand and ensure its prosperity.
The Multinational Corporation
The given assumption could be evidenced by the suggested case that revolves around the multinational corporation based in the UAE and working in the sphere of fashion and cloth. The company has branches in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Spain, Chine, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, and other Arabian countries. Management of this company becomes a complex issue because of the necessity to consider diverse cultural peculiarities of its workers when creating a strategic development plan and considering cultural, cost, and technological differences between different branches. The suggested general management policy should be efficient enough to delve into the essential issues and offer solutions to them. For this reason, there are several specific areas of the companys functioning that should be given more attention because of their significant impact on final results and the corporations success. All these points should be included in the elaborated policy with the primary aim to create the basis for the companys further evolution.
Managerial Functions
The first aspect of this policy is devoted to managerial functions and the overall companys management. Considering the international character of the company and the existence of numerous offices in different regions of the world, this task should be taken as a complex one. For this reason, it is critical to creating an efficient system that provides opportunities for enhanced interaction and mutual support. First, every department located in different regions should be headed by a manager who has an outstanding understanding of the local business environment, expertise, and competence to lead employees and create conditions for their efficient functioning (Sweeney & McFarlin, 2014).
All regional managers should comprise the General Managerial Board responsible for the survival of the whole company. Its meetings should be organized daily to trace the slightest alterations in the companys activities and respond to emerging threats. These should also be held using mediated means of communication or video conferencing because of the distance and managers inability to arrive at the central office. This approach will help to remain informed about the functioning of all departments and make particular decisions resting on the corporation’s current state. Additionally, the given board should be headed by the owner or some other person with an outstanding authority who will accept some radical solutions about the companys future and its perspectives.
Cultural Barriers
The second aspect is the efficient cooperation between all branches disregarding cultural differences and barriers that might appear between representatives of different nations. To align their collaboration, it is crucial to cultivate a tolerant and supportive culture in all departments of the company. First, there should not be some dominant culture or model of behavior peculiar to the majority (Sweeney & McFarlin, 2014). All features usual to diverse cultures should be respected and protected. Employees should be explained that their workplace is not the place to demonstrate their negative attitude or disrespect to some traditions. Otherwise, they should be fired. All regional managers should remember that diversity is a unique advantage of any global corporation (Deresky, 2016). For this reason, its cultivation becomes the central aspect of the general management policy. Workers should feel comfortable at their workplaces to demonstrate high efficiency and appropriate performance levels. However, difficulties in communication because radical differences in cultures and the absence of particular concepts might emerge. In such a way, additional training devoted to features of different mentalities should be introduced for employees who experience problems in communication.
Technology and Costs
Another important aspect of the efficient policy is the appropriate response to cost or technology differences that might appear between all departments. These might have a pernicious impact on the functioning of the company and result in a deterioration of relations between the corporation’s branches. That is why fair distribution of costs and technologies is the key to the efficient cooperation and department functioning (Sweeney & McFarlin, 2014). If some branch lacks financing, the overall budget should be reconsidered to find costs to support its development (Luthans & Doh, 2017). The same approach could be applied to the question of technologies. All departments should be equipped with the most innovative tools to support their growth. If there is no opportunity to provide all subsidiaries with the appropriate devices, an order of requirement should be created to ensure that all employees will benefit from innovations.
Employment Policy
Finally, employment policy is another critical aspect of the functioning of the international organization. For this reason, much attention should be devoted to it. Several points should be introduced to ensure the implementation of fair practices in this field. First, no preferences to representatives or a particular culture or ethnicity should be given (Luthans & Doh, 2017). Being a multinational corporation, the company has to demonstrate equal treatment of all workers disregarding their mentalities or race. Second, only skilled and competent workers who appreciate working in a diverse environment should be hired. It will guarantee the absence of ethical issues and enhanced outcomes. Third, specific job interviews related to a candidates occupation should be introduced to ensure his/her preparedness and the high level of skills. Finally, every worker should be ready to move to another branch for a particular term to support its development and contribute to the companys growth.
Conclusion
Altogether, the case demonstrates the complexity of the multinational companys functioning and its management. To ensure that all significant aspects are taken into account, it is critical to introduce the policy encompassing the fundamental areas of the corporations functioning. It should emphasize the cultivation of the diverse environment, fair distribution of costs and technologies, efficient employment practices, and specific approach to management. Only under these conditions, the firm will benefit from the absence of culture conflict and employee collaboration aimed at further evolution of their departments. The given approach is the only possible in terms of the giant multinational company.
References
Deresky, H. (2016). International management: Managing across borders and cultures, text and cases (9th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
Luthans, F., & Doh, J. (2017). International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Sweeney, P., & McFarlin, D. (2014). International management: Strategic opportunities and cultural challenges (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.