Introduction
This study aims to analyze the complaints made by Spanish and British staff in a joint venture accounting firm in Barcelona and to identify the cultural dimensions that may be causing these problems. In this essay, I will discuss the case study of a multinational company based in Barcelona, which has recently established a joint venture with a UK company (Cenni et al., 2020). I will be analyzing the complaints made by both the Spanish and UK staff about the working styles of the others to identify the cultural dimensions that could cause the conflict. Therefore, I will also examine the potential difficulties that this conflict could cause and suggest ways the two cultures could work together more effectively (García-Gómez, 2022).
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
One of the most widely used frameworks for understanding cultural differences is Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory. Hofstede’s theory is based on the premise that four main dimensions of culture can affect how people behave and interact with others.
The first of Hofstede’s dimensions is individualism vs. collectivism. Individualism is the belief that individuals are independent and should be responsible for themselves. In contrast, collectivism is the belief that individuals are interdependent and should be responsible for the group’s welfare (Cenni et al., 2020).
The second dimension is power distance. This is the extent to which people in a culture accept that power is unequal. Cultures with a high power distance are where people accept hierarchy and that those in positions of power are to be respected. Cultures with a low power distance are those in which people believe that everyone is equal and that there should be no hierarchy.
The third dimension is uncertainty avoidance. This is the extent to which people in a culture feel threatened by uncertainty and ambiguity. Cultures with a high uncertainty avoidance are those in which people feel the need to have strict rules and regulations in place to feel secure (García-Gómez, 2022).
The fourth and final dimension is masculinity vs. femininity. More feminine cultures are those in which people believe that both men and women can be assertive and competitive and that both genders should be equally involved in childcare and domestic duties.
Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions
Another popular framework for understanding cultural differences is Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions theory. Trompenaars’ theory is based on the premise that seven main dimensions of culture can affect how people behave and interact with others (Shafiee et al., 2022).
The first of Trompenaars’ dimensions is universalism vs. particularism. Universalism is the belief that universal truths should be followed by everyone, regardless of individual circumstances (Cenni et al., 2020). Particularism is the belief that the needs of the individual should take precedence over the needs of the group.
The second dimension is individualism vs. communitarianism. Individualism is the belief that individuals are independent and should be responsible for themselves. In contrast, communitarianism is the belief that individuals are interdependent and should be responsible for the welfare of the community.
The third dimension is neutral vs. emotional. Neutral cultures are those in which people believe that emotions should be controlled and suppressed. Emotional cultures are those in which people believe that emotions should be expressed openly and freely. The fourth dimension is specific vs. diffuse (Cenni et al., 2020). Specific cultures are those in which people believe that roles and relationships should be clearly defined.
Application to the Case Study
Spanish Complaints about the British
The first complaint made by Spanish staff is that “The bosses do not act like managers; they do not command authority. Therefore, they want to consult their subordinates on everything, and I have even seen workers argue with the boss in meetings about ‘silly’ ideas – there is no respect!”
This complaint is likely due to a difference in the power distance between the British and Spanish cultures. Power distance is the extent to which a society accepts that power is distributed unequally. Spain has a lower power distance than the UK, which means that Spanish workers are less accepting of a hierarchical power structure in the workplace. Therefore, they may perceive British managers as too informal and not commanding enough authority (Cervera-Garvi et al., 2022).
The fact that British workers are willing to argue with their managers in meetings could be disrespectful to Spanish workers. Spanish culture is more collectivist, meaning that individuals are more likely to conform to group norms and values. In contrast, British culture is more individualistic, meaning that individuals are more likely to assert their opinions and beliefs.
The second complaint made by Spanish staff is that “Some of the managers are so young! I do not want to take orders from a kid!”
This complaint is likely due to a difference in the age of managers in the British and Spanish cultures. In Spain, managers are more likely to be older and have more experience than their subordinates. Hence, this is because Spanish culture is more traditional, meaning that individuals are more likely to Respect authority figures and follow established rules and procedures (Cenni et al., 2020). In contrast, British culture is more modern, meaning that individuals are more likely to challenge authority and question established rules and procedures. Therefore, Spanish workers may see British managers as too young and inexperienced to be respected and followed.
British Complaints about the Spanish
The first complaint made by British staff is that “There is so much inconsistency with the rules – they are always trying to make exceptions. Here, I have found it is good to be friends with the payroll department if you want to be sure to be paid on time! It should not be that way!”
This complaint is likely due to a difference in the rules and regulations between the British and Spanish cultures. In Spain, it is more common for rules and regulations to be less rigid and for exceptions to be made. Hence this is because Spanish culture is more flexible, meaning that individuals are more likely to adapt to changing situations. In contrast, British culture is more rigid, meaning that individuals are more likely to strictly follow the rules and regulations. Therefore, British workers may see the Spanish workers as being too inconsistent and making too many exceptions.
The second complaint made by British staff is that “They are incapable of making decisions without getting a group consensus- it makes everything so slow. Can’t they make decisions for themselves sometimes?”
The complaint is likely due to a difference in decision-making between the British and Spanish cultures. In Spain, it is more common for decisions to be made through a group consensus (Aspinall, R.W., 2022). This is because Spanish culture is more collectivist, meaning that individuals are more likely to make decisions based on what is best for the group. In contrast, British culture is more individualistic, meaning individuals are more likely to decide based on what is best for them individually. Therefore, British workers may see the Spanish workers as too slow and incapable of making decisions without a group consensus.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cultural differences between Spain and the UK can cause problems in a joint venture such as this one. The complaints made by Spanish and British staff in a joint venture accounting firm are likely due to cultural differences. These cultural differences can cause problems in the workplace, such as communication difficulties, conflict, and a lack of understanding. However, these problems can be overcome by increasing communication and understanding between the two cultures. To avoid these problems, it is important for both sides to be aware of these cultural differences and to try to work together to overcome them.
Bibliography
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Burger King’s Application Of Automated Robotics Essay Example
The key to food sector success is delivering value for the money while creating an experience that will last a lifetime. Restaurants that draw customers but fail to deliver memorable experiences frequently go out of business because they cannot draw in repeat business. A restaurant may attract customers by offering a remarkable dining experience that boosts customer satisfaction and sales. The development of information technologies has recently had a considerable impact on the food industry. Technology integration is advantageous in preserving standards and efficiency and creating a distinctive hospitality experience. Automation has become a vital aspect of daily living in today’s contemporary working culture as organizations are becoming more aware that robots are being handed more and more basic activities. Robots are no longer confined to big companies but have also found their way into small industries such as fast food retail outlets. To keep up with automation, Burger King Restaurants will adopt an automated robotic system in their service delivery model to minimize cost and enhance customer satisfaction.
Robotics in the fast food sector
The growing application of robotics in many sectors has been largely driven by improved artificial intelligence software and the reduced cost of hardware materials. Restaurant robots can be fully automated with an AI-based service to enhance customer experiences and streamline restaurant operations. Restaurants have identified the potential of robot systems and their huge advantages as they can be utilized in the automation of every, if not all, of the restaurant activities. Robotic systems can be effective in streamlining cooking procedures through personalized cuisines, lowering operational costs by automating monotonous acts such as food recognition and categorization and utilizing robotic end effectors to handle food (Wang et al., 2022, pp. 3). The design and application of a robotic system by Burger King Restaurant will give the organization a competitive edge through novelty in gastronomy and economic benefits.
Understanding customer needs for efficient innovation.
Every organization’s success depends on its capability to create and innovate new ideas and products that meet its customers’ needs. Customers’ needs are the descriptions, suggestions, or benefits that customers utilize to evaluate the success and value of getting a job done. This translates to a desired outcome where customers define value and detail how the organization can achieve the value. To achieve the desired outcome and create customer value, the organization needs to obtain information regarding the jobs the customers want, the expected outcomes and the constraints to adopting the innovation (Katerina, 2018, pp.330). Innovation is only achieved through a thorough understanding of the activity or product, the customer’s needs, and achieving a higher purpose for which the customer can buy products or services. The method of understanding and achieving customer value can be utilized by Burger King Restaurants in implementing automated robotic innovations in their fast food joints to fulfil customer satisfaction.
Innovation Implementation
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing has developed as a significant source of information in organizations for facilitating organizational innovations. Crowdsourcing is a collaborative approach applied by organizations to obtain information from various contributors based on the identified wisdom of the crowd. Crowdsourcing seeks to tap into a particular population, including employees, customers and other business stakeholders, to gather data and ideas based on the notion that the information is dispersed among the people. As a combination of end-user empowerment and collective information gathering, crowdsourcing has gained significance because of the openness of organizations towards normal thinkers, the added value of people’s creativity in innovation, and the creation of communities. Crowdsourcing incorporates various actors, including the organization, employees, customers, and all stakeholders participating in the brand’s value-creation process (O’Leary, 2020). An innovative idea for crowdsourcing should be designed to allow a cooperative experience for individuals and the organization through creativity, brand loyalty, and knowledge creation. Crowdsourcing technology utilizes a process comprised of varying combinations of interlinked actions that are utilized to gather, evaluate, and actualize innovation ideas.
Crowdsourcing for Burger King
Burger King will utilize crowdsourcing to implement the robotic automation project by involving their customer base. Crowdsourcing offers a new range of operational abilities through the adaptation of the current information technology era, where the organization can use ideas and creations from multiple people as people tend to provide their creative ideas for free. In crowdsourcing, the crowd comprises prospective customers, thus giving the organization a firsthand experience of the customers’ needs and giving the public the impression that the organization will listen to their needs, building a rapport for collaboration (Zhao, 2020). Through a crowdsourcing network, Burger King can gain a large variety of expertise and ideas and allow for solutions from unexpected sources.
Stages of implementation of robotic automation through crowdsourcing
Identification of the problem
Identifying the problem involves formulating a problem list through internal crowdsourcing surveys from employees and social media surveys to gather public opinion. The organization will formulate a team of internal stakeholders such as chefs, serves and management staff, and an external team of experts for the professional requirements. The issues are then evaluated to synthesize and eliminate any unwanted content to identify the main issues. The identified issues are then ranked appropriately from the most significant to the least significant ones.
Introducing the process
After identifying the key issues, the team of experts will choose a technological platform to conduct crowdsourcing. The organization will adopt the platform Accenture’s Grapevine, an online collaborative tool to foster innovation. Grapevine enables idea generation, evaluation, and prioritizing of different ideas and helps decision-making (O’Leary, 2020). After identifying the platform, group characterization will be done to identify a target audience for the crowdsourcing process. Furthermore, the team will develop a communication strategy and a method for putting the strategy into action, such as running advertisements on social media platforms. After identifying a communication plan, the team schedules time frames for process implementation.
Creating the project
An essential aspect of every innovation is formulating the issue to be solved. The problem must be clearly stated with all the requirements, concise, and compelling to create a sense of urgency about how the solution can deliver the results. The crafting of the solution should be a collaborative process between the innovation champions, the project manager, and the company. An iterative process helps ensure that all concerns and stakeholder perspectives are considered.
Evaluation
The experts evaluate the solutions in relation to the identified issues. The evaluation should be cross-functional, involving all teams participating in project implementation. Additionally, since the company seeks to incorporate an external technology, it will need to assess the need to adopt an absorptive capacity. According to Dabic et al., firms with a high transformation dimension absorptive capacities can enhance their information management practices resulting in high innovation output (2019). Since the capacity lies in the research and design department, a good absorptive capacity ensures that the company can develop the technology in-house. When assessing the solutions, the implementing team will need to consider the organization’s absorptive capacity and possibilities to implement the automated robotic system.
Technology development and implementation
Once the innovative solution has been identified, the process of implementation commences. The implementation stage may encounter many drawbacks related to integrating the innovation with the existing company processes. Integration of technological advancement and collaboration with organizational staff is a long-term process that leads to organizational culture, structure, and process changes. Employees and affected stakeholders should be aware of the innovation and results communicated to portray its efficiency. The company should utilize the internal research and design department through collaboration rather than external providers to assure them of their importance to the company and assert the senior management’s trust in them to manage the technology.
Feedback
The company needs to collect feedback from customers and employees on their experiences with the innovation. Feedback ensures redesigning and reevaluating to conform to customer needs and perform functions as intended.
Conclusion
The service experience provided by restaurants plays a key role in ensuring customer satisfaction. The increased utilization of automated robotics in restaurants can ensure that most activities are automated, improving customer experiences and the efficiency of service provision. Burger King Restaurant will utilize robots for serving and selling food while also automating most of the repetitive tasks in the restaurant to save on cost and time. The service industry is dynamically changing, and since the main purpose of a business is creating and maintaining customers, Burger King will need to adopt emerging technologies to keep up with business.
Gant chart
References
Dabić, M., Vlačić, E., Ramanathan, U. and Egri, CP, 2019. Evolving absorptive capacity: The mediating role of systematic knowledge management. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 67(3), pp.783-793. doi: 10.1109/TEM.2019.2893133.
Katerina Y. Kozludzhova, 2018. “Understanding Customer Needs – The Key To Innovation Success (An Empirical Research Of Software Companies In Bulgaria),” Economy & Business Journal, International Scientific Publications, Bulgaria, vol. 12(1), pages 327-340. RePEc:isp:journal:v:12:y:2018:i:1:p:327-340
O’Leary, D. E. (2020). Driving innovation using enterprise crowdsourcing. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, 10(1), 2–10. //doi.org/10.1177/2043886919885943
Wang, Z., Hirai, S. and Kawamura, S. (2022) “Challenges and opportunities in Robotic Food Handling: A Review,” Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 8, pp. 1–12. Available at: //doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2021.789107.
Zhao, Z. (2020) Idea crowdsourcing for innovation: Fundamentals and recommendations, Management & Data Science. Management & Datascience. Available at: //management-datascience.org/articles/121/ (Accessed: January 11, 2023).
Business Anthropology: Business Plan Paper Sample Assignment
Starting a business becomes challenging for potential owners. A business requires much attention, from planning to implementation. Poor business planning may lead to poor business operation and management, which eventually might cause the decline or collapse of the newly started business (George et al., 2019). Therefore, to start and run a successful business, the owner should ensure a proper plan is set, which will guide the implementation process of the business idea. Moreover, a business plan is essential as the plan can help one access funding through bank loans which help one organize the business.
Egypt is one of the best countries, and its environment and cultural setting support the establishment of the bakery business. Business security is an important factor that guarantees owners the success of their businesses. In Egypt, bread is one of the most consumed products, as evidenced by the high consumption rate of Egyptian bread (Abdelmageed et al., 2019). Therefore, an individual or organization considering setting up a bakery business in Egypt should have bread and biscuits as one of the priority products. In addition to bread, the business plan should include cakes such as birthdays, graduation, and wedding cakes, among others, because such cakes are in high demand during such ceremonies. Such products are highly recommended for a bakery business in Egypt because the Egyptian population considers bread a staple and a cultural diet. Therefore, bread is among the products consumed daily in the country.
The bakery business should be set up and branded so that the baking products, including bread and cakes, suit local and international market preferences. Egypt’s local market has a high population that supports the bakery business. Bread is among the most consumed products; therefore, the local market will significantly boost the business. Moreover, international markets are also crucial in boosting revenue and capital for a business. Thus, having baked products that meet both local and international market preferences will help the bakery business maximize its sales, thereby raising the bakery firm’s profit margin (Ferrell et al., 2019). A business gaining profits from its operation has a high chance of expanding its production output. Therefore, the profit gained should be utilized in opening bakery outlets within the rural areas to help the main firm counter competition from other firms engaged in bakery operations and acquire a significant market share.
The main bakery business should be located in the urban center with branches spread within the rural areas. Urban areas have a high population of wealthy class people, and thus there will be more demand for loaves of bread in the town than in rural markets. The high income of the urban population boosts purchasing power because most people can afford bread. However, in rural areas, residents are highly engaged in agricultural activities. Thus, having branches in rural areas will help the main, and the mini bakery branches have access to cheap raw materials such as wheat and local labor (Ferrell et al., 2019). In addition to access to cheap raw materials, branches in rural areas act as a boost to increase sales and gain a considerable market share. The sales and income accumulated from the rural branches are essential in boosting and backing up the financial stand of the entire firm. Furthermore, opening branches in rural areas will help potential customers access bakery products and provide employment opportunities to rural residents.
Starting a new business requires huge capital, which might be challenging for an individual to raise. Everything from machinery, labor, raw materials, and general operation demands huge finances. A sole proprietorship business might need more capital because the limit of loans a sole proprietorship can acquire can be small compared to the capital needed to set up the business. Therefore, people planning to set up a bakery firm within urban areas are highly encouraged to adopt the American joint business type to raise enough capital to fund the acquisition of machinery, raw materials, and the general production activities of the bakery (Porter, 2015). Additionally, joint businesses have access to a higher amount of loans than sole proprietorships. The fact that joint businesses have access to higher loans than sole proprietorship businesses makes it possible for a joint bakery to manage and fund its business activities, including employing experts and applying high technology that guarantees quality production.
The top management positions, the executive level, should be preserved for American expatriates who are old enough to possess the required management experience that guarantees the bakery firm’s successful performance. The positions should incorporate males and females to ensure gender representation and balance, a requirement by the labor unions. The assistants to the directors should be experts in Egypt nationality to help the top management understand the business culture and the culture of the local market of Egypt. American expatriates are known to have a greater understanding of technology, and thus they will provide the technical support required for international operations. Production machinery for making bread and other wheat flour products should be given to young, energetic, skilled foreign national males to fasten and boost the production process. The production team should have a lead production manager responsible for monitoring the production rate.
Moreover, activities requiring manual and physical energy should not be given to females because some manual and physical jobs might seem exploitative. Such jobs that require males entirely are the loading and the offloading activities. In order to foster a good relationship between the bakery firm and the citizens of Egypt, the bakery firm should employ local women to support staff in offering packaging and marketing services (Diab et al., 2022). Employing local women in packaging will be an essential way of utilizing the available labor and controlling the unemployment rate among the local population of women who are denied the chance to work abroad after marriage by cultural norms.
Moreover, the management team of the bakery firm will organize and fund training for the newly hired employees. Training newly hired employees is an essential factor for performance improvement. During the training, the newly hired employees should be facilitated with proper knowledge and be undertaken through the company’s policy and objectives to express their efforts in promoting the bakery’s goals. Therefore, employees should be facilitated with performance-centered training that enhances cultural diversity and perfect teamwork.
Proper layout design in business ensures smooth and steady work and raw materials flow throughout the production process. The layout design is essential in minimizing space and time wastage during the movement of materials in the production room. The bakery firm should emphasize proper process layout to ensure that resources are arranged and arraigned concerning functions and similarities (Kumar, 2022). Further, the process layout is essential in bakery firms because the bakery will produce many different products ranging from bread to various types of cakes and biscuits, which have unique and different processing requirements. The different products and the difference in production needs of products baked in the bakery make it difficult for the firm to dedicate the entire facility to a specific product. Therefore, it will be more efficient to group resources according to functions and move products from resource to resource concerning production needs.
Egypt’s traditional norm that denies local women chances to work out the village after marriage might deny the firm access to a quality and skilled workforce. Such norms make it necessary for firms to have flexible working hours and demand that firms guarantee to pick up and drop female employees back home after work. Another challenge the business might face might be a lack of common language, thus interfering with the understanding between the local employees and the American expatriates (Abdurahman, 2020). Moreover, the language barrier and cultural diversity interfere with teamwork. In sum, communication and cultural differences might cause poor customer service, which is responsible for poor competition.
The business operating in Egypt will differ from that in the United States regarding operating and working hours. Bakery in Egypt will have fewer operating hours to allow local women employed in the firm to return home early for other home chores. As highlighted in this business plan, the knowledge of the business environment in Egypt will help potential investors understand the market and the local labor state available. Understanding such labor conditions and the local market is essential for bakery business success.
References
Abdelmageed, K., CHANG, X. H., WANG, D. M., WANG, Y. J., YANG, Y. S., ZHAO, G. C., & TAO, Z. Q. (2019). Evolution of varieties and development of production technology in Egypt wheat: A review. Journal of integrative agriculture, 18(3), 483–495.
Abdurahmana, A. J. (2020). Communication Barriers and their Effects on the Operations of Administrative and Academic Employees in Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College (TRAC).
Diab, O., & Hindy, S. I. (2022). Women and Economic Reform in Egypt: Impact of Production Changes on Female Waged Labor Force Participation. Middle East Critique, 31(1), 61–79.
Ferrell, O. C., Harrison, D. E., Ferrell, L., & Hair, J. F. (2019). Business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and brand attitudes: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Research, pp. 95, 491–501.
George, B., Walker, R. M., & Monster, J. (2019). Does strategic planning improve organizational performance? A meta‐analysis. Public Administration Review, 79(6), 810–819.
Kumar, R. (2022). Operations management. Jyothis Publishers.
Porter, M. (2015). The competitive advantage of the inner city. In The city reader (pp. 358–371). Routledge.