Respose to Professor Johnson's Post: Do you think managing in a global work environment requires a different set of managerial skills?

            In response to this question, yes, I do think managing in a global environment requires a different set of managerial skills.  As we have learned, cultures widely vary in their beliefs, customs, traditions, and perspectives.  What may be viewed as an effective management strategy in one culture, may not go over the same in another culture.  Managing at a global level requires knowing and understanding the context you are in and being able to tailor your communication and way of doing things so that you can effectively manage people from different backgrounds.  For example, when someone has done an outstanding job in the workplace in the U.S., it is common for them to be recognized and acknowledged in front of others.  People who are recognized for their efforts are usually happy and proud to be recognized in front of their peers; this is because we live in an individualistic culture, where people define themselves primarily as individuals.  However, in other countries, such as Japan, this kind of personal recognition would be completely embarrassing and looked down on by others because they live in a collectivist culture, where people base their identies by groups or organizations/teams. 
            This is only one example of how greatly views and perspectives about the workplace can differ across cultures.  Different cultures also have different views on appropriate power distance, uncertainty avoidance, assertiveness, and orientations to time.  If a manger can not successfuly understand and respect these differences, communicating, gainging and maintaining respect, and motivating employees will be very challenging, thus productivity will suffer.  Managing in a local environmemt where people speak the same language, celebrate the same holidays, and have the same general perspectives is quite different than managing a bunch of people with completely different backgrounds and belief systems.  Therefore, managers need to be aware of these differenes and understand how to manage them and communicate in a way that will make the organization the most productive. 

Can you recall a time when you worked with someone from a different culture or who spoke a different language?  Were there any differences in how they carried out their work duties or communicated with others? 

Reference: Griffin, R and Moorhead, G.  (2010).  Organizational Behavior.  South-Western: Mason, OH