Organizational and National Cultures in a Polish-U.S. Joint Venture Essay

Organizational and National Cultures in a Polish-U.S. Joint Venture - Essay Example The Poles believe that only older people have the experience and knowledge to be managers. In addition, it is also more difficult to earn the trust of Poles compared to Americans who are more sociable and trusting. Poles are also more formal in their communication than Americans are while they also expect to have a clear distinction between families and work (Cullen, 2011). In the latter case, they view extra hours at work as being intrusive on their family life. Finally, Polish managers will most likely utilize negative feedback and criticism, instead of giving positive feedback, as a means of motivation. Apply Hofstede’s and the 7d cultural dimension models to explain the cultural differences noted in the case Clearly, the first main difference in Poland is that they possess a power distance society that is higher than in the US. This explains the basis of evaluations or promotions on trustworthiness, while also explaining why they do not like work and seem to accept inequal ity, which, in turn, drives general distrust (Cullen, 2011). The second big difference is that Poland, compared to the US, is a country with high uncertainty avoidance. This helps to explain the reason why Poles value age and seniority. For instance, seniority is used to promote workers, thus reducing uncertainty. Using the 7d model, the first big difference is the neutral dimension. Poland scores highly to provide an explanation for their formal nature. In neutral cultures, people work without revealing feelings or thoughts, while also being under more control. The achievement dimension also varies with lower scores for Poland, explaining why they prefer seniority, as well as their preference for titles (Cullen, 2011). Finally, the difference is critical with regards to internal control with Poland scoring one hundred. This shows their decreased tolerance for volatility and their increased drive to control the environment. Analyze institutional explanations for how the Polish worke rs react to U.S. management style In this case, the most significant explanation involves institutional effects that communism left on Poles and the manner in which it affected its workers. For example, the former communist regimes in Poland saw a dependence on affiliations and connections for success, rather than performance (Cullen, 2011), explaining why they desire to be managers without qualifications. In addition, communist societies oversaw a system that had little or no institutional structures that were meant to guarantee exchange (Cullen, 2011). Therefore, Poles are less trusting of others, preferring to rely on personal affiliations. This low level of trust is also a good explanation for the reason why Poles do not favour teamwork. All new workers in Poland are considered as competition, which makes it difficult to build trust that is, in turn, essential for team building. Finally, the effects of the former communist regime also explain why there is little positive feedbac k between managers and workers. This could also explain their preference for public statements on salaries, which is meant to give them an idea of their status and standing (Cullen, 2011). Recommend the types of cultural adaptations to the U.S. expatriate managers regarding their management styles Working in Poland, expatriate US managers should have more respected for older workers and managers, while also