De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management

DIVWORK OHTB22

CASE STUDY: Cross-Cultural

Communication

Submitted to:
SUMERA, JUAN PAOLO
 Submitted by:
BIDING, JHAY MHAR S.
CROSS-CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

I. Implementation Objective/s:
April 6, 2021, a propose date to begin the one week long orientation and training
and development program to a new business culture (western culture) among the
employees. The proposal strategic plan for cross- cultural communication aims to fulfil
the following:
1. Cultural awareness and differences;
2. Transition to new business culture;
3. Lastly, rebuffing the employees.

II. Case Facts and Assumptions:

The total numbers of employees are one- hundred (100). Within the one- hundred
(100) employees, forty percent (40%) out of one- hundred (100) employees has a five
years (5 yrs.) of experience within the company. Moreover, thirty percent (30%) out of
one- hundred (100) employees has a 10 years of experience. Lastly, thirty percent (30%)
out of one- hundred (100) employees has been part of the company since first day.

Employees' years of service

Seniors (Pioneer)
30% 5 years of
experience
40%

10 years of
experience
30%

5 years of experience 10 years of experience Seniors (Pioneer)

 The five years of experience alone have accustomed to the company's old
management so thus the other employees with long service in the company. Each
employee will have difficulty adapting to the new business culture. Moreover, based on
research, learning and adapting to a new environment has something to do with the age
gap. According to Bomi International (n.d.), younger people are more technologically
adept. Older adults were less able to overcome their habitual responses when random
sequence arose. They were also slower in learning to adapt (Trewartha 2019). Therefore,
we can assume that employees with five years of experience will respond to the new
culture fast. In contrast, the senior employee will take time for them to adapt.

Proposed Strategies for admissible resolution

One Hundred Employees Possible Strategic Plans

Forty percent of the employee with 5  Job rotation and transfers
years of experience  Coaching and/or mentoring
Thirty percent of the employee with  Orientation
10 years of experience  Conferences
Thirty percent of the employee from  Role playing
senior employee  Formal training courses and development
programmes

III. Final Strategy and Action Plan

Out of the possible strategies that you listed above, which one would be executed
effectively?
These are the strategic plans: Orientation and Formal Training courses and
development programmes, which could help the employees enhance their work ethics
and, at the same time to adapt to a new culture. It implies any age and gender. 

 Orientation
An introduction will guide one in adjusting to new surroundings, employment,
and activity (Dictionary 2021). Rebranding the company means creating new tactics or
management. Thus, this will be a perfect strategic plan to introduce new business culture
 to the employees; this will start their adjusting and preparing themselves for any possible
changes. This orientation will serve as preparation or backbone for the employees in
order for them not to be surprised. 
During this process, they are exposed to different undertakings, such as the nature
of their new work, how to take on their identified tasks and responsibilities, and what is
generally expected of the organization's employees. They are further given a general
overview of the organizational working environment, including working systems,
technology, and office layout, briefed about the existing organizational culture, health
and safety issues, working conditions, processes, and procedures (Nassazi 2013).
 Formal Training courses and development programmes
This refers to educational activities within a company created to enhance
employees' knowledge and skills while providing information and instruction on how
better to perform specific tasks (Talent Lyft 2021). Training programs provide an
excellent opportunity for employees to expand their knowledge base and increase their
efficiency and productivity at work (BW Online Bureau 2019).
These course and programmes are usually a set of defined and known
programmes where the contents, duration, and details about the training are clear to both
the organization and the personnel. Employees may undertake these courses and
programmes while entirely off work for a particular duration of time or be present for
work on a part-time basis. These programmes can be held within the organization (in-
house) or off the job. Off the job is argued to be more effective since employees are away
from the workplace and their concentration is entirely on training. Depending on the
knowledge needed, the organization's structure and policies, the trainers may be coming
within the corporation or outside the organization (Nassazi 2013).

a) What will be your implementing strategic plans or items be considered to achieve cross-
cultural communication within the organization?
In the orientation and training and development program, mentors will be invited,
someone who has a background of west business culture, to be able for the employees to
have first- hand experience. Lastly, the strategic plan will have a corresponding
 enjoyment/ bonding at the end of their training; a simple team-building activity will
happen.
What is the percentage of employees before the reopening of the hotel that you can
convince to adapt to the new cultural mindset?
Adapting to new everyone will not be easy, particularly venturing into other
culture. It will take time for the employees to absorb this new environment. The
estimated employees to be ready before the reopening of the hotel will be 70% to 80%.
This estimated percentage will eventually change depending on the employee's
performance and how they will absorb and apply the learnings to the training process.
Moreover, the assumption percentage is based upon the age gap and cognitive between
the employees. According to Mempower n.d., young adults were significantly faster at
learning. They learn faster than adults because the brain's prefrontal cortex, where
working memory is stored, is developed more in adults than in young adults that means,
due to the development of the prefrontal cortex, adults experience functional fixedness,
and that makes adults see everything exactly as it is (Muftau 2014). However, that is not
always the case; there are instances that adult learns faster younger than them. Older
adults showed similar rates of learning to young adults (Clark… 2015).

b) What are the behavioral concerns to come up to ensure that the existing employees will
be productive as they work with different nationalities?
 Conflicting values – connecting to a cultural iceberg, we only see what is visible
in front of us, to give an example: behaviour, which influences by concealed
values underneath the iceberg. Implying the culture between east and west culture
in this company has many differences, particularly business culture. For example,
east culture might find it ill-mannered if the CEO scold the employee publicly,
which is the opposite of Western culture. Another, east culture, particularly the
Philippines, has a high power index which means employees rely on their
Director on what to accomplish. Unlike the United Kingdom who has a low
power index, it means they are more equal between employees and the Director.
Cultural clashes happen when both parties agree to what they believe in, their
 values, and beliefs. There is no right or wrong way of doing things; it is just a
matter of cultural norms. This implies Hofstede's six dimensions of culture: 
- Power Distance Index (High or Low)
- Individualism VS Collectivism (High or Low)
- Masculinity VS Femininity (High or Low)
- Uncertainty Avoidance Index (High or Low)
- Individualism (High or Low)
- Self-restraint VS Indulgence (High or Low)
 Language barrier – language allows people to communicate in enables the
sharing of shared ideas. In contrast, people who are less fluent in English tend to
avoid communication. Thus the employee may affect their performance. Thus is
the misunderstanding occurs. In western culture, particularly the United Kingdom
official language was English, but some terminologies are not the same as what
we are accustomed to. Take, for instance, the word one billion has a different
monetary value. In the UK, it has twelve zeros different from the US that has nine
zero digits. 
 Ethnocentrism happens when an individual/ group believes that everything they
do and see things is the right and only way opposite to other cultures. This results
in wrong judgement behaviours that do not reconcile the world views.
Consequently, it creates boundaries for others and creates supremacy/ inferiority
that can be detrimental. 
 Stereotyping – generalized belief towards a particular group of people. Allowing
this type of behaviour may affect a group's performance as they feel excluded
within the company. 

c) What is your timeline in implementing this direction?

The implementation of this strategic plan will start one month before the opening
for a one-week duration. This will ensure that employees are well connected and break
the barriers of cross-cultural misunderstood. Moreover, one week will be enough for
them to create a strong relationship that will allow them to work efficiently without
hesitation and tension between employees.
 DATE ACTIVITY
1 to 6th day
st
Orientation & Training session
This seminar will be a one day duration
that tackles the following:
 Cultural barriers and how to deal
cross cultural communication
 Hofstede Cultural Dimension
 Business Concept of both Culture
Training session
Rebranding allows a company to
change its process. Therefore, allotting this
time will help employees to integrate the
changes of the company through a training
session.
 Western cultural training;
 and Communication and skill training
7th day Team building activity
Allowing a time for employees to have
fun through team building and at the same
time creating a good relationship.

d) What are the win-win consequences of these actions or strategies?

Training is one of the best investment of one company (Craig Hane n.d.). The
primary goal of training is to learn and develop abilities, knowledge, and behavior related
to the work ethics of employee. Moreover, training is one of the most relevant motivators
that support people and industry in both short and long term goals (Cole 2001).
 High morale – employees who receive training have increased confidence and
motivations;
  Lower cost of production – training eliminates risks because trained personnel are
able to make better and economic use of material and equipment thereby reducing
and avoiding waste;
 Lower turnover – training brings a sense of security at the workplace which in
turn reduces labor turnover and absenteeism is avoided;
 Change management – training helps to manage change by increasing the
understanding and involvement of employees in the change process and also
provides the skills and abilities needed to adjust to new situations;
 Help to improve the availability and quality of staff.

From enhancing the abilities, knowledge, and behavior, training improves the
work performance of the employees. Consequently, it follows the increased of profit of
the company. Any other aspect of the organization is stems from the people. Profits and
results are inextricably tied to the contributions of those involved which is the employee
(Ripple Training n.d.)

e) How do you measure the success of your strategic cross-cultural communication

proposal?
The possibility of the success of this proposal plan will be great considering the
mentors who will be invited and the days allotted that concentrate mainly in helping the
employee to be liquid and adaptable in any culture. Lastly, the strategic plans have been
thoroughly examined and based on research studies that involve business economic.

IV. Recommendations and/or Conclusions

Recommendation

If a company decides to transition to an international company, there is a new

standard. A new vision for the company for the next few years. Like higher income for
the company or Hotel expansion. However, as a Human Resource Manager, the primary
goal is to ensure that the current and future employees will be taken care of. 
Moreover, as a Human Resource Manager, I highly recommend having this
strategic proposal to ensure that every employee will be benefitted and transition
smoothly. These said strategic plans are the following: Orientation, and Formal Training
courses and development program. This is adequate for the rebranding of a new
company. With the company's new perspective, orientation will be the best suited as it
introduces the employee to new management. Formal training courses and development
programmes were chosen to be a strategic plan because this will help the employee learn
a new culture and develop their skills. It is like muscle memory.

Conclusion

Communication is an act of sharing thoughts and ideas that could mitigate to good
results. Language is a culture, and in culture, we have a different perspective of life.
Being different could lead to two ways, either good or bad. For a two or more culture to
be in harmony, cultural awareness is what we need.

The context of business culture, east and west, has a varied and distinct type of
management. The company was transitioning and took charge by an international,
notably United Kingdom. Therefore, one- hundred Filipino employees will transition to a
west culture type of business. This will be a difficult situation for the employees who are
accustomed to the eastern culture. However, in order to lessen the impact of culture
shock, this proposed strategic plans for cross-cultural communication will help the
employees adjust and at the same time rebuff their skills. It is better to anticipate this type
of event to avoid possible miscommunication.

“The essence of cross- cultural communication has more to do with releasing

responses than with sending messages. It is more important to release response than to
send the right message.”- Edward T. Hall
References:

 6 barriers to cross cultural communications. (2018, July 09). Retrieved from

https://declicinternational.com/6-barriers-to-cross-cultural-communications/
 Admin, & Admin. (2021, March 18). 10 Benefits of Cross-Cultural Training. Retrieved from
https://cultureboleh.com/10-benefits-of-cross-cultural-training
 Aidah N. (2013). Effects of training on employee performance. Retrieved from
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/38098025.pdf
 Attridge, D. (2015, January 13). Employment considerations. Retrieved from
https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/flexible-working/working-
home/employment-considerations
 Chebium, R. (2019, August 16). How to Create an Effective Cross-Cultural Training
Program. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/Pages/010215-
cross-cultural-training.aspx
 Clark, R., Freedberg, M., Hazeltine, E., & Voss, M. W. (n.d.). Are There Age-Related
Differences in the Ability to Learn Configural Responses? Retrieved from
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0137260
 How can Training boost your Profits? (2014, September 30). Retrieved from
https://www.ripleytraining.co.uk/blog/how-can-training-boost-your-profits/#:~:text=From
improving staff moral to,an investment, not a cost.&text=Training is also thought to impact
staff turnover.
 Importance And Effectiveness Of Training And Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://bwpeople.businessworld.in/article/Importance-And-Effectiveness-Of-Training-And-
Development/25-03-2019-168436/#:~:text=Training and development can help,their work
quicker than before.&text=Employees may find areas in,at getting better at them.
 MeetingsandOffices Follow. (2018, September 24). Training, a win win situation. Retrieved
from https://www.slideshare.net/mnoindia/training-a-win-win-situation
 Naorem, D. (2019, July 15). On the Job Training Methods. Retrieved from
https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/job-training/on-the-job-training-methods/31626
 Orientation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/orientation
 Read "How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures" at NAP.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://www.nap.edu/read/24783/chapter/11
 Walters, R. (n.d.). Adjusting to a new work environment. Retrieved from
https://www.robertwalters.be/career-advice/adjusting-to-a-new-boss-or-job.html
 Youth adapt faster than seniors to unexpected events, study finds. (2011, January 18).
Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118113453.htm