Chapter 10

1. Discuss the steps in preparing a manager to go overseas.
2. List the five dimensions of culture. How does each of the dimensions affect employee behavior?
3. What does "managing diversity" mean to you? Assume you are in charge of developing a diversity training program. Who would be involved? What would you include as the content of the program?
4. What are school-to-work transition programs? Why are they needed? How do they benefit companies?
5. How can companies ensure that talented women have access to development programs?

1. The steps in preparing a manager to go overseas are:
Predeparture Phase – employees need to receive language training and an orientation in the new country’s culture and customs. Employees and their families need to have basic knowledge and understanding of the host country.
On-Site Phase – involves continued orientation to the host country and its customs and cultures through formal programs or through a mentoring relationship. A mentor helps them understand the new, unfamiliar work environment and community.
Repatriation Phase – prepares expatriates for the return to the parent company and country from the foreign assignment.

2. The 5 dimensions of culture are:
Individualism-Collectivism – the degree to which people act as individuals rather than as members of a group. In an individualistic culture, employees expect to be hired, evaluated, and rewarded based on their personal skills and accomplishments. In a collectivist culture, employees are more likely to have a voice in decisions.
Uncertainty Avoidance – the degree to which people prefer structured rather than unstructured situations. Employees cope by not worrying too much about the future.
Masculinity-Femininity – refers to the extent to which the culture values behavior considered traditionally masculine or feminine.
Power Distance – refers to the expectations for the unequal distribution of power in a hierarchy. For example, high power distance people address each other with titles and low power distance people use first names.
Time Orientation – refers to the degree to which a culture focuses on the future rather than the past and present. Short-term orientation is toward the past and present and they emphasize respect for tradition and social obligations. Long-term orientation values such traits as thrift and persistence, which pay off in the future rather than the present

3. To me managing diversity means the allowance of all employees to participate and contribute to a company’s goals and growth. If I was in charge of developing a diversity training program I would focus on increasing employees’ awareness of differences in culture and ethnic backgrounds, physical characteristics, etc that influence behavior toward others. I would also focus on changing the organizational policies and individual behaviors that inhibit employees’ personal growth and productivity.

4. School-to-work programs combine classroom experiences with work experiences to prepare high school graduates for employment. They are needed because they help high school graduates to be better prepared for when they enter the work environment. They benefit companies because the companies see with the proper instruction the opportunities open for the graduate and the skills they can bring to the company. Companies can also save some money by not having to invest as much time and money into training the future employee.

5. Companies can ensure that talented women have access to development programs by letting women get involved as much as they can and as much as they want to. They hire women in hopes of attracting more women who want to work for the company. They provide women with training programs that make them feel comfortable and allow them to form support groups to voice any concerns.