INTRODUCTION:

This case is about cultural management and organizational structure and control. It reveals the challenges faced by Western managers in telling Eastern managers the need to improve their performance.

The Firm is a consulting firm with locations all over the world. It provides a range of business advisory services including taxation and accounting audits and recovery and management consulting. Mr. Alfonso Farquar was recruited by the Firm to conduct a review of the performance of some of the Firm’s Asian practices.

After review of this case there are many problems related to cross-cultural management and organizational structure and control. Had the Firm researched these cultural differences Farquar could have approached the review with more knowledge and the project could have been supported.

ANALYSIS:

In reviewing this case numerous problems are revealed; cross-cultural management and organizational structure and control.

Alfonso Farquar was recruited by Mr. David Mossman to travel to Taiwan and India to review their practices and find reasons for their slow market growth. He was advised to transfer a “best practice” approach to Business development to the Asian practices. After completing his evaluations of the Asian practices he was to report his findings to Mr. Honeysuckle.

Although Farquar had never traveled overseas, never met any of these executives and was excited about the opportunity, he failed to understand the cross-cultural differences between both countries.

When communicating with the Asian practices, Farquar could have used the four rules for overcoming cross-cultural difficulties:

•Assume differences until similarity is proven

•Emphasize description rather than interpretation or evaluation

•Be empathetic

•Treat interpretations as a working hypothesis

Upon arrival in the Taiwan office, Mr. Dim Sum,