...climate is very formal and conservative and companies are structured in the traditional vertical manner. The culture of companies can vary somewhat, depending on whether they are in the German, French or Italian areas of Switzerland. Overall, one can say that decisions are taken at the top of the organisation. In most organisations employees have little responsibility, although this differs from one company to another. The many international companies in Geneva have a more American management culture, they are less hierarchic and employees hold more responsibility. Strategy Generally, the management of an organisation is at large responsible for the planning. Most companies use detailed planning with a tight schedule, although organisations in the French and Italian areas may have a more laid-back approach to strategy. Most of the planning is long term. Swiss business meetings Meetings are generally impersonal, brisk, orderly, planned and task-oriented. It is important to prepare yourself in advance of a business meeting. The Swiss tend to get right down to business after a few minutes of general discussion. Be aware of the fact that non-verbal communication, such as body language, is very important and varies from region to region in Switzerland. Note that organisation, procedure and planning lie at the heart of Swiss business success. Clear systems are all-important. Meetings always have a detailed agenda that is followed to the letter. Discussions are open but...
Words: 822 - Pages: 4
...Case Study Firm: Credit Lyonnais Industry: Banking Countries: France, World-wide International HRM Issue: The internationalization of a bank & the cultural conflicts involved 1) Introduction This study of Credit Lyonnais, one of the world's largest banks with offices in over 60 countries, examines the organisation and human resource management strategies thought necessary to survive the rapid market changes in international banking. Credit Lyonnais provides a particularly good example of a large bank which is determined to succeed through growth in services offered in existing markets and through extending into new markets. Credit Lyonnais has offices on all continents, and in the countries where it has operations, it applies one of two growth strategies: i) organic growth (increasing the activity of its branches and subsidiaries, or opening new branches) ii) acquisitions / mergers (involving either take-overs or purchase of minority interests in local banks). Credit Lyonnais now has 610 offices outside Europe and these are either subsidiaries (where the HRM has a majority shareholding) or associated companies (where the HRM has a minority shareholding). The Credit Lyonnais Group has grown very rapidly over the past few years and will continue to grow with planned expansions on all Continents and in all areas of business. Realizing at an early stage of its expansion that its service and market strategies required an equally strong human resource strategy Credit Lyonnais...
Words: 6378 - Pages: 26
...INTERNATIONAL MARKETING STRATEGY (Assignment) Instructions to candidates You are required to select an organisation that you are familiar with, either in your own country or elsewhere. The selected organisation should be one for which you can access detailed information about its international marketing activities. These can be secondary sources such as journal or magazine articles or information via the website or alternatively direct from the organisation, including company reports. You are required to produce a strategic formal report, based on your chosen organisation of 4,000 to 5,000 words. You should include theoretical perspectives to support your work, and these should be applied to your organisation. You will need to conduct a detailed research assessment of the chosen organisation with respect to its international activities in order to understand the international decisions and strategies specific to that organisation. Some International examples of organisations are provided below. Note that the choice of a specific organisation should be discussed with your lecturer/subject supervisor. The project will outline all of the firm's international activities but should focus upon a single key geographical market or region. For example, you could look at: Coca-Cola, development of the market in Africa. Danone, the French food and drinks firm, and its activities in China. L'Oreal, the French cosmetics company and its entry to Thailand. McDonalds, and its entry to the Indian market....
Words: 453 - Pages: 2
...Switzerland lies at the crossroad of several main European cultures. The national languages include German 65%, French 18% and Italian 10%, along with Romansh 1%, which is spoken by small minority of the population. (CIA, 2014) As e result the Swiss culture is characterized as really diverse. Moreover, the 26 cantons supplement for the large cultural diversity. Swiss culture has been affected by its neighboring countries, but during the years Switzerland has developed a distinctive one with strong regional differences. Government Switzerland is highly decentralised country and divided in 26 cantons.The politics of Switzerland take place in the framework of a multi-party federal directorial democratic republic. Executive power is not concentrated in one person, but in the goverment and the federal administration (CIA, 2014). Many important decisions are left to the population to decide. The reflection of this could be easily seen in the business structure in Switzerland. The country is not dominated by limited number of large companies, but rather of medium and small organisations. Economy In the Swiss economy only a small percentage of people are involved in the Primary sector, while a large minority is involved in the Manufacturing sector-23% in 2011. However, the greatest amount of people work in the Service sector of the economy -74% in 2011. The main areas include biotechnology, microtechnology, pharmaceuticals as well as banking and insurance (Swiss Federal Statistical...
Words: 1699 - Pages: 7
...MGB 200 – Leading Organisations Research Paper (final assessment) 1. Introduction This research paper will present a critical analysis of the Queensland Health case study using related theories of organisational structure. This paper will also involve the use of critical thinking skills developed through the tutorial and lecture activities in MGB 200 (Leading Organisations. In further detail, organisational structure theories and research from the Queensland Health case study will be applied to identify and analyse the problem area discussed in the case study, and recommendations will be made for how to address this problem. The structure of this research paper will be expressed via reviewing the topic area of organisational structure (2.0 Literature Review), identifying/analysing the issues in the Queensland Health case study using the theoretical framework of organisational structure (3.0 Case Study), recommendations on how to improve the situation described in the case study (4.0 Recommendations) and finally a conclusion on the case study will be given (5.0 Conclusion). 2. Literature Review This section will provide a literary review on organisational structure. Four sections will be discussed in relation to the theories of organisational structure: (2.1) defining organisational structure, (2.2) types of structure, (2.3) the reasoning behind different structure types and (2.4) examples of different structures. 1. Defining Organisational Structure ...
Words: 1522 - Pages: 7
...Curriculum Vitae (CV) Position: Manager, Integrated River Basin Management Division Name of Firm: International Office for Water Name of Staff: Alain BERNARD Profession: Engineer Date of Birth: 12th January 1967 Years with Firm/Entity: 11 Nationality: French Key Qualifications: o Integrated Water Resources Management : from concepts to application; o Legal and institutional issues for setting up river basin organizations adapted to local contexts; o Transboundary river basin Authorities or Commissions; o European Water Framework Directive; o Strategic and operational planning instruments; o Implementation of financial tools such as “polluter-pays” and “user-pays” principles; o Conception of industrial pollution control programs; o Training and awareness raising of basin executives and users; o Project manager. Education: M. Sc. Engineering degree from the Ecole des Mines d’Alès (1989) – Environmental Option Employment Record: Present position : Manager, Integrated River Basin Management Division Sophia Antipolis – France (from January 1995) International Office for Water Managing international cooperation programs and projects 1991 – 1994 Engineer in charge of activities in chemical industries, mainly located on the industrial area of Le Havre – Port Jérôme Member of a national steering group on...
Words: 1383 - Pages: 6
...'Johnson's war', but did any of the previous presidents give him any other option except to stay? Also, was there any evidence of any moments when they could've pulled out? The commitment trap theory is widely acknowledged, with regards to Vietnam, by historians as it explains many of the extreme actions that were undertaken during this period. It is also used in arguments supporting USA's decisions in Vietnam, because these decisions were only made because they HAD to be made, the predecessing presidents gave them no choice. However, was commitment trap the only reason Kennedy stayed in Vietnam? One of the first Presidents that could be argued to have influenced the refusal to withdraw from Vietnam was Truman and, particularly, his foreign policy. Truman's foreign policy states that 'we [USA] will give help to any free peoples suffering from Communism' this policy was an embedded thought in any successing President's mind, if they wanted to keep America an Anti-Communist country. Truman, implementing his policy, initiated the connection between Vietnam and the USA by giving financial aid to French Colonialists who were looking to regain control of Indochina from Vietnamese nationalists such as Ho Chi Minh. In 1950, a defence department official stated that 'we are gradually increasing our stake in the outcome of struggle ... We are dangerously close to the point of being so deeply committed that we may find ourselves completely committed even to...
Words: 1030 - Pages: 5
...Critically examine the functions (elements or processes) of management proposed by Fayol. Explain why these functions are relevant (or otherwise) to today’s managers. The twentieth century has bought upon us a number of management theories which have helped to shape the overall view of management in the present environment of business. Many of those theories have stood the test of time and are still often referred to in the management world of today. One of the most famous theories referred to in management is that of Henri Fayol. Henri, a French engineer became somewhat of a hero for resurrecting a troubled mining company in which he worked, and turning it into one of France’s most successful businesses (Daft 2003). Born in 1841 and dying in 1925, Fayol spent most of his working life as a manager, where he drew upon personal experiences to facilitate in the creation of his theory of administration. In his most significant work, General and Industrial Management, Fayol discussed and identified five basic functions of management, which he believed every manager needed to perform. These were: planning, organising, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. These functions, although have been condescended down to four; planning, organising, leading and controlling, still underline much of the general approach to today’s management (Draft 2003). Although, the usefulness of Henri Fayol’s classical functions have come under question about their relevance in current managerial activities...
Words: 1269 - Pages: 6
...situations where it is expected. Ciulla and Forsyth (as cited in Olivier, 2012, p. 70) suggests that “[t]he good leader, . . . is challenged to be both technically good, i.e. effective at getting the job-at-hand-done and morally good, i.e. responsible for what he or she has done.” Leadership and corporate culture dictate the acceptable ethical standards of an organisation to their followers. Where leaders are identified as “ethical role models”, followers are more likely to imitate this behaviour and conform to similar values and beliefs explicitly delineated by their leaders and organisations (Shin, 2012). However the major challenge encountered by organisational leaders is about gaining the trust and commitment of followers to conform to the ethical standards required to achieve strategic objectives of their organisation (Caldwell, Hayes & Long, 2010). In this report, we define ethical leadership by looking at business ethics and leadership simultaneously. We analyse ethical leadership in the context of culture learning and culture change in ensuring ethical behaviour and Corporate Social Responsibility in organisations. We conclude this report by summarising the findings identified throughout and make further recommendations on ethical leadership in practice. The research undertaken in this report finds that where leaders are identified as “being moral”, they will ensure that ethics is a pivotal part of their leadership agenda, which can be identified through their behaviours...
Words: 3006 - Pages: 13
...The aim of this essay is to define teams and examine the reason why organisations rely on teams and what are the advantages and disadvantages in this process. Then, it will describe why are some teams effective and other fail. Finally, the essay will introduce a new form of team called “virtual teams”. Assignment 3 The aim of this essay is to define teams and examine the reason why organisations rely on teams and what are the advantages and disadvantages in this process. Then, it will describe why are some teams effective and other fail. Finally, the essay will introduce a new form of team called “virtual teams”. Human beings have always worked in collaboration with each other for creating friendship and social relationship with others, or for the benefits of their diverse perspectives, support and competences for a situation. As a consequence people create group, which include individuals together, even if they have any interdependence or organizationally focused purpose. In a company, managers form teams, which are groups of two or more people who collaborate with and influence, each other. People in a team are mutually accountable for achieving common goals associated with organizational objectives and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organisation. The aim of building teamwork is for meeting new challenges and achieving results that a person cannot realize alone. For example, New Zealand Post’s largest delivery branch in Marua Road, Auckland...
Words: 2160 - Pages: 9
...BRAZIL: Over the past few years, Brazil has moved from a country with great promise 'some time in the future' to being seen as one of the hottest investment opportunities in the world. A more stable political system and currency, coupled with vast mineral wealth of the country make Brazil a 'must' for all companies with truly global ambitions. With a population of 194 million, Brazil represents the fifth largest market opportunity in the world — after China, India, Indonesia and the USA. It is also the fifth largest country in the world by geographic size. An IMF (International Monetary Fund) report indicates that Brazil leads all other South American countries in terms of infrastructure and technological development. Combine these facts with the stabilising economic and political landscape — (the twin nightmares of corruption and hyper-inflation ravaged the country for decades) — and it is easy to see why Brazil attracts a higher percentage of total global foreign direct investment year on year. However, anybody wishing to do business with Brazil and the Brazilians should be aware of the various cultural and structural barriers which might confront them. Probably the most pervasive barrier encountered by the unwary traveller would be the 'Custo Basil' or the 'Brazil Cost'. This term refers to the very real extra costs of doing business in Brazil — corruption, governmental inefficiency, legal and bureaucratic complications, excessive taxation, poor infrastructure, inflation...
Words: 27633 - Pages: 111
...Introduction People are often facing decisions that have a big impact in their future, It is difficult to distinguish if the actions made or words said by us will hurt our family or friends, but to prevent those actions person who faces this kind of situation has think if the action that they are about to do it is right, the reason for thinking about that are personal ethics which result in good or bad decisions, in this essay, author focuses on ethics in business organisations and discriminations within which is one of the main problems inside companies. Ethics in Business Words like “morality” and “values” are associating with word “ethics”. Ethics is differencing and thinking between right or wrong choice. it is making choices that...
Words: 1030 - Pages: 5
...The Walt Disney Company is a huge American organisation used to specialise in the animation industry until expanding into live film production and theme parks. There are many famous animations where the company succeeded with the most familiar to be “Mickey Mouse”, making Disney to develop its success worldwide by building theme parks in different countries. In 1992, the “Disney company” expanded by opening a new theme park in Paris known as “Euro Disneyland”. By the time, Disney announced the new project they were planning to make, there were many critics and arguments arising according the Disney’s approach at Euro Disneyland. However, the question remains whether there are any strengths and weaknesses of Disney’s approach at Euro Disneyland and what steps should be taken next to ensure success in the operations. The Disney’s approach at Euro Disneyland was mainly criticised for its influence on French culture and this can be analysed through theories and concepts displaying the “for” and “against” arguments of different topics affecting it. The topic that had the most effect on Disney’s approach is Globalisation. Globalisation is the process by which the world is becoming more interconnected as a result of increased trade and cultural exchange. Disney was benefited from globalisation’s impact since it is associated with some advantages. Firstly, Euro Disneyland was located in the middle of Europe close to Paris which is a very famous tourism destination and it was also...
Words: 1751 - Pages: 8
...‘Fondation HEC’ and ‘Agence Nationale de la Recherche’ for their fundings. Abstract Recent techniques and shifts in the environment are often foreseen as leading management accountants to adopt a business orientation. However, empirical evidence pointing to fundamental shifts in the roles played by management accountants remains relatively scarce. We explore this paradox and give sense to the various roles played by the management accounting function by focusing on how management accountants are involved in and endowed with authority in decision-making situations. Using data we gathered from 73 interviews in ten multinational companies, we identify four styles adopted by the management accounting function: the discrete, the safeguarding, the partner, and the omnipotent management accounting functions. We show that each style can be associated with a specific role: discrete control of managerial behaviour, socialisation of managers, facilitation of decision-making, and centralisation of power. Some of...
Words: 14574 - Pages: 59
...Management: • What is it? • Efficiency and Effectiveness Management • The process of getting things done effectively and efficiently, with and through people Effectiveness • “Doing the right things”, doing those tasks that help an organisation reach its goals Efficiency • Concerned with the means, efficient use of resources like people, money, and equipment (“Doing things right”) Managers: • Who are Managers? • Levels of Managers Top Managers • Responsible for making decisions about the direction of the organisation. • Examples; President, Chief Executive Officer, Vice-President Middle Managers • Manage the activities of other managers. • Examples; District Manager, Division Manager First-Line Managers • Responsible for directing nonmanagerial employees • Examples: Supervisor, Team Leader • Types of Managers Nonmanagerial Employees • People who work directly on a job or task and have no responsibility for overseeing the work of others. • Examples: sales and service staff Managers • Individuals who direct the activities of others in organisations. Functions of Management ( Fayol): • Planning, Organising, Leading, Controlling The Functions Approach • In the functions approach proposed by French industrialist Henri Fayol (1916), all managers perform four management activities • These activities are relevant to all managers, in all fields and industries • Originally Fayol proposed five functions/activities – plan, organise, command...
Words: 279 - Pages: 2
