Managing Across Cultures Sample: McDonald’s, Fiat and Stereotypes Singapore

For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work.

This managing across cultures sample shows how a strong answer to the European Business University Managing Across Cultures assignment on McDonald’s, Fiat and workplace stereotypes can be structured. It is abridged: each task gets the core argument, the framework and one or two examples, not a full-length essay. For a step-by-step method, read our guide on how to answer a Managing Across Cultures excerpt assignment.

Planning table

The brief does not make the limits obvious in this summary, so check your own brief for the exact word counts and similarity rules before you plan.

Managing across cultures sample – Excerpt 1, Task 1: McDonald’s cross-cultural strategy and the four cornerstones of diversity

McDonald’s runs a “think global, act local” model. The core system (standard kitchens, brand identity and supply discipline) is global, while menus, store design and marketing are adapted to each market (Watson, 1997). This is a classic example of balancing standardisation with local responsiveness.

Note on the framework: module materials define the “four cornerstones of diversity”, so use your own lecture wording. In this extract I use Gardenswartz and Rowe’s (2003) layers of diversity as a working lens: personality, internal dimensions (such as age, gender and ethnicity), external dimensions (such as religion, education and income) and organisational dimensions.

Overall, the strategy works because the brand promise stays constant while the product mix flexes. The risk is dilution: too much adaptation weakens consistency, which is the brand’s main asset.

Excerpt 1, Task 2: A US trainer working with a Korean unit

Hall (1976) separates low-context communication, where meaning sits in explicit words, from high-context communication, where meaning sits in the setting, relationships and what is left unsaid. A US trainer is likely to be low-context; Korean colleagues are generally treated as high-context.

Verbal adjustments

• Slow the pace and avoid slang, idioms and sports metaphors.
• Replace blunt “yes or no” questions with open, softer prompts such as “What might make this step easier?”
• Accept that “that may be difficult” can mean “no”, and confirm understanding privately rather than in front of the group.
• Invest time in relationship talk before the task; do not rush to the agenda.
• Give feedback indirectly and in private to protect face.

Body language tips

• Offer and receive items such as business cards or materials with both hands.
• Use a modest bow or a light handshake, and let the Korean colleague set the level of formality.
• Avoid prolonged direct eye contact with senior staff, and avoid pointing with a finger.
• Keep gestures contained and respect personal space.
• Show seniority through seating, order of speaking and titles.
• Treat silence as thinking time, not agreement or disagreement.

The trainer should also check understanding with a short written summary after each session. This helps low-context habits (written clarity) work alongside high-context habits (relationship and implication).

Excerpt 2, Task 1: Chinese culture and the Fiat advert

I have not reproduced the advert’s details here, so apply the points below to the specific scene and message in your excerpt. Before launching, Fiat’s team should have tested the advert against at least four aspects of Chinese culture.

• Face (mianzi): content that embarrasses a person, family or group, even humorously, can offend.
• Collectivism and family: messages that stress individual status alone may land less well than family or group benefit (Hofstede, 2011).
• Symbolism and colour: numbers, colours and animals carry meanings that differ from Europe; red usually signals luck, while some numbers are avoided.
• Hierarchy and respect for elders: humour that mocks authority or older people may be read as disrespectful.
• Long-term orientation and trust: car buying is a major purchase, and trust in a brand matters.

The practical lesson is to use local copywriters and consumer testing, and to treat translation as cultural adaptation, not word substitution.

Excerpt 2, Task 2: Negotiation styles in alliances and mergers

Salacuse (1998) identifies ten areas where culture shapes negotiating, including goal (contract or relationship), attitude (win-win or win-lose), communication style (direct or indirect), formality and the form of agreement.

In mergers, these gaps can cause friction: one side hears slow progress as stalling, while the other hears a rushed push as disrespect. Using a cross-cultural adviser and agreeing process rules early reduces the risk.

Excerpt 3, Task 1: A workplace stereotype scandal – Starbucks, Philadelphia (2018)

What happened. On 12 April 2018, two Black men were arrested at a Starbucks store in Philadelphia after waiting for a meeting and asking to use the restroom without making a purchase (Al Jazeera, 2018). The video spread widely, and the company was accused of racial profiling.

Response. CEO Kevin Johnson apologised publicly and met the two men. Starbucks reached a settlement with them and announced that more than 8,000 US stores would close on 29 May 2018 for racial-bias training of about 175,000 employees (MIT Sloan, 2018).

Critics said a single afternoon of training could not remove systemic bias, which is a fair evaluation point. The case shows how stereotypes in frontline decisions can become a global brand issue within hours.

Excerpt 3, Task 2: Other stereotypes and how to remove them

Elimination is a continuing process, not a one-off event: measure outcomes (hiring, promotion and pay data), review them regularly, and hold managers accountable.

Excerpt 3, Task 3: My cultural intelligence (illustrative example only)

Illustrative only – you must write about your own experience and honest self-assessment.

Earley and Mosakowski (2004) and Ang et al. (2007) describe four CQ dimensions. A sample first-person reflection might read: “My CQ drive is high because I volunteer for international projects. My CQ knowledge is moderate: I know Hofstede’s dimensions but little about local business etiquette. My CQ strategy is weaker, since I rarely plan before a cross-cultural meeting. My CQ action is mixed: I adapt my speech but often forget non-verbal cues.”

Excerpt 3, Task 4: Organisational culture of my workplace (illustrative example only)

Illustrative only – replace with your real workplace and real examples.

A short model answer might use Hofstede’s (2011) dimensions or a culture model from your lectures: “In a mid-sized retail firm I worked in, power distance was fairly high: store managers made decisions and staff rarely challenged them. Rituals included a morning briefing and monthly awards. Stories about long-serving staff reinforced loyalty. Strengths were clarity and consistency; weaknesses were slow innovation and low staff voice.” Always give two or three concrete examples (a policy, a ritual, a leader’s behaviour) and end with one improvement.

If you need help with a similar brief, see our management assignment help and report writing help, or submit your assignment details for a quote. You can also compare this with the Global Business Strategies market-entry brief from the same university.

References

Al Jazeera (2018) Starbucks closes thousands of stores for racial bias training. 29 May. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/5/29/starbucks-closes-thousands-of-stores-for-racial-bias-training

Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K.Y., Templer, K.J., Tay, C. and Chandrasekar, N.A. (2007) ‘Cultural intelligence: its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation and task performance’, Management and Organization Review, 3(3), pp. 335–371. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00082.x

Earley, P.C. and Mosakowski, E. (2004) ‘Cultural intelligence’, Harvard Business Review, 82(10). Available at: https://hbr.org/2004/10/cultural-intelligence

Gardenswartz, L. and Rowe, A. (2003) Diverse teams at work: capitalizing on the power of diversity. Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management.

Hall, E.T. (1976) Beyond culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday.

Hofstede, G. (2011) ‘Dimensionalizing cultures: the Hofstede model in context’, Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1014

MIT Sloan (2018) What Starbucks got wrong – and right – after Philadelphia arrests. Available at: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/what-starbucks-got-wrong-and-right-after-philadelphia-arrests

Salacuse, J.W. (1998) ‘Ten ways that culture affects negotiating style: some survey results’, Negotiation Journal, 14(3), pp. 221–240. Available at: https://direct.mit.edu/ngtn/article-pdf/14/3/221/2387018/j.1571-9979.1998.tb00162.x.pdf

Watson, J.L. (ed.) (1997) Golden arches east: McDonald’s in East Asia. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.