LB5240 Cross Cultural Leadership Report Sample

LB5240 Cross Cultural Leadership

The aim of this assessment task is to prepare content that can be used to train International Business Leaders to manage cross cultural projects focused on the rapidly trade relationship between Australia and another country of your choice.

Useful Information

This assessment task is based on a scenario outlined below:

• You are a Management Consultant contracted by the Australian Government to help develop international business leaders' workshops.

• As the Management Consultant, you have been tasked with developing the workshop content that will be offered to a range of Australian business leaders involved in business with another country of your choice.

• The workshop series is focused on 'Cross Cultural Leadership' so that leaders are better equipped to face the challenges of leading and working with cross cultural teams.

Instructions

1. Decide the country with whom the Australian-based leaders are doing business.

2. Determine objectives/outcomes for this workshop i.e. by the end of the workshop, what will these leaders specifically be able to do?

3. Design and document the content for this workshop program to ensure that the resources can be used by facilitators at the 'Leaders Workshops' to achieve the program objectives/outcomes of - "Cross Cultural Leadership" training and focused on the relationship between Australia and the other country.

4. Content should include an agenda, description of exercises, supporting materials such as PowerPoint presentation and handouts, plus any other material that you believe would be useful to include in the workshop.

5. Use the theoretical and practical aspects of LB5240 as well as readings, discussions and case study content in class, to design your program content.

6. Source and reference a minimum of six (6) external journals/references in the appendix to the program content.

Solution

Introduction

The purpose of this report for MBA assignment expert is to create the materials for the series of workshops that will help prepare Australian managers for managing cross-cultural projects that depend on the trade relations between Australia and China. In the context of the occupation as a Management Consultant paid by the Australian Government, the goal is to prepare compelling and informative content for workshops that enable leaders to be effective in international settings. The workshops will focus on the specifics of interactions with Chinese partners based on theoretical and practical materials and examples of experiences.

Objectives/Outcomes

The primary objectives of this workshop series are to ensure that by the end of the training, participants will be able to:

● Understand key cultural differences between Australia and China that impact business practices.

● Apply effective communication strategies in a cross-cultural context.

● Demonstrate leadership skills that foster collaboration and trust in cross-cultural teams.

● Navigate common challenges in cross-cultural projects and develop problem-solving strategies.

● Enhance negotiation skills tailored to Chinese business practices.

Workshop Content

Module 1: Introduction to Cross-Cultural Leadership

In the first module, the learner has to be presented and guided systematically through the essential definitions and fields of cross-cultural leadership and its applications in the present day global commerce arena. It begins with giving a working definition of cross-cultural leadership and then re-emphasizing the centrality of Cross-Cultural Leadership in ensuring that business interactions devoid of conflict occur across different cultures. This is a significant area of understanding that offers an introduction to the trade between these two nations and targets technological peculiarities that can influence business. Culture will be used by participants to explore how leadership and business strategies are defined and learn how an appropriate cross cultural leadership between Australia and China has been achieved. It is necessary to point that this topic will be used as the background for the discussion of cultural factors in during the following sessions in more detail.

Module 2: Understanding Chinese Business Culture

The second module therefore concerns the reception of a detailed regard of Chinese Business Culture or rather the impact of such a culture on business interactions. Participants will learn about the major cultural powers such as power distance, collectivism-individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation (Murphy et al., 2020). The module focuses on the matter of business manners and communication in China, a crucial aspect of which is the aspect of hierarchy within Chinese organisations. Furthermore, the aspect of the business culture is influential in the host country such as Guanxi which deals with relationships and networks. The presentation of a real-life scenario regarding the cultural differences that were responsible for the conflict in a Sino-Australian firm would be followed to avoid misconceptions that could derive from a theoretical representation of the issue.

Module 3: Effective Communication in Cross-Cultural Contexts

The third one may improve the participants’ interpersonal interaction skills while dealing with their Chinese counterparts. It relates the focus on high and low-context communication systems in Australia and China distinguishing between verbal and non-verbal communication (Ho et al., 2020). They will be enable to learn techniques on how best to communicate in a multicultural environment such as how to listen and how best to make constructive comments. An example will be presented on how communication breakdown was avoided in multicultural projects highlighting benefits that can be derived from effective cross-cultural communication in business.

Module 4: Leadership Styles and Practices

Module four is concerned with the provision of leadership competencies that fit the cross-cultural environment of the participants. It begins with the contrast of the Australian and Chinese leadership styles towards the argument of the protagonists claiming that certain rigidity in leadership approaches should not be encouraged. It will extend methods of establishing and enhancing communication trust with team members across the desired culture and techniques of encouraging and directing multicultural employees (Yu et al., 2021). Terms of collaborative leadership behaviours will be introduced and the participants will learn about the application of such strategies in international teams. One will then use an example of a business operating internationally to demonstrate the efficiency of collaborative leadership and real-life experience of leadership.

Module 5: Conflict Resolution and Problem-Solving

The fifth module is focused on the issues that can happen during multicultural collaborations and on developing strategies for overcoming challenges. It covers typical areas of conflict that arise in cross-cultural groups and presents techniques for solving conflicts that are sensitive to cultural differences.The concepts that will be presented to the participants will encompass features of the cultural solutions, mediations, and negotiations in problem-solving (Ogrizek et al. , 2022). In this respect, the students in the context of this module will describe the conflict in an Australian partnership with Chinese people and demonstrate the ways of conflict resolution between individuals with different cultural backgrounds.

Module 6: Negotiation Skills for Chinese Business Contexts

The last of the modules is specifically intended to enhance skills of participants in the field of bargaining in the conditions of Chinese market. This module comprises an awareness of negotiation strategies and procedures in the Chinese setting as well as how to negotiate with Chinese counterparts (Xie, 2023). Indeed, one of the main notions emphasized in the framework of the studied module is patience whereas the construction of the interaction relations with the counterpart along with the regulation of one’s expectations in order to achieve the desired results is focused upon. The ‘bargaining strategies in international business’ will be one of the strategies in which the participants will study a particular case of cross-border trade negotiations.

Theoretical and Practical Aspects

Theoretical Foundations

Cross cultural management is one of the fields that need profound awareness of the leadership behaviours and one of the models extensively used in the practice is the Lewin Model of Leadership (Dinibutun, 2020). However, it is critical to note that one of the best models is the Lewin’s Change Management Model that has three main procedure, namely, unfreezing change, and refreezing. This model is very effective for the leaders who are engaged in the work within the area of cultural change and particularly cultural integration. Therefore, the stages of cross-cultural change will be used to empower the participants with real strategies of planning change, when they attend the workshop. Moreover, the Cultural Dimensions Theory by Hofstede is also used in the framework of the discussed workshop. This knowledge is useful when analyzing the impact of cultural beliefs in the manner that leaders and business entities operate. Employing the lens shaped by Hofstede’s parameters, including power distance and the contrast between individualism and collectivism (Yang, 2020). The participants will be able to understand the cultural contrast of the two participating countries Australia and China. These theoretical frameworks assist in placing the difficulties and possibilities in cross-cultural leadership into another perspective so that the participants are in a position to come up with better solutions.

Practical Applications

In order to overcome this weakness and make the practical part more effective, the workshop contains several practical components that would help boost participants’ skills in transforming the obtained theoretical knowledge into practice. In this aspect, it is vital to introduce two contrasting models “Leading with Love” and “Leading with Fear.” The leading-with-love model can be considered more modern when compared to the latter, as it focuses on such values as emotions, commitment, and innovation (Church, 2020). At this point, it is crucial to note that this style is especially useful in organizations that have achievement as a direct function of people’s awareness, commitment, and creativity. Such leaders work under a culture that enhances the recognition of workers by employers to ensure that every person works as instructed.

On the other hand, Leading with Fear is more of an autocratic style of leadership because it entails the use of force to get things done. Even though in some cases, such as military or emergency services, where strict compliance with the orders is essential, this strategy can be very effective, a negative organizational climate is a clear outcome of its use (Kuenzi et al., 2020). This is due to the fact that employees are compelled to search for other job opportunities and the company becomes incompetent in harnessing the best out of them. The workshop is going to reveal all the possible strengths and weaknesses of each leadership type and explain to the participants how these types can be implemented properly. In practical sections of the workshop, activities are implemented to guarantee that participants will be able to utilize acquired theory. Mock negotiations, debates, and discussions, as well as other similar exercises that are performed by the learners, mimic a real-life business environment to introduce cross-cultural communication and leadership skills. Such activities assist the participants in coming up with ways of handling cross-cultural groups plus the standard difficulties.

Furthermore, the workshop prescribes examples of successful and failed cases of cross-cultural business in organisations. This way, using real-life cases in the show, the participants are ready to comprehend dependent on the theoretical knowledge ways of working in different-country settings better, which is crucial for effective cross-cultural communication. To make the learning process even more comprehensive, the speakers, owners of enterprises, and cultural figures will take part in the workshop (Parncutt et al., 2021). From these scenarios, they bring a fresh understanding of how cross-cultural leadership can be done and what it entails.

Last of all, organized workshops and seminars are planned to be convened around certain areas of cross-cultural leadership, which will enable deeper discussion on such topics as communication, negotiation and conflict-solving (D'Souza & Hevlund, 2022). All of these sessions are meant to be practical in that participants can use them directly in their working environments. In summary, the combination of the key theoretical concepts and the applied elements guarantees the accomplishment of the main objectives of the workshop and the proper preparation of participants for high-stake cross-cultural projects and business relationships.

Conclusion

Based on the thematic analysis, cross-cultural leadership skills should be learned and developed by Australian business leaders who are in the process of dealing with China through international trade. It also looks at the steps through which better communication across cultures can be achieved as well as the measures that leaders can take in relation to current leadership practices to ensure that cross-cultural projects can be better managed. The knowledge and skills that will be imparted at this series of workshops will allow the leaders to develop the required capacity regarding the Australia-China business relations. Thus, the concept of the suggested workshop relies upon both the theoretical background and the set of practices to make the learning process effective and absorbing. Whilst participating in lectured sessions, cases, and discussions the participants would develop competencies that would be helpful in leadership across cultures. 

References

Church, M. (2020). Love-Based Leadership: The Model for Leading with Strength, Grace, and Authenticity. Dudley Court Press, LLC.https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nFYEEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT8&dq=%E2%80%9CLeading+with+Love%E2%80%9D+and

+%E2%80%9CLeading+with+Fear.%E2%80%9D+The+leading-with-love+model+can+be+considered+more+modern+when+compared+to+the+latter,+as+it+focuses+on+such

+values+as+emotions,+commitment,+and+innovation+&ots=rMm3tpkDZ6&sig=EJOz6FhdWAggHaEZS2

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Dinibutun, S. R. (2020). Leadership: A comprehensive review of literature, research and theoretical framework. Research and Theoretical Framework (January 17, 2020).https://www.academia.edu/download/62112204/Leadership_A_Comprehensive_Review_of_Literature

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Ogrizek, A., Moro, M. R., Bouznah, S., & Lachal, J. (2022). Perspective changes through transcultural mediation training: A qualitative study of trainees, instructors, and experts. Transcultural Psychiatry, 59(2), 154-164.https://hal.science/hal-03673654/file/Article%20TP%20.pdf

Parncutt, R., Lindborg, P., Meyer-Kahlen, N., & Timmers, R. (2021). The multi-hub academic conference: global, inclusive, culturally diverse, creative, sustainable. Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 6, 699782.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frma.2021.699782/full?trk=public_post_comment-text
Xie, Q. (2023). Using business negotiation simulation with China's English-major undergraduates for practice ability development. Heliyon, 9(6).https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(23)03443-6.pdf

Yang, J. S. (2020). Differential moderating effects of collectivistic and power distance orientations on the effectiveness of work motivators. Management Decision, 58(4), 644-665.https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jen-Shou-
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Yu, W., Cormican, K., Wu, Q., & Sampaio, S. (2021). In whom do we trust? Critical success factors impacting intercultural communication in multicultural project teams. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 9(3), 21-40.https://revistas.uminho.pt/index.php/ijispm/article/download/3632/3664