Attitudes and Behaviors of the Insider and the Outsider with Respect to Dancom Organization - Case Study Example

Name of university Name of college Student name Student number Course number Course title ANALYSIS OF HOW HELPFUL THEORIES OF MOTIVATION ARE IN UNDERSTANDING THE CONTRASTING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF THE ‘INSIDER’ AND THE ‘OUTSIDER’ WITH RESPECT TO DANCOM An essay submitted in partial fulfillment criteria for the award of….name of degree… Academic year Date of submission Signature of student Declaration I declare that this work titled ‘ANALYSIS OF HOW HELPFUL THEORIES OF MOTIVATION ARE IN UNDERSTANDING THE CONTRASTING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF THE ‘INSIDER’ AND THE ‘OUTSIDER’ WITH RESPECT TO DANCOM’ is my original work except as cited in the reference section. This work has never been submitted before in any institution of higher learning or published in any journal, magazine and is not currently in candidature for award of any degree or diploma certification Name of the student Student number Academic year Signature of the student ANALYSIS OF HOW HELPFUL THEORIES OF MOTIVATION ARE IN UNDERSTANDING THE CONTRASTING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF THE ‘INSIDER’ AND THE ‘OUTSIDER’ WITH RESPECT TO DANCOM In introduction, motivation is a characteristic aspect of an individual (Sorrells 1998:1,11) with potential to influence individual behaves (Early and Ang 2003:59) or individual responds to environmental stimulus (Schwartz 1999:23-47) subject to individual needs, desires, ambitions and aspirations in life. Motivation is a behavioral product (Sorrells 1998) with emotional and success associations (Varner 2000a:39-57). Hofstede (1980:21) argues motivation is a derivative of intrinsic, extrinsic, physiological and achievement functions in the life of an individual subject to domain of basic values (Hofstede 1980, 1983:46-74). Hofstede (1980) indicates organizational intrinsic and extrinsic environment determines outcome of employee motivation that shapes organizational economic growth. In multi-national organizations, cross-cultural motivation determines the scope of economic growth (Varner 2000b:99-111) that organization can realize subject to cross-cultural leadership behavior that is adopted vis-à-vis the local cultural and traditional affiliations of the employees (Early, Ang and Tan 2006). This essay evaluates theories of motivation and their application in understanding contrasting attitudes and behaviors of the ‘insider’ and the ‘outsider’ with respect to Dancom organization (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:153-163). The essay analyses varieties of motivational factors at play in Dancom, managerial viewpoints in providing an environment for blossom of motivational attitudes, availability of behavioral modification processes that prevail at Dancom and primary managerial actions that are stimulus to foster motivation among employees at Dancom and how interaction of different factors of motivations have created a division of employees into ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’. Gooderham and Nordhaug (2003:153) indicate that an individual’s perceived ability of ‘sense to belong’, to an organization subject to ability to communicate and share knowledge, differentiates individuals into ‘insiders’ or ‘outsiders’. Lack of rapport (Varner 2000b) among employees is a recipe for employees to feel included or excluded in organizational strategies for development (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:159). Early and Ang (2003:59) indicates this is depended on intrapersonal perspective that is responsible for employees adjustment to new cultures forming ‘insiders’ and those who fail become ‘outsiders’ irrespective of the time they join the organization. Early and Ang (2003) have shown that this is based on cross-cultural intelligence of the employee and is a determinant of successful employee interaction with cross-cultural contexts. Early and Ang (2003) suggests intra-personal aspect to be intersection product of cognition, meta-cognition and motivation parameters. The insiders don’t suffer language barrier (Varner 2000a) and can communicate effectively with foreign managers and specialists. Outsiders though have values and expectation (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003) they have no desire to engage cross-cultural environments. Early and Ang (2003) proposes that this is subject to inadequate enactment of verbal and non-verbal communication that are core virtues for body language. This aspect of body language (Sorrells 1998) is evident in foreign managers who fail to benefit from potential to piece together available pieces of information to form ideas that can be used to implement strategies to adapt to changing market fluctuations (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:153-161). Outsiders are disadvantaged by language barrier that results into poor self-efficacy (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:159). Employees who feel excluded have tendency to prefer formulation of regulations and organizational protocols (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:159). Hall (1963) indicates foreign managers suffocate cross-cultural motivation at Dancom by adopting high-context interaction (Hall 1963) that is characterized by minimal flow of information (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003) by assuming those in contact with market fluctuations ought to respond to isostatic market changes. Both insiders and outsiders don’t understand implementation of high-context interaction and perceive low-context interaction (Hall 1963) should prevail as a function of more information flow to bridge the gap of insufficient familiarity of cross-cultural management. Outsider’s cognition inability for high-context interaction suffocates information handling and thinking process that negatively affect their ‘partness’ to the organization. Early and Ang (2003) argue this is brought about by failure to meet standards of behavioral conformity that makes outsiders appear to have little knowledge of what to do and how to implement it hence behavioral repertoire both verbal and non-verbal responses are poor subject to poor cross-cultural intelligence that ought to have bred cognitive capabilities and motivation to acquire such behavior. Gooderham and Nordhaug (2003:161) indicates that success of organizations is a function of decision making process that should satisfy expectation theory (Hofstede 1980 p.21), goal setting theory (Hofstede 1991), hierarchy of needs theory (Schwartz 1994b) and management by goals and result-derived theory (Early, Ang and Tan 2006). Because foreign managers adopt high-context interaction (Hall 1963), Outsiders, due to limited domain of perception, are less powerful and expect prevalence of an environment of different levels of power and authority as opposed to informal relationships. Outsiders are for the opinion of existence of high power distance (Hofstede 1980) and foreign managers ought to exercise power bestowed their positions. This feel conflicts with insiders who prefer low power distance (Hofstede 1980, 1983) characterized by perception of no power barrier between themselves and foreign managers and that traditional values should have greater precedence hence their value for informal relationships (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003). Insiders prefer collectivism subject to socialist ethics and to act as members of organizational groups while outsiders prefer individualism guided by masculine culture (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005) by valuing competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition, wealth creation and material possession (Hofstede 1980). Insiders tend to incline to feminine culture by having high preferences on building relationships and quality of life (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:153-154) hence their tendency to stay on longer after organization meetings. Russians perspectives of actualizing things (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:161) don’t respect the hypothesis of workgroups and ‘consider themselves as individuals at work’ hence prioritize individual mechanism of decision making. This agrees with high-context interaction (Hall 1963) where little information is communicated and consultation is minimal. Hofstede (1980) argues Russians prefer to act as a community and work towards maintaining corporate networks. Insiders satisfy this aspect of communism (Hofstede 1983) by exhibiting neutral emotions as opposed to outsiders who portray affective emotions through body language characterized by early leaving of organizational meetings and viewing their organizational relationships as built on monetary gain. Insiders exhibit diffuse dichotomy as opposed to outsiders’ specific dichotomy (Hofstede 1983) subject to responsibility assignment and acceptance. This aspect makes insiders synchronous (Hofstede 1980) characterized by doing several things at the same time as opposed to outsiders view of sequential nature of doing one thing at a time. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997a) indicates every culture has specific aspects that differentiates itself from others on modalities of approaching problems that cross-cultural challenges pose and these aspects result into cross-cultural dilemmas that question feasibility of the approach. By failing to conform to tenets of workgroups, outsiders violate ERG theory that is a function of Existence, Relatedness and Growth specifications (Rosinki) that form structure of a hierarchical order system (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner 1997b, p8). This tendency portrays no equivalence relations with regard to equity theory towards benefiting organizational climate and structure (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005). Prevalence of inequity theory is responsible for existence of an insider and an outsider because outsiders decreased sense-to-belong is taken as growth constrain relative to insiders (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005). Breeding of the inequity among employees stratifies the employees (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:159) and this paves way for considering employees on basis of their nationality that is practiced by outsiders (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:157). Organizational motivation is affected by ‘employee’s belief system’ that is a derivative of education system (Schwartz 1994a). Russians grow in a communal setting and this predisposes high regard for informal relationships (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:156) that characterizes their lack of personal or private space. Ronsinki (2003) indicates exhibition of behavioral attitudes varies with regard to groups that employees associate that bring forth integration of cultural perspectives (Hall 1963) into practice because behavioral attitudes conform to prevailing specific cultural thought context (Ang et al 2007:335-371). Two-factor theory (Rosinski 2003) affirms informal relationships are built on organizational motivational factors and hygiene factors. Insiders believe close relationships; motivational factors like recognition and possibility of additional responsibilities (Hofstede G. 1991) translate into organizational hygiene factors like improved supervision (Hofstede & Hofstede, Culture and Organization 2005), increased pay, increased job security (Hofstede & McGrae 2004) and better working conditions. Outsider are however objective and don’t value informal relationships because they don’t form a basis of reinforcement theory (Early, Ang & Tan 2006). Reinforcement theory (Early, Ang & Tan 2006) provides that motivation is an outcome of behavior which is a function of reinforcement consequences. Reinforcement outcomes are only predictable if they are supported by goal-setting-theory. Goal setting theory affirms that motivated behavior is an outcome of goals that are guided by organizational directed intentions (Honeycutt, Ford & Simintiras 2003: i-xxiv). By virtue of goal setting theory, employees are able to engage in activities and employee intent to act in a particular manner is a product of the organizational anticipated goals that are reinforced by the employee effort and the will to act effectively towards achievement of strategies meant to actualize the projected outcomes of a given organizational objective (Kerlinger, 1979). Past observed outcomes (Trumpenaars & Hampden-turner, 1993) influence future possible actions and it becomes possible to predict future results based on present organizational climate. According to tenets of reinforcement, a continuous consequence has probability of being repeated. Ronsinski (2003) provides that cross-cultural alignment shapes employees personality but Hofstede (1980) points out that this acquired personality is pegged on scope that employees are oriented to personally shape cross-cultural management without personifying mission statement. Hampeden-Turner and Trumpenaars (2000) indicate foreign managers should realign themselves to suit and realize different needs of another culture by virtue of recognizing cross-cultural issues and their impacts on cross-cultural management and their potential to address challenges that arise. Outsiders’ expectancy element (Trumpenaars & Hampden-turner, 1993) that defines their roles and responsibilities should be respected without foreign managers perceiving any deviation from their culture of mentorship and leadership. Foreign managers should strive to understand varied cultural perception in terms of cultural framework and perception of cross-cultural attitudes as a source of social constraints (Clutterbuck 1985). They should not wait until a time when cross-cultural issues are a source of conflict which has potential of casting a bad managerial image in the negative light subject to untimely communication of protocols (Hofstede 1980). Hampeden-Turner and Trumpenaars (2000) indicates that level of participation element influences outcomes of motivation in an organizational setting. This is subset of employee relations (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:156) where insiders have close relations with foreign colleagues who bring about an aspect of ascribed status where insiders and outsiders subscribe to different definitions of their personality that affects motivation and cross-cultural relations. Hall (1963) indicates this manages habitual responses and creates environment for different mode of sustainable interaction to coexist. Hofstede (1980) suggests cross-cultural elements have elements that are vital for everyday life and which are difficult to accept and integrate and which bring forth source of cross-cultural threats to members of other cultures (Hofstede 1980). Gooderham and Nordhaug (2003) indicate that there is a characteristic locus of control dimension among insiders at Dancom that affects their choices of actions that translate into observed behavior. Insiders are self-motivated (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003:156) and work for long hours as opposed to outsiders who measure value of their work in terms of remuneration. In terms of implementing tasks, insiders competently adhere to charismatic leadership theory (Hofstede & Hofstede 2005) due to their self-confidence in informal relations ability to transform business and assert influence because they have a strong conviction on the correctness of their close-relations moral beliefs (Hall, 1963). Insiders value social influence motivation theory based on the idea that sustainable management practices relies on social influence to protect the organizational life-line as a measure of power motivation success factors (Hofstede 1991), measure of desire of influence (Hofstede 1983), measure of pro-social influence motivation (Hofstede & McGrae, 2004) that brings about dominance that eventually makes it possible to predict managerial success and leader effectiveness. Outsider’s views differ in that they forge for dependence of thought (Hall & Hall 1990) and ability of leadership effectiveness as a product of market analysis to predict timely life spans of a strategy or product before they can introduce another that might interfere with the lifeline of the current product’s life cycle (Hofstede 1980). Hampeden-Turner and Trumpenaars (2000) indicates insiders have an aspect of individualism subject to their need to be identified with Dancom and ability to perceive Dancom growth and development as a function of their own personal growth and development. Accordingly, Hampeden-Turner and Trumpenaars (2000) argues that insiders have an element of communitarianism by virtue of their need to live together and interact socially with their superior, an element that outsiders consider as lacking in protocols and standards. This holistic element of diffusion makes insiders perceive formulation of lines of authority as breaching their cultural inclinations (Dooderham and Nordhaug 2003:153-154) subject to communication procedures hierarchy as against their upbringing social principles. This is contrary to perception of outsiders who don’t recognize informal relations as a recipe for organizational structure and adherence to positional authority (Dooderham and Nordhaug 2003:159). Hampeden-Turner and Trumpenaars (2000) indicates that outsiders exhibit characteristic specificity in terms of organizational goals and personal goal achievement. Life cycle theory advocates for four leadership styles that managers and their subordinates should potentially understand thus telling, selling, participation and delegating. Teamwork amongst Russian (Dooderham and Nordhaug 2003:161) is not a managerial legacy because Russians subscribe to achieved status quo and prefer to use intuition rather than planning and forecasting to implement development changes (Kerlinger, 1979). The Russians value their sense of intuition by perceiving consultation, setting of priorities and clarity of information as a waste of time that undermines production (Dooderham and Nordhaug 2003:162-163). In conclusion, employees both ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ should have a responsibility participatory level that paves way for communication and sharing of knowledge which is primary feature of workgroups and work teams. The organization should provide training opportunities to employees based on training need analysis of the employees as a measure towards equipping them for their corporate responsibilities and creating an environment where the employees feel the organization has confidence in them by offering training opportunities that are not biased by relative ‘insider’ or ‘outsider’ orientation (Varner 2000b). Training of employees (Varner 2000a, 2000b) provides an organizational climate where employees feel there exists job security in their organization and this motivates them to deliver their optimum potential. The employees should be trained on cross-cultural values and successful cross-cultural interaction (Early and Ang 2003) as this has an effect of creating an atmosphere where ‘insider’ or ‘outsider’ groups do not exist and all employees feel they are important human resource assets in the organization. This would create an environment where formulation of protocols and organizational framework of protocols is objectively understood (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003) and help to develop line of authority that employees are supposed to abide by. The foreign managers should adopt low-context interaction characterized by high flow of information both vertically and horizontally which would result into work relationships characterized by consultation on market behavior that would gradually form core structure for formulating organizational changes for products based on market demand (Hall 1963). Low context interaction would ensure sufficient flow of market information exists that would positively lead into better decision making framework that complies with expectation theory (Gooderham and Nordhaug 2003), Goal setting theory of motivation (Hofstede 1991), Hierarchy of employee needs and organization growth (Schwartz 1994b) and management by goals and result-derived motivation model (Early, Ang and Tan 2006).low-context interaction will pave way for low power distance between foreign managers and employees (Hofstede 1980,1983) where no barrier exists between foreign managers and employees hence paving way for conformance with ERG theory of motivation (Existence, Relatedness and Growth) and ensure no social conflicts could happen that could negatively affect organizational image and growth. Bibliography Ang, S., VanDyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K., Templer, K., Tay, C., et al. (2007). 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