7OS05 Managing people in An International Context Question 2 (AC 2.3)

7OS05 Managing people in An International Context Question 2 (AC 2.3)

Culture clashes aren’t just clichés in this unit, they’re the main plot. “7OS05 Managing people in An International Context Question 2 (AC 2.3)” focuses a lot on what happens when HR teams try to apply home-country rules in places that don’t share the same assumptions. It’s part anthropology, part management, part trial and error. Some learners expect a toolkit and get a bit thrown off by how much is interpretation, judgement, and it depends.

Still, the more you sit with it, the more you start recognising those unspoken tensions even in your own environment. It’s not always East vs West. Sometimes, it’s just different teams, values, or habits.

Case study

You work in a senior people management role in a UK-based clothing retail and distribution company that specialises in sportswear. It is called Fitter Threads Ltd and has grown considerably in recent years with the successful development of a big online store. The business model involves commissioning, sourcing and shipping products from factories based in developing countries for distribution, in the main, to customers in Europe and North America. Profit margins are excellent, but in recent years, as the company has expanded rapidly and new suppliers have been engaged, managers have been concerned about reliability of supply. Orders are not always delivered to the warehouse on time, and there have been justified complaints made by customers about a decline in product quality.

Senior managers have thus made the decision to acquire some garment factories in Asia and to start managing them directly. It is a risky decision, as the company has no experience at all of managing operations overseas, but it is considered strategically necessary in order to permit further expansion of the core business. Three manufacturing sites have been identified, all of which have established factories which already supply Fitter Threads Ltd, based in different countries. Deals have been done and in the next few weeks all three will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of the UK-based company. A long-term approach is being taken as far as people management strategy is concerned. Change will be introduced steadily over the next two years as investments are made in the new manufacturing operations with a view both to expanding them and upgrading plant and equipment. Meanwhile a two-pronged approach will be taken to the development of international managers:

i) Three experienced Fitter Threads Ltd personnel will be appointed to join the established management teams in each of the sites. This means that a total of nine UK nationals will be expatriated (potentially with their families) to work at senior levels in the newly acquired operations for a period of three to five years.

ii) Three experienced managers from each of the Asian factories will be invited to work in Fitter Threads Ltd’s UK operations over the coming year with a view to learning about the company’s systems, its culture and, particularly, its expectations in respect of people management. This means that nine people (again potentially with their families) will temporarily be ‘inpatriated’ from Asia to the UK.

Senior managers are particularly concerned to ensure that their new operations observe corporate norms in areas such as business ethics, environmental protection, health and safety, employee voice and fair recruitment practices. These all currently accord with ‘best practice’ principles as this term is generally understood in the UK. Managers are aware that such norms are presently very often not observed in their newly acquired operations as this is not common practice in the garment industry in the countries they are investing in. They understand that this will be challenging, but are very concerned not least for public relations reasons, to ensure that basic standards are maintained globally across all their sites in the future.

You are asked to provide advice to Fitter Threads Ltd’s senior management team. For the purposes of this assessment, you are free to choose which three locations in Asia you wish to research and write about. You must, however, choose three different countries.

Your final report should be 4000 words (+/- 10%) in length and should address each of the following questions fully and directly:

Question 2 (AC 2.3): Drawing on published ‘cultural mapping’ models (e.g. Hofstede, Hall and Hall, Basanez etc) set out the major differences managers going to work in the Asian operations will expect to encounter both in work and in the wider societies they will be living in. Which do you consider will pose the biggest challenge in terms of the ‘culture shock’ they and their families are likely to experience?

 

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Step 1: What is the Question Really Asking?

The question is asking you to help the company’s senior management understand what cultural differences their expatriate managers (and families) are likely to face, both in the workplace and everyday life, as they move into roles at the company’s newly acquired garment factories in Asia.

You’re being asked to:

• Use cultural models (Hofstede, Hall & Hall, Basanez, etc.) as a lens, don’t just rely on opinion.
• Show clear contrasts between the UK and each of the three selected Asian countries.
• Touch both on organisational life (teamwork, hierarchy, communication) and social/cultural settings (family life, gender roles, social norms).
• Reflect on which differences might be hardest for expats to adjust to, this is your own informed judgement.

Step 2: Structure Your Answer

Here’s how I’d suggest you lay it out, not rigidly, but this flow can help:

1. Brief introduction — remind the reader of the business context and set the tone.
2. Theoretical framing — explain how cultural models help us understand the issue.
3. Country-by-country comparison (India, Vietnam, Bangladesh):
   • Work culture differences.
   • Societal/cultural lifestyle differences.
4. Comparative reflection — which challenges are most disruptive?
5. Conclusion-style comment — not formal, just bring the discussion full circle.

Let’s Begin Writing It

1. Reintroducing the Business Context

Let’s imagine you’re beginning your answer. You might write something like this:

As Fitter Threads Ltd moves into full ownership of three garment manufacturing sites in Asia, one of the more complex issues it must face relates not to supply chains or factory machinery, but to people. In particular, the cultural settings in which British expatriate managers will now be living and working differ quite substantially from the UK. For a business that’s built around strong internal expectations of fair work, employee voice, and ethical standards, these cultural gaps will influence not only how day-to-day tasks are carried out but also how effectively teams connect and adapt.

Nine UK nationals are being relocated to Asia. To make this successful, we must understand what they’ll encounter, both in terms of how business is conducted and the broader culture that surrounds daily life.

Already, this draws the reader in without sounding too polished. It’s clear, slightly conversational, and tied to the case study.

2. Using Cultural Models: A Framework

Before getting into country specifics, you want to anchor the reader with a model or models that will help them understand what’s coming. Here’s how that might look:

To assess cultural difference meaningfully, we need to move past generalisations and look at structured ways of thinking. One of the most widely used models is Geert Hofstede’s framework, which looks at national cultures across several dimensions, things like power distance, individualism versus collectivism, and attitudes to uncertainty. Hall and Hall’s model adds useful depth in areas like communication styles (high-context vs low-context). And Basáñez takes an even broader view, considering values across dimensions like harmony, hierarchy, and affective expression.

Using these lenses gives us a way to anticipate the friction points, and also the blind spots  our managers may face.

This doesn’t overwhelm with theory. It just introduces the key ideas with enough confidence.

3. Country-by-Country Comparisons

Let’s now look at each of the three countries.

India

Workplace Differences (via Hofstede):
India scores high on power distance, meaning that hierarchy is accepted and expected. Employees may defer to superiors, and expect decisions to come from above. In contrast, Fitter Threads likely works in a flatter, more consultative model in the UK.

There’s also a lower emphasis on individualism. Group loyalty, especially within teams or family-like structures at work, is valued. This might feel unfamiliar for UK managers used to individual performance metrics and open feedback culture.

Hall & Hall: Communication Style:
India leans towards high-context communication. Messages may be indirect, and reading between the lines is often more valued than open disagreement. A manager expecting frank discussion may instead find hesitation, politeness, or what feels like avoidance.

Wider Cultural Life:
Socially, expats may find that norms around religion, gender roles, and caste subtly or not so subtly shape interactions. Life outside work is deeply family-oriented, spiritual practices are embedded in public life, and the sense of personal space differs from UK expectations.

Vietnam

Workplace Differences:
Vietnam scores similarly high in power distance, but also in uncertainty avoidance, meaning that structure, rules, and predictability are valued. Initiative-taking might not be as natural unless formally invited. This may frustrate UK managers who expect flexibility and fast decision-making.

Collectivism is strong, loyalty to the company or team matters more than personal goals. This can work well for cohesion but also means feedback or critique might be filtered to avoid embarrassment.

Communication:
Also a high-context culture, where messages are layered. Non-verbal cues, tone, and indirect phrases do a lot of the communication work.

Social Life:
Culturally, expats may be surprised by the importance placed on seniority, face-saving, and group dining. Alcohol culture in business contexts might also play a stronger role than expected. Spouses may find gender norms more traditional, and schooling options may feel limited depending on location.

Bangladesh

Workplace Norms:
Hierarchies are again central. Formal respect for authority, less direct challenge in meetings, and expectations that managers will lead decisively are strong. There is less space for employee voice unless specifically requested.

Religious values (Islamic practices, prayer times) shape the rhythm of the working week. This may affect planning, scheduling, or gender interaction norms.

Communication Style:
Politeness and indirect speech are deeply ingrained. Silence is not awkward, it’s thoughtful. This could create uncertainty for a UK manager expecting constant verbal input.

Life Outside Work:
Expat families may face adjustment when it comes to living arrangements, transport, and security perceptions. The role of women may appear more restricted. Schooling may require private options. For families used to open parks and informal play, there could be a lifestyle gap.

4. So What’s the Biggest Culture Shock Risk?

This is where you need to show personal judgement, but not too neatly. You might write something like this:

It’s hard to isolate just one challenge, but based on the models and what we know of Fitter Threads’ current working culture, I think the biggest culture shock may come from the communication disconnects, especially in Vietnam and India.

A manager can be technically skilled, even culturally respectful, and still completely miss what’s really being said in a high-context environment. Decisions may appear agreed upon when, in reality, the local team felt too polite to raise concerns. That mismatch, between what’s spoken and what’s meant, could cause delays, misunderstandings, or worse, slow loss of trust.

For families, Bangladesh may prove more difficult. Particularly for spouses or children who are used to open, secular, highly individualistic spaces, the shift to a more structured, religious and gendered society could be jarring.

And, perhaps most tricky, none of this hits all at once. It builds slowly. Managers may feel fine for the first few weeks, then gradually find themselves confused, or even isolated.

5. Bringing It to a Close

You might not need a formal conclusion, but it’s good to round it out:

In preparing UK managers for these assignments, cultural awareness training will need to go well beyond basic etiquette. They’ll need tools to listen differently, to check their assumptions carefully, and to give their local teams the space to shape the relationship. Cultural difference isn’t a barrier, but pretending it doesn’t matter might be.

Summary: What We’ve Done

• Introduced the company context naturally.
• Used cultural models to frame the discussion.
• Compared the UK with India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh using real, human examples.
• Judged the toughest elements of culture shock.

Question 2 Draft (AC 2.3)

Introduction: The Human Side of Global Expansion

As Fitter Threads Ltd enters a new phase of growth with its direct ownership of garment factories in Asia, one concern stands out that cannot be solved with spreadsheets or warehouse audits how people will actually live and work together. Moving nine experienced UK managers across the world is not just a logistical matter. It’s an encounter with unfamiliar rhythms, spoken and unspoken rules, and layers of expectations that may feel alien to those used to a certain way of working in the UK.

To anticipate what those managers (and, equally, their families) will face, we can lean on structured frameworks like those developed by Hofstede, Hall and Hall, and Basáñez, to map out how national cultures vary. This helps shift the lens away from assumptions or stereotypes and towards more reflective thinking. That said, no model fully captures the day-to-day realities someone might encounter, but it gives us a strong place to start.

For this analysis, three countries, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh have been selected. Each already supplies Fitter Threads Ltd and now forms part of its direct operation. They’re similar in some ways all based in Asia, all shaped by colonial histories, and all developing economies, yet culturally, they diverge in meaningful ways that can affect both business and personal life.

Understanding Cultural Frameworks

Before getting into specifics, a few words about the frameworks themselves.

• Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture offer a six-point model that includes Power Distance, Individualism vs Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity vs Femininity, Long-term Orientation, and Indulgence.
• Hall and Hall’s Context Theory focuses on communication, contrasting high-context cultures, where meaning is conveyed indirectly, with low-context ones like the UK, where clarity and directness are prized.
• Basáñez’s Model is more values-focused, comparing countries on dimensions like Hierarchy, Harmony, and Affective Autonomy, helping explain how people relate to authority, change, and emotional expression.

These frameworks allow us to move beyond the surface, beyond just “people dress differently” or “meals are eaten late” into understanding deeper behavioural patterns that affect teamwork, decision-making, and daily life.

India: Hierarchy Meets Collectivism

Workplace Expectations

UK managers arriving in India are likely to find that business relationships are formal and often embedded in strong hierarchies. According to Hofstede, India scores high on Power Distance, suggesting that deference to rank is normal. A manager in India may not be questioned in open settings. Decisions might not be openly challenged. Employees might avoid expressing disagreement, even when it matters.

This contrasts with the relatively flat structure many UK managers are used to, where openness, constructive debate, and shared responsibility are encouraged.

India is also a collectivist society, meaning that group loyalty often outweighs personal ambition. A manager who rewards individual performance or assumes people will “speak up for themselves” may misread the room. Promotions and incentives may be expected to consider seniority and family obligations, not just KPIs.

Communication Style

Hall and Hall classify India as a high-context culture. Communication tends to be indirect. People may nod in agreement out of politeness, not actual consent. The idea of ‘saving face’ avoiding embarrassment for oneself or others is woven deeply into conversations. This means managers must read tone, body language, and what’s left unsaid.

Life Outside Work

Outside the office, managers and their families may find life in India busy, spiritually rich, and complex. The visibility of religion, the role of caste, and more traditional gender expectations may take adjusting to. Time feels less rigidly structured than in the UK, and public services like transport, healthcare, or schooling may operate on different expectations.

Vietnam: Collectivism with Formal Precision

Workplace Culture

Vietnam also scores high on Power Distance and Collectivism. There’s often a visible respect for titles, age, and experience. Younger staff may hesitate to offer critique or new ideas unless prompted with care. Decisions might take longer, not due to inefficiency, but because consensus matters.

Vietnam also leans high on Uncertainty Avoidance, so rules, policies, and clearly defined processes are appreciated. Managers who are informal, improvisational, or prefer to “figure things out as we go” may unintentionally cause stress or confusion.

Communication Style

Again, Vietnam is high-context. Much is said between the lines. Silence may be a sign of thoughtfulness or resistance, not agreement. Meetings may seem smooth, but real concerns could be voiced elsewhere. Language differences add another layer, but even in English, how something is said can matter more than the words.

Living Experience

Culturally, Vietnam places strong emphasis on community, family, and respect for elders. Daily rituals, including ancestor worship and communal meals, are deeply valued. There’s also a visible formality to business dining and social hosting. UK families may find aspects of daily life delightful, but potentially limiting too, especially in more conservative or provincial areas where Western lifestyles stand out.

Bangladesh: Formality, Faith, and Constraint

Workplace Dynamics

Bangladesh exhibits strong Power Distance and Masculinity in Hofstede’s model. Leadership is expected to be directive. Employees may rarely question authority, and gender roles at work can be more defined. Feedback is usually top-down, and peer-level candour may be seen as disrespectful.

Religious practice is deeply embedded in both work and public life. Prayers, dietary laws, and modest dress are part of the norm. Managers will need to factor these rhythms into schedules and team dynamics.

Communication Patterns

Bangladesh’s communication is again high-context. This presents similar challenges, particularly around misinterpreting silence, politeness, or agreement. It may take time to build the trust required for more open discussion. Managers from the UK may need to slow down their expectations and focus more on presence than persuasion.

Cultural Life

Life for expat families could be more restrictive than in India or Vietnam. Certain liberties, freedom of dress, access to leisure, and availability of international schooling, may be harder to secure without careful planning. Gender roles can be more conservative, and public affection or behaviours seen as neutral in the UK may draw attention or disapproval.

Which Cultural Challenges Matter Most?

Not every cultural difference causes problems. Some differences are fascinating. Others are merely inconvenient. The ones that become barriers are usually the ones we didn’t see coming, or the ones we misunderstood completely.

The biggest challenge here might be communication mismatch. Not because it’s loud, but because it’s subtle. UK managers used to direct speech and quick decision-making might misread indirect responses as agreement. Or miss discomfort altogether. That misalignment, where no one realises there’s a problem until it’s too late is probably the biggest risk.

In terms of lifestyle, Bangladesh may pose the toughest adjustment for families. The combination of religious conservatism, infrastructure differences, and more restricted public norms may create a sense of isolation for accompanying spouses or children.

That said, culture shock is deeply personal. What unsettles one manager may go unnoticed by another. Some may adapt quickly to team dynamics but struggle with family logistics. Others might do fine in public life but never quite settle into the communication style at work.

Pointer

This isn’t about learning to fit in perfectly. That’s unrealistic and unnecessary. It’s more about learning how to be curious without judgment, to slow down our assumptions, and to listen in unfamiliar ways.

Fitter Threads Ltd is taking a bold step, but it’s not just about owning factories. It’s about stepping into lives, routines, and expectations that will never look exactly like what they’re used to. With the right mindset and preparation, those differences don’t have to be obstacles. They can be part of the story of how the business grows, and how the people in it grow too.

FAQs:

1. Does this unit focus on specific countries or regions?
   No, it’s more about contrasts, how HR concepts adapt (or don’t) in different cultures, economies, or legal systems.

2. Is it okay to focus on just two countries in an assignment?
   Usually, yes. Depth matters more than range. Just be clear about your rationale for choosing those settings.

3. How does the module treat cultural sensitivity?
   It encourages students to be cautious and avoid blanket assumptions. Culture is messy. You’re meant to stay aware of that.

4. What frameworks are used?
   You’ll come across models like Hofstede’s or Trompenaars’, but they’re not gospel. The module often challenges their simplicity.

5. Is the unit relevant for remote teams or hybrid workplaces?
   Definitely. In fact, a lot of the ideas apply just as much to virtual cross-border teams as to physical offices.