IES Self-Assessment and Written Report

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Introduction

Managing multicultural groups can be the hardest thing for corporate managers if necessary precautions are not put in place, to mitigate any potential barriers. Such as  the biggest dilemma for leaders in any multicultural group setting. They need to maximize the groups’ strengths and try as much as possible to eliminate or reduce potential setbacks within the group. According to Brett et al., (2006) there are four main potential barriers to a success of multicultural teams, which include: direct versus indirect communication, challenges with pronunciations and fluency, conflicting attitudes toward a chain of command and power, and conflicting norms for choice making. Successful corporate leaders dealt with these issues differently, and that determines their success rate. According to Mendenhall et al. (2009) five types of leadership theories do apply. They include trait approach, behavior approach, situational approach, power influence and integrative approach. In the first model, there is the assumption that internal traits, motives, personality features and values of a prospective leader would help in deciding who will be a leader and how they will lead. Leadership emergence and corporate management success are correlated through: first is a strong drive of accountability and mission completion. Second is that there is dynamism and determination in search of goals. Most importantly is the ability to influence the behaviors of others towards an attainable goal. The latter feature seems to cut across all the theories, and it is upon it that focus will be on in this analysis. In this analysis, the focus will be on using IES report to help develop a better recommendation for future growth in handling multicultural settings in terms of continuous learning, interpersonal engagement and Hardiness using the trait approach.

The report

Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) is a tool responsible for guiding social scientists and business entities into making practical decisions about their intercultural bearings and towards a better decision for the future (Kozai group, 2009). It defines character or trait in three distinctive dimensions: Continuous Learning, Interpersonal Engagement, and Hardiness. In Continuous Learning, the attribute is looked at in terms of Self-Awareness and Exploration and in Interpersonal Engagement and Individual’s multicultural weakness and strength is analyzed from a global mindset and relationship interest. Finally from hardiness, a positive regard, and emotional resilience are the ways in which the subject categorized. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Character definition and Analysis

Globalists have high continuous learning ability, high Interpersonal engagement, and hardiness. In this analysis, globalists tend to be of great significance because they enjoy learning about foreign places and people, they quickly initiate relationships with those who seem different from them and find such experiences much rewarding. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Scholars have high scores in continuous learning, have poor scores in Interpersonal engagements and have better scores in hardiness. Such individuals exhibit more interest in learning than any other trait. On the other hand, networkers have little continuous learning skills have high interpersonal engagement and have high hardness. They focus on mounting relations with people more than on accepting why they are dissimilar from them. They are very resilient to any emotional destabilization. Maintaining a status quo comes very natural to them than initiating new findings. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Furthermore, explorers score highly in continuous learning and highly in interpersonal engagement but poorly in hardiness. They enjoy starting new friendships and learning about people who look different from them but are always weak when it comes to emotionally challenging situations. It is, therefore, necessary for them to seek timeouts to rejuvenate and continue in their explorative endeavors. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Also, there are observers who score higher when it comes to continuous learning, but poor in both Interpersonal engagement and hardiness. The profile defines individuals who naturally seek information by reading, asking questions and observing. They enjoy benefit from reflecting on their lives and occurrences so as to gain knowledge for themselves. Often, they tend to wait till they earn trust and optimism from people and may be suspicious and conservative about other people’s motives and character at times. Such people seem interested in new environments, but they tend to be frustrated quickly by the challenges that these new surroundings may bring. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Individualists, on the other hand, are relatively satisfied with what they know currently and with their current rate of individual development. The drive to read learn and explore new environments can be an unnecessary task to them because they are always confident of what they have and know. Even though they have a tendency of limiting new friendships their ability to be open and accepting differences can attract others to them. Even with this weak continuous learning and interpersonal engagement scores they are confident of managing stressful situations when around people.(Kozai, Group,2009)

Extroverts have small constant learning abilities have a high Interpersonal Engagement and a little hardiness trait. They enjoy being close to people and creating new relationships. They prefer to understand differences and would avoid challenging experiences. To them creating a social web of relationship is of significance than reading, observing and traveling. However, their interest in people may be influenced by the ability to form new relationships. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Traditionalists have low Continuous Learning, low Interpersonal Engagement, and low Hardiness. They tend to enjoy a status quo, where they prefer similar people and situations and are always apprehensive when introduced to new situations or people. They tend to be comfortable with constant and unchanging situations. They take comfort from solitary activities like watching television or taking a walk. (Kozai, Group,2009)

Character Strengths and Weaknesses

In being a corporate leader, it is important for one to ensure that they can learn the abilities of others and demonstrate high levels of confidence in what they know and possess. The justification for this kind of trait lies between being an independent and a globalist. But since globalist is aware of the situations around, they pose considerable influence from a global perspective and can influence organizations or group decisions, the focus will be on the independent trait.

Being an independent corporate leader attracts enormous challenges in forming new relations and causing continuous learning in that person. Independent leaders have weaknesses in continuous learning and when it comes to initiating new ties. They tend to be conservative and have the lowest score in having a relationship interest. That is their weakest area of the six competencies they are being measured upon on the IES scale.

Personal Plan for action

To develop an interest in the new relationship and learn more about them, leaders in this category must ensure that they develop an above average communication with the people they are working with or leading in their respective organizations. Further, they should give it a try to enhance communication with not only their employees but also the business community around them. That entails their clients, other competitive organizations in their area of service and delivery and any administrative entities around them.

When it comes to tactics, I will ensure I give it try to study the different language (German in this case) for every half an hour in the morning before work and in the evening after duty. I will also try to speak it with individuals under my rank, those senior and some clients to get their rapport. Also, I will need some support and encouragement from the people I work with for the study and practice.

In terms of accountability, I will report the progress to my colleague in the office and will be emailing him every weekend so as to gain further confidence in the practice and learning.

COMPONENT	EXAMPLE
Assessment: Weakest area of six competencies I was assessed on	The lowest score was on relationship interest, so that is the area I will work on.
Goals: Record a little a wide number of objectives to help in the focus of the efforts	To develop an above average standard of communication with the people my employees and senior bosses and my most immediate employees and respective authorities in Germany.
Tactics: These are concrete-how –to- That assists in measuring the general plan.	I will endeavor to study the language 30 minutes in the morning and further half an hour in the evening. Further, I will practice speaking with at least three individuals from various levels either junior, senior, or customers
Support. Help needed from others	Time and backup to study and practice with my workmates will be necessary and also give appreciation to my juniors for a job well done and encourage them to improve when needed no to criticize them.
Accountability	Who: - I will report my progress on language study to a colleague in the office. How and When- I will email him and chat with him every weekend after work.

 

Future recommendations for growth

It is rather absurd for corporate leaders to act in isolation from the people they are leading in whatever jurisdiction. For this, it is much important for the leaders to study their culture and after that form a baseline upon which they can study and learn the culture of the people they serve. The approach will ensure continuity and sustainability of their professional work and duty.

In decoding an individual’s behavior or character, corporate leaders need to consider issues like gender, occupational status, age and generation, religion and most importantly life experiences. In so doing they shouldn’t forget to apply the IES skills because it is with these skills that the gap between leaders and their subject becomes small.

Conclusion

IES skills are an essential aspect of the current global and multicultural business setting. With the advent of the internet, various cultures, institutional agendas, and leadership skills have become borderless. Therefore, managers need to seek out to their workers and those above them culturally, because it is by doing so, that they manage to become global enterprises and established leaders and thereby build trust for better collaboration (Bird and Osland, 2006).According to Brett et al. (2006) successful managers and their teams dealt with multicultural obstacles, through adaptation, structural intervention (the act of changing the team’s composition), managerial intervention and exit. The later meaning an ability to remove a team participant when all other interventional options have collapsed. It becomes mercurial for these leaders to adhere to the stated recommendations and believe in extending their leadership skills towards incorporating the different multicultural differences between them and their members. It is also therefore of much significance, for these leaders to consider the attractable leadership theory to apply when handling such issues.

References

Bird, A., & Osland, J.S (2006). Making sense of intercultural collaboration. International Journal of Management and Organizations, 35 (4), 115-132.

Brett, J., Behfar, K., & Kern, M.C. (2006). Managing Multicultural Teams. Harvard Business Review, 84(11), 84-91.

Mendenhall, M., Osland, J., Bird, A., Oddou, G., & Maznevski, M. (2009). Global leadership: Research, practice and development. London: Routledge.

Kozai Group, Inc. (2009) The Intercultural Effectiveness Scale.