Posted: March 27th, 2015

Cross-cultural Management

Cross-cultural Management

Order Description

You are required to prepare a 1500 word critical evaluation of the following journal article:

Rodrigues, I., & Sbragia, R. (2013). The Cultural Challenges of Managing Global Project Teams: a Study of Brazilian Multinationals. Journal of technology management & innovation, 8, 38-52.

Report
The second element of the assignment builds upon the first. You are required to prepare a 1500 word critical evaluation of the following journal article:
Rodrigues, I. and Sbragia, R. (2013) “The Cultural Challenges of Managing Global Project Teams: a Study of Brazilian Multinationals”, Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, Vol. 8, Special Issue ALTEC, pp.38-52.

Students are required to hand in one hard copy of their report in the lecture and the report should also be submitted electronically via Study Net.
Your report should comprise of four main sections:
1. An examination of the theoretical framework developed in the Journal Article: Rodrigues, I. and Sbragia, R. (2013) “The Cultural Challenges of Managing Global Project Teams: a Study of Brazilian Multinationals”, Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, Vol. 8, Special Issue ALTEC, pp.38-52.

2. A discussion of the research approach adopted in Rodrigues, I. and Sbragia, R. (2013)

3. An assessment of the wider implications of the article for individuals involved in cross-cultural management

This is an academic piece of writing, but – particularly in your discussion of the implications of the article for managing across cultures – you should also draw upon the material in your Learning Journal to discuss whether the article is consistent with your experiences.
Example Structure for the Report about the Evaluation of Journal Article
Introduction: Here you should outline what the report is about, telling the reader how it is structured, and stating the conclusions you will draw. It is often useful to revise your introduction once you have completed a report, to make sure it still describes the report accurately.
Brief description of the paper being evaluated: Here you should – very briefly – outline the topic of the paper, the research undertaken, and the findings the researchers have made. This should take no more than a page, and is similar in style to an abstract. The importance of this section is a) it gives the reader a quick overview of the paper to be reviewed, and b) it gives you a useful check as to whether you understand the paper i.e. if you can’t summarise it, then you probably need to read it again!
Theory and Literature: Evaluate the main theoretical frameworks, and prior research studies, used by the researchers in developing their paper. You should NOT go through every reference cited, giving a detailed description of it. Instead, you should highlight the broad theoretical underpinning of the paper, perhaps going into greater detail where there are one or two specific models which are used a great deal by the researchers. Points you may wish to explore: 12

a) Are there concepts/theories/models the researchers do NOT use, but which you think are relevant to the topic? Researchers are only human, and they may be inclined to cite references which support their ideas, and ignore references which might contradict them.
b) Do you agree with the way in which the researchers have used the concepts, theories, models or previous research? For example, you may think they have misinterpreted a particular theory, or that a particular study they cite in support of their argument does NOT show what they claim it shows.

Research Approach: Briefly explore the research design and methods employed, before turning to a consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach as a way of illuminating the research questions posed by the researchers. Discuss any limitations you can see in the method, substantiating your views with reference to the appropriate literature.
Researchers’ Findings and Conclusions: Evaluate the main findings, and the conclusions which the researchers present. You need to think carefully about whether these findings are valid, and whether the conclusions are justified. In part, you will need to refer back to the method adopted in the project – researchers sometimes use valid methods, but then draw over-ambitious conclusions. You will also need to assess how appropriately the researchers link the findings of the project with the literature presented in the literature review.
Implications for individuals involved in cross-cultural management: This section builds upon all the previous sections, and thus what you write here depends largely upon the points you’ve already made. For example, if you’ve argued that it’s a badly designed piece of research, drawing upon inappropriate theoretical frameworks, and with findings and conclusions which cannot be supported, then clearly it would be difficult to argue that the article’s findings have any implications for individuals. Equally, if you think the article has some flaws, but presents some interesting findings which might be relevant, then you need to discuss its implications – why would people want to know what the paper tells them, how might it affect their practice, how should it affect their practice, what implications does it have for the organisations they work for, etc. This section also presents a useful opportunity for you to integrate the outcomes of the analysis included in your presentation with your assessment of the article. You should discuss, for example, in what ways the article resonates with the conclusions you drew from your learning experiences and whether it has anything to add to your broader considerations of intercultural working.
Guidance for the Report
Answer the question! Think carefully about how you structure your work and ensure that it meets all the criteria set out in the assignment brief. Pay attention to the themes and issues set out and check that you have included everything that you need to when you submit the work.
Referencing. You should demonstrate your reading in the subject area through reference to or occasional direct quotations from appropriate sources. Do not simply reproduce diagrams or extensive general information from the textbooks or articles, however. You should assume that I know the workings of any basic theoretical or analytical models you use and will allocate marks for the way you apply them to the question or to clearly support a line of argument that helps you to answer the question. Where you use direct quotations or show diagrams, try to keep them short and ensure that they make a direct and clear contribution to your argument. 13

Style and content. Your work summarises your findings and evidence that is relevant to the questions answered. You do not need to make a complete listing of all the analytical and interpretative processes you went through. You should expect, therefore, to carry out more analysis in the process of exploring the question than you will use in your final work.
Combine practical information and organisational theory. I will give marks for a well-supported argument and discussion of the question that draws on evidence, applies the evidence intelligently and shows some insight in drawing conclusions. The aim of the assignment is to evaluate the issues embedded in the question, not to descriptively reproduce factual information on a topic area.
Sources of research information. You will find information from a variety of sources, including academic and trade journals, press reports and company- or industry-produced information. Remember to consider the validity of the information and the writer’s viewpoint in the sources that you use in your final text. You should minimise the general descriptive information you include. You should focus on analysis and interpretation of the significant issues you identify, rather than describing them in excessive detail. Remember to credit all sources of information that you use, in your text and in the bibliography.
Structure and development. Try to ensure that the structure of your work follows a clear pattern and that the themes develop in a way that is appropriate to your line of argument. Ensure that what you write makes a direct contribution to the question and try to avoid including general or irrelevant information in your answers. I will not allocate marks to any particular format for the written work. However, please include appropriate headings, sub-headings and other sign-posts so that we can see the direction of your thinking and analysis.
See Academic Skills website for guidelines on writing report and report