Chapter 18
All-Weather Case: Writing a Recommendation Report
The cross-cultural training program has recently ended (see All-Weather case in Chapters 11 and 15). There were a
dozen on-site sessions and about twice that number of sessions given through videoconferencing. Linda, Rudy, and
Kioni gathered evaluations of the sessions: over two dozen interviews, 20 observation reports, and 180 returned
questionnaires.
While Caleb supervised the collection of data, Doug asked Erin to supervise the analysis of the results of the
evaluation and the preparation of a recommendation report that can be used to improve future cross-cultural
training programs.
Linda, Rudy, and Kioni have begun transcribing the interviews and analyzing the questionnaires as well as the
observation reports. The three of them meet with Erin to discuss some of the preliminary findings (briefly
summarized below) of the evaluation (based on the analysis of a half-dozen interview transcripts, 10 observation
reports, and 110 questionnaires).
A: Questionnaires ( n = 110)
• Rating of the training program (25% respondents said very useful, 35% said useful, 25% said average, and 15%
said poor)
• Most preferred topics (the respondents could select multiple responses):
• Role-playing a News Event (79.6%)
• US, Mexico, and Latin America: Cultural Issues: Guest speakers (67.5%)
• Managing Diversity: Cases for engineers and managers (62%)
• Benefits of Working Together: Open forum (58.5%)
• Least-preferred topics (the respondents could select multiple responses):
• Nonverbal Communication: Exercises (81.2%)
• Leadership in the 21st Century: Cases—all employees (71.5%)
• Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions: Presentation (70.5%)
• Multicultural Intelligence: Presentation and group discussion (66.5%)
• Most-preferred training formats (the respondents could select multiple responses):
• Exercises (e.g., “Role-playing”): 75%
• Guest speakers (69.5%)
• Open forum (66%)
• Cases (60%)
• Least-preferred training formats:
• Presentations (73%)
• Group discussions after presentations (67.5%)
B: Interviews (6) and Observation Reports (10)
Interview responses and observations appear to support the findings revealed in the questionnaires. For example,
an operator mentioned that the “Role-playing a News Event” exercise made him “walk in the shoes of the person in
the incident.” This, he went on to say, made him realize for the first time what it meant to be born and raised in a
culture different from his own.
Both a manufacturing manager and a marketing manager found discussions of diversity cases exciting and
enlightening. “The cases made me see assumptions that I used to make every time I dealt with someone from a
different culture, which often resulted in things I had not intended to convey,” the marketing manager said.
Referring to guest speakers who talked about the US, Mexico, and Latin American cultural issues, an engineer
said that the knowledge gained through the session will help her interact better with her Hispanic operators and
crew leads.
However, many interviewees also vented criticism of some topics of the training program. Referring to the
presentation on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, a finance assistant said that it made her sleep. A residential sales
representative expressed dissatisfaction with nonverbal communication exercises, stating that they “were basic
and poorly executed.” An operator said he thought he learned “nothing new” from the leadership cases that might
help him improve his leadership skills.
Similarly, observation reports also noted livelier audience reactions for the “Role-playing a News Event” exercise
and during lectures by guest speakers. Conversely, the reports noted that the audience participation and response
fell significantly during nonverbal communication exercises and the leadership cases.
Based on your reading of Chapter 18 and the details given in the case, answer the following questions in groups:
• On the basis of the data presented here, how would you best organize the information in the report so that it is
most useful to the HR Department in helping improve its future cross-cultural training programs (see the section
“Basic Patterns for Organizing Information” in the chapter)? Provide reasons for your organizational choices.
• What are some of the challenges and opportunities in analyzing and presenting the primary data given in the
case? Be specific in your response.
Prepare an outline of the recommendation report for Erin and her team (see the chapter for information on the
typical contents of formal reports).