REFLECTIVE REPORT-MAIPHUONG

Running head: REFLECTIVE REPORT1

Individual Assignment Cover Sheet

Master of Business

Student Name Nguyen Ngoc Mai PhuongStudent NumberSubject Name Management skillLecturer Prof. Dr Nigel BarrettTitle of Assignment Reflective reportLengthDue Date May 7th 2013Date Submitted May 7th 2013

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REFLECTIVE REPORT 2

Introduction

No one doubts that an organization cannot operate without

the managers or leaders. Many surveys prove that the need for

manager to develop their skill is highlighted. Such as the

human resource survey conducted in June 2007 found that 57.7

percent of Australians believed their boss is ineffective.

“Employees truly believe their employers should be able to

perform their job with a superior level” (Australian Financial

Review, August 2007). On the other hand, management is

strategic, thoughtful influence though goal setting and

motivation to ensure the achievement of the organization’s

objectives and management is a skill (Development Management Skills,

4thed, 2008). It means management ability can be and should be

trained and practiced. To have a competent management skill,

managers not only acquire knowledge or principles but also

attempt to integrate these rules into particular situations.

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Group discussions and teamwork help managers improve their

current management skill and have some changes in management

style and behavior.

Five Case Studies

The best candidate

Matching, self-awareness and cross cultural management

Work/ Life balance analysis

Exercise for applying conceptual blockbusting

Motivation performance

Case One: The Best Candidate

Summarize the case: the Chinese Centre for Leadership

Assessment (CCLA), a core of the Communist Party of China’s

Organization Department in Beijing, has a demand to find a

best candidate to fill the newly created position- manager of

the Beijing Assessment Centre. This candidate must satisfy two

elements: (1) an excellent understanding of Western leadership

assessment practices (2) ability to integrate these techniques

appropriately with Chinese assessment procedures.

Your supervisor and some people have impression with

Western techniques but some believe in Chinese examination

REFLECTIVE REPORT 4

system. You are a manager of CCLA and you are required to

write a report about the best way to select that candidate.

My point of view: according to Development Management Skills of

James Carlopio and Graham Andrewartha (4thed, 2008), ethical

feature are honest, transparent and ethical behavior. In the

situation of Chinese Centre for Leadership Assessment, the

ethical considerations are honesty, independent tendency and

self-awareness to combat the culture bias. Choosing a best

candidate is based on the requirement of this position. It

means: an excellent understanding of Western leadership

assessment practice combined with a need to integrate these

techniques appropriately with Chinese assessment procedures.

Certainly, the choice is not based on the supervisor’s

impression. Furthermore, I work for CCLA as a manager for a

long time and I familiar with the Chinese examination system

so in my implicit thinking, I love this style and have bias

with the new style – Western techniques. Therefore, I should

consider in the independence tendency in choosing the best

candidate for this create position.

Because this is a newly created position, I must be

careful in collecting information to write my report which

REFLECTIVE REPORT 5

shows the best way to proceed with selecting a candidate.

Firstly, we must know what the Western technique of leadership

assessment is so my team will find information about it and

its advantages and disadvantages when applying to Chinese

assessment procedure in basically. On the other hand, we refer

some local companies which integrate Western techniques to

their systems. Final, we connect to some head hunter Centre to

get some advice. Based on this information we can set up a

test for candidates and give suggestions for our supervisor.

Some members in my team are also familiar with

traditional Chinese techniques and some may be impressed with

Western techniques so they need to know that it is an

advantage if Western techniques are applied to Chinese

assessment procedure. This combination is an improvement of

Chinese style through integrating a new style. Furthermore,

they need to know that the new manager for this position will

bring a lot of benefit to whole company and certainly include

them. In the other hand, I will ask them what characteristics,

abilities and experience they think that manager should have

and how to find that person.

REFLECTIVE REPORT 6

In my opinion, the best methods in candidate selection

are: testing and interview. First of all, we will inform the

recruiting information on some channels which only intend for

manager class. In parallel, we use the service of head hunter

centers. Second, we check curriculum vitae and select some

best ones. Final, we make appointments with candidates to do

test and interview. In this selection process, it is vital to

involve: my team members- we know clearly about this process,

my supervisor- he is the initiator, the leader of the

Communist Party of China’s Organization Development in Beijing

and a leader of an assessment group.

For this position, the best candidate must have deeply

knowledge about Western leadership assessment, understand the

traditional Chinese assessment procedure and especial be

flexible in integrating new style with an old one. Since it is

sensitive and difficult to change an old procedure, the key

recommendation is excellence at communication.

Some different views in group discussion: (1) some people

believe that after the report is approved by the supervisor,

I, my team members and potential candidates are involved in

the selection process only. (2) Some students think that it is

REFLECTIVE REPORT 7

waste of money when using the service of head hunter centers

in selection process. CCLA only advertises their wanted on

some communication means and selects the best curriculum vitae

by themselves. (3) Some ones are sure that one of key

recommendation in this case must be excellence at cross

culture management

The reflection: (1) the attendance of the leader of the

Communist Party of China’s Organization Development in Beijing

and a leader of an assessment group is really necessary. In my

view, the party leader will evaluate whether the candidates’

integrating new techniques are appropriate or not in politic

term and the leader of an assessment group has a lot of

experience in working with Chinese assessment procedure so he

or she can give advice and evaluate the ability of candidates.

(2) Although the cost for using the service of head hunter

centers is high, they can introduce quantity candidates. In

addition, head hunter centers not only give another option for

company in selecting candidate but also specialize in finding

the best candidates. This service deserves to use. (3) I agree

with this point. I recognize that besides good at

communication, good at cross culture management is so

REFLECTIVE REPORT 8

essential because it helps to combat the prejudice in some

people. CCLA is an eastern company with a fairly strict

hierarchy of reporting and the new technique is from western.

There is a big difference even contrast in culture between

eastern style and western one so there are a lot of biases or

prejudice. Therefore, the conflict will be raised and it

prevents the integrating two techniques Chinese and western.

Only a manager who good at cross culture management skill and

communication skill can solve this problem.

Case two: Matching, Self-awareness and Cross Cultural

Management

Summarize the case 1: in case one the Nordic managers who

were working in a joint venture company with Chinese managers

try to prove a good performance by giving a respect to age and

build trust. However, because this is not their normal style,

they feel uncomfortable and unsatisfied.

My point of view: Nordic managers’ strategy was adapting

to a new working environment with different culture. However,

they lack of self-awareness about the different value result

from different culture so they feel unfamiliar. According to

Trompenaar’s value dimensions, Nordic managers’ common styles

REFLECTIVE REPORT 9

are universalism and specific whereas Chinese mangers’ styles

are particularism and diffuse. Therefore the matching skills

should be involved in this case are matching particularism

with universalism and specific with diffuse. To make the gap

culture become smaller, Nordic managers and Chinese ones

should discuss, identify and recognize what is right, what is

wrong and the normal approach is not intended to be a rude. In

addition, Chinese managers have a tendency to appreciate the

integrating life’s role and the value on the past and

traditions more than the future so the Nordic managers should

consider the key issues, the value and the worldview of the

person or the vision and culture of the organization. The

ethical consideration here is self-awareness in value area to

combat the prejudice about different culture. It helps Nordic

manager feel comfortable and work effectively.

Some different points of view: (1) some people believe

that the strategies in this situation are giving the respect

to age and built trust. (2) Some ones think that the ethical

involved the implicit forms of prejudice because two groups

have conflict of management style and the Nordic mangers hate

Chinese associates.

REFLECTIVE REPORT 10

The reflection: (1) those actions are only the ways which

Nordic managers use to show their goodwill in co-operation

with Chinese co-workers. Because Nordic mangers know the

Chinese manager hold the value of particularism, in which the

relationship with an individual governs the behavior, they use

these policies to try to join in the different cultural work

environment. Therefore, the formal strategy should be adapting

to a new working environment with different culture. (2) In

fact the difference in culture causes the implicit prejudice

and creates the conflict in management not the conflict of

management causes the bias. The reason here is two groups have

difference in value or standard to evaluate effectiveness

management. The reason is not the Nordic managers feel

unsatisfied because of difference in management style. In the

nutshell, they need to apply the matching approaches to close

the difference gap in culture.

Summarize case two: in case two the manager allows his

subordinate hiring people who would be effective in the job

position even if they are relatives although it is against the

policy of Coca – Cola. He establishes a budget for his

subordinate using for selection. However, he also set the


standard for subordinates to evaluate the selection of their

relatives for position and only effective candidates for job

should be hired.

My opinion: his strategy is balancing the benefit and

demand of employees and organization. Because he knows that if

he ignores or refuses his subordinates’ demand, they will

perform in absenteeism and passive resistance. This

performance affect to company’s operation negatively. He is

matching the collectivists with individualists because in this

case he needs to reach a solution quickly before his employees

have negative actions. The ethical consideration should be

involved in this case is the fairness in treating with these

subordinates and new employees who are the subordinates’

relatives. When the subordinates prove their demand to appoint

their relatives to position a bottling plant and attempt to

argue by absenteeism and passive resistance, it makes

annoyance and creates the bias in this manager. The manager

should consider whether their demand is right or not, why this

demand is raised and have behavior corresponding with the

employees’ performance at work and avoid the group bias.


Group discussion: another idea is the manager’s allowing

causes the negative thought in his subordinates. They will

think that the can require more and more demand so the ethical

consideration here should be self-awareness about respect the

general policy. This idea makes me recognize that it is

necessary to open a policy to push the managers’ subordinates

better than to keep their face and incentive in the future.

However, that is the long term approach. In this case, firstly

the manager must guarantee the organization’s operation

continuously and does not give any behavior to express the

annoyance.

Case 3: Work/ Life Balance Analysis

The diversity of activities in life makes human must

think and make a choice based on their private conditions.

Since some reasons such as money, time or chance, we only can

join in some areas and refuse the others. Certainly, we can

adjust our choice to have a balance life. In the past, when I

was a student, I spent most of time nearly seventy percent of

my time on studying and ten percent on intellectual activities

such as participate in soft skill class and English club.

These activities helped me acquire a lot of knowledge and


skills which is useful for my job at the present. On the other

hand, I used another ten percent of time to cook, talk and

play with my family members. Because it took me nearly 2 hour

to drive from my home to school, I only came back home once a

month on Sunday. Besides that I also spent left ten percent of

my time to meet my friends, sing karaoke, drink coffee and

chat with them. These activities helped me keep the

relationship with my family and my friends. However, I spent

so little time for them so I lost some friends and the love

between I and my family members decreased. In addition,

because of lacking physical activities, my health was not good

and weak. In the nutshell, I partly satisfied with these

activities and benefit from them.

To cope with the changes in my life, my current schedule

is different from the past. Working activities occupy sixty

percent in my time. Besides going to the office, I must join

in some courses to update the new laws and major knowledge at

every weekend. Sometime I feel stress and tired so I usually

connect to face book and some other social websites to chat

and make friends during work hour. Furthermore, I stay up late

to play game and read some articles and comments on face book.


The result is I do not enjoy my life and I always fell bored.

I think I will take a yoga course and read some novels. I hope

it can reduce my stress and improve my spiritual area. Instead

of stay up and get up late I will go to bed and get up early

because I think it some physical exercises in the morning can

help me reduce my weariness and improve my health. I also

still keep attendance at English club twice a week because I

like this social activity. It not only helps me have advance

in my job based on good at English skill but also gives me a

chance to make more friends. Especially, I am trying to spend

all my holidays on travelling and shopping with my family and

my friends because I want to be relaxed, consolidate my

relationship and know more culture characteristics in the new

places.

Another view in group discussion: (1) my friends suggest

that they use fast food or available food instead of cooking

with family and they can have more time to join in other

activities. (2) Some people give me an advice that I should

reduce the amount of time on work and spend more time on

enjoys other activities.


The reflection: (1) I think cooking and eating together

are the good family activities. They bring the warm feeling to

whole family so it deserves to spend time on. (2) I agree with

this point. I will set a daily work plan since it not only

reduces work time but also increases the effectiveness of

work. I will have more time to do physical exercise and join

in social activities such as charity or green summer campaign.

Case 4: Exercise for Applying Conceptual Blockbusting

As a manager, making decision and solving problem are

vital tasks. Especially, in problem solving the manager always

should give more than one solution to use in unexpected cases.

However, manager will be inhibited in create problem solving

by their conceptual blocks. To overcome this obstacle we must

practice a lot and give more alternative solutions for one

problem. Particularly, in scenario two – preserving our

heritage, the world hundreds of thousands of books which was

printed around 19th century and into the 20th century and

contain the value of societies and cultures are steadily eaten

away by natural acids. Unfortunately, Government does not have

any policy of budget to reserve these libraries. Fortunately,

libraries have an alternatives and that is digital


reformatting. However, what should we do with printed

material, destroy or preserve and who can make this choice.

My view: the problems are identified in this case are

whether the value of societies and cultures should be reserved

and protect from the daily destroy of nature rules; and if yes

how to solve the financial problem and who are responsibility

for this process. In my opinion, the answer is “yes” and the

library’s founders who appreciate the value of the books

should be involved reservation. To solve this problem, first

of all, the content of books should be digital reformatted to

serve as electric books, republished paper books. Then the

founders can select some high cultural and social value books

to auction. This is one way to raise the fund for continuous

operation of library. However, in case the auction is not

successful, some alternative solutions also should be set. The

libraries can improve their sales by improve the lending and

reading services. On the other hand, the libraries can connect

together to improve the customers’ satisfaction by exchange

books. Another solution to cope with the financial struggle is

advertising on some public communication. This method can show

the readers that these libraries are one of good sources to


make the research and attack more reader. When the budget is

improved, the founders can hire more employees to take care

books. On the other hand, the more readers touch the books,

the less the acid destroys.

Group discussion: some people believe that the problem in

this case is how to prevent the books from the attraction of

acids and their solutions are completely different. They use

some chemical mixture or invite some experts in reserving

filed to get advice. Some ones think the formal problem is how

to use the digital technique to reserve the original value of

books and they give some approaches to solve it such as: scan

each page of books or input all information in books into

computer by typing.

Reflection: I agree that we need to reserve books exactly

the social and culture contain in books. However, the problem

should be money or budget to take care books. Without money we

cannot pay for chemical mixture or hiring labor to type. When

we choice reserving these libraries, it means the reservation

become the target not the problem.

Case 5: Performance Problems of Jeremy Fernandez


Summarize the case: since graduate from a two-year

college course after high school, Jeremy Fernandez has been a

draftsperson for many architectural firms. He is 35 year old,

married and has four children. Two years ago, because your

firm’s workload has been extremely high, you hire him although

his previous employer gave him a mediocre comment.

Because of time pressure and lack of adequate staff, the

tension in the office runs pretty high and employees must work

at night and weekend. During this tension period, you have

been pleasantly surprised by Jeremy’s performance. He

Discussion

question

My answers Group find out

Jeremy’s

problems

He is stressful or

unbalances morale and

diffident, inadequate

training, generalize

negative recognition.

He is poor performance

and decrease of work

efficiency.

Does not have enough

resource as

information, feedback,

time to follow goals

He needs more training

skills.


and high performance.

He need revise salary. He need re vise

salary.

He needs respect from

partners.

Inferiority and

unconfident.

He needs equity

recognition.

Corporation’s

problems

Goals setting are not

clear to appraise work

outcome.

Boring job or process

without challenge.

The organization that

has not appropriate

policy and program to

motivate employees.

Do not have an open

motivate environment.

Do not have rewards or

recognition to high

performance.

There is a problem in

motivation

enhancement.

Inadequate training.

Inequity personal

motivation.

Tension office.

Company and Jeremy is

not received any

feedback.


Don’t have timely

feedback.

Question to

ask Jeremy

I and members do brain storming to get

questionnaire below:

Do you know clearly your outcome goals and

requirement?

Do you think your goals are measurable?

Do you agree with the goals commitment?

Do you feel it is possible to achieve goals?

Do you need some kind of supports or help?

Do you need a training course which is pay by

company’ budget?

Do you think your performance outcomes are

meaningful?

Can you tell your unsatisfied job factors

besides wages?

Did you have any reward last year?

Do you think the rewards are equity and

attractive?

Do you get and provide timeliness feedback?

Does supervisor agree on your performance


quality?

Suggested

solutions

My answers Group find out

Relevance salary and

welfare OHS&W program.

Launching integrated

motivation program.

Assessment for Jeremy’

performance.

Defining clear all

about goals and

expectations.

Remove Jeremy’s

obstacles, training,

resources, support and

collaboration.

Rewards and

recognitions policy,

solve negative

feedback.

Individual

recognitions equity.

Positive, timeliness

feedback.

Alternative Conduct a formal performance review


solutions

Build up a healthy workplace

Training program is necessary

Recognizing Jeremy high-quality work

Timeliness feedback

James Carlopio, Graham Andrewartha, David A. Whetten & Kim

Cameron. (2008).

Developing Management Skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders, 4e.

Pearson. Sydney.

Messmer, M. (2002). Selecting the best employees. The National

Public Accountant, 12-13.

REFLECTIVE REPORT-MAIPHUONG

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