Discussion Posts
Social distance is described as the cultural differences among people of a given society. Cultural diversity is considered a great challenge to globalization. Most organizations are finding it difficult to establish Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) due to the associated risks promoted by social distances. Consequently, organizational management should consider understanding the dynamics of social distance to increase the chances of establishing FDIs across the globe. Adverse impacts of social distances could prevent the implementation of marketing initiatives due to financial losses. Marketing requires knowledge on social distances and communication efficiency as a means of sustaining global teams.
Discussion Post 1: Topic I
Different aspects determine the cultural background that describes the identity of an individual. For instance, people have distinct religious beliefs, which trace their way to pre-historic times. These include religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. As such, multinational corporations should respect cultural diversity in their recruitment and employment processes (Richard 342). Such a consideration would ensure minimal industrial strikes attributed to lack of respect for employees’ religious diversity. This promotes peaceful co-existence among employees, which is transformed into high production rates attracting high-profit margins. Most employees offer services with commitment when their cultural diversity is appreciated. Ethnic language is considered a rich source of cultural diversity and its information could aid in developing a marketing strategy.
Through cultural diversity, modern organizations manage employee conflicts with effectiveness and efficiency. For instance, Human Resource (HR) departments have incorporated policy measures that respect gender equality, cultural diversity, and talent management. Gender equality policies have promoted the professional growth of employees in different job categories in managerial positions (Richard 389). Similarly, cultural diversity in terms of religion is promoted using policy measures that do not interfere with the freedom of worship. This includes ensuring that worship days are kept on the company’s calendar but fairly compensated on the other workdays of the week. Talent management has also grown with the development of policies that protect cultural diversity in contemporary organizations. Elements of cultural diversity are directly related to marketing practices in most businesses that operate on a global scale.
Discussion Post 2: Topic II
Marketing management is an important practice for businesses as it promotes a product in the market. Through marketing strategies, businesses establish a strong share of the market. Similarly, marketing practices have been elevated to high standards by technology advancements. Through instant messaging, for instance, the world has become a global village (Richard 342). Businesses have capitalized on internet connectivity to improve their revenue generation levels. Marketing management is directly influenced by cultural diversity if a firm has a global scale of production. In such dynamic markets, organizations prefer remote marketing teams sourced from local labor markets. This is a measure adopted to reduce conflicts among employees.
Marketing representatives come from local labor markets as they are best suited for interacting with the market. These agents communicate using the same language as the market audiences, thus reducing instances of poor communication (Richard 391). However, most global teams do not understand their business models, hence leading to communication confusion among team members. Marketing representatives are confused on the communication channel to use when issuing formal communication. For instance, some use social media platforms to communicate formal messages that are sensitive and confidential to an organization. Instead, representatives should use secured communication channels that offer confidentiality such as mailing systems.
Work Cited
Richard, D. Lewis. “When Cultures Collide: Leading across Cultures.” Nicholas Brealey International. (2006) p. 1-573.