Case Study 2: Communication

When an American company opened an office in India: Business operations needed to adjust to include frequent phone-based conference calls. The American team quickly began to complain about the language skills of the Indians, claiming that they were too difficult to understand over the phone. Tensions mounted over time, and American team members began to resist working with the Indians, and frequently complained. Management clearly stated that the Indian team was critical to new operations, but resistance did not disappear entirely. Ultimately, management fired the most resistant Americans in order to show that the culture needed to adapt to a new international model, and strive to work with their Indian colleagues.

Analysis: Executive management made a clear statement when it fired the most resistant employees. This is a calculated move to support the foreign team, and presumably to push a culture of tolerance.