BUSN419 International Business Management

Question: The Original discussion question is: Why does diversity matter in IB? When is conflict constructive and when is it dysfunctional? Give examples.  Research and locate a related article and explain its relevance to challenge 8. Discussion response of  my classmate Grace 1. When working internationally, it is essential that teams promote a global mindset. Diversity and inclusion are key factors in upholding a global mindset. According to the material found in Challenge 8, intolerance can hinder an individual’s well-being. Diversity embraces differences and promoting these values can raise morale and increase efficiency because a company’s number one asset are its people. When individuals in a company can work together as a team organizations thrive and a secret to this kind of success is creating a diverse company culture.   2. Conflict is defined as competitive and opposing views but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The way in which conflict is dealt with matters and can be the defining reason a team succeeds or fails. Conflict becomes constructive when opposing opinions are met with critical thinking processes that can tackle the problem and come to a solution through compromise and negotiation. These tactics are considered to be healthy conflict management. Harmful or dysfunctional conflict on the other hand can lead to negative effects on a team. When issues are met with aggression and close-minded solutions, a team cannot achieve efficiency and may experience major road blocks when performing tasks. For example, four students are working together on a science project. One member wants to make a volcano but the other members disagree citing that it is not creative or unique enough to place in the upcoming science fair. Healthy conflict management dictates that each member respectfully cite their own opinion and come to a solution. The student who wanted to build the volcano might assert their own opinion while accommodating to the rest of the team’s views. The others may appreciate a differing opinion and work to incorporate their teammate in another way.   3. One term that stuck out with me during Challenge 8 was The term refers to a decision making process that is uncritical and involves a team to immediate acceptance of an idea based on what the majority thinks. This New York Times article on the phenomenon sums up how Groupthink is harming individualism and creativity. It is important for a team to work together but when the team is devoid of diversity and independent thought, teams can become dangerous. The article is an interesting dichotomy to the idea that teams are progressive and being apart of one can increase productivity. I believe the article is relevant to the material we have learned this week because it critically looks at the relevance and importance of teamwork while carefully studying its roles on independence and creativity.   https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html Discussion response of my classmate Ami Diversity and inclusion are essential aspects of IB. It can bring many benefits to the company.  Companies with diversity are more likely to have success in their business ventures than those with less diversity. Many companies that are leaders in the business world most definitely have both gender diversity, ethnic and cultural diversity in their corporate leadership. This diversity would likely bring new investments, innovations, different ideas, experiences, and problem-solving methods.   3. Conflict management is how disputes are resolved using different tactics depending on the situation, negotiation, and creative thinking. Conflict can be beneficial sometimes when you can use it as a learning opportunity. Constructive conflict is when team members are willing to give feedback to one another, which is called interpersonal conflict. This type of conflict is generally positive because there is engagement and difference that needs to be reconciled. The three types of conflicts that are destructive to team performance are process, relationships,s and status conflicts. These conflicts are damaging because they are selfish, point out personality differences, and conflict with the respect that people have for one another within the team. They are damaging because they are not as voice out as they should.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVWpipM-Rnw   4)- According to this article, conflict is inevitable between groups of people that work together. Conflict is a normal process as it shows the inherent differences between people. It says that there are four types of conflicts: task, relationship, process, status, and organizational conflicts. These conflicts explain the reasons why it takes place. It is essential to know the reason behind the conflicts to solve them. As in the lecture, we can use different types of styles for conflict management. Teams can resolve their issues by integrating, obliging, dominating, avoiding, or compromising. It also explains that the management of these conflicts depends solely on the team members. When teams overcome conflicts, it shows how innovative, effective, and trusting they are.