溝通案例完整

ShouldtheCulpritBePunished?

JeanSafariwasinvestigatingaseriouserrormadebyaJapaneseworkerattheJapanesesubsidiaryofaUSmultinational.Acomponenthadbeeninsertedupsidedownandtheentirebatchhadbeenpulledoutofproductiontobereworked.Thecostofthiswashigh.

JeanaskedtheJapaneseplantdirectoraboutwhichemployeehadmadetheerror.Hadshebeenidentified?Whatactionwasbeingtakenagainsther?Shewasamazedwhenthedirectorclaimednottoknow.“Thewholeworkgrouphasacceptedresponsibility,”hetoldher.“Astothespecificwomanresponsible,theyhavenottoldme,notdidIask.Eventhefloorsupervisordoesnotknowandifhedid,hewouldnottellmeeither.”

Butifeveryoneisresponsiblethenineffectnooneis,Jeanargued.Theyaresimplyprotectingeachother’sbadwork.

“Thisisnothowweseeit.”Theplantmanagerwaspolitebutfirm.“Iunderstandthewomanconcernedwassoupsetwhenshewenthome.Shetriedtoresign.Twoofherco-workershadtocoaxherbackagain.Thegroupknowsthatsheisnewandthattheydidnothelpherenough,orlooksoutforherorseethatshewasproperlytrained.Thisiswhythewholegrouphasapologized.Ihavetheirletterhere.Theyarewillingtoapologizetoyoupublicly.”

“No,no.Idon’twantthat,”saidJean.“Iwanttostopithappeningagain…”shewonderedwhatsheshoulddo.

Questionsfordiscussion:

ShouldJeaninsistonidentifyingthewomanwhomadetheerror?

Shouldthewomanbepunishedandleavetheworkgroup?

WhatdoyouthinkisthebestsolutiontoJean’sdilemma?

Solution:

IdeemthatJean’sdilemmaiscalledonepersonmakesmistake,andeverybodyshieldinpsychology.Consideringthatthewomanisanew-comerandshefeltupsetandtriedtoresignafterthingshappened,fromthecultureofourperspectiveorconcept,IsuggestthatJeanshouldnotinsistonidentifyingthetrouble-maker.Althougheverybodyshouldberesponsibleforwhathedidaslongasheisanadult,whenhemakesmistake,theonlywayisthatacceptthepunishmentandprovidecompensation,themostimportantthingweshouldreachaconsensusisthatpunishmentatanytimeisjustameantoletpeopleknowwhathehadbeendoneisnotproperandheshouldcorrecthisbehaviornexttimetoavoidthesamethingtohappen.

Iconsiderthatthewomanshouldbeproperlypunishedbutshouldnotbedrivenout.Iconsiderthattheactionofwholegroupisnotbeneficialbutmisleadingher.Althoughsheisnew,shewillhavetheillusionthatnexttimewhenshemakesmistakes,shewillbeavoidedpunishmentfortunately.Giverherproperpunishmentandinthefuture,shewillrememberbyheartnottomakethesamemistakes.However,noonecanpromisethatinhislifetimemakenomistakes,nottomentionthewoman,thus,weshouldbetoleranceforherandgiveherusefuladviceinwork.Ibelieveshewillbebetternexttime.

IarguethatJeandoesn’tneedtoinvestigatethewomanwhomadetheerror.Itisthecompanythatshouldprovidenecessarytrainingcoursesforthenew-comer.WhatJeanshoulddoisthatwriteareportwhichdescribesthecountermeasuresthecompanyadoptedtoavoidthesamethingstohappen,ratherthaninsignificantlyidentifyingthetrouble-maker.

TheAmericanGirlinJapan—

Barbie’sStrugglingStoryoverTwoDecades

MattelInc.hashadgreatdifficultyconqueringtheworld’ssecond-largesttoymarket,Japan,whichisvitalifMattelistoachieveitsgoalofbecomingmoreglobal.TheJapanesemarketisnotoriouslydifficulttopenetrateasMattelhasfoundduring20yearsofdoingbusinessinthecountry.Mattel’sinitialattemptstomarketBarbieinJapanmetwithlimitedsuccess.Mattelhadenteredthemarketwithoutthoroughlyunderstandingit.Toaddresstheproblemoflowsales,MattelenlistedtheservicesofTakara,aJapanesetoyspecialist.Throughfocusgroups,MattellearnedthatBarbie’slegsweretoolong,andherchesttoolarge–inshort,Japanesegirlsdidn’trelatetoBarbie’sphysicalattributes.Also,Barbie’seyeswerechangedfrombluetobrown,andthedollultimatelytookonalookthatwasappealingtotheJapanesechildren’ssenseofaesthetics.TheTakaraBarbiewasborn.

Althoughsalesimproved,alicensingdisagreementpromptedMatteltoterminatetherelationshipwithTakaraandsearchforanewpartnerinJapan.TakaracontinuedsellingthedollasJenny,which,ironically,becameacompetitortothenewJapaneseBarbie.In1986,MatteljoinedforceswithBandai,Japan’slargesttoycompany.BandaiproducedMabaBarbies(“Ma”forMatteland“ba”forBandai)withwidebrowneyes.DuetoitssimilaritiestotheJennydoll,however,MabaBarbiewaswithdrawnfromthemarketbeforeitachievedsuccess.MabawasreplacedbyBandaiBarbieswhichwereagainsimilartoJenny,possessingthewide-eyelookbutwearingmainlyballgownsandunimaginativeclothing.

Onceagain,marketsuccesseludedMattel.Indeed,MattelwascommittedtoneitherJapanesenoranAmericanstyleandthuscompetedpoorlyagainstdollswhoseidentitywaswelldefined.However,MattelrealizedthatitscompetitiveadvantagelaywithitsAmericanculture.ThoughMattelhadattemptedtoadapttotheJapaneseculture,Matteldiscoveredonceagainthatgirlspreferthewell-knownBarbietothelocalversions.In1991,MattelendeditsrelationshipwithBandaiandopeneditsownmarketingandsalesofficeinTokyo.MattelintroduceditsAmericanBarbietoJapanandexperiencedsuccesswith“l(fā)onghairstarBarbie”whichbecameoneofthetop-sellingdollsinJapan.Althoughfinanciallossesmounteduntil1993,in1994BarbiemadeaprofitinJapanwithsalesalmostdoublingsinceitsreintroduction.

In1999,MattelrefocuseditsJapaneseefforts.ThenCEOJillBaradpromisedtodoubleMattel’sinternationalsaleswithin5years.Tothisend,aJapanesenativenamedSamSugiyamawasplacedinchargeofMattel’sJapaneseoperations;previously,thepositionhadbeenheldbyAmericanexpatriates.Mr.SugiyamastatedthatMattelwas“veryanxioustodosomethingquickly,”understandableconsideringitspastproblemsinthemarket.Afteralmost20yearsofperseveranceinJapan,itwasimperativethatMattelimproveitsposition.Therefore,thecompanyjoinedforcesonceagainwithBandaitoformamarketing,sales,andproductdevelopmentallianceinanefforttotacklethecomplexJapanesedistributionsystem.

Attheendof2001,CEORobertEckertreportedthatMattel’sstrategicpartnershipwithBandaihad“eliminatedchronicoperatinglosses”inJapan.

Questionsfordiscussion:

WhydidthesalesamountstillremainedlowafterBarbiechangedherlookandadaptedtotheJapanesese