Topic: Evaluation of the key Cross Cultural: Management Influences at Barclays PLC

Order Description
Module

Cross Cultural Management

Assignment
Title
Evaluation of the key Cross Cultural
Management influences at Barclays
PLC

Harvard Referencing The Harvard Referencing System must be used. The
Wikipedia website must not be referenced in your work.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students should
be able to:
1. Discuss critically the concept of culture and
approaches to the study of culture, explaining its
usefulness and relevance to a range of issues of
management and organisation.
2. Provide a critical account of the main theoretical
approaches to cross-cultural management.
3. Use these theories to analyse problems and issues
of organisation and management in a context of
increasing cultural diversity, and to recommend how
they may be addressed.
4. Evaluate the implications of culture and/or language
for business communication.
5. Identify the effect of global communications on
disparate cultures.
6. Appraise the problems of managing across cultures
and propose considered solutions.

Grading
Criteria
Postgraduate Grading Criteria for this assignment is available at the
end of this document.

1

Scenario
Your Task
You are an aide to the management team tasked with integrating
the Barclays and Lehman Brothers cultures post the acquisition
of Lehman Brothers.

Based on the case study of Barclays and Lehman Brothers,
supported by your own research you are asked to do the
following.

Referring to the 6 levels of cultures normally found in a business
context and considering the main theoretical influences and
models in the field of cross cultural management, write a report
where you discuss the challenges faced by Barclays PLC after the
acquisition of Lehman Brothers. As part of the report you are also
asked to provide recommendations on how the management of
the newly formed organisation can effectively move forward
without losing key management staff, intellectual property and
knowledge created at Lehman Brothers while they were still
operational.

The report will include the following:

1- Background of the businesses involved, highlighting some
of the key cultural influences and challenges that
management may be facing. (LO1, LO2)
2- Critically evaluate prominent theories and models on the
topic and linking this to the business in question with the
view of making effective recommendations to the team.
(LO2, LO4, LO5, LO6)
3- With justification, identify the key management actions
that can be taken to address the issues highlighted in 2
above, which will ensure the business is able to leverage
the acquisition effectively in order to gain competitive
advantages for the business. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4)

Guideline Please read all questions and information provided carefully. Answer
should be made in appropriate length keeping in view the
requirement of each question and total word counts allowed.

In addition, your assignment should demonstrate the following
qualities:

A critical appreciation of relevant literature and its use to support
argument, substantiate calculations and other aspects of the
assignment.
Taking ownership of the content, being prepared to debate and
argue a personal position, and providing evidence of evaluative

2

skills. A submission made up of extracts from published sources
which is descriptive or simply just theoretical regurgitation is not
acceptable. Your submission must have interpretation and
consideration of the challenges and issues of taking theory into
practice.
Logical flow of ideas and treatment; appropriate selection of real
world factors related to the companies under scrutiny.

Evidence of additional personal research, and the ability to analyse
material from a variety of appropriate relevant perspectives.

Presentation, structure, appropriateness of methodology, breaking
into section headings/subheadings, tidiness.

Marks will be awarded for proper referencing and originality of work.
Also note that plagiarism is a serious offence and your submission
will be electronically checked.

Your report must be handed in electronically no later than given date
of submission.

Note The assignment should be in the format of a professional Business
Report ( one that you would be expected to submit to the Senior
Management Team of an organization were you to be in a “real-life”
business situation)
3
Grading Criteria
Grading
Criteria
70%+100 60-69% 50-59% 0 -49% Fail
Generic skills:
communication and
presentation.
Comprehensive and
correctly structured
assessment. Style
of writing is very
fluent and develops
a coherent and
logical argument.
Excellent
referencing.
Well structured
report which follows
appropriate format
but some aspects of
layout and
referencing could
be improved. Style
of writing is fairly
fluent. Good
referencing.
Good report in most
aspects but suffers
from variations in
quality and the
layout contains
some inadequacies.
Style of writing is
satisfactory.
Referencing needs
improving.
Very poor report
which is incorrectly
structured and
contains major errors
and omissions. Style
of writing lacks
coherence and
fluency. Poor
referencing.
Knowledge &
Understanding
Demonstrates
excellent knowledge
of theory and
provides critical
theoretical
underpinning. Very
good interpretations
and summarising of
main themes.
Wide range of
knowledge
demonstrated and
evidence of good
understanding of
the topic.
Ability to interpret
and summarise
succinctly.
Good range of
knowledge
demonstrated but
weaknesses in key
areas. Some
understanding
displayed of the
topic.
Summary and
interpretation are
satisfactory.
Very poor range of
knowledge
demonstrated and
there are major
weaknesses evident
in interpretation and
understanding.
No clear
interpretation of main
themes.
Analysis Excellent use of
theoretical and
conceptual models
to guide analysis
linked with a critical
discussion of main
themes.
Deconstructs the
major themes used
in the argument.
Very good use of
the theoretical and
conceptual models
with good critical
discussion and
application.
Good evidence of
deconstruction.
Use of theory and
concepts limited but
relevant. Application
could be improved
and there is a
tendency towards
description.
Must provide more
evidence of
deconstruction.
Very poor use of
theory and very little
application of
concepts.
Very little description
with not much
evidence of analysis.
Synthesis/
Creativity/
Application
Logical presentation
of themes with
appropriate
examples being
demonstrated. Very
good demonstration
of synthesis.
Models have been
clearly applied to
the argument.
Very good account
of main themes with
sound application.
Good attempt at
applying models to
the argument.
.Fairly good attempt
at synthesising the
salient points.
Good account of
main themes with
some attempt at
application. Limited
evidence of
synthesis.
Very poor account of
main themes with
little or no application.
No links between
models and
argument.
Evaluation Shows clear
evidence of in-depth
critical reflection
and evaluation of
the argument by
providing a robust
defence of the
opinions presented
in the assessment.
Shows evidence of
critical reflection
and evaluation and
a fairly cohesive
defence of the
argument
Shows some
evidence of critical
reflection but could
have been
developed.
Shows little or no
evidence of critical
reflection and needs
to be much more
developed. There is
no defence of the
opinions presented.