This ostensibly a function of the cultural fabric within the framework of Mexican societal mores that establishes the knowledge transfer relationship.
Therefore, business operations in Mexico, as a Mexican workforce is to be hired, are a direct reflection of these cultural mores within the rigid chain-of-command. Similar to a banking operation, the role of the employee is subject to protocol and oversight by the manager. The manager is not an embodiment of the 'chain-of-command'. In fact, Mexican office environments appear to be autonomous and horizontal rather than vertical in control.
The use of hierarchy would be to establish the rapport necessary to engage the Mexican market. Therefore, client engagements will be hierarchical with the manager-employee relationship expressing the chain-of-command as the functional link that enables the communication. Decision-making is also top-down given these constraints and is likely to provide the greatest appeasement to the uncertainty that the Mexican market would have if the decision-making were not top-down.
The German market would ostensibly expect a rather flat organization that is based on establishing a meritocracy capable of providing the necessary motivation for the employees to innovate. Therefore, the Mexican office and the German office will be two entirely different engagements.
Decision-making in the German market will be formal with a full and detailed proposal complete with an executive summary that describes the nature of the decision, why the decision was made, and the bottom-line. The idea is to reduce and limit uncertainty by providing due diligence. The flat hierarchy and the detailed proposals with full financial disclosure is the best manner to run the German office considering...
Hiring Germans is to initiate training programs to train them specifically for the position. The fundamental focus on skill development is important to the reducing attrition rates when engaging German workforce staff as is the transitory aspect of job rotation and access to proprietary research repositories, similar to Microsoft has developed to engage its employees.
Time off of the job is also important however keeping the employee engaged is a cultural requirement more so than a business requisite. Germans as prodigious and resourceful people must remain interconnected to maximize their self-worth, which is a full body development to include competencies that enable a fully functional lifestyle.
A horizontal organizational model with autonomous workforce assignments is the ideal. Company engagements will provide time for collaboration among workforce staff and provide the opportunity to discuss job rotation assignments and requisite training development programs that are internal and proprietary.
To properly administer this function, the importance of including consultants and skilled trainers is paramount. Without identifying the proper variables that can identify and maximize the company offices resources in what can become a hostile market and environment, the investment will turn negative and the company reputation within Germany may be in jeopardy.
References
Geert-Hofstede (2011).Mexico & Germany. http://www.geert-hofstede.com
Kwintessential (2011). Mexico & Germany. www.kwintessential.co.uk
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2011) Mexico & Germany. www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/
