Mexican Work System

Plant in Mexico GM501-xx (xx = section #) Management Theories and Practice II Introduction (Summary of the Case) This case study looks at the need for American management in Mexico and the benefits and obstacles to such a working relationship. More contemporary and dynamic management is needed in Mexico for the most part and many firms desire it strongly.

Many of the most successful companies still understand that the maquiladora industry needs to be able to step up its level of production so that it can compete on a more versatile level that can play a more rigorous hand within the world market and with what can be constructed within the U.S. There needs to be more of a general perspective of American managers acting as ambassadors of goodwill. There needs to be a more heightened sense of responsibility in this light.

Analysis Major Issue (What and Why and How) The major issue of this case study is the fact that there are some very real and very formidable issues in conjunction with American managers taking over a plant in Mexico. One of the primary issues is the fact that they do not share a common language and the cultural norms and standards are different. This makes many of the elements necessary to run a successful company quite difficult to achieve.

Furthermore, the overall mentality with which companies are viewed and treated also create a major stumbling block to the success of the managerial goals as a whole. Economic protectionism and the French-style learning system created a mentality where, "In comparison with U.S. workers, Mexican workers may not follow through on tasks, they tend to be activity oriented rather than problem solvers and appear to assume that companies exist to provide jobs rather than to make a profit" (de Forest, 1994).

Thus, the main problem is the mentality and the learned behaviors in conjunction with work and working for a major company: these behaviors act as substantial impediments to the success of the company at large and to setting achievable goals. As already stated, the educational and economic systems already in place contribute to the underwhelming way in which work is viewed in Mexico.

There's also a more nuanced culture at work in Mexico which creates metaphorical red tape for outsiders who enter the field and who want to accomplish tasks at a different timeline along a different mindset. For example, it's important to bear in mind that Mexican firms are in many ways yet another institution -- just like the government, the church and the greater society at large.

For many of these institutions, there's a firm hierarchy in place: structure is good for companies, but an intensive level of rigidity can be truly destructive and damaging to the success of firms as a whole. There's largely an unequal distribution of power which can lead to the person running a given company having an excess of power. This can be quite so problematic as the power is often inherited, instead of earned and comparable power can be gained via friendships and favors done (de Forest, 1994).

"Most top managers balance competing interests through consensus rather than engaging in open competition. Mexican firms tend to reward submission, direction, and loyal personal service -- remember, personal service -- to the person in authority" (de Forest, 1994). This can be such a massive problem because it's an example of tradition shaping culture which shapes and solidifies current and future values. This can create a dynamic where the present and the future repeat the past.

This can be daunting problematic as it creates expectations about the ways that things are done, roles that are created and objectives that are set, which remain self-perpetuating. This can indeed be unfortunate and not allow a company to thrive, while preventing the appropriate development of workers and stunting overall team cohesiveness.

In terms of self-perpetuation, this can also lead to the familiar rigidity which characterizes so many institutions to continue to be a pervasive aspect of Mexican society and can make it even more daunting for outsiders to engage in meaningful change. Recommendations Alternate Courses of Action Brute force is one course of action which will offer some success rate, even if it's not the most effective one.

Brute force will essentially require the firm to Americanize their practices and will require a team of managerial people to overhaul the current system. Another possible course of action would be to ask the workers how they think change should be implemented in the company. This is more of a communicative approach but could possibly have a higher success rate, as a result of the fact that it relies so strongly on workers for feedback.

Best Course of Action and Why The best course of action would be to work with the aspects of the culture which are likely to stay immutable and immovable and to try to introduce change in slow developments. For example, a manager should reach out to the company's patriarchal figure and to outline the main and most important goals for the company and ask for advice and concrete actions for allowing these goals to be achieved.

Sometimes it might be as simple as this patriarchal figure putting his clear and present stamp on these goals. The other workers of the company might just need to the see the leader and person in power believe in these goals as strongly and vocally as possible. In any case, reaching out to the company leader and making him an ally is absolutely essential to.