Lack of Common Group and Jianguo’s Frustrations

Finding Common Ground – A Case Study
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Course Code and Title
Professors’ Name
Due Date
1. Jianguo's frustrations largely stem from the cultural and organizational differences between his previous role as country manager for Deronde's China operations and his new role as senior vice president of global product development in Paris. For example, Jianguo's Paris colleagues focus primarily on maintaining the company's European and North American markets. At the same time, Jianguo is eager to push into emerging markets such as China, Brazil, and India. This creates tension when Jianguo introduces new ideas that his colleagues are reluctant to embrace. Also, Jianguo is used to a more hierarchical management structure in China, where he can make decisions without much interference from others. But in Paris, he must collaborate and engage with colleagues resistant to change. Moreover, Jianguo's colleagues often seem to misunderstand or misinterpret his intentions, as when Yves Saurac is miffed that Jianguo didn't solicit his input on Western markets. Finally, Jianguo is not used to the informal, familial culture at Deronde's Paris headquarters. The CEO often gets involved in a wide range of issues, and roles need to be more clearly defined. This makes it difficult for Jianguo to understand the dynamics of his new environment and adjust accordingly (Nohria, 2009).
2. First, he could take the advice of one of the commentators and work on developing a better understanding of the company's home market in France. By doing so, he may be able to show his colleagues that he is not solely focused on expanding the company into emerging ma...