MCD 2030 : Assignment II Business Report

SITI ARINI SHANNAZ

ID: 23938439

AUG 2012

Executive Summary Little India is a cosmetics company that has 10 years of experience and originates from Australia. The following report will cover 2 out of 4 managerial communication concepts that is Argument and Negotiation with keeping the issue of gender awareness in the company in mind. The role of women in top management position is required more in this company to keep up with the internal and external forces. The reigning managers in the company are currently male oriented, and this shall be change due to the revolution that obliges not any sexual characteristics should be more dominating, and to give both genders same opportunity at the workplace based on the procedure. There are some barriers that need to be covered, from those who are against this perception. With arguments, CEO and the head of Human Resource Department will persuade the forthcoming meeting participants with facts and data of how this idea will meet a great outcome. With providing a brief concept and links them to the theory, the reports discussion are based on some academic sources, journal articles, and several statistics to prove and influence more for the people who attends the meeting. The attendees are consists of managers, CEO, and an external member of the company which is a representative from International Labor Organization for the purpose of clarifying accurately the needs of having more female managers. Obstacles come through the meeting participants who are not in the same opinions. With arguments and negotiation tactics such as influencing, comparing advantages and disadvantages, voting has chosen to be the reasonable way out to have a fair outcome. In the long term, the company should manage weekly meeting to get report from every divisions performance. Thus, the progress of having this meeting outcome could later be seen visibly.

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Purpose The purpose of this report is to examine the meeting insider regarding gender issue inside Little India Cosmetics Company. Its expectation is to have an equality in managers position and relates the event with theories from Argument such as conduct a meeting with cooperation, therefore they tend to be influenced with also using influence tactics, it also determines which of the negotiation strategies used against the contradicted meeting participants.

1.2. Background 1.2.1. Meeting Plan The meeting that will be conducted is a Team/Departmental meeting where routines/objectives will be discussed. The structure of this meeting is high structure/medium power concentration, where the company conducts a general meeting in order to get actions approved by the other participants. The purpose of this meeting is to examine whether the company needs more women managers. The meeting participants are consists of : Penn Howard (Chairman, CEO) Bill Currie (CFO) Siti Arini Shannaz (Head of Human Resource Department) Jim Romeo (Marketing manager) Michael Aberg (Acounting Manager) Jordan Carterer (Product Development Manager) Michelle Eve (Financial Manager) Mark Cuban (International Labour Organization representative) Jonathan Schwarz (Design Manager) Ross Mayfield (Secretary)

1.2.2. The Meeting Agenda Agenda Little India Cosmetics Co. August Meeting Friday, 24 August 2012 held at Little India building, Room A, Melbourne 8.00 a.m. 14.00 p.m.

1. Opening of meeting (Welcome and Introduction) 2. Apologies 3. Correspondence 4. Description of purpose of the meeting 5. Human Resources report 6. Secretarys report 7. Motion on notice 1 : There should be recruitment of more female managers in this maledominated company because of the issue of inequality in gender. Moved : Siti Arini 8. General Business 9. Evaluation of each division 10. End of the meeting Seconded: Penn Howard

1.2.3 The Seating Arrangement Considering this meeting is intended to reach a decision, then, the rectangular seating will be chosen in order to provide effectiveness in the meeting. The most powerful person (Chairman) in the room will be Penn Howard. The closer to the door have lessening power in the room. Across the chairman will be the one who against him, which is Jordan Caterer. Human Resource
ILO representative Financial Manager Marketing Manager

DOOR

Chairman

Design Manager

Secretary

Accounting Manager

Product Development Manager

2. THE ISSUE MANAGEMENT Due to external and internal forces that effect an organization, in this case, the Little India Cosmetics has to make important decisions to help improve the companys health, either from its profitability or its system. The gender equivalence issue has been brought up regarding the company requires more women in top managers position. Harvard Business Review (1999) states that, A respected female executive would lose a promotion to a male colleague with less experience, for instance, or a talented female manager would find herself demoted after her maternity leave. It can be seen that there is a significant gender discrimination at the workplace nowadays. However, not everyone agrees to this. Adequately, to overcome the different perceptions of each companys members, the meeting applies 2 concepts of effective communication that are Arguments and Negotiations.

2.1. ARGUMENTS In order to be heard, people needs to speak, and when the other party disagrees with somebodys opinion, argument is needed. The basis of argument is facts, logic, fallacies, influence, and persuasion. By using argumentation as a communication technique, the manager may influence the interlocutors actions and options through well-grounded evidence that can support his/her assertions and objectives. (Stefanescu and Laura, 2008). From that statement it can be determined that through a companys leaders supportive argument, any subject brought in the meeting should be delivered to its attendees. The theories need to be applied to Little India Cosmetics Company to make decisions. For example, to battle refusal from others, Penn Howard as the Chairperson will use arguments in the meeting. 2.1.1. Influence Based on the Influence Principal, someone who has the authority tends to be more successful in influencing others. Those who have the credibility will attract people. As a CEO, Penn Howard will be wearing proper suit in the meeting, his appearance have a tendency to gain respects from the participants of the meeting. The meeting have two sides, first are those who agree to the new managerial arrangement within the company that consists of women, and the second one are those who against it. In order to influencing effectively, the chairman and the head of human resource will have to explain clearly why the company needs such improvement. The only way 6

to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it. (Carnegie, 1981). Therefore, to make those who are in disagreement understands the point, the chairman and the head of HRD need to point out the advantages and the disadvantages of having more female managers. George (1996), following George & Brief (1992), asserted, Leaders who feel excited, enthusiastic, and energetic themselves are likely to similarly energize their followers. If people who arrange the meeting expects that all of the invited attendees could have the similar belief, therefore the CEO as the leader should guide the meeting in an exciting way, so that the people in it can be passionate about the materials being delivered during the meeting. With this treatment, not only the people inside the meeting pay attention, but time efficiency will be invented.

2.1.2. Scenario Manifestation Disagreement comes from another side of the meeting (2 male managers from Product Development and Design Managers). This group proclaims its reasoned arguments. The first one is that women that have children gets distracted by their family easily. The majority of male managers argue that it will only be temporary for women to be in the top position, which is unhealthy for the company that needs a long period contract with people who have the serious work consequences. Time wasted by even considering the gender equality, male thinks that the company is already have a good reputation. Male thinks they could work harder to reach the top. Other issue with women that is being carried by the majority of male managers are that women have time constrains issue, which make women are entrusted to do task at the office. When this issue occurred, women will rely their work to men. To such extent, male managers are assuming that the work that is done by women is not relieving the companys expectation.

2.1.3. Scenario Management The problem that has been stated by male managers in section 2.1.4. Scenario Manifestation will be handled with reasons that based on facts. First, women are entering the workforce nowadays. It is accordingly to the statement from Norton and Fox (1997), there is a growing need for more educated and more skilled workers. At 7

the same time, the characteristics of labor force are drastically changing. Little India Cosmetics Company has to give more opportunity for women to be on the managers position. It is obvious that the company must recruit the competent women managers, as there is a rising number of more educated women graduates from top university around the world. With procedural recruitment through human resource department, the right female managers could be found to satisfy the needs of the company. In some countries, there are equality legislation. As Little India is an Australian company, the country itself has established a law to minimize the discrimination called Sex Discrimination Act (1984). Its main focus is to promote equality between men and women. Providentially, this is a legitimate cause in order to keep the business growing. Most countries are faced with market maturity and increased competition and fragmentation of markets, along with customers who are demanding more customised products (Maskell, 1999). However, this is the challenge for the company to either make a change or lose its loyal customers in the competitive marketplace. Women are essentially know better of the cosmetics, as it is a valuable thing and investment for some women that concerns of their outside appearance. Therefore, women managers that connects directly with the customers are capable of asking what are the needs for each of them, then solve their problems. Through this approach, the company could gain trustworthiness from the customers because however, an increase of the customers satisfaction will help the company to generate more earnings in the future. CEO should distribute those opinions by using ingratiation tactics of influence or looking friendly in the meeting before expressing the point of the meeting. With this, it is very likely that the participants will be soften with whatever their original view was. So, those who were unsure whether or not the managers should change in terms of improvement will open their minds, and reconsider their judgment. The second argument method that is being used is accepting team through the impression management, it is necessary for the meeting controller to look confident in what they are saying in the meeting

3. NEGOTIATIONS In order to reach one agreement, sometimes people need to bargain, in an academic world, it is called negotiation. Different perceives by each individual leads to a difficulty in reaching an objective in every organizations. 8

Hence, negotiations is used to have common decision, more importantly in such crucial moments. Integrative bargaining is being used in this cosmetics business to achieve the mutual satisfaction solution between 2 disparities. Nevertheless, the theories must relate to its practice, in this company for instance. It is now well understood that negotiations can operate as powerful engines of inequality at work. (Sturm, 2009). Respecting the essential problem is the gender issues, thus, negotiation skill is needed for the meeting arranger (the CEO and the Human Resource Manager) with the male managers who against the issue. Based on philosophy from Watkins (2006), the New leaders need to negotiate. Recent studies show that the negotiation tactics could boost the cooperation of the companys structure. Before starting a negotiation, planning and research is the first thing to do. After that, explain the issue that might arise in the meeting. With the fact that the best determination will not be made in one approach, then, use voting method to reach a decision. A range of useful suggestions might come up from the people in the room.

3.1. Scenario Manifestation Another complication comes from male managers that reprimands the idea of hiring more of female managers. Males are superior to females in comprehension of factual material. Factual material needed accurate estimation, and every so often women have lack of this ability. As a manufacture companionship, Little India has to be free from errors while dealing with new production that occurs everyday. Most male managers within the company are worry about losing their current proficient position if later in time, female managers will have to replace some of them. These alliances think that they have been working hard for the company, and it looks like none of it worth the appreciation. Money is not the main problem that male managers have been worrying, but the stage to finally be at the top in that position is more priceless. The last stated point of view from those who are still in the different thoughts with others is that women are tend to be undervalued, and most of them are lack of competence either in working skills and taking fewer risks than men managers. 9

3.2. Scenario Management Females are more sensitive to the non verbal cues (Hargie & Dixon 2003). With Arnoff and Wilsons style of Dominance in Negotiations (directing, and influencing others), CEO must play the dominant role in order to tackle the manifestation that has been made by people who against the gender equality at the workplace, as also the Chairman is the most powerful position inside the room. CEO can negotiate that according to the research from department of social psychology at Northwestern University, female managers are more democratic and collaborative than male managers. It is seen as a decent thing from the employees sides, because these group of people prefer the less-bossy leaders to supervise them, women attend more to the individuals they work with, by mentoring them and taking their particular situations into account based on Alice Eaglys as the head of department social psychology from Northwestern University. Using negotiation skills to combat those who argue that Little India does not need more women managers, a win win solution can be applied to this problem. First thing is, that these male managers might be afraid that they would lose their pride if the company replace them with new female managers. Bearing in mind that the company has been recruiting the best performing people as managers, the company does not desire to evade its male managers too. Therefore, CEO has managed an idea that those male managers could instead get promoted to become in the top line managers that are responsible for the overall performance of the organization. On the other hand, female managers, that are often said to be capable of thinking critically and tend to be less sensitive, could be in the middle managers. Middle managers are liable for the problem solving of the company. However, before the middle managers decide the outcome, the top line managers are the ones who hold the permission. Consequently, female managers need to consult to male managers before making a step forward to every problem. The last defense for the last argument is that subjective appraisal should be based on research. Determining the better working skill takes time, but men and women team should be better in the office. The balance of good sides and bad sides of both men and women will produce valuable ideas for the company. If women appears

10

to take fewer risks than men, in this case, women in middle managers could ask experts advices to the higher management regarding making decisions.

3.3. Strategies and Tactics Providing these strategies or tactics of negotiation inside the company, will help leaders to create a positive meeting environment without losing the pivotal point. Here are the lists of approaches that could be used while managing the issues: 1) Competition Convince that the company could perform healthier in the field, explain to the meeting participants that this tactic will show the other companies that Little India puts the gender equivalence as a valuable thing. 2) Split the difference Provide comparison between having and not having female managers. While dealing with customers that are mostly women, female managers could find out the core problem and discussing with the male managers to get 2 sides of evaluations. 4. THE MEETING CLOSURE 4.1. Conclusions By using voting method, the voting results in most participants agree to have more female managers in the company. It is seen that after providing basis to every reasons that is being brought up, meeting participants are finally understand by the point of having gender equality within the workplace. However, there are still people who does not give their best view to this problem. Gender issue is a crucial nowadays problem. Based on the events that occurred since the opening of the meeting, individuals have different perceptions and views throughout the role of women managers in the company.

11

4.2. Recommendations Construct a new companys strategic management emphasizing on both genders skills. So every skills that men and women have will be discovered better. Provide a better working environment for female. Minimise the discrimination within the company Acknowledging the aspirations of every employees by having meeting evaluation from every divisions each couple of weeks. Increase outside activity for the managers and employees, so that they will bond together, and know each and everyone better without any work pressure. As it is a globalization era, everyone in the company should adapt to cultural change for example in this case, new female managers that the company required might occur anytime. Communicate more, because lack of communication leads to judgmental perception among workers

12

Reference List

Australian Human Rights Commission. Sex Discrimination Act 1994, Retrieved 30 August 2012, from http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/legislation/index.html#sda

Eagly, A. (2009, August 2). Do Women Make Better Bosses?. The New York Times Online. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/do-womenmake-better-bosses/

Eunson, B. (2005). Communicating in the 21st Century. Sydney : John Wiley & Sons. Hengensen, S. (1990). Womens Way of Leadership. The Female Advantage. New York: Doubleday/Currency.

George, J.M. (1996). Group affective tone. In Handbook of Work Group Psychology, ed. M West. Sussex, UK: Wiley. pp. 642

Maskell, B.(1999). An introduction to agile manufacturing. Retrieved from (http://www.maskell.com/agiart.htm)

Meyerson, D., & Fletcher, J.K. (2000). A Modest Manifesto for Shattering the Glass Ceiling. Harvard Business Review, America : Zurich Help Point.

Norton, J., & Fox, R. (1997). The change equation. American Psychological Association, Washington D.C., America.

Olgiati, E., & Gillian, S. (2002). Promoting gender equality in the workplace. Retrieved From http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/wwwedz/pdf/ef/01/ef0161en.pdf

Sturm, S. (2006). The architecture of inclusiveness: Advancing workplace equality in higher education. Harvard Journal of Law and Gender, pp. 29, 247334.

13

Appendices
Little India Cosmetics Co. Meeting Minutes Of August 24th 2012, held at Little India building, Room A, Melbourne.

PRESENT: Penn Howard (Chair), Bill Currie, Jim Romeo, Michael Aberg, Jordan Caterers, Siti Arini Shannaz (Human Resource), Jonathan Jennings, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Schwarz, Ross Mayfield(secretary) Meeting was opened by chairperson (PH) at 8.00 a.m. MOTION (suggestion/ideas/proposal): Male and female should have the equivalent power in being managers, and knowing the fact that in this case, the majority of the managers are male. Considering that Little India is a cosmetics company, female managers could use their feminism skills and styles to solve costumers problems that mostly are woman. 5 women managers and 5 male managers will be effective so that if there is a problem occur, it can be solved in many solutions (male and female sides). Woman managers not only they know better of the cosmetics, but woman tend to be less aggressive than man regarding the decision making. Women are tend to see both advantages and disadvantages(deliberating) rather than directly pointing at one choice. With this consideration, the company is hoped to have a great outcome and profitability in the future.

Moved: SA. Agreed: JJ,MC,JS,RM, BC,JR

Seconded : PH . Against: MA,JC CARRIED.

ACTION: The CEO should find some potential females within the company to be hired as managers. The human resource department will follow up and contact the candidates and give them training.

GENERAL BUSINESS: The meeting results in votes that choose more female managers needed, in the upcoming meeting, the company should discuss about how the recruitment should be and the precise of how many females should be enrolled. Meeting was closed by the chairperson at 14.00 p.m. CEO, Penn Howard

Secretary, Ross Mayfield

14

15