Intercultural management : role play

Résumé du document

Role-playing, like any good inquiry approach, transforms the content of education from information into experience. It gives life and immediacy to academically descriptive material. The learning process here is not comfortable, safe, and passive, it is dynamic, challenging, and active. Students are encouraged to engage with their studies. They are encouraged to become independent learners. They are shown that learning is an interactive process that can be both fun as well as academically rewarding. In that way students motivated. The creative aspect of the exercise will make it seem more like play than like work. The Russian, Japanese and French delegation are meeting for the first time to speak about the quarterly results of the French subsidiaries in Russia and Japan.

Extraits

[...] But the Japanese businessmen don't seem to be very disturbed. 5/23 HIDEO KOJIMA : My name is Hideo Kojima I'm the sales director of the subsidiary in Tokyo. PIERRE BLANCHARD : how do you do Mr Kojima gives his business card to the French who takes it in the same bad way as before. Once again he writes down quickly his name and phone number on a piece of paper and gives it to the sales manager. PIERRE BLANCHARD : Well I am glad about welcoming you here in such a beautiful town. [...]

[...] Times were sometimes hard but thanks to my decisions and to my team we managed to face all the problems. I want to thank them for the work that has been done. And today, I have the pleasure to tell you that our turn over in Russia is continually increasing. We have also increased our market share from 10%. These results augur well for the future and I think we will be soon able to extend our business in the whole Russia. [...]

[...] He was agreeing during my whole presentation. 8/23 GARY KASPAROV : Sure, but I think that he was just saying yes to show you he received the message. HIDEO KOJIMA: (very shy) Well I think your idea is quite good. The colour of the bike is wonderful. The design is very nice too. It is a super product and I imagine that you and your team spent a lot of time working on it. But maybe a tall bike isn't adapted for the Japanese market. [...]

[...] Mr Nakamura nods in agreement. HIDEO KOJIMA: we will be happy to be with you 9/23 PIERRE BLANCHARD : (sharply answers) that won't be possible for me. I am tired and I have something to do this evening.(very ironic) If we can't see us tomorrow, I will give you a call next week when our two Japanese colleagues will finally have taken a decision. GARY KASPAROV : I think I have to accept that. I hope we will be able to get a little more done next time we meet. [...]

[...] It was a complement to our theoretical knowledge. We also thought that it would be good for improving our skills in a different way. Communication and presentation skills for example as we had to pass a message, but especially team work. We think that it is the team work that was the closest of the word that we've ever done. Finally we also choose the Role play because it is something visual. First it attract people, they pay attention. Students in a classroom or even managers, when they have to work on a written document, they are often bored or don't pay attention. [...]