Mary's Multicultural Dilemma

Abstract

In today's business world it is not unusual to find that both the United States and members of the European Union are making important and growing contributions to development through the transfer of technology and modern practices in management, by strengthening the capability of transitioning the development of countries to produce goods and services that meet global standards. There are employees that, due to their position in an international corporation, find themselves traveling between the different countries where the company has representation, and in addition to the main boss in the U.S., has secondary bosses to report to in those countries. It is important, to avoid culture clashes and subsequent confusion that those employees will be exposed to, to become familiar with the way of life in those countries, and also their working customs, ethics, and labor laws.

Mary's Multicultural Dilemma

In the United States and in Europe employers and employees are bound by established rules and regulations designed to guarantee the peaceful coexistence between employers and employees. It is recognized that both employees have diverse rights from their employers, but due to fundamental differences on how these two dominant territories conform to labor relation issues due to the different cultural customs involved, it is evident that an employee that is involved with an international corporation based in the United States and with any of the twenty-seven countries European Union, (Member Countries, 2012) will be unavoidably confused, and at a complete disadvantage, when working with employers and employees in those countries; their ethical and compliance guidelines may be different to those in place for the company based in the United States.

Such is the case for Mary, an administrative assistant employed for only four months in such an institution that manufactures home decorations. During this short time, Mary has already traveled to different countries in Europe to assist various company executives and is overwhelmed by the differences in conduct of the employees in these countries. Having an idealistic view of how a business should be supervised according to U.S. standards of ethics and compliance, she has issues that are causing her to become frustrated with the laid back approach practiced by the managers and employees.

The United States and the European Union (EU), have similarities and differences worth noting and studying. The EU is one of the United States' strongest strategic partners in the business sector. Responsibility for policy in the field of employment, social affairs and inclusion is shared between the EU and its member countries (Employment & Social Affairs, 2012); each member country also has its own employment regulations. It is the responsibility of employees both in Europe and the U.S. to act with respect towards their employers. The EU and the U.S. are both members of the International Labor Organization -ILO, whose principal objective is to ensure the quality of working conditions, standards of living, and the fair and equitable treatment of the employees (The ILO, n.d.). In the U.S. the responsibilities of the employer and the rights of the employee are very important. In this country, because of the various laws that are available, and because of this one experiences labor agreements, benefits, safety, health, breaks, leaves, and so forth (USDOL, n.d.). The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission-EEOC, stresses various civil discrimination laws to make sure that everyone can work for a company; the employer is to accommodate, and the employee can speak up without fear of termination due to reprisal due to any aspect of employment such as hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, or any other terms or conditions of employment (Overview, n.d.).

Keeping