Characteristics of Russian National Culture

With the knowledge that the Russian workers are not used to making decisions on their own but rather defer to the next person up in the hierarchy and this applies at all levels of workers and management. In fact they are actively discouraged to make a decision on their own. Regardless Zagorski Company has been operating independently without problems for some time. When the workers became aware of the impending changes that JKL wanted to impose at least 20 managers said they want to be accepted for voluntary severance rather than have to conform to the new and many changes in a way they would have to operate. Jim Finn was aware of this and thought it would make it easier for him to make the changes and get the results he wanted. This might be short sighted and the loss of the managers demoralising to the remaining workforce.
Whilst JKL management system has worked well they have never been tried in a communist country before. The relationship between Russia and America in the past has been strained and to impose an American way of operating on a Russian company is liable to meet with quite strong resistance. American-New Zealand managerial system is that workers and management are encouraged to make decisions for themselves in the best interests of the company. For example, the workers could be involved in suggestion schemes rewards being given for good suggestions. Equally the Russian worker would never expect his opinion to be valued or wanted by a higher management. To suddenly be expected to start it is perhaps asking too much of them.
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