Critical Incident about 'Mexico and the United States of America'

Project Report from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg, course: Working Across Cultures, language: English, abstract: A busy German production manager of an automotive company, Peter Müller (30), is sent to a short trip to manage a new supplier manufacturing facility in Mexico. The questioned Mexican supplier manufactures high-tech safety systems similar to another American supplier. On his arrival, the Mexican production manager, Juan Lopez (47), suggests to go to the factory to meet the workers who have been awaiting his arrival. Joe declines Juan´s offer and chooses instead to get right to work on determining why the quality and production rate of the Mexican supplier plant are not equal to the U.S. supplier plant. Juan stresses the importance of getting to know the workers first, but Joe lets Juan know he was sent to Mexico to straighten things out, not to form friendship with the local workers. Without further comment and a grim face, Juan gets Peter the figures and records his requests. Peter makes a number of changes and feels sure the plan he has prepared will improve quality and increase production. Then, he flies back to America again. After a couple of months, no improvement has been made; Peter cannot understand why the workers seem to resist his plans. [...]