Week 1, Post 3: Multicultural (Mis)management

I love multicultural management section in Chapter 1 partly because I love Disney and partly because I have been a Starbucks barista for over four years. Both companies are wonderful examples of globalization and how sometimes it does, or doesn't work. Disney is such a global company and icon, you would think that they would have success wherever they plant a park! But what works at Disneyland, in Anaheim, or DisneyWorld in Orlando, may not particularly work in Hong Kong or Paris. After all, the French... well I won't go there. I love France! But France and the rest of Europe have a completely different culture than in America. There is a totally different approach to life. So a $300/night hotel (such as The Grand Californian at Disneyland) is not going to fly in France. They take really long vacations. This includes working adults because there is such a thing as time off over there. And for Disney to exclude wine from Disneyland Paris! I could have told them that was a mistake. I stayed with a French family for two summers and we had wine with lunch and dinner!

Starbucks is a company that was gone global as well. I honestly don't remember coffee being so darn popular when I was a kid. Now it seems that everyone drinks coffee. I have junior high and high school kids come to my Starbucks and get coffee. It's mind-boggling. But again, to think that what works in America will work everywhere else in the world is a mistake. In Asia especially, where tea seems to be bigger than coffee, you would think Starbucks would tread lightly. Well Starbucks seems to be doing fine in the world market but with globalization comes a cost. When you go to Starbucks in San Jose or in let's say, Japan, you expect your grande nonfat mocha to taste the same. Well sadly it doesn't. It doesn't even taste the same when you get it from the two Starbucks within three blocks of your house. So with massive expansion, you strive hard for consistency, but it's practically impossible.