First half of final research paper: Cultural Training for Employees of the Coca Cola Company.

Your final research paper will be based on the topic you chose in Week One; Cultural Training for Employees of the Coca Cola Company.  Use the attached research outline and annotated bibliography as references. 

Need to write the first half of final research paper with at least five (5) pages of substantive content towards the final paper. Must be in APA format

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Annotated Bibliography

[Your Name]

[Professor]

[Course # and Title]

[School Name]

[Date]

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2

Annotated Bibliography

Topic: Cultural training for employees

Company: Coco Cola

The Coca Cola Company has become a multinational company which operates around

the world. This means that the company can serve customers from different backgrounds and

customers with different lifestyles, belief systems, opinions, and cultures. As a result, the

company has to ensure that its leaders and those working abroad have been trained to ensure that

they can adapt to the culture of those countries. This will help in improving the employee’s

productivity in these cultures, and also it will help in ensuring that customer satisfaction has been

improved. Cultural training for employees is also essential since it helps to reduce costs which

are incurred as a result of mistakes made by the employees. It also ensures that the skills,

knowledge, and expertise of the company employees have been improved. Cultural training is

very specific, and yet it covers a wide range of areas. The employees should also be assessed

after training to ensure that they have been able to learn. There are various resources which have

focused on cultural training and how businesses can be able to train their employees efficiently

and effectively. Some of these books and articles have been discussed below.

Association, M., & Resources, I. (2013). Global Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and

Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. IGI Global, 2013.

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This is a book which has been edited and authored by the Information Resources

Management Association (IRMA) which is a research-based professional organization. This

organization ensures that concepts and practices of information resources in various modern

organizations have been advanced. The research-based professional organization focuses on

ensuring that companies have a clear understanding of their information resources and how they

can manage them. The organization is a credible resource for business and economics since it

brings together researchers, practitioners, academicians, and policymakers from around the

world. This is a clear indication that the content of the book is well researched and it is written

through the contribution of experts.

The book focuses on various areas which include business and economics, international

business and information technology. It covers the area of virtual training programs, projects

planning and decision making. In this area, the book indicates that companies are able to carry

out virtual training programs for their employees. This means that employees can be trained

through the use of technology and computers. Companies are then able to create virtual training

programs which can help improve their employees’ knowledge of different cultures around the

world.

This will help improve the effectiveness of diversity in companies and also it will be a

method of cost saving. The book indicates that before those working abroad are sent to other

countries to work, they can be trained virtually on what they are supposed to expect in those

areas. They are trained on the business practices which are acceptable in those areas, a way of

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4

life, code of conduct, business regulations among other things. Virtual training also acts as a

cost-saving practice which ensures that the company has been able to cut down on the cost of

training. Managing diversity through virtual training is a key focus of the training program which

the multinational companies can undertake. This will help those working abroad work with the

locals and the locals will also be able to learn about those working abroad hence fostering good

relationships.

The book indicates that cultural training is critical when it comes to employees of the

company since they will be able to understand ways of handling their customers and other

stakeholders. When cultural training is customer-centered, it means that the training will be

focused on improving customer satisfaction. As a result, the company will be able to retain its

existing customers, and it will also be able to attract new customers. This means that the

company will be able to penetrate effectively and faster in the new market. Penetration in a new

market is one of the main goals of every multinational company. It ensures that the company has

been able to cut down on costs of marketing, and also it increases revenue and profits which lead

to more expansion projects.

The book also indicates that cultural training should be carried out from time to time.

This is because there are always changes in the culture of a population. This means that even the

local employees will need to be trained on how to handle their own culture and ensure that it

works for the benefit of the company. The Coca Cola Company should ensure that it has

developed a program which will ensure that cultural training for all of its employees has taken

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 5

place periodically. According to the IRMA, these actions will ensure that the company has been

able to grow and to gain a positive public image around the world.

Association, M., & Resources, I. (2014). Cross-Cultural Interaction: Concepts, Methodologies,

Tools, and Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. IGI Global, 2014.

This book focuses on training, globalization, technology, and ethics. The book is edited

by the management association, information resources. It mainly focuses on subjects which

range from political science, international relations, to communication studies. The book is

written after research in the field of international relations, the importance of a code of conduct

and multicultural environments in organizations. The book indicates that globalization and

technology have affected the working and operations of global organizations.

The research book indicates that globalization is not rigid. This means that factors

affecting globalization and multinational organizations will always change. This means that

companies should be able to understand globalization, observe the current trends and predict or

forecast future trends in the global market. Companies will need to learn about different cultures

so that they can be able to understand their way of operation and they can be able to predict their

future behavior. This is a concept which helps the company focus on some critical areas of

cultural training which will help a company achieve competitive advantage in the global market.

The book indicates that cultural training is critical to ensure that employees have been

able to understand the necessary ethical behavior and code of conduct which should be followed.

This is to ensure that the behavior of the employees is in line with the belief system of the

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cultures in the country where the organization is in operation. There are some behaviors which

are considered to be ethical in some parts of the world, but the same behaviors are considered

unethical in other parts of the world. Therefore, research is a key component when it comes to

cultural training. This is because the company will have to understand the culture of people in

that country and also the culture and beliefs of their customers.

As a result of globalization, it is necessary for companies to ensure that cultural

integration has been carried out efficiently. Globalization means that the company will be able to

do business with different governments, different workers, and also it will have stakeholders who

are from different backgrounds. As a result, employees need training on how to handle a

multicultural customer and stakeholder’s base. This will help to foster good relationships around

the world, and it will also lead to new inventions and innovations which will lead to the growth

and development of the Coca Cola Company. This training will also help to bridge the cultural

gap which can be experienced in the company.

The book also indicates that employee’s need cultural training to help manage physical

and virtual teams. As an organization grows, it can have virtual teams which could meet through

video conferencing and other collaboration tools. These teams are from different parts of the

world which means that the cultures are different. Training is, therefore, necessary to ensure that

these teams can function towards achieving a common goal. There are also virtual teams which

have a diverse workforce. As a result, training is key to ensuring that the workers can understand

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 7

one another and they can assist one another when carrying out various tasks which have been

assigned to them.

Landy, F. & Conte, J. (2010). Work in the 21st century: an introduction to industrial and

organizational psychology. Malden, Mass: Wiley-Blackwell.

The authors of this book are Frank J, Landy and Jeffrey M. Conte. The book was

published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons. The book focuses on applied psychology and also

industry and organizational psychology. The book indicates that most companies think that they

need cultural training only when investing in foreign countries. However, cultural training is also

needed in local countries. This is because globalization and international movement have

increased and as a result, people are moving to live in other parts of the world. The employees

might, therefore, be locals but they need to be trained on how to relate and how to handle

customers from other cultures.

There is also the need to focus this kind of training to the management and leaders in the

company. Leaders are one of the most critical components of a company. They are tasked with

decision making and also with the management of the employees. Leaders, therefore, need to be

trained on how they can be able to manage a diverse workforce. Diversity management is one of

the key areas which lead to organizational success. Leaders are expected to have emotional

intelligence where they are supposed to have a clear understanding of their feelings and

emotions, and they are also supposed to understand the emotions and feelings of their followers.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 8

The book also indicates that cultural training should also be customized based on the

organization. This means that the organization should design its program of training and it

should not just adopt another program. This is to ensure that there are originality and

effectiveness’ in cultural training.

Martin, J. (2015). Key Concepts in Human Resource Management. SAGE, 2015.

This book is written by John Martin and published by SAGE. The book covers business

and economics, human resources and personnel management. It is a key guide which informs on

the various theories and issues which define the human resource filed. One of the key areas

which are discussed in the book is behavior management. The book indicates that the behavior of

the employees and also the behavior of the leaders are critical towards the success of the

company. This is the reason why an organization needs to have an organizational culture which

is focused on success and development. In the context of a multinational organization, the

behavior of the employees could be required to change in accordance with the area of operation

and the type of customers served. The company, therefore, needs to carry out research which will

be focused on ensuring that the best behavior has been achieved in the company.

There is also a key focus on competency and compliance commitment. The company

needs to comply with the ethical conduct of the countries it does business with, and it also needs

to comply with the rules and regulations which have been set by the government. As a result,

cultural training is essential to ensure that employees have been equipped with skills and

knowledge on how they can ensure that they are competent and how they can comply with

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government regulations. Competency ensures that employees are a label to remain highly

productive in the firm and also in the industry.

The book indicates that the aim of training employees is to help them understand their

target customer and also understand the environment in which they are working. This helps them

understand how they can use their skills and services to serve these people in a better way which

will improve their lives. The cultural training program should be able to train both those working

abroad and also the local employees. The local employees are also trained because, although they

understand the culture of their people, they should be able to understand that culture from a

business perspective and specifically in the industry of the company. Therefore, it is critical for

the company to ensure that cultural training has been organized.

The book also focuses on career development. It states that the human resource

department should ensure that employees have been able to achieve career development. One of

the ways of developing the career of employees is ensuring that they have been offered training

which makes them gain skills, knowledge, and expertise that promote their career. This also acts

as a motivation factor for employees to work in that company and they are also encouraged to

remain in the company. This means that the company will be able to reduce employee turnover

rate. This will help to save costs which are related to recruitment and also help mitigate the loss

of good skills and talent in the industry.

This book covers many areas which are related to human resources, and it will be useful

for the research on cultural training for employees of the Coca Cola Company. The book also

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 10

focuses on discrimination diversity and equality in the workforce and also the employee

assistance programs which can be pursued by the company.

York, K. M. (2015). Applied Human Resource Management: Strategic Issues. SAGE, 2015.

The book focuses on human resource management and helps human resource managers’

deal with issues in diverse settings and situations. The book indicates that there are issues which

an organization need to resolve to ensure that it has been able to manage its human resources

effectively. The author of the book is Kenneth M. York, and the publisher is SAGE. The main

subjects of the book include business and economics, human resources and personal

management. The book also indicates that the human resources department should develop a

performance appraisal which will be able to assess the performance of their employees. This will

help the company understand the areas which they should focus their training on.

One of the key areas of the book is that companies should have strategic objectives in

training and develop of employees. The employee training program should be objective, and it

should be focused on the customer and also on the employee. This means that the customers will

benefit from the training programs carried out by the company and also the employees should

benefit from the training programs. Employees can benefit from learning new things and gaining

more skills and knowledge. As employees gain more skills and knowledge, they can develop

their careers, and they are also able to grow in expertise and experience. This makes them more

valuable and their market value in the industry increases. The cultural training for employees

will, therefore, lead to the development of careers in the industry and growth of employees.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 11

Customers will benefit from the employees that are able to serve them better. The quality

of products will also increase since the employees have been well trained and their skills

improved. The company is also meant to benefit from the cultural training program. As the

productivity of employees increases, the company can improve its products and cut down on

costs. This means that more money is saved and revenue increases. As the revenue increases, the

company is able to pursue more developmental projects around the world. Having a skilled

workforce also means that the company has a competitive advantage in the industry. A skilled

workforce also leads to innovations which will help increase product development hence

increase diversity in products.

The book also focuses on the assessment of the cultural training program. The company

has to assess the effectiveness of the cultural training program. The evaluation process is

essential since it helps the company identify gaps where the program is inefficient, and where

improvements are required. The evaluation process also helps to determine whether the

employees were able to gain from the program as the effectiveness of the skills gained is

assessed. The cultural training program should ensure that employee relations have been

improved and that employees can work as a team. This means that employees from different

backgrounds, of different religions, gender and age can work as a team to achieve the company

goals and objectives. All these books are essential when it comes to research on cultural training

since they offer diverse, credible and useful information on cultural training.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 12

References

Association, M., & Resources, I. (2013). Global Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and

Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications. IGI Global, 2013.

Association, M., & Resources, I. (2014). Cross-Cultural Interaction: Concepts, Methodologies,

Tools, and Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. IGI Global, 2014.

Landy, F. & Conte, J. (2010). Work in the 21st century: an introduction to industrial and
organizational psychology. Malden, Mass: Wiley-Blackwell.

Martin, J. (2015). Key Concepts in Human Resource Management. SAGE, 2015.

York, K. M. (2015). Applied Human Resource Management: Strategic Issues. SAGE, 2015

RunningHead: CULTURAL TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES 1

Cultural Training for Employees Research Outline

[Your Name]

[Professor]

[Course # and Title]

[School Name]

[Date]

Running Head: CULTURAL TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES 2

Cultural training for employees

Introduction

So many countries such as Coca-Cola have opened businesses in so many countries

around the globe. It is clear that most of these countries where Cola-Cola is working have

different cultures. Employees who go to work in such places end up getting confused and while

so many of them resign from work, those who sign to continue working there may make so many

errors that can cost the company or other stakeholders in one way or the other. Cultural training

is thus very important since it helps the employees to stay on task and know what they are

supposed to do at what time.

Importance of cultural training for employees

There are many reasons why employees should be trained:

 They become aware of the culture of the people where they are going to work

 They know how to handle clients and other stakeholders in the country where

they are going to work (Association & Resources, Global Business: Concepts,

Methodologies, Tools and Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and

Applications, 2013).

 They know how they should behave towards their fellow co-workers, their bosses

and other people who work in the company.

 They are trained on the expectations of the government and the communities

where they are going to work so that they do not commit errors.

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 The employees are taught on all matters starting from dress codes, eating,

entertainment and others so that they do not get stuck or look like outsiders.

The aim of training these employees is to make them look inclusive and one with the people

whom they are going to serve. It is also to enable the employees to be able to work in societies

that have cultures different from theirs (Martin, 2015). By doing so, the company will be saved

additional charges that may arise from the employees’ lack of knowledge including the loss of

customers.

What can be trained to employees?

 The first thing that will be taught to employees is communication. This can include the

language of the people; both oral and gestures or the sign language.

 The way of dress of that country, eating, entertainment, leisure and general mixing of the

people.

 Laws and rules of that country and of specific societies they are going to work so as to

avoid trouble with authorities.

 The attitudes and tone of the people and whether there are any meanings to the messages

the people send, the simplicity or complacency of the people and how they perceive

people from their countries or from outside (York, 2015). For instance, Indians

concentrate on family relationships so much before they start worrying about business.

This can help retain customers and work well with other stakeholders from such regions.

It is very important that while offering such training, the trainers should base their material

on reality and not what they hear. They should be able to give a full comparison and

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difference on the countries the employees stay and where they are going so that they give a

full image of what to expect and what to do in order to fit in the two worlds.

How to reinforce employees training

In order to make the material taught to employees, orientation is very important.

Orientation ensures that the employees realizes the information given and struggles to fit into

the changing working and survival climates. Other than orientation it is also very important

to offer premiums to give them motivation to struggle and fit.

Assessing employees

Learning orientation is one of the concepts that are considered valuable for assessing and

training employees. In such cases, employees who have weak learning orientation withdraw

easily from conditions and situations that result in low judgement of performance since they

think that they will not be able to adapt. The ones with strong learning orientation fight and

continue until they adapt. The strong ones are thus considered for such works outside their

countries for their own benefit and that of the company where they are working. In today’s

environment where globalization is considered the solution to competition, employees play a

key part in influencing other employees who may be new to the company. Thus, selecting

them should be based on a criterion that is exact and that can give realistic results. Thus,

learning orientation may give better results than just theoretical training.

How to assess success of the training for employees

 The employees should be able to fit into the communication ways of the people in the

country of their work. This should be in tone, attitudes, language and sign language.

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 The employees should serve clients with ease and give them satisfaction.

 They should be able to conform to the laws and rules of not only the authorities but also

the societies where they will be working (Association & Resources, Cross-Cultural

Interaction: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications: Concepts,

Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, 2014).

 The employees should not look as foreigners in such countries but should be able to fit in

their eating ways, dress, entertainment and other areas so that they can be acceptable in

their new societies among other things.

Conclusion

Training employees may be taken to be simple but in one way or the other, it is complex

in that the trainer has to make a person fit into two totally different worlds. Companies that

are successful in this concept tend to perform so well in any country they globalize.

However, the most important value is the experience gained by the individual employees that

can profit them and the globalizing company.

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References

Association, M., & Resources, I. (2013). Global Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and

Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications. IGI Global, 2013.

Association, M., & Resources, I. (2014). Cross-Cultural Interaction: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and

Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. IGI Global, 2014.

Martin, J. (2015). Key Concepts in Human Resource Management. SAGE, 2015.

York, K. M. (2015). Applied Human Resource Management: Strategic Issues . SAGE, 2015.