Cross Cultural Management: an International Journal

Cross Cultural Management: an International Journal

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The article to be evaluated is Muratbekova-Touron, M. (2008), “From an ethnocentric to a geometric approach to IHRM: The case of a French multinational company”, Cross Cultural Management: an International Journal, vol.15, no4, pp 335-352. Suggested Structure for the Report about the Evaluation of Journal Article Remember to add a table of contents and also use appropriate headings and subheadings. Introduction: Here you should outline what the report is about, telling the reader how it is structured, and stating the conclusions you will draw. It is often useful to revise your introduction once you have completed a report, to make sure it still describes the report accurately. Brief description of the paper being evaluated: Here you should – very briefly – outline the topic of the paper, the research undertaken, and the findings the researchers have made. This is similar in style to an abstract. The importance of this section is that it gives the reader a quick overview of the paper to be reviewed, and it gives you a useful check as to whether you understand the paper, i.e. if you can’t summarise it, then you probably need to read it again! Theory and Literature: Evaluate the main theoretical frameworks, and prior research studies, used by the researchers in developing their paper. You should NOT go through every reference cited, giving a detailed description of it. Instead, you should highlight the broad theoretical underpinning of the paper, perhaps going into greater detail where there are one or two specific models, which are used a great deal by the researchers. Points you may wish to explore: a) Are there concepts/theories/models the researchers do NOT use, but which you think are relevant to the topic? Researchers are only human, and they may be inclined to cite references, which support their ideas and ignore references which might contradict them. b) Do you agree with the way in which the researchers have used the concepts, theories, models or previous research? For example, you may think they have misinterpreted a particular theory, or that a particular study they cite in support of their argument does NOT show what they claim it shows. Research Approach: Briefly explore the research design and methods employed, before turning to a consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach as a way of illuminating the research questions posed by the researchers. Discuss any limitations you can see in the method, substantiating your views with reference to the appropriate literature. Suggest an alternative research approach and explain how it can improve the study. Researchers’ Findings and Conclusions: Evaluate the main findings, and the conclusions, which the researchers present. You need to think carefully about whether these findings are valid, and whether the conclusions are justified. In part, you will need to refer back to the method adopted in the project – researchers sometimes use valid methods, but then draw over-ambitious conclusions. You will also need to assess how appropriately the researchers link the findings of the project with the literature presented in the literature review. Implications for individuals involved in cross-cultural management: This section builds upon all the previous sections, and thus what you write here depends largely upon the points you’ve already made. For example, if you’ve argued that it’s a badly designed piece of research, drawing upon inappropriate theoretical frameworks, and with findings and conclusions, which cannot be supported, then clearly it would be difficult to argue that the article’s findings have any implications for individuals. Equally, if you think the article has some flaws, but presents some interesting findings which might be relevant, then you need to discuss its implications – why would people want to know what the paper tells them, how might it affect their practice, how should it affect their practice, what implications does it have for the organisations they work for, etc. This section also presents a useful opportunity for you to integrate the outcomes of the analysis included in your presentation with your assessment of the article. You should discuss, for example, in what ways the article resonates with the conclusions you drew from your learning experiences and whether it has anything to add to your broader considerations of intercultural working.