Culture Matters

DISTRIBUTED DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES

III

What can I do, it is the bureaucracy!

Henry Butler, the marketing manager at Sime Tyres in London, waited and waited for a decision. He looked at the calendar. He was frustrated because they were behind the deadline for almost one week now. He should receive the final say from the team in Thailand and then communicate it to their Swiss team. The meeting will be held in Geneva, and it is just around the corner. Without waiting any further, he decided to send a quick email—“Prawan, what is your decision? Who will be the speaker and how many participants?” The Swiss team member, Anthony Marcus, as the project manager of Alphard Consulting Inc., was shocked that the awaited decision has ...