Cross Cultural Training

Lehman Bros was an American investment bank that, in 2008, collapsed in the wake of the bursting of the housing and the consumer credit bubbles in the USA and was considered to be the tipping point that precipitated the collapse of the worldwide financial system, the after effects of which were still being experienced ten years later. Attempts to sell the bank in extremis  failed for a variety of reasons and subsequent academic and media articles have suggested that the Lehman Bros organisational culture was so toxic that it almost certainly contributed to the establishment of the environment that led to the asset bubbles and that its collapse may well have become inevitable.

Using Proquest and other appropriate online sources, conduct extensive and detailed research into the corporate culture of Lehman Bros and its management in 2007, together with the behaviour of its senior management (especially its CEO, Richard Fuld). Use the data to establish a cultural analysis of the company using the Hofstede and GLOBE dimensions along with a detailed analysis of how the company can be judged against the cultural dilemmas as outlined by Trompenaars (and others). From this, determine whether the organisational culture really had become toxic and whether the ultimate collapse of the bank was inevitable (reference could usefully be made to the work of Charles Hampden-Turner on virtuous circles and vicious spirals in this regard).

Once you have carried out your full research and have completed your cultural analysis, write a fully cited and referenced report of 2500-3000 words that explains each Hofstede and GLOBE dimension that you have selected and analysed, and provides at least two and a maximum of four examples (cited and subsequently referenced) of behaviours that support your analysis.

The report must also describe the cultural dilemmas established by Fons Tromenaars and provide at least two and a maximum of four behavioural examples from Lehman Bros (cited and subsequently referenced) to illustrate the dilemmas.

Your report must then explain whether you support or disagree with the contention that Lehman Bros had a toxic corporate culture that led directly to its collapse and whether that collapse was inevitable despite the economic environment. The report must, of course, provide all the main evidence that leads to the conclusion reached.

Finally, the report must contain a full bibliography of all researched references and sources whether used in the report or merely to inform the discussion.