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September 2017 - Brainstorming and Planning an Essay

by IELTS buddy

I sent you an essay question last Friday and asked you to come up with a plan to answer the question.

This was the essay question:


The best way to understand other cultures is to work for a multinational organisation.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

With a question like this you could choose to:

- agree
- disagree
- partially agree / disagree.

Agree


If you completely agree, you could just set out the reasons why, without mentioning the other ways of understanding cultures (probably the easiest way to answer it).

Disagree or Partially Agree / Disagree


If you completely disagree or partly agree or disagree, what you MUST still do is talk about how people can (or can't) understand cultures through working in a multinational organization.

If you said you disagreed and then just explained the other ways you can learn about cultures (for example through travelling or reading) without discussing the ways culture can or cannot be understood by working in a multinational company, then your answer could be viewed as being incomplete.

Understanding cultures through working in a multinational organisation is what the question is about, so you should talk about it in at least one body paragraph.

For instance, someone posted this plan:

Opinion: Disagree: cannot learn anything because we go there to work not to learn.
- best way to understand:

  • Can look information online such as Google.

  • Make friend from country you want to learn their
    culture through social network.

  • Read book about it; watch travel channel.

This plan appears as if the person is just going to give the opinion that they disagree, then suggest better ways. This would not work well.

Possible Plan


This is not the only way, but this is my plan:

Opinion: It is not the best way to understand other cultures

Body Para 1: Reasons it can be a good way

  • Mixing with other people

  • Learning the language

  • Getting posted abroad

Body Para 2: Reasons it not necessarily the best way

  • May not mix with other cultures in a multinational organization

  • There are other ways – travelling or working for voluntary organisation


    • Conclusion: It could be a good way, but not necessarily the best.

    So in this essay, the first body paragraph discussed the reasons why working in a multinational organisation is a good way to understand other cultures.

    The second body paragraph discusses why it is not necessarily the best way.

    Now, check out a model answer for this plan:

    Essay on Multinational Organisations and Culture


Comments for September 2017 - Brainstorming and Planning an Essay

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 16, 2019
 This would be my answer
by: Anonymous

AS influence of globalization developed, people start being eager to learn other cultures. To be a worker in multinational firm is considered, by some people, as the best choice to learn other cultures.

Spending most time in work, which gives experience in interacting with various nationality background, seems to be the greatest idea to achieve insight to cultures. this can be good idea. However, the fact is that working in whatever kind of company, including multinational organizations, does not provide big opportunity to learn. Working and learning, actually, are different matters, so if one aims to learn at their office, they must give extra efforts, but still not effective.

Here are two of many alternative ways to learn cultures. First alternative is that internet has plenty infomation we can explore. It is possible to access information about culture as much as you want, wherever and whenever you are. The second one is discovering books. This one is better at providing information because most books contain more specific, academic and trusted information, for the authors use many references for the content. You will have deeper information from books than from other source.

To conclude, Working in multinational organization can be a good way to learn other cultures, but there are other better options. Therefore, It is worth to note that working in multinational organization is not the best way.
Oct 06, 2017
 PLEASE CHECK AND GRADE
by: Anonymous

There has always been a keen desire in people to gain knowledge about culture and tradition than there own. Whilst some people have the opinion that their relentless inquisition about vivid cultures can be satiated by working in a multinational organisation with people from diverse backgrounds, others have a different point of view.

It is certainly understandable that working with people from various cultures opens up the venue for understanding their cultural whereabouts. To begin, interacting in a diversified cultural atmosphere provides the opportunity to know in-detail about them. For instance the festivals they celebrate, cuisines they cook, their folk dance, clothing, lifestyle etc. Additionally, one can learn a lot about their language and dialect.

However, there is another view to it. People believe that workplace is a place to work, not learn. It is about their profession and they are not comfortable getting personal in such an environment. Furthermore, people don't appreciate talking about their backgrounds socially. They, for instance, have reservations to discuss about where they come from in fear of getting bullied later.

To conclude, it is true that working at multinational organisations unblocks the gateway to unfamiliar cultures, however it is not the best way to gather information. In my view, reading books, travelling, making friends on social media are far better ways to get in-sight about different cultures.
Oct 02, 2017
 Understanding other cultures through working in a multinational organisation
by: Anonymous

Globalization has made interaction of people from different cultural background possible, prompting the need for proper understanding various cultures. While some people are of the opinion that being employed in a multinational firm offers a greater opportunity for learning cultures, I am indifferent with their view.

Those who agree with the above opinion argue that since a multinational firm accepts workers from various nations, races and ethnics, learning a colleague culture will be faster than when you have no tie with them. But what they failed to understand is that most organisations have laid down work cultures, which all and sundry must abide by to achieve good customer satisfaction. In this context, protecting the image of the firm while maintaining customer relationship takes pre-eminence. In most cases, there is a generally acceptable culture suitable to both customers and employees. In this type of clime, employees to an extent may forget their individual culture since all strive to move the firm forward rather than inclining to ones culture. For instance, ways of greeting in ones culture may differ from that obtainable in their work place. so, way of greeting recognised by the organisation should be the one suitable to both employees and their customers irrespective of cultural affiliation.

On the other hand, busy schedules at work place may allow little or no room for learning a colleague's culture. this is because, nowadays, employees are expected to finish up a task within a stipulated time frame. so, beating deadlines takes priority over personal interests. For one to be rated efficient or recommended for promotion in a firm, hardworking is judged based on employer's assessment not on number of cultures learnt.

To conclude, I think that other means of learning culture of interest like travelling for tourism or study, reading should be adopted rather than using workplace for the purpose.
Oct 01, 2017
 partially agree
by: Anonymous

In the globalised world, working environment are incooperated with employees of different cultural background. It is argued that the better method to learn other culture is the multicultural working environment. However, i do not believe that it is the paramount method to acquire complete cultural knowledge.

To commence with, working environment paves a way to grasp other culture because it create an environment in which, people of different culture are interacted with their colleagues, as powerfully exemplified by during the lesuire time at work, people engage in sharing their family matters like the festival's, heritage, culture and so on, thereby, the culture are interchanged or learned by different groups and some of those cultures will be practicing in day to day life. Thus one can conclusively say that working in multinational organisation helps to understand other cultures.

However, social media and travelling are the most effective way to learn other culture. To be more clear, travel is the best school for life's fabulous lessons, the respective culture of each region. Travel is the teacher who impart these lessons. Moreover, social media is a minefield as it conflates the culture and legacy of different regions without any geographic boundaries. The. travelogue programs in the television delineate the cultural aspects of various regions as well as it deploy these activities for the society.

Conclusion, although working environment makes an individual to know the different ethnic background, social media and travelling is the best method of learning diverse culture.
Sep 29, 2017
 I disagree
by: Anonymous

Introduction
Disagree: Working for a multinational company does not guaranty adequate knowledge of other culture.

MAIN BODY 1
Topic sentence - The advent of the internet.

Supporting idea 1 - Tonnes of information about any culture can easily be obtained on the internet.

Supporting idea 2. - Availability of various social media groups connecting people.

Example: Search engines such as Google and Facebook.

MAIN BODY 2
Topic sentence - Travelling to other Countries.

Supporting Idea 1 - Visiting other countries as tourist increases knowledge of other culture better.

Supporting idea 2 - Schooling in other countries.

Examples: Vacation holiday in China and Postgraduate studies abroad.

Conclusion.
I disagree because there are other better ways to learn about foreign cultures not just by taking up employment in the multinational organization.
Sep 29, 2017
 Learning other culture
by: Anonymous

- Disagree: cannot learn anything because we go there to work not to learn.

- best way to understand:

* Can look information online such as Google.
* Make friend from country you want to learn their
culture through social network.
* Read book about it; watch travel channel.
Sep 29, 2017
 culture in a multinational way
by: zaineahenny

Understanding our culture in a multinational environment is not very effective so we need to look at the various ways it should be organized.
Sep 29, 2017
 Pls I need someone to give me their feedback. Thank you
by: Anonymous

Globalization is increasingly becoming a core in various aspects of life which is why some companies employ people of diverse cultural backgrounds, hoping to learn people way of life. However, in my opinion I do not believe it is the key to fully grasp other culture.

There is no doubt, that working in a multinational establishment has it's benefit. First and foremost, it creates an environment where in people get to interact with their fellow work mates who are most likely from various ethnic backgrounds. This prevents racial discrimination and even hinders people from judging what they do not understand. For instance, in a work environment during leisure time they may share stories of their families back at home and also intersting aspects of their culture. In this way people gain exposure to different cultures.

Nevertheless, there are more promising ways to embrace other individual's way of life. This can be done through traveling and visiting these places. When people travel, they get to see and experience the culture. They interact with the origins of these ethnic groups. For example, when I visited Bangkok, Thailand I got the chance to see beautiful accent temples which holds great value to the Thailanders, I also learnt the traditional Thai massage from the monks. Furthermore, I indulged in Thailand's delicacies. This made me embrace the culture in Thailand.

In conclusion, Although working in a multinational company may help shade light to other countries culture.I believe that a more practical way is to actually visit or travel and engage with people from other cultural tribes.

======

This is an excellent essay.

IELTS buddy
Sep 29, 2017
 Bullet points
by: Anonymous

Colleagues and customers are from different nationalities.

One gets opportunity to take part in different cultural gatherings like marriages and funerals to understand different cultures.
Sep 29, 2017
 Underestanding other culures through working in an multinational organisation
by: Anonymous

Although, it is not enough to comprehend a culture and all its corner in detail only by working in a multinational organisation but I agree to some extent that working and having interaction with a lot of people from different cultures will have an important role in our understanding about a culture and may enrich our knowledge effectively to know about a culture.

However, studying a culture comprehensively needs an extensive efforts and access and availability to a great deal of authentic resources but working and dealing practically with persons from different culture and custom would make the core of such an extended studying.
Sep 29, 2017
 Understanding multinational culture
by: Anonymous

Understanding other culture by working in a multinational organization is not always effective.

Only a group of polished and trained people are supposed to work in such an organization where employees are duly instructed to behave with customers and colleagues properly that is worldwide acceptable.

But there is a scope to learn few civic behavior through exchanging views among the colleagues from different countries during the leisure moment.

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