Need Your Advice on Regional Representatives

One of the issues we’ve been struggling with for some time is regional representatives.

It has become especially salient since we launched X-Culture Kids – and we seek your advice.

At the first glance, X-Culture does not need regional representatives. Our very simple recruitment strategy has worked very well. The number of applications has been almost doubling annually since X-Culture was launched in 2010.

All we used is a call for participants sent via the Academy of International Business (AIB) and Academy of Management (AOM) email lists. Our audience are International Business professors. All of them are either members of AIB and AOM, or at the very least are subscribed to their mailing lists. So a simple semi-annual email via AIB and AOM is enough to inform all concerned parties about this great opportunity.

So when a professor would offer us to be an X-Culture Representative in a particular country or region, we would gently reject the offer. It was just not clear what would be the role, duties, and rights of a Regional Representative. Would it be a purely ceremonial role, or would the person be expected to visit local universities and promote X-Culture? What else?

However, we are now reconsidering this approach and seriously weighing the possibility of having official regional representatives.

The urgency has been created by the launch of X-Culture Kids, which is basically a regular X-Culture competition, just for the younger generation.

Unlike International Business professors, school teachers and parents are not on a single professional list. So there is no easy way to inform them about the great international collaboration opportunity for their kids.

At the same time, we desperately need to quickly grow the number of kids participating in X-Culture Kids. The value of X-Culture is in its international reach.

Nobody needs a telephone when there is only one telephone in the world. The telephone becomes valuable when there are many telephones.

Likewise, the value of the X-Culture experience is in collaboration with kids around the world. So the more kids/countries participate, the more valuable the experience for every single participant.

Thus, we are considering hiring local representatives around the world with the mandate to help us with recruitment. Their job will be to visit local schools, conference, exhibitions and talk to teachers, principals, and parents and inform them of the great opportunity offered by X-Culture.

Ideally, the regional representatives would be teachers who love the idea and can knowledgeably and professionally present it, as well as have the necessary connections.

Alternatively, they can be local Pedagogy/Education university professors who are interested in the project for research purposes. Thousands of kids around the world working in global virtual teams – we’re talking dozens of groundbreaking research papers and dissertations every year. Nobody tried it before, nobody has data like this.

And if it works with X-Culture Kids, we may as well consider appointing regional representatives for the “big” X-Culture.

The questions we are struggling with – and we would greatly appreciate your thoughts here:

Is X-Culture Regional Representatives a good idea or there is a better way to manage it centrally?

Is so, what would be their role beyond recruitment and promotion?

How do we compensate the regional representatives for their effort?
A percent of the participation fees their referrals generate? If so, what percent is fair?

Should they retain exclusive rights to the entire region or could there be multiple regional representatives from the same region?

Should regional representatives be responsible for a particular city, county, country, or larger regions?

Should we hire regional representatives from among the “big” X-Culture professors, former X-Culture students, or just random people recruited using ads in local newspapers or job sites?

How will it all work form the legal and accounting points of view?

By Vas Taras

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March 28, 2017 Vas Taras

Regional Representatives
1. Is X-Culture Regional Representatives a good idea or there is a better way to manage it centrally?

Regional Representatives must be opinion leaders and change agents. In Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovation, we learn what opinion leadership means. Rogers (2003) explains that,

“Opinion leadership is the degree to which an individual is able to influence other individual’s attitudes or overt behavior in a desired way with a relatively high frequency. Generalization 9-11: Change agents’ success in securing the adoption of innovations by clients is positively related to the extent that he or she works through opinion leaders” (Rogers, 2003).

In Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovation, it explains that, “Diffusion, is the process in which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system”. Communications is the process in which the participants create and share information with one another to reach a mutual understanding. The change-agent must persuade the client to adopt an innovation. Uncertainty implies the lack of predictability, of structure, of information. Therefore, information is a means of reducing uncertainty. Diffusion is a kind of social change. Diffusion is both the planned and the spontaneous (spur-of-the-moment) spread of new ideas” (ch.1).
This is what drives innovation because almost all the S-curve shape starts with the innovators, then moves to early adopters, early majority, late majority and finally laggards. As Rogers’ (2003), underscores this and says, “…When two individuals share common meanings, beliefs, and mutual understandings, communication between them is more likely to be effective” (ch.8).
With that said, another reason why Regional Representatives are needed for diffusion network to work is the idea of Heterophily, which says that, “…Is the degree to which pairs of individuals who interact are different in certain attributes…followers seek opinion leaders of higher socioeconomic status, with more formal education, with more mass media exposure, who are more cosmopolite, have greater contact with change agent, and are more innovative” (Rogers, 2003, ch.8). The logic behind that statement is basically describing the early majority, late majority, and the laggards that make up the S-curve shape. This is critical because these groups make up over 70 percent of the total social system. Therefore, the overall economy must be in good shape and thriving in an upward movement. And combining the talents of “big” professors and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches) and we can avoid just hiring random people recruited using ads in local newspapers or job sites and hire from within. Hiring a professor and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches) is an excellent to have Regional Representatives.

2. If so, what would be their role beyond recruitment and promotion?
Some of the roles that Regional Representatives can play are but not limited to:
• Engaging with kids and educating them about what X-Culture stands for and about the vision of X-Culture.
• Informing about the all peoples around the world are unique we all can learn better by getting to know one another. In other words, Regional Representatives must build bridges that bring worlds together.
• Regional Representatives can have the roles of change agents that can infiltrate all cultures and with support of a “big” professor that will have the role of a champion that is an opinion leader that can massively inspire the vision of X-Culture.
3. How do we compensate the regional representatives for their effort?
– A percent (%) of the participation fees their referrals generate? If so, what percent (%) is fair?
By taking a survey of how the (%) of Regional Reps., that would prefer to be compensated or not, we can find out the amount to pay Regional Reps., should they decide to choose to be compensated for their efforts.
4. Should they retain exclusive rights to the entire region or could there be multiple regional representatives from the region?
There should be multiple regional representatives in each Region. For instance, in Region 12, there ought to be multiple Reps., to do the work of promoting and spreading the good word of X-Culture to kids and to the world. For instance, locate different colleges and universities and choose Regional Reps., in that area. Those Regional Reps., in that area will then go out and speak to different elementary schools, non-for profit organization such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Furthermore, Regional Reps., can go to High Schools and Colleges and Universities and the spread the message and vision of X-Culture.
5. Should regional representatives be responsible for a city, county, country, or larger regions?
Yes, For Example in the U.S., Regional Reps., that are made up of a “big” professor and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches) should represent X-Culture in Georgia.
6. Should we hire regional representatives from among the “big” X-Culture professors, former X-Culture students, or just random people recruited using ads in local newspapers or job sites?

As a conscientious science management consumer, X-Culture management ought to hire big” professor and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches).

7. How will it all work from the legal accounting points of view?

A simple written contract of by-laws and an authentic signature from the Regional Reps., should suffice. Legal/political issues also depends on the location of the Regions. For instance, in North America and in Europe the Legal/political characteristics are similar and almost all the populations are democratic and believe in the Rule of Law which is a good thing for diffusing the idea of X-Culture within regional cultures and societies.

1 Comment

Jibril says:

March 29, 2017 at 2:50 pm

Regional Representatives
1. Is X-Culture Regional Representatives a good idea or there is a better way to manage it centrally?

Regional Representatives must be opinion leaders and change agents. In Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovation, we learn what opinion leadership means. Rogers (2003) explains that,

“Opinion leadership is the degree to which an individual is able to influence other individual’s attitudes or overt behavior in a desired way with a relatively high frequency. Generalization 9-11: Change agents’ success in securing the adoption of innovations by clients is positively related to the extent that he or she works through opinion leaders” (Rogers, 2003).

In Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovation, it explains that, “Diffusion, is the process in which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system”. Communications is the process in which the participants create and share information with one another to reach a mutual understanding. The change-agent must persuade the client to adopt an innovation. Uncertainty implies the lack of predictability, of structure, of information. Therefore, information is a means of reducing uncertainty. Diffusion is a kind of social change. Diffusion is both the planned and the spontaneous (spur-of-the-moment) spread of new ideas” (ch.1).
This is what drives innovation because almost all the S-curve shape starts with the innovators, then moves to early adopters, early majority, late majority and finally laggards. As Rogers’ (2003), underscores this and says, “…When two individuals share common meanings, beliefs, and mutual understandings, communication between them is more likely to be effective” (ch.8).
With that said, another reason why Regional Representatives are needed for diffusion network to work is the idea of Heterophily, which says that, “…Is the degree to which pairs of individuals who interact are different in certain attributes…followers seek opinion leaders of higher socioeconomic status, with more formal education, with more mass media exposure, who are more cosmopolite, have greater contact with change agent, and are more innovative” (Rogers, 2003, ch.8). The logic behind that statement is basically describing the early majority, late majority, and the laggards that make up the S-curve shape. This is critical because these groups make up over 70 percent of the total social system. Therefore, the overall economy must be in good shape and thriving in an upward movement. And combining the talents of “big” professors and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches) and we can avoid just hiring random people recruited using ads in local newspapers or job sites and hire from within. Hiring a professor and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches) is an excellent to have Regional Representatives.

2. If so, what would be their role beyond recruitment and promotion?
Some of the roles that Regional Representatives can play are but not limited to:
• Engaging with kids and educating them about what X-Culture stands for and about the vision of X-Culture.
• Informing about the all peoples around the world are unique we all can learn better by getting to know one another. In other words, Regional Representatives must build bridges that bring worlds together.
• Regional Representatives can have the roles of change agents that can infiltrate all cultures and with support of a “big” professor that will have the role of a champion that is an opinion leader that can massively inspire the vision of X-Culture.
3. How do we compensate the regional representatives for their effort?
– A percent (%) of the participation fees their referrals generate? If so, what percent (%) is fair?
By taking a survey of how the (%) of Regional Reps., that would prefer to be compensated or not, we can find out the amount to pay Regional Reps., should they decide to choose to be compensated for their efforts.
4. Should they retain exclusive rights to the entire region or could there be multiple regional representatives from the region?
There should be multiple regional representatives in each Region. For instance, in Region 12, there ought to be multiple Reps., to do the work of promoting and spreading the good word of X-Culture to kids and to the world. For instance, locate different colleges and universities and choose Regional Reps., in that area. Those Regional Reps., in that area will then go out and speak to different elementary schools, non-for profit organization such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Furthermore, Regional Reps., can go to High Schools and Colleges and Universities and the spread the message and vision of X-Culture.
5. Should regional representatives be responsible for a city, county, country, or larger regions?
Yes, For Example in the U.S., Regional Reps., that are made up of a “big” professor and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches) should represent X-Culture in Georgia.
6. Should we hire regional representatives from among the “big” X-Culture professors, former X-Culture students, or just random people recruited using ads in local newspapers or job sites?

As a conscientious science management consumer, X-Culture management ought to hire big” professor and former X-Culture students (e.g., GVTs Coaches).

7. How will it all work from the legal accounting points of view?

A simple written contract of by-laws and an authentic signature from the Regional Reps., should suffice. Legal/political issues also depends on the location of the Regions. For instance, in North America and in Europe the Legal/political characteristics are similar and almost all the populations are democratic and believe in the Rule of Law which is a good thing for diffusing the idea of X-Culture within regional cultures and societies.