Week 1– Culture & Business Environment Assignment (requires outside research)
Due Date: Sept 7th / Length approx. 3000 words, plus references
Prepare a cultural and business analysis for a country you are not familiar with (no Canada – no Japan) using the cultural frameworks in Class number 1 (Learning Cultures) and Module 3.
Your report is to be used by your company that is preparing to spend 2 months in the country to evaluate market entry. Paper is to focus on the cultural issues, which your (American) company venturing into your chosen country need to learn from both a marketing / sales and management perspectives.
Different countries have different cultural backgrounds and you need to understand the culture and economy of your country before you decide to venture into it. In addition, understanding how the country’s cultural dimensions compare to that of the US is important because it helps in setting up the right organizational structures.
Pick a country and:
Create a market study that includes the culture, social structure and ethnicity and economics of the country and what’s important to the people of the country within those categories. Include what you find to be the most important cultural dimensions of the country.
Rate the country using one of the cultural frameworks from Module 3 and compare the dimensions to those of the United States. Discuss how the dimensions will influence how you do business in the country from a marketing & sales and management perspectives.
Once established, you will be the key manager of the business in the country;
What do you need to be aware of to manage effectively
What changes / adaptations, both in your management style and organizationally, will you need to manage effectively
What are the key factors that will influence your management style and decisions
For your business analysis use:
CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov – scroll down to World Factbook
(It might tell you that you have an unsupported browser. If that happens just search CIA World
Factbook.
World Bank: worldbank.org and https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/rankings
(If the rankings link doesn’t work, go to worldbank.org and search for “ease of doing business
rankings.” The country will list will come up.
globalEDGE: http://globalEDGE.msu.edu/ – covers inputs and stats on economy, trade, culture,
risk, various country rankings and comparisons, ease of doing business and much more.
