Assessment - Portfolio questions:
TOPIC 3: Understanding the role of culture
Students are required to answer the three questions in essay format (maximum 450 words in total). Please print number of words at the end.
1. Discuss how the Internet and culture interact. Which most affects the other and how? Give some examples.
2. Discuss the types of operational conflicts that could occur in an international context because of differences in attitudes towards time, change, material factors, and individualism. Give examples relative to specific countries.
3. Identify five stereotypes that foreigners typically hold about Australians. Why do you think they might hold these stereotypes? Identify five cultural stereotypes that you hold (about foreign cultures).
TOPIC 4: Communicating across culture
Students are required to answer the three questions in essay format (maximum 450 words in total). Please print number of words at the end.
1. Discuss the role of social media in global business communication.
2. What is the relationship of language and culture? How is it that people from the same language may still miscommunicate?
3. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. What is the role of such nonverbal communication in business relationships?
Topic 5: Cross- Cultural Negotiation and Decision Making
Students are required to answer the three questions in essay format (maximum 450 words in total). Please print number of words at the end.
1. Discuss the relative use of nonverbal behaviours, such as silent periods, interruptions, facial gazing, and touching by people from various cultural backgrounds.
2. What are some of the differences in risk tolerance around the world? What is the role of risk propensity in the decision-making process?
3. Describe what you would expect in negotiations with Germans and how you would handle that situation.
Topic 6: Formulating Strategy
Students are required to answer the three questions in essay format (maximum 450 words in total). Please print number of words at the end.
1. Discuss the merits of the following entry strategies - exporting, turnkey projects and wholly-owned subsidiaries.
2. What opportunities and threats will likely emerge when a firm decides to move from purely domestic operations to global operations?
3. As the Korean population is increasingly able to afford high priced items like cars, this market represents a desirable growth opportunity for Japanese, German, and American car makers. However, the Korean automobile market is dominated by Korean car manufacturers (Hyundai, Ssanyong, and Daewoo).
Oftentimes, such domination by a domestic manufacturer is blamed on trade barriers, but Korea's tariffs are among the lowest in the world. Why then do most Koreans drive Korean-made cars? What entry strategy would be most appropriate for accessing this culturally-closed market?
Topic 7: Global Alliances
Students are required to answer the three questions in essay format (maximum 450 words in total). Please print number of words at the end.
1. Why are there an increasing number of mergers with companies in different industries? Give some examples.
2. What are the common sources of incompatibility in cross-border alliances? What can be done in order to minimize them?
3. How might the variable of national culture affect strategic implementation? Use the Mittal Steel example to highlight some of these factors.
Topic 8: Global Structure
Students are required to answer the three questions in essay format (maximum 450 words in total). Please print number of words at the end.
1. Explain the need for an MNC to "be global and act local." How can a firm design its organization to enable this?
2. As an international manager, what would make you suggest restructuring of your firm? What other means of direct and indirect monitoring systems could you suggest?
3. What is a transnational organization? Because many large MNCs are moving toward this format, it is likely that you could at some point be working within this structure-how do you feel about that?