Assignment

PART I: SHORT RESPONSE

Directions: Please write a two to three paragraph response for each of the following questions. Be sure to cite any references used. Please use proper APA citation when using any source including the textbook. Please visit the Academic Resource Center (ARC) for concise APA guidelines.

1. Argue and defend your positions on the following statements:

a. The U.S. is already and will continue to lose its status as a central, pivotal global superpower, including its cultural and values influence, in the world in the next 10 to 20 years if not sooner.

b. Censorship restrictions in other countries on such information technology as Google and other Web sites in justifiable; U.S. and other western nations should not try to impose their values and norms on censoring practices.

c. A "global set of ethics" is impossible. Each culture and region of the world should have its own ethics as well as values and cultural differences.

d. To succeed, globalization must involve justice and fairness practices from First World countries toward Third World nations and peoples.

e. Although it is preferable that transnational and multinational companies act ethically, it is really not practical in every region of the world, including the U.S.

f. MNEs cannot financially afford to follow the guidelines in the text; it would be too costly for them."

g. When two national MNEs are both right over a controversial issue?for example, violation of patent or intellectual property rights?ethics should be avoided, and other, more concrete issues should be used to resolve the dispute.

h. Without transnational and MNEs doing business in poorer countries, peoples of those countries who are striving to survive would suffer even more.

2. Offer an example of, and explain why, one of your own values or an ethical standard you deeply believe in and follow might conflict with a different cultural or regional ethic in, for example, China, Russia, the Middle East, or the U.S. (if you are from a different culture). How flexible would you be, or not be, in negotiating one of your core beliefs in another culture? What would be your constraints to be flexible and change your value-based position? Explain.

3. Evaluate and argue different sides of this statement: "McDonaldization is not a ‘bad' thing. Everyone has a choice of what and how much to buy and consume. People are lucky to have a low cost food option as McDonald's."

PART II: CASE STUDIES

Directions: Choose one of the following cases, read the case, and then answer the corresponding questions for that particular case. Please be sure to write at least a one paragraph response for each question.

Case 22 - China, India, and Wal-Mart: Issues of Price, Quality, and Sourcing

Case 23 - Google Goes to China

Case 22 - China, India, and Wal-Mart: Issues of Price, Quality, and Sourcing

1. What are the ethical issues associated with Wal-Mart's extensive sourcing of low-cost products from China?

2. How does the cost versus quality conundrum affect Wal-Mart's key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and employees?

3. What advice would you give to Wal-Mart's executives regarding how they could (or should) address the multiple effects of the cost and quality impacts of products sourced from China?

Case 23 - Google Goes to China

1. After reading this case, what is at issue here?

2. Do you agree or disagree with Google in this case? Explain.

3. Has anything changed (circumstances, historical events) today from the time Google entered in 2006 that would make a difference in your opinion either justifying or disagreeing with Google being in China? Explain.