Assignment

Questions for international management class

Q1: Based on the country you were assigned (portugal), discuss (and explain why) in (200 characters) what conflict management style is most likely going to be used amongst team members comprised of people from (only) that country. (e.g.: if your country was Japan, a team of Japanese employees are most likely to use the compromising style of conflict because blah blah blah.)

Q2: If an American organization is completely new to internationalization, what approach towards culture (of the host country) is this company MOST likely to take in a new subsidiary: ignoring, minimizing or utilizing host country's culture? Briefly explain why and also list at least one advantage and one disadvantage of using that approach.

Q3: Based on the country you were assigned for your presentation, find and name one company from that country that advertises itself as being ethical/socially responsible. What exactly is this company doing towards trying to be ethical/socially responsible? Comment on whether you think they are doing this as a means towards an end (of profit) or as an end unto itself (i.e. they are doing this ethical thing because they are just truly an ethical company, and not for a profit motive). What makes you say so?

(e.g.: US based Johnson and Johnson is truly an ethical company because they try and do the right thing even when it is costly for them to do so. For example, at great cost to themselves, they voluntarily pulled Tylenol and its related products off the shelves of pharmacies when they realized that there was some issue with its quality because they did not want any of their customers getting sick. This is evidence that they are not as much profit driven but rather driven with wanting to do the right thing.)