Discussion 1

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400-600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.Consider an organization you work for, have worked for, or would like to work for. Then, identify a country in which they do business or might do business outside of the United States. You also may select a company in contemporary business news that conducts business globally.Discuss the key differences in cultural variables between the United States and the country that are important when conducting business in the selected country. What are the implications of these differences for the practice of business? Consider political, economic, legal, educational, and social systems of the selected country. Refer to Intellipath, MUSE, and Beyond the Book references in creating your response. Include a response to the following questions in your discussion writing at least one paragraph for each bullet point:Describe globalization and its benefits to business operations. What kind of management orientation style (ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric, geocentric) would you use to be most effective given the cultural attributes of the country? How would you overcome the anticipated barriers to communication? Provide specific examples.

Discussion 2- Individual Project

You are in the role of project manager for a coffee franchise global expansion project. You plan to expand into three different countries. The magnitude of the project requires you to prepare for the project kickoff meeting and business negotiations with the project team who are potential partners from Mexico, China, and Saudi Arabia. You understand that these cultures are vastly different. They have different business customs, social protocols, and languages, so conducting business with each country requires a customized approach.To prepare for your first outreach effort with each country, analyze the cultural similarities and differences that exist between the countries and the United States using Geert Hofstede's Six Cultural Dimensions as discussed in class. Note that the three countries are characterized by collectivism while the United States has an individualist culture.Create a bar graph and/or table that summarizes the key cultural dimension comparison. Then, compare and contrast each country according to your findings. Discuss the implications of the relative cultural dimensions. How might they impact managing the global expansion project? Remember that you are adapting your approach from a United States centric view. (400-600 words).This assignment lays the foundation for IP4, where you will apply your findings to forming an effective global team.Step One: Visit Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Step Two: Create a country comparison using the United States in first dropdown menu box to see the values for the six cultural dimensions. After selecting the United States, a second and a third country can be chosen in the second dropdown menu box. Keep the United States in the first box and then repeat for each country (Mexico, China, and Saudi Arabia) involved in the fast food expansion project to see a comparison of their scores.Step Three: Create a bar graph and/or table to highlight how the four countries compare to the United States by using the value scores under the comparison to create the bar chart. How to make a bar chart on Microsoft Word:Click "Insert" tab Click "Chart" in the Illustrations Group Select "Bar" Click "OK" to insert a chart and a spreadsheet will open alongside your Word document. The spreadsheet contains sample figures surrounded by a blue border. Column "A" contains data labels. The remaining columns contain data. Click a corner of the border. Drag it down or up to add or remove items from the graph.Step Four:Using your findings:Explain Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Using the United States as a basis for comparison, evaluate each country's similarities and differences relative to the franchise business deployment. Discuss the implications for your initial communications within each country. For example, what is the impact of collectivism relative to individualism regarding management communication?

Discussion 3

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400-600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.Idea:In preparing to launch the coffee franchises in China, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, you are planning to visit each country to interview potential global team members. You know it is important to be aware of the value differences and social customs in each country to develop trusting relationships to avoid potential conflicts. Compare and contrast your approach to doing business and building relationships among the global team members. Apply the readings, Intellipath, and library resources to respond to the following:Discuss collectivism and how it applies to China, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. Explain the role of relationship building in China, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia compared to the United States. Explain the cultural value differences in time (monochronic versus polychronic cultures), approaches to decision making (objective or subjective approach), and individualism that could potentially occur during global operations. What are some of the nonverbal behavior differences among the countries such as silence, eye contact, body movements, proxemics or interruptions that may affect doing business with your global team?