Writting paper
SITUATION:
Choose a country whose culture and language are different from your own, and about which you have no first-hand knowledge. In other words, you have never visited, worked, nor lived there.
Assume you work for a U.S.-based business. (If needed, your organization may be disguised or fictionalized.) Your business seeks to open communication with an executive in a business within the other country. She is I.M. Cantata, Senior Vice President, International Mechanistics Group (IMG). You have been chosen to start the dialogue.
Your mission is to begin communication successfully and avoid making any cultural blunders. So, before writing your letter, invest some time to study the other culture carefully. Use any relevant resources you can find-for example:
(a) Articles in our Week 2 Discussion topics.
(b) CIA World Factbook
(c) U.S. State Department Country Profiles
(d) Other relevant resources (as found in the UMUC Library).
(e) An Internet search using the name of the country plus the terms < do's and taboos >.
ASSIGNMENT: Write an introductory letter to I.M. Cantata that: (a) establishes a positive rapport, (b) introduces your company in a favorable way, and (c) lays the groundwork for a potential business alliance between your company and IMG. Be sure to apply all the lessons we've learned about effective intercultural communication and avoid making any cultural blunders.
AUDIENCE: I.M. Cantata, Senior Vice President, International Mechanistics Group (IMG), from the country you chose.
FORMAT: Use standard business letter format, single-spacing in a Word document (.docx), with a 12-point regular Times New Roman font. See "letter format" (under Course Content).
KEY GRADING FACTORS:
- Shows strong cultural awareness and avoids any blunders
- Avoids slang, jargon, inside terms, or other confusing words
- Displays strong business politeness and personal courtesy
- Sustains genuine personal rapport
- Has no typos, misspellings, or errors in English or document format