In order to begin to move from “awareness” to “knowledge” of how cultural differences affect business you will complete research to obtain a brief overview of the assigned country. You should put together an Executive Summary (no more than 2 pages, double-spaced, #10 font).
Draw contrast between it and the US and give the reader a feel for the differences. Your individual country assignment appears at the bottom of these instructions.
Scenario: Imagine you are with a friend when they get a call from their boss telling them they are to handle a major sales call (or other project) in ___(country) ____ tomorrow and should head to the airport immediately to be on the next flight. Luckily you are there when they receive the call to give them some quick pointers before they hit the road.
The executive summary should cover the important aspects of doing business in your assigned countries potentially including:
Any background or governmental information that may be pertinent (don’t just spit out facts, explain why each is important. We all have access to Google, add some value here)
What language(s) is spoken? (main language(s), not every dialect)
How are negotiations and business different from the US?
What is the protocol for greetings and etiquette?
Should you take gifts to social occasions? Which gifts are acceptable and which are not?
Are there any gestures we need to watch out for?
Are there political or personal safety issues?
The book Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands might be useful in your research but need not be your only source of information. You will have to discern what is important information and what is not.
Your paper should conclude with 3 main takeaways for your assigned country that are important. This could be a gesture to avoid, an important point on negotiations, etc.
