Assignment: Cross-Cultural Issues
From a list of suggested topics provided, you will create an essay. Below is a list of suggested topic areas. The topics reflect areas of interest and emerging theories in cross-cultural management. You should identify a more specific focus within one of these areas in order to complete this assignment.
Suggested topic areas:
● Cross-cultural issues for newer democracies, e.g. countries of Eastern Europe (e.g. a specific topic: ‘Canadians negotiating contracts in Poland or Slovakia’
● Cross-cultural management for new arrivals to Canada or the US (e.g. a specific focus might be ‘Problems Egyptian or Indian managers face in the Canadian environment;
● Cross-cultural management and developing countries (e.g. a specific focus might be ‘Canadians as change agents in South Africa’)
● Cross-cultural management and emerging economic powers, such as Brazil, Russia, India, or China (the BRIC countries) (e.g.; ‘Quebec
business people building successful ventures with Indian partners’;
‘Negotiating supply contracts in China for German managers’)
● Cross-cultural management within multinational corporations; managing diverse international work forces (e.g. ‘How can an international agency ensure respect for equality and diversity across multiple cultures?’)
● Bribery, ethics, and cross-cultural management – a topic could be, IKEA and ethics and bribery
● Cross-cultural management and gender issues, or age issues
● Other topics with the instructor’s approval
Assignment Information:
There are several components to this assignment. Be sure to carefully read the information below. If you have any questions about this assignment, contact your instructor as soon as possible.
Instructions
Decide on a topic of interest. Your topic choice should:
● Reflect areas of interest and emerging theory in cross-cultural management.
● Identify a more specific focus within one of the suggested areas provided for the assignment.
● Involve a set of management challenges with cross-cultural implications and interaction.
● Describe how people interact and behave in organizational and business relations.
Your essay must include the following components:
1. Historical background of each culture under discussion as it pertains to your discussion — why would cross-cultural conflict exist based on the historical background of each culture as it pertains to the management issue.
2. A discussion of management challenges with cross-cultural implications and interaction — what problems could be foreseen or are already existing due to cultural differences in styles of communication, norms and values, and so on.
3. Solutions utilized or proposed to manage cross-cultural issues — your suggested solutions and/or successfully implemented solutions.
4. The topic must consider interactions across at least two cultures and not be limited to behavior within one culture.
5. Provide at least four external researched sources.
NOTE: A minimum of one of your references can be from the textbook. Wikipedia or personal examples and interviews are not permitted.
■ You may use external research material sources that are credible and peer-reviewed sources such as journal articles, magazine articles, and news articles.
■ You may use the experiences of a multinational company in your research and discussion of the topic in a general manner.
