Individual Project 500- 750 words

Your manager informs you that you have been promoted to a new position at one of the U.S. firm’s foreign branches. She cautions you that based on some bad experiences she has had when she worked overseas, a heightened awareness and sensitivity to different cultural norms is required to be successful when you move to and work in one of these countries. She suggested that you gain some valuable insights by studying the cultural dimensions theory, which is an excellent model to explain how different cultural norms could affect the workplace.

After researching the cultural dimensions theory, complete the following tasks:

• Go to http://www.geert-hofstede.com and identify how values in the United States compare to the world average in the following 3 categories (To do this, click on country from the menu on the left side of the screen, and observe the charts in the middle of the screen):
  • Individuality
  • Power distance
  • Long-term orientation
• Explain exactly how your actions as a manager might reflect these index scores versus the world average index scores.

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Discussion Board 150- 250 words

You are the sales manager for a firm based in the United States that is beginning to market its products to overseas clients. In fact, several groups are visiting your firm, with the first being from Japan. To be better prepared to receive them, you want to do some research on potential areas of cultural conflict. You want to research ways they may act and think as individuals and as groups versus what you normally experience with customers that are based in the United States.

Go to the Web site listed, and answer the following questions:

• http://www.super-business.net/Intercultural-Management/292.html
• What are some of the particular practices that Westerners need to be aware of when dealing with Japanese business people? The practices to comment on include the following:
  • A Japanese manager’s approach when dealing with groups or teams
  • How Japanese social customs may be different than those in the United States
• In your opinion, how do the different management approaches toward groups and teams (regarding the United States and Japan) add or subtract from potential company performances?