Business Assignment: Cultural Perspectives
Research and write a paper analyzing the cultural perspectives of doing business in another nation. You will select a nation to study. There will be a list of approved nations. Select a nation, then begin working on the project.
List of approved nations:
- North America: Canada, Mexico
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Norway, Russia, Switzerland
- Pacific Rim Countries: Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Korea, South, Singapore, Taiwan
- South/Central America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
- Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa
- Other Countries: India Thailand
After reading your paper, the reader should be able to comprehensively answer the following research questions. Thus, the research questions form the major aspects (APA Level 1 headings) of your outline.
- What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in this region? The 8 dimensions are:
- How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business in the nation?
- How do both of the above items compare with US culture and business?
- What are the implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in that region?
Important Points to Consider
This paper must be written in strict conformance to current APA format, and contain a minimum of 24 pages of content (excluding the title page, abstract, and references) utilizing at least 24 references from reputable professional and/or scholarly journals and/or informational venues that deal with the content of the course (i.e., not blogs, Wikipedia, newspapers, etc.).
- Use the following as the exact title of your paper, Global Business Cultural Analysis: (insert nation selected)
- The paper must consist of only 4 sections, as indicated above. Do not add sections, or revise the research questions.
- Three levels of current APA headings must be used throughout the paper, as this is a graduate-level research paper.
When you paraphrase, you must still give the author’s name, date, title of the source, the scholarly journal from where it came, and the exact website address or book from where it came. However, when you directly quote a source, it must have quotation marks around the quote, or (if 40 words or more) it must be set in block quotation format. Give detailed information of where you acquired the quote.
For the purpose of this academic paper, adhere to the following rules when quoting or using a source:
- Do not directly quote more than 120 words from any 1 source.
- If the source is 2,000 words or less, do not directly quote more than 50 words from it.
- Do not use the same source more than a total of 3 times within the whole document for quoting or paraphrasing.
- Quotes must contain the section (if provided) and paragraph or page numbers of the quote and this information must be placed in the reference.
- In all instances, use current APA guidelines for citations and references.
GBCA Outline Example: Introduction
Seriously relevant graduate school research requires a question for which no ready answer is available. The research is conducted, to answer specific questions regarding a topic, problem, or issue for which the answers are not yet known. Let’s focus on the concept of a topic. What do you want to know about a topic? Asking a topic as a question (or series of related questions) has several advantages:
Questions require answers. A topic is hard to cover completely because it typically encompasses too many related issues; but a question has an answer, even if it is ambiguous or controversial.
Questions give you a way of evaluating the evidence. A clearly stated question helps you decide which information will be useful. A broad topic may tempt you to stash away information that may be helpful, but you’re not sure how. A question also makes it easier to know when you have enough information to stop your research and draft an answer.
A clear open-ended question calls for real research and thinking. Asking a question with no direct answer makes research and writing more meaningful to both you and your audience. Assuming that your research may solve significant problems or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves you in more meaningful activity of community and scholarship.
In this course, the required research questions are open-ended and require a variety of accumulated data to develop answers. Your topic is a Global Cultural Business Analysis of the nation you selected. You have been provided four specific research questions to guide you in the study of this topic which, if done well, will demonstrate you have attained an advanced measure of expertise in the topic. The research questions provide the framework of your analysis.
- Question 1 requires you to discuss the general elements of culture (described in Chapter 2 of your textbook) as they apply to your chosen nation.
- Question 2 is a natural extension of Question 1 in that you will demonstrate how these elements of culture are used in business dealings by the people of your nation.
- Question 3 is a natural extension of Question 2 in that you will compare and contrast these specific findings with business cultural elements found in the USA. Here is where you use the models for understanding cultures (Hofstede, etc).
- Question 4 is where you briefly summarize your research findings and is the place where you draw substantive conclusions and report the implications of your research for doing business in that nation. Questions 1 through 3 “set the stage” for Question 4.
Question 4 is the most significant for two reasons, for two audiences: the reader and your professor. A substantive and comprehensive coverage demonstrates to the reader why the research is important and how it can be used in business dealings for US managers. It also demonstrates to your professor the extent to which you have mastered the necessary advanced analysis and critical thinking skills required of a graduate-level student.
The example begins on the following page. Be sure to use the exact wordings in this outline for your APA level-headings.
EXAMPLE OUTLINE
Research Question 1: What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in this region?
Research Question 2: How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business in the nation?
Research Question 3: How do both of the above items compare with United States culture and business?
Compare/Contrast Greenland with USA, based on answers to Research Questions 1 and 2
Hofstede analysis
Research Question 4: What are the implications for United States businesses that wish to conduct business in that region?
Analysis of facts from prior three questions
SWOT Analysis
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
FDI Analysis