DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
3-1 How does the concept of a global village affect organizations and managers?
3-2 Describe the different types of global organizations and the ways that organizations can
go global.
Answer: A multinational corporation (MNC) refers to a broad group of organizations and
refers to any type of international company that maintains operations in multiple countries.
The types of MNC vary with respect to the degree to which they decentralize decision
Next, managers may go international by exporting products to other countries and/or
In licensing (primarily used by manufacturers) and franchising (mainly used by service
Establishing a foreign subsidiary involves the greatest commitment of resources and the
3-3 What are the managerial implications of Hofstede’s research on cultural environments?
The GLOBE study?
Answer: Geert Hofstede surveyed over 116,000 employees in forty countries—all of whom
The managerial implication would be to place U.S. managers where they fit best, and identify
3-4 How are social responsibility, social obligation, and social responsiveness different?
Similar?
3-5 What is sustainability, and how can organizations practice it?
Answer: Sustainability is defined as a company’s ability to achieve its business goals and
3-6 Describe how a manager would approach ethical decisions according to each of the
three views on ethics.
Answer: The three views and their respective criteria for ethical decisions are:
The Utilitarian View: what action provides the greatest amount of good for the
greatest number of people;
3-7 Discuss specific ways managers can encourage ethical behavior.
Answer: The text lists eight suggestions: employee selection, establishing a code of ethics,
top management leadership and commitment, realistic employee goals, aligning performance
3-8 What is workforce diversity, and why is it an important issue for managers?
Answer: The authors have chosen to define workplace diversity as “the ways in which
people in an organization are different from and similar to one another.” It is the differences
3-9 Describe the six types of diversity found in workplaces.
Answer: The authors describe six types of workplace diversity: age, gender, race & ethnicity,
disabilities/abilities, religion, and LGBT. Employees and organizations have differing
3-10 Describe and discuss the three ways that organizations and managers are adapting to a
changing workforce.
Answer: Organizations and managers are responding to the changing workforce with
work-life balance programs, contingent jobs, and recognition of generational differences.
Work-Life Balance Programs include benefits that provide a wide range of scheduling
are available for hire on an as-needed basis. Management also recognizes generational
differences which present some unique challenges, especially for baby boomers and Gen Y.
3-14 What global attitude do you think characterizes Nomura? Be specific in your
description. Do you see any evidence of that changing?
3-15 Do some cultural research on Japan and the United States. Compare those cultural
characteristics. What similarities and differences exist? How might these cultural
differences be affecting the situation at Nomura?
3-16 What could Nomura managers do to support, promote, and encourage cultural
awareness among employees? Explain.
3-17 What do you think the statement, “When your business is global, management needs to
be global,” is saying? In your opinion, is Nomura doing this? Explain.
Case Application 2: Serious about Sustainability
Discussion Questions
3-18 What global issues do you see here? What ethical/social responsibility issues do you see
here?
3-19 Are the critics overreacting to the situation? Do you think Keurig Green Mountain’s
managers are handling this situation in the best way, ethically and responsibly? What
else could they do to be more ethical and responsible?
3-20 Are Keurig’s proposed actions best described as social obligation, social responsiveness,
or social responsibility? Explain.
3-21 What do you think the statement “environmental awareness is never a bad thing” means?
3-22 What lesson(s) about sustainability and business did you learn from this case
application?
Case Application 3: From Top to Bottom
Discussion Questions
3-23 How might population trends affect a professional services organization like PwC? What might
it have to do to adapt to these trends?
Mainly, population trends will affect the type of diverse talent PwC can attract and
3-24 What challenges might PwC face in adapting to a more diverse applicant pool of college
graduates?
Students will come from different backgrounds and have a wide array of experiences. The
3-25 Businesses often face the dilemma of retaining diverse employees once they’re trained. What
can PwC do to retain its diverse employees?
3-26 What advantages do you think PwC’s mentoring program provides? What potential drawbacks
might there be?
Disadvantages: Two years may not be enough time to bring about great change and how