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Chapter Discussion Questions
3-1. What is meant by the culture of a society, and why is it important for
international managers to understand it? Do you notice cultural differences
among your classmates? How do those differences affect the class environment?
Your group projects?
Learning Objective: 1; AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
The culture of a society comprises the shared values, understandings, assumptions,
and goals that are learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of
a society, and passed on to succeeding generations. It is important for managers to
understand the cultural variables because these determine basic attitudes toward
3-2 Discuss the types of operational conflicts that could occur in an international
context because of differences in attitudes towards time, change, material
factors, and individualism. Give examples relative to specific countries.
Learning Objective: 2; AASCB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
Differences in cultural attitudes toward time may create a number of workplace
dilemmas, such as the amount of stress placed on timeliness in appointments and
number of hours worked. Cultures that have a lax attitude toward time (the “manana
3-3. Discuss how the Internet and culture interact. Which most affects the other and
how? Give some examples.
Learning Objective: 3; AACSB: Use of information technology
The Internet appears to be impacting many of the social variables discussed in the
book, such as associations, education, and the economy. Culture is also affecting the
Internet and how it is used. Culture affects attitudes toward information privacy—
3-4. Discuss collectivism as it applies to the Japanese workplace. What managerial
functions are affected?
Learning Objective: 4; AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
The principle of wa in Japan places a supreme emphasis on peace and harmony in
the workplace and among social relationships. The Japanese have disdain for rugged
3-5. Discuss the role of Islam in cross-cultural relations and business operations.
Learning Objective: 2; AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
Muslims believe in the Five Pillars of Islam. These are 1) declaration of faith, 2)
almsgiving, 3) prayer (five times daily), 4) fasting, and 5) pilgrimage to Mecca.
Application Exercises
3-6 Develop a cultural profile for one of the countries in the following list. Form
small groups of students and compare your findings in class with those of
another group preparing a profile for another country. Be sure to compare
specific findings regarding religion, kinship, recreation, and other subsystems.
What are the prevailing attitudes toward time, change, material factors, and
individualism? Any African country; People’s Republic of China; Mexico;
France,
India
Learning Objective: 4; AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
This exercise requires students to do a significant investigation into different
3-7 In small groups of students, research Hofstede’s findings regarding the four
dimensions of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and
individualism for one of the following countries in comparison to the United
States. (Your instructor can assign the countries to avoid duplication.)
Present your findings to the class. Assume you are a U.S. manager of a
subsidiary in the foreign country and explain how differences on these
dimensions are likely to affect your management tasks. What suggestions do
you have for dealing with these differences in the workplace?
Brazil;
Italy;
People’s Republic of China; Russia
Learning Objective: 4; AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
When comparing the list of selected countries, most have the following
characteristics relative to the United States: higher power distance, more
collectivist, and greater uncertainty avoidance. The United States would be
Experiential Exercises
3-8. Learning Objective: 1; AACSB: Analytic skills
When a deal does not go through it is often difficult to come up with a reason or
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reasons for its failure. Although Fred did have some understanding of German
3-9 Learning Objective: 2; AACSB: Multiculturalism and diversity understanding
Bill should not be upset by either the “lateness” of his meeting or the fact that
3-10. Learning Objective: 5; AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Tom should have realized that the “retired” grandfather still possessed much power
and influence in the operations of the business. This may be especially true relative
End-of-Chapter Case Study: An Australian Manager in an American Company
Discussion Questions
3-11. Using Geert Hofstede’s cultural characteristics, compare Australia and the
United States on various measures. As you’ll see, the two countries are fairly
similar, but there are some differences that may help explain Les Collins’s
apparent lack of success in the American setting. Which of these do you think
is the most significant and why?
Learning Objective: 2; AACSB: Multiculturalism and diversity understanding
Hofstede’s value dimension, individualism, refers to the tendency of people to look
after themselves with less emphasis on the needs of society. In
countries that prize individualism such as the United States and Australia, the
3-12. What could GOC have done to prepare Collins for his assignment in the
United States? Outline an action plan for companies to use in preparing
executives—and their families—for international assignments.
Learning Objective: 2; Multiculturalism and diversity understanding
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GOC could have instituted a program of diversity-awareness to include role-play
3-13. Articulate and evaluate your own opinion about the degree of distance
prevalent in U.S. companies between managers and their direct reports. Who
is protected by this management style? What adverse organizational
impacts might result from this style?
Learning Objective: 5; AACSB: Multiculturalism and diversity understanding
Hofstede’s value dimension of power distance, is the level of acceptance by
a society of the unequal distribution of power in institutions. On the
Additional Case
Canada Timber: Negotiating with the Japanese
Tim Wilder, CEO of Canada Timber, was excited as he hung up the telephone in his
office in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tim had just received a call from Akiko Morita,
who represented the Japanese furniture manufacturer, Bonsai. Morita informed Tim that
Canada Timber was being considered as a major supplier to Bonsai. He told Tim that
Canada Timber’s reputation as a supplier of quality hardwoods was of interest to Bonsai.
Canada Timber exported its products to the United States, Mexico, and several European
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The Japanese had faxed a number of documents to Tim concerning the meetings. Tim
was very impressed with the degree of detail provided by the Japanese, including the
names and qualifications of the people they would meet during their visit to Japan. A
detailed agenda was provided, and the Japanese made all the arrangements for
transportation and lodging for the Canadians.
When Tim and his associates arrived at Bonsai headquarters they were presented with a
gift from the company president, Mr. Ono Kusushi. John was unsure if he should open
the gift or not, so he decided to thank Mr. Kusushi for the gift and to stuff it into his
briefcase. Once again a number of business cards were presented to John and the others,
and at this point, Tim remembered that he had forgotten to bring his business cards along.
He apologized for the oversight and once again quickly collected the cards from the
Japanese.
It appeared to Tim that the Japanese were very interested in the Canadians’ perceptions of
the country, and that they would begin to discuss business if he would offer some
compliments. Tim thought about the situation and offered some positive comments on the
food and drink they had enjoyed in their hotel. Tim then quickly began to discuss
business, pointing out how Canada Timber was a quality leader in supplying hardwood
products to several countries. He went on at great length about the positive attributes of
his company and how it would be a good business decision to select Canada Timber as a
supplier.
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long period of silence began. Tim and the other Canadians began to feel a bit nervous
after a few moments had passed and he again asked, through the interpreter, if the price
was acceptable. Mr. Kusushi smiled and laughed a bit without saying a word. He then
looked at one of the members of the Japanese negotiating team and the two spoke in
Japanese without the conversation being translated. At this point Tim interrupted by
saying that perhaps the price could be a bit lower if needed. More silence followed and
Tim became increasingly nervous. He began to speak, this time addressing the translator
and asking if anything could be done to “seal the deal today.” He pulled a contract out of
When the meeting resumed, Tim was informed that he and his associates were invited to
tour one of Bonsai’s manufacturing plants, which was located a few hours from Tokyo.
Tim happily accepted the invitation, and the Canadians were off to the plant. After much
formality once arriving at the plant, the Canadians were given an extensive tour. Tim and
Bill Hudak asked many questions about the operation and they felt that they now had a
better understanding of the material requirements needed by Bonsai. After the plant tour,
the Canadians were taken back to their hotel and told that a Bonsai representative would
pick them up in the morning and bring them back to company headquarters.
The following day, however, would be no more successful for Tim and his team. After
many hours of explaining once again how Canada Timber was the right choice, and that
the price was very low, Tim was beginning to get frustrated. He felt that the Japanese
were holding out for a lower price, and so he decided to offer a 15 percent reduction in
order to end the negotiations. After the offer, Tim slouched down in his chair and decided
that he would use silence to his advantage. Tim sat silently and stared at Mr. Kusushi. It
seemed like an eternity to the Canadians before someone from the Japanese side finally
spoke. One of the senior Japanese employees suggested that the negotiations end for the
day and that they resume the following morning. He further suggested that all members
of the two teams go out in the evening to experience Japanese culture. At first Tim
thought that he could take no further delays, but he then reasoned that he might be able to
reach an agreement with the Japanese in a more informal setting.
On the following morning, Tim had Johnny prepare a revised sales agreement with the
discounted price. Although the price was much lower than Tim had hoped for, and near
his break-even point, Tim, nevertheless, felt that a long-term association with Bonsai and
the potential for additional sales in Asia would be beneficial to the company. He was also
happy to be able to return to Canada soon. Once again the Canadian team was met at the
hotel and driven to Bonsai’s headquarters. Tim entered the meeting room surprised not to
find Mr. Kusushi present. When he asked the whereabouts of Mr. Kusushi, he was told
that he had been called out of town unexpectedly and offered his apologies. Tim was told
Discussion Questions:
1. Evaluate the selection of negotiators from Canada Timber. Were any
mistakes made in the selection?
2. What differences in culture between the Japanese and Canadians can be
found in this case?
3. What could have been done differently in order to produce a more desirable
outcome?
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Teaching Note
Canada Timber: Negotiating with the Japanese
In this case, Tim Wilder, CEO of Canada Timber, goes to Japan to discuss a
contract with Bonsai, a Japanese furniture manufacturer regarding the possibility of
becoming a supplier of hardwood to that company. It was decided that Tim, along with
three associates would travel to Japan to close an initial deal. The morning after their
Discussion:
Tim Wilder went to Japan unprepared for the cultural reality he would face
there. He was almost entirely lacking in knowledge of the country and its business
culture. He made a mistake in not including someone who was knowledgeable about
Japan, its business culture, and its language. Although he did select someone who was
married to a wife of Japanese ancestry, this was not enough.
It is not unusual for Japanese businessmen to socialize over dinner and to drink
a lot on these occasions. Drinking in Japan is viewed as an opportunity to relax normal
formalities and speak frankly without risk of being inappropriate. In this situation it
probably was not inappropriate for Tim to press home his request for a commitment by
Bonsai. However, the agreement that Mr. Kusushi made at that time may have been more
of an effort to be polite than real agreement. What Tim Wilder didn’t realize is that
agreement in a Japanese business context is more an evolutionary process than a single
instant in time. Tim Wilder’s happiness at sealing the deal should have been more
Student Stimulation
Group or Class Learning Activities
1. Becoming Japanese: A stimulation exercise to help students appreciate how cultural
values are acquired. Divide the students into three teams, one each from Japan,
Germany, and Korea. Each team should receive the following challenge:
Imagine that you are parents in the country of __________ (Japan, Germany, or
Korea). You have one male and one female child. You want to raise your children
Discuss the experience of your children. How was the experience different for the
male versus female child? How was their experience different from your own
childhood experiences? In what ways might culture have influenced your children’s
future choices?
2. Watch the movie “Gung Ho” in class or assign it as a homework assignment. Then
discuss the following questions. 1) What basic cultural differences existed between
the Americans and the Japanese? 2) Were there cultural characteristics that each
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3. The power of stereotypes: Divide students into four groups based on the type of music
they prefer: 1) country, 2) classic rock, 3) classical, 4) jazz (for large classes, hip
4. Comparing clusters: An exercise to familiarize students with the similarities and
differences in cultural models.
A. Understanding Ronen and Shenker. Divide the students into small groups. Have
the students study the clusters developed by Ronen and Shenker. What
5. New student orientation session: Divide the class into small groups. Each team is
informed that their school has just accepted several hundred new transfer students
from Asia. Their team has been assigned the responsibility of developing an
orientation program. What things should these foreign students learn to help them be
culturally savvy about U.S. American college life?
6. Variations of above: Assign the same basic task to each group except that the age of
the foreigners varies, e.g., Asian elementary school students, Asian adults, and so on.
Additional Stimulation Discussion Questions
1. If someone you knew outside the United States wanted to pick up a quick education in
American cultural savvy, what would be the most important things for you to tell
them about our contemporary culture?
a. What norms would you need to explain?
Web Exercise
Throughout the text there are many examples of regional and country profiles, and how
important they are to getting a decent understanding of how strategy should be
constructed for that region/country.
In spite of the fact that many businesspeople inherently understand that Europe and Asia
are not unified markets, many company strategists regard Africa as one entity—and
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attempt to market to “Africa” without breaking out individual countries, languages,
cultures, governmental systems , and so forth.
Using the Websites below as examples, how would you break down the continent of
Africa into individual markets? How are cultures, languages, history (especially the
colonial legacy) different and important?
Would you market to a West Coast African country differently than an East Coast African
country? Are countries like Morocco truly “African”?