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GET THAT JOB! FROM BACKPACK TO BRIEFCASE: Ryan Holtzman in Dalian, China: Challenge
Yourself to Move beyond Your Comfort Zone
Ryan Holtzman describes his experience working in China for 5 months, the challenges he
faced, and how he overcame them.
Online and Hybrid: Virtual teams evaluate Hotzman’s advice for their own career development
and their ability to understand and adapt to life in another culture, particularly one that is quite
different from one’s home culture. Share conclusions with class, either online or in face–to-face
setting.
Face-to-Face: Students evaluate their own career strategy in light of Holtzman’s advice.
1. What does Holtzman mean, “don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone when you’re
abroad”?
He acknowledges that moving outside of your comfort zone may be difficult, producing
uneasiness and stress. However, by undertaking such an effort, you can learn much more about
2. If you were to immerse into a culture that was quite different from your own and which
had a language very different from your own, as Holtzman did, how effective do you think his
recommendations would be for enabling you to adjust effectively? How would you assess the
value of his recommendations, and what other approaches might you use to enhance the
pace and effectiveness of your acculturation?
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END OF MODULE EXERCISES
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Business is business, and every firm has to find ways to produce and market its goods.
Why, then, might managers be unable to successfully apply the techniques and concepts they
have learned in their own country to other areas of the world? 

2. Give examples to show how an international business manager might manipulate one of
the controllable forces in answer to a change in the uncontrollable forces. 

Students will come up with any number of examples such as:
3. Although forces in the foreign environment are the same as those in the domestic
environment, they operate differently. Why is this so? 

The kinds of forces in the two environments are identical, but they operate differently because:
• Their values frequently differ widely and sometimes are diametrically opposed.
4. Why, in your opinion, do the authors regard the use of the self-reference criterion as
“probably the biggest cause of international business blunders”? Can you think of an
example? 

Answers may vary on this question, but when a situation familiar to the manager arises, there is
a tendency to respond without analyzing the reasons from another cultural viewpoint,
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5. Discuss some possible conflicts between host governments and foreign-owned companies.
International firms have grown in size and number. As a result, they have become increasingly
6. “A nation whose GNI is smaller than the sales volume of a global firm is in no position to
enforce its wishes on the local subsidiary of that firm.” Is this statement true or false? Please
explain your rationale.
The comparison of total sales to GNI is similar to comparing apples with oranges. The subsidiary
must obey a nation’s laws or run the risk of legal action or even expropriation. Admittedly, a
7. What examples of globalization can you identify within your community? How would you
classify each of these examples (as international investment, international trade, other)?
8. Why is there opposition to globalization of trade and integration of the world’s economy?
Is there a way the debate can move beyond a simplistic argument for or against globalization
and toward how best to strengthen the working of the global economy in order to enhance
the welfare of the world and its inhabitants? What might this require?
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Instructor Guide to Module 1
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9. You have decided to take a job in your hometown after graduation. Why should you study
international business?
The answers will vary but no matter where a person is, he or she cannot be entirely free from
GLOBALEDGE RESEARCH TASK
Exercise 1
globalEDGE ‘Global Insights’ is where profiles of trade blocs, countries, U.S. states, and
industries can be found. When navigated as described in the exercise (i.e. globalEDGE > Global
Exercise 2
globalEDGE ‘Global Insights’ is where profiles of trade blocs, countries, U.S. states, and
MINICASE: Are You Really Buying American?
This minicase explores the issue of the origin of products and brands and the companies that
own them. From bumper stickers to tee shirts, the slogan “Buy American” has become a
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1. Should it matter to consumers whether the companies that make their products are based
in the consumers’ home country or not? Explain your rationale. 

Answers are likely to vary quite a bit on this question. Many students will exhibit patriotism and
nationalistic zeal, emphasizing the importance of having a strong domestic economy in order to
2. Why has there been almost no negative backlash among Americans to the flood of foreign
investment into their country?
This question can prove to be difficult for some students to answer. On one hand, students may
note that the U.S. is a major investor in foreign nations and therefore cannot be overly
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BONUS ACTIVITIES
This section provides you with support of your course above and beyond what is found in the
text. We have developed these resources to support your course, to support your traditional,
hybrid, online, or flipped class.
VIDEO SUGGESTIONS
McGraw Hill’s collection of international business videos is available at
Hotels, explaining why international travelers are vital to growth.
to build a factory in China.
globalEDGE and the Academy of International Business provide links to a number of
organizations that offer videos about international business. You can find these links at
YouTube has many international business-related videos in its collection. For example, you can
TEAM EXERCISES
These may be done individually or in groups or teams, either in or out of class, for later class
presentation. Some are also appropriate for hybrid and online courses.
1. International Business Project
One popular team exercise is to prepare a foreign market assessment and entry business plan,
Objective: To create a foreign market entry business plan for taking an American consumer
product into a foreign country.
Project Outline:
2. Sociocultural acceptance of product—is adaptation necessary?
3. Legal/bureaucratic environment (imports, local manufacture, taxation).
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5. Economic and political climate for foreign business.
7. Managerial and labor climate.
Project Report: The report may essentially cover all topics in the outline plus an executive
summary, introduction (country and product), and recommendations. The report will be word–
Project Presentation: The project may be presented to the class either through a taped session
posted online (most appropriate for online classes) or through face-to-face presentation to the
2. Debate on Globalization
Conduct a debate on issues in support of and opposing globalization. The text hints at a range
of issues regarding the pros and cons of globalization, which can serve as a starting point for a
stimulating debate and class discussion on globalization. Consider assigning students to “for”
and “against” positions and ask them to research their positions and provide a clear and
3. American Brands
Following up on the minicase, “Are You Really Buying American?,” ask students to research
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different. You might stimulate some of this discussion by putting the following
Kingdom)
h. Arrowhead water (owned by Nestle of Switzerland)
i. Columbia Pictures motion picture studios (owned by Sony of Japan)
j. Arco gasoline (owned by BP of the United Kingdom)
k. Nerds candy (owned by Ferrero of Italy)
SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES
Case Studies
Case studies that focus on intercultural issues and their effects in business environments are
available through Ivey Publishing and Harvard Business School. Ivey’s catalog is available for
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an account and offers downloadable review copies for educators. The case prices begin at
$7.50.
Harvard Cases
“Planet Starbucks (A)” details efforts made by Starbucks to act in a socially responsible manner
and the pressures placed on the Starbucks Coffee company by the anti-globalization
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
1. Global Debate: Is the “Bottom of the Pyramid” a Market Worth Serving?
This box feature described earlier in this module’s Instructor Guide provides an excellent
foundation for debating some of the issues raised in the text.
2. Debate on Globalization
The debate on globalization elements described earlier in this module’s Instructor Guide
provides an excellent foundation to lever the content from the text’s discussion of this topic
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follow up with an online or in-person discussion. For example, ask students to discuss how they
view globalization and the reasons for their views. Potential discussion questions can include:
3. Current Events
A focus on current events that are relevant to the module’s topics is a good way to bring home
the concepts, review their application, and build news-review habits. Ask everyone to come
prepared with an article for every meeting. If a meaningful percentage of the final grade is
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
1. Students find the definitions in this chapter helpful. Stress that building, understanding, and
correctly using the terms associated with international business helps them move toward
2. Focusing on the boxed material and the case study will help students achieve the objectives
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3. The Critical Thinking Questions at the end of the module will help in understanding chapter
content. These topics may be assigned as an outside class assignment. One of the problems in
giving textbook questions as outside assignments is that students frequently do not do the
4. Guest lecturers willing to discuss the challenges presented by the rapidly changing aspects of
international business, such as by discussing the pace of change in their own industry, are a way
to underscore the importance of the information in this module. Possible guests include:
• Personnel managers who staff the overseas subsidiaries and international divisions
5. Students tend to be aware marginally of their consumer-level dependence on international
business. To arouse their early interest in the importance of this course, we use one or more of
the student involvement exercises listed in the following section.
• Start the course by asking students this question: “If I snapped my finger (snap your
finger) and every piece of clothing we are wearing today that was NOT
manufactured in the U.S. disappeared, how we would be dressed?” The obvious
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CONNECT TOOLS FOR ASSESSEMENT OF LEARNING
Connect Content Matrix
For every chapter, please refer to the Connect Content Matrix to see what application exercises
are available and what Learning Objectives they help reinforce/assess.
Title
Assignment
Type
Topic(s)
Learning
Objective(s)
AACSB
Accreditation
Tagging
What is
International
Business?
Click and Drag
Why Study
International
Business?
01-01; 01-02
Analytical
Thinking
Drivers of
Globalization
Click and Drag
Drivers of
Globalization
01-03; 01-04
Analytical
Thinking
The Globalization
Debate
Click and Drag
The Globalization
Debate
01–05
Analytical
Thinking
Growth of
International
Business
Click and Drag
What is
Globalization?
01-02; 01-03
Reflective
Thinking
Is the Future of
Globalization in
Doubt?
Video Case
The Globalization
Debate/ Drivers of
Globalization
01–05
Reflective
Thinking/
Knowledge
Application/
Analytical
Thinking
CONNECT ACTIVITIES
1. What is International Business?
Activity Summary: In this click and drag activity, boxes of general characteristics are matched to
2. Drivers of Globalization
Activity Summary: This is a click and drag activity in which boxes of international activities and
implications for business are placed beside one of the five driving forces of globalization.
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How to Use Activity: This can be assigned for homework. For an in-class assignment, divide the
3. The Globalization Debate
Activity Summary: This is a click and drag activity in which arguments related to globalization
4. Growth of International Business
Activity Summary: In this click and drag activity, general characteristics on the left are dragged
5. Is the Future of Globalization in Doubt?
Activity Summary: This video case shows a short interview that discusses forces, especially in