Negotiations and Cross-Cultural Approaches (see below for project details)

Step One:

400-600 words plus graph/table Total for steps 1-4

Visit Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions

Step Two:

Create a country comparison using the United States in first dropdown menu box to see the values for the six cultural dimensions. After selecting the United States, a second and a third country can be chosen in the second dropdown menu box. Keep the United States in the first box and then repeat for each country (Mexico, China, and Saudi Arabia) involved in the fast food expansion project to see a comparison of their scores.

Step Three:

Create a bar graph and/or table to highlight how the four countries compare to the United States by using the value scores under the comparison to create the bar chart. How to make a bar chart on Microsoft Word:

1. Click “Insert” tab
2. Click “Chart” in the Illustrations Group
3. Select “Bar”
4. Click “OK” to insert a chart and a spreadsheet will open alongside your Word document. The spreadsheet contains sample figures surrounded by a blue border. Column “A” contains data labels. The remaining columns contain data.
5. Click a corner of the border. Drag it down or up to add or remove items from the graph.

Step Four:

Using your findings:

• Explain Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.
• Using the United States as a basis for comparison, evaluate each country’s similarities and differences relative to the franchise business deployment.
• Discuss the implications for your initial communications within each country. For example, what is the impact of collectivism relative to individualism regarding management communication? Use Intellipath, MUSE, Beyond the Book. Live Chats and the CTU Library to help identify cultural characteristics that will be important during your first project meeting with each country.

Step Five:

800 – 1,000 words

Your coffee franchise cleared for business in all three countries (Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and China). You now have to develop your global franchise team and start construction of your restaurants. . You invite all of the players to the headquarters in the United States for a big meeting to explain the project and get to know one another since they represent the global division of your company. In preparation for the meeting, you want to avoid cultural silos, while ensuring all parties engage with each other and a generative climate is created.

Part 1: Effective communication with participants

• Discuss the national cultural profiles of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and China that are relevant in cross-cultural business communications. Refer back to Unit 2 Hofstede cultural dimensions, as well as the political, economic, legal, and ethical systems and other variables relevant to global business communication.
• What are the implications of the cultural variables for your communication with the team representative from each country in the face to face meeting?
• Address Hall’s high and low context regarding verbal and non-verbal communication. The United States is a low context culture, while each country is high context.
  • Tip: Write at least one substantive paragraph for each country

Part 2: Effective communication among participants

• What are examples of barriers and biases in cross-cultural business communications that may impact the effectiveness of communication among the meeting participants? Consider ethnocentrism, communication apprehension, and culture shock.
• What are some of the issues you should be concerned about regarding verbal and nonverbal communication for this group to avoid misinterpretations and barriers to communication?
• Identify 3-5 mistakes made during business negotiations that could inhibit the team from building strong relationships? Consider and direct and indirect styles.