Contents

Topic 2: Ethics and Social Responsibility....................................................................................................2

1, Discuss the importance of Ethics and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in international
management............................................................................................................................................2
2, Give specfic examples of CSR policies/programs/actions in specific businesses. Analyse their
success/failure in implementing those CSR policies/programs/actions....................................................3
3, The main roles and responsibilities of NGOs......................................................................................5
4, Discuss some of the pressures on and action being taken by selected industrialized countries and
companies to be more socially and environmentally responsive to world problems................................6
5, The importance of business corporate governance in fighting corruption............................................7
6, Discuss some initiatives/suggestions to bring greater accountability to corporate conduct and limit
the impacts of corruption around the world.............................................................................................7
Topic 4: Organizational Cultures and Diversity...........................................................................................8
1, The definition of organizational culture (analyse main characteristics of organizational culture).......8
2, Discuss the interaction of national and MNC cultures.........................................................................8
3, Analyse characteristics of 4 most common categories of organizational culture including Family,
Eiffel Tower, Incubator, Guided Missile.................................................................................................9
4, Discuss Advantages and Disadvantages of Cultural Diversity.............................................................9
5, Discuss different ways to build multicultural team effectiveness......................................................10
Câu hỏi bài tập trên lớp.............................................................................................................................15
1, How is FDI important to developing countries? Make a table to analyse 5 main disadvantages and 5
advantages developing countries can get from FDI...............................................................................15
2, Your group can choose 1 out of 5 countries: India/China/The UK/France/Japan to do research and
analysis on their economy with the following issues: GDP, Inflation, Unemployment, Economic
recession, Government Debts, living standards, international trade. (Your group needs to prepare 10-15
slides including references and visual aids and do the group presentation-(7-10 minutes) next week)..18
3, Your group needs to read the attached article about 4 cases regarding to CSR policies. After reading
it, you will complete the given analysis table (in Word file ) as required to understand how the conflicts
can affect CSR policies of businesses....................................................................................................22
4, What are the main roles and responsibilities of NGOs in Vietnam?..................................................30
5, Why is corporate governance important to businesses?.....................................................................30
6, What are the main roles of corporate governance in fighting corruption?.........................................31
7, Choose 5-7 countries and make a table to analyze the Levels of Hofstede's cultural dimensions of
their national culture..............................................................................................................................31
8, How does culture affect the Centralized Managerial Approach and Decentralized Managerial
Approach?.............................................................................................................................................38

1
9, Give specific examples to 6 characteristics of culture.......................................................................38
10, By using the relocation transition curve, write an essay to analyze 7 stages (state specific time
periods for the stages and show the time periods on the curve) you experienced in the following case:
Assume that you accepted and completed the international assignment to work for Google in Singapore
(for 4 years) as a Business Analyst. (Submit your group work under this post).....................................39
11, Why is training in international management important to businesses?...........................................40
12, Describe some types of training programs.......................................................................................41
13, Which main benefits can organizations get from cultural diversity?...............................................42
14, Analyze some disadvantages of cultural diversity when you work in a team...................................43
15, Analyze some aspects of non-verbal communication and give relevant examples to each..............44
16,..........................................................................................................................................................44
a, Explain the main differences between Distributive negotiation and Integrative negotiation..............44
b) Explain some reasons why cultural differences affect negotiations...................................................45
17, Make a list of 15-20 ways to make multicultural team work effectively.........................................46
18, Compare differences between Direct and Indirect Management control.........................................49
19, Describe some specific performance measures that are used to control international operations.....50

2
Topic 2: Ethics and Social Responsibility
1, Discuss the importance of Ethics and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in international
management 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is when a company operates in an ethical and sustainable way and
deals with its environmental and social impacts. This means a careful consideration of human rights, the
community, environment, and society in which it operates.

Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility

It’s incredibly important that your company operates in a way that demonstrates social responsibility.
Although it’s not a legal requirement, it’s seen as good practice for you to take into account social and
environmental issues.
Social responsibility and ethical practices are vital to your success. The 2015 Cone
Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR study found that a staggering 91% of global consumers expect
businesses to operate responsibly to address social and environmental issues. Furthermore, 84% say they
seek out responsible products wherever possible.
As the above statistics show, consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of social responsibility,
and actively seek products from businesses that operate ethically. CSR demonstrates that you’re a
business that takes an interest in wider social issues, rather than just those that impact your profit margins,
which will attract customers who share the same values. Therefore, it makes good business sense to
operate sustainably.

Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility

The benefits of CSR speak volumes about how important it is and why you should make an effort to
adopt it in your business.

Some clear benefits of corporate social responsibility are:

Improved public image. This is crucial, as consumers assess your public image when deciding whether to
buy from you. Something simple, like staff members volunteering an hour a week at a charity, shows that
you’re a brand committed to helping others. As a result, you’ll appear much more favourable to
consumers.

Increased brand awareness and recognition. If you’re committed to ethical practices, this news will
spread. More people will therefore hear about your brand, which creates an increased brand awareness.

Cost savings. Many simple changes in favour of sustainability, such as using less packaging, will help to
decrease your production costs.

An advantage over competitors. By embracing CSR, you stand out from competitors in your industry.
You establish yourself as a company committed to going one step further by considering social and
environmental factors.

Increased customer engagement. If you’re using sustainable systems, you should shout it from the
rooftops. Post it on your social media channels and create a story out of your efforts. Furthermore, you
should show your efforts to local media outlets in the hope they’ll give it some coverage. Customers will
follow this and engage with your brand and operations.

3
Greater employee engagement. Similar to customer engagement, you also need to ensure that your
employees know your CSR strategies. It’s proven that employees enjoy working more for a company that
has a good public image than one that doesn’t. Furthermore, by showing that you’re committed to things
like human rights, you’re much more likely to attract and retain the top candidates.

More benefits for employees. There are also a range of benefits for your employees when you embrace
CSR. Your workplace will be a more positive and productive place to work, and by promoting things like
volunteering, you encourage personal and professional growth.

Business ethics refers to the standards for morally right and wrong conduct in business. Law partially
defines the conduct, but “legal” and “ethical” aren’t necessarily the same. Business ethics enhances the
law by outlining acceptable behaviors beyond government control.

Corporations establish business ethics to promote integrity among their employees and gain trust from
key stakeholders, such as investors and consumers. 

Business ethics is an essential skill.

Almost every company now has a business ethics program. In addition to establishing formal programs,
companies are creating ethical workplaces by hiring the right talent. Today’s business professionals must
understand the link between business ethics and business success.

Business ethics drives employee behavior.

Companies that advocate for business ethics motivate their employees to perform their roles with
integrity.

Business ethics benefits the bottom line.

Another reason why business ethics is important is that it can improve profitability. Business ethics
cultivates trust, which strengthens branding and sales.

Understanding why business ethics is important

Amidst growing scrutiny of business practices, it’s more important than ever for companies to carry out
work the right way. Ethics programs are an exceptional tool for promoting moral conduct. Organizations
also need employees dedicated to ethical decision-making.

Reference: https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/importance-of-corporate-social-responsibility/

2, Give specfic examples of CSR policies/programs/actions in specific businesses. Analyse their

success/failure in implementing those CSR policies/programs/actions    

+ Starbucks:  has long been known for its keen sense of corporate social responsibility and commitment
to sustainability and community welfare. According to the company, Starbucks has achieved many of its
CSR milestones since it opened its doors. According to its 2020 Global Social Impact Report, these
milestones include reaching 100% of ethically sourced coffee, creating a global network of farmers and
providing them with 100 million trees by 2025, pioneering green building throughout its stores,

4
contributing millions of hours of community service, and creating a groundbreaking college program for
its employees.

Starbucks' goals for 2021 and beyond include hiring 5,000 veterans and 10,000 refugees, reducing the
environmental impact of its cups, and engaging its employees in environmental leadership.

The 2020 report also mentioned how Starbucks planned to help the world navigate the coronavirus
pandemic. The company's response to the pandemic focuses on three essential elements:

Prioritizing the health of its customers and employees

Supporting health and government officials in their attempts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic

Showing up for communities through responsible and positive actions.

Today, there are many socially responsible companies whose brands are known for their CSR programs,
such as Ben & Jerry's.

With an eye to hiring, Starbucks wanted to diversify its workforce and provide opportunities for certain
cohorts. It has pledged to hire 25,000 US military veterans and spouses by 2025 as part of its socially
responsible efforts. Ahead of schedule, the company reached this milestone six years early and now hires
5,000 veterans and military spouses every year.

In a further move to tackle racial and social equity, Starbucks announced a mentorship program to
connect black, indigneous, and people of colour (BIPOC) to senior leaders and invest in partnerships. The
chain also aims to have BIPOC represented at 30% in corporate roles and 40% in retail and
manufacturing by 2025.   

+ Netflix & Spotify

From a social perspective, companies such as Netflix and Spotify offer benefits to support their
employees and families

Netflix offers 52 weeks of paid parental leave to the birth parent and non-birth parent (which includes
adopted children). This can be taken at any time whether it is the first year of the child's life or another
time that suits their needs. This compares to a median of 18 weeks at other major tech companies.

Spotify offers a similar program, although for a shorter duration of 24 weeks of paid leave. The company
believes the launch of this initiative resulted in a spike in external job applications which has never
abated. 

When it comes to social causes, Netflix and Spotify use their social media platforms to show support for
movements such as Pride month, environmental sustainability, and Black Lives Matter. Netflix sets an
example on how to target -and appeal to - niche and minority audiences through clever social media.

+ Ford Motor Company

Ford has huge plans in the area of CSR. Their mission is to ‘build a better world, where everyone is free
to move and pursue their dreams’. They have increased investment in electrification to $22Bn (from an
original $11Bn) and aim for their vehicles to be carbon neutral by 2050.  

5
“We’re committed to carbon neutrality”, stated Bob Holycross, Ford’s VP, Chief Sustainability,
Environment & Safety Officer. “It’s the right thing for our customers, the planet and Ford. Ninety-five
percent of our carbon emissions today come from our vehicles, operations and suppliers, and we’re
tackling all three areas with urgency and optimism,”

Interestingly, the company is also focusing on pay equity. They are conducting a diversity, equity and
inclusion audit while introducing a global salaried pay ratio (including gender) to level the playing field
for all employees.

Google is trusted not only for its environmentally friendly initiatives but also due to  its outspoken CEO,
Sundar Pichai. He stands up against social issues including President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim
comments. Google also earned the Reputation Institute’s highest CSR 2018 score much in part due to
their data centers using 50% less energy than others in the world. They also have committed over $1
billion to renewable energy projects and enable other businesses to reduce their environmental impact
through services such as Gmail.

+ Innovation: Johnson & Johnson

An excellent example of CSR on the frontline is big pharma pioneer Johnson & Johnson. They have
focused on reducing their impact on the planet for three decades. Their initiatives range from leveraging
the power of the wind to providing safe water to communities around the world. Their purchase of a
privately-owned energy supplier in the Texas Panhandle allowed the company to reduce pollution while
providing a renewable, economical alternative to electricity. The company continues to seek out
renewable energy options with the goal of having 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources by
2025.

 sources: https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/corporate-16-brands-doing-corporate-social-
responsibility-successfully

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp

3, The main roles and responsibilities of NGOs    

Definitions of an NGO
The diversity of NGOs strains any simple definition. They include many groups and institutions that are
entirely or largely independent of government and that have primarily humanitarian or cooperative rather
than commercial objectives.
Among the wide variety of roles that NGOs play, the following six can be identified as important, at
the risk of generalization:

Development and Operation of Infrastructure:

Community-based organizations and cooperatives can acquire, subdivide and develop land, construct
housing, provide infrastructure and operate and maintain infrastructure such as wells or public toilets and
solid waste collection services. They can also develop building material supply centres and other
community-based economic enterprises. In many cases, they will need technical assistance or advice from
governmental agencies or higher-level NGOs.

Supporting Innovation, Demonstration and Pilot Projects:

6
NGO have the advantage of selecting particular places for innovative projects and specify in advance the
length of time which they will be supporting the project - overcoming some of the shortcomings that
governments face in this respect. NGOs can also be pilots for larger government projects by virtue of
their ability to act more quickly than the government bureaucracy.

Facilitating Communication:

NGOs use interpersonal methods of communication, and study the right entry points whereby they gain
the trust of the community they seek to benefit. They would also have a good idea of the feasibility of the
projects they take up. The significance of this role to the government is that NGOs can communicate to
the policy-making levels of government, information bout the lives, capabilities, attitudes and cultural
characteristics of people at the local level.

NGOs can facilitate communication upward from people tot he government and downward from the
government tot he people. Communication upward involves informing government about what local
people are thinking, doing and feeling while communication downward involves informing local people
about what the government is planning and doing. NGOs are also in a unique position to share
information horizontally, networking between other organizations doing similar work.

Technical Assistance and Training:

Training institutions and NGOs can develop a technical assistance and training capacity and use this to
assist both CBOs and governments.

Research, Monitoring and Evaluation:

Innovative activities need to be carefully documented and shared - effective participatory monitoring
would permit the sharing of results with the people themselves as well as with the project staff.

Advocacy for and with the Poor:

In some cases, NGOs become spokespersons or ombudsmen for the poor and attempt to influence
government policies and programmes on their behalf. This may be done through a variety of means
ranging from demonstration and pilot projects to participation in public forums and the formulation of
government policy and plans, to publicizing research results and case studies of the poor. Thus NGOs
play roles from advocates for the poor to implementers of government programmes; from agitators and
critics to partners and advisors; from sponsors of pilot projects to mediators.

Reference: https://learning.candid.org/resources/knowledge-base/ngo-definition-and-role/

4, Discuss some of the pressures on and action being taken by selected industrialized countries and
companies to be more socially and environmentally responsive to world problems.

During the years ahead, multinationals likely will become more concerned about being socially
responsible.  NGOs are forcing the issue.  Countries are passing laws to regulate ethical practices and
governance rules for MNCs.  MNCs are being more proactive (often because they realize it makes good
business sense) in making

7
social contributions in the regions in which they operate and in developing codes of conduct to govern
ethics and social responsibility.  One area in which companies have been especially active is pursing
strategies that blend environmental sustainability in business objectives.
 
Reference: https://pdfcoffee.com/chap003doc-pdf-free.html

5, The importance of business corporate governance in fighting corruption

 Corruption, as defined by Transparency International, is “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It
can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector
where it occurs”.

A properly governed company with a strong ethical basis will steer clear of corruption, both in its external
transactions and in its internal organisation and processes. 

Corruption causes very high costs for individuals and businesses such as: Increasing business costs due to
accounting of costs for corruption in general costs. If choosing the "corruption" business method, the cost
will increase; Weakening competitiveness and sustainable development capacity when businesses must
invest resources for corruption; Reducing business opportunities, especially when newly accessed
markets, participating in bidding activities, mobilizing capital to expand business, joint venture and
linkage when partners know to be related to corruption. ; Destroying the reputation of businesses when
discovered or exposed to corruption cases in business activities.

Opportunities for cooperation with foreign businesses, especially multinational companies, are almost
zero. 

 EX: VIFON Company: Taking advantage of the equitized enterprise, the leader of Vietnam Food
Technology Company has made many short vouchers to appropriate the money of the State and the
shareholders causing nearly 20 billion damage.

Source: https://truongcanbothanhtra.gov.vn/tham-nhung-trong-kinh-doanh-va-tac-hai-cua-tham-nhung/ 

https://asb.edu.my/executive-education/cg-corruption-risk-management 

6, Discuss some initiatives/suggestions to bring greater accountability to corporate conduct and

limit the impacts of corruption around the world 

Corruption in enterprises is a form of corruption that causes damage to the business itself due to internal
abuse or damage to creditors/business owners. This form of corruption appears common in personnel
processes, extorting forces, abuse of money or aid ... With the act of corruption within the enterprise, it is
necessary to consider promoting preventive measures as the anti -corruption measure is the mainstream. 

Through the inspection, supervision and audit, if detecting corruption, it is necessary to strictly and
promptly handle it. Strengthen and further improve awareness about anti -corruption. Need to be properly
aware of the role and effects of anti -corruption as well as the harmful effects of corruption. Promote the
completion of the mechanism to strictly control the power in the enterprise in the direction of fully,
synchronized, effective, effective, overcoming by the abuse of power, the rights and abuse of the power
of the leaders, employees have positions.

8
source: https://noichinh.vn/nghien-cuu-trao-doi/202202/thach-thuc-va-giai-phap-phong-chong-tham-
nhung-tieu-cuc-o-nuoc-ta-hien-nay-310641/ 

Topic 4: Organizational Cultures and Diversity

1, The definition of organizational culture (analyse main characteristics of organizational culture)  

 Organizational  culture  can  be  defined  as  the  shared  values  and  beliefs  that  enable 
members to understand their roles in and the norms of the organization.
 A  number  of  important  characteristics  are  associated  with  an  organization’s  culture.  These 
have  been  summarized  as
1. Observed  behavioral  regularities,  as  typified  by  common  language,  terminol-ogy,  and 
rituals.
2. Norms,  as  reflected  by  things  such  as  the  amount  of  work  to  be  done  and  the  degree  of 
cooperation  between  management  and  employees.
3. Dominant  values  that  the  organization  advocates  and  expects  participants  to  share,  such 
as  high  product  and  service  quality,  low  absenteeism,  and  high  efficiency.
4. A  philosophy  that  is  set  forth  in  the  MNC’s  beliefs  regarding  how  employees  and 
customers  should  be  treated.
5. Rules  that  dictate  the  dos  and  don’ts  of  employee  behavior  relating  to  areas  such  as 
productivity,  customer  relations,  and  intergroup  cooperation.
6. Organizational  climate,  or  the  overall  atmosphere  of  the  enterprise,  as  reflected  by  the 
way  that  participants  interact  with  each  other,  conduct  themselves  with  customers,  and 
feel  about  the  way  they  are  treated  by  higher-level  management

2, Discuss the interaction of national and MNC cultures  

The influence of culture on the operation of multinational companies is real and widespread.
Multinational companies are affected by more than one culture at a time. Through their subsidiaries
located in various countries, they are exposed to different national cultures. Consequently, a certain
multinational company builds its corporate culture based on the cultural differences that exist among the
countries where it operates. Therefore, it is very important for multinational companies to adapt their
production, marketing, and sales activities depending on the culture of the given country. Culture in
particular country directly, or indirectly, reflect on the achieved performance of multinational companies. 

Reference: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/236086764.pdf

3, Analyse characteristics of 4 most common categories of organizational culture including Family,

Eiffel Tower, Incubator, Guided Missile 

Family Culture
– Strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to persons.
 Power oriented, headed by leader who is regarded as caring parent

9
  Management takes care of employees, ensures they’re treated well, and have continued
employment
 Catalyze and multiply energies of personnel or end up supporting leader who is ineffective and
drains energy and loyalties
Eiffel Tower Culture
– Strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to task
 Jobs well defined; employees know what they are supposed to do; coordination from top
 Culture narrow at top; broad at base
 Relationships are specific and status remains with the job
 Few off-the-job relationships between manager and employee
 Formal hierarchy is impersonal and efficient
Guided Missile Culture
– Strong emphasis on equality in workplace and orientation to the task
 Culture oriented to work
 Work undertaken by teams or project groups
 All team members equal
 Treat each other with respect
 Egalitarian and task-driven organizational culture
 Change can happen quickly
 Loyalty to profession and project often greater than to the organization itself
Incubator Culture
– Strong emphasis on equality and personal orientation
 Organization as incubator for self-expression and self-fulfillment
 Little formal structure
 Participants confirm, criticize, develop, find resources for, or to help complete the development
of an innovative product or service
 Environment where participants thrive on an intense, emotional commitment to the nature of the
work
 Employees often overworked but happy
Reference: https://www.brainscape.com/flashcards/gm-chapter-6-organizational-cultures-and-385239/
packs/800867
 

4, Discuss Advantages and Disadvantages of Cultural Diversity

Advantages of cultural diversity

1. Improved innovation due to a difference in experience and specialization.
2. Increased productivity because each employee has a unique quality to offer at work.
3. Increased adaptability brought about by learning different solutions to a problem.
4. Diverse ideas which are beneficial to any working environment.
5. Diverse range of services as each member has something to offer.
6. Greater room for individual growth and productivity.
7. Increased ability to hire and retain diverse employees.
8. Increased tolerance and patience amongst employees as they get to understand one another better.
9. Improved social infrastructure in terms of housing, education and health systems in the
community.
10. An improvement in economic infrastructure such as better transport, communication and energy
sectors.

10
 11. Improved social relations between people and nations which in turn improves business
agreements between companies and nations
12. Cultural diversity leads to improved financial and marketing infrastructure facilitating
international operations.
13. Increased client base due to the reputation and values of diversity in a company.
14. Collaboration among diverse communities.
15. Makes life to be more interesting as one gets to learn from different people about their cultures.
Disadvantages of cultural diversity
1. Communication problem which can lessen productivity.
2. Extra training cost which can badly affect a company’s budget.
3. Unhealthy competition from employees trying to get recognized.
4. Hindering the freedom of speech as individuals have to be cautious not to hurt other people’s
feelings.
5. Integration problems which might lower productivity.
6. Disrespect as some members of certain communities feel superior to others.
7. Civic disengagements because a diverse community is less likely to participate in civic activities.
8. Workspace issues as one group might feel discriminated.
9. Imbalance of power since mostly the community with the most members gets leadership
positions.
10. Different interpretation of workplace etiquette.
11. Problems getting visa requirements and work permits in different countries.
12. Conflicting working conditions and styles causing conflicts in the workplace.
13. Cultural stereotypes and prejudices making some communities feeling un-worthy.
14. Social injustices to communities deemed inferior.
15. Lack of equal opportunities at work due to cultural discrimination.

Reference: https://edgearticles.com/2018/07/03/essay-on-cultural-diversity-meaning-advantages-and-
disadvantages/

5, Discuss different ways to build multicultural team effectiveness

Widening the Types of Ideas

When everyone on a team has the same background and experiences, they tend to think alike. Not carbon
copies, of course, but the ideas that the team creates tend to be similar and easily understood by the
others. Even when someone generates an idea that's "out of the box," the others often tend to downplay its
possibilities because it is so far from what has always been done.

When someone on the team has a different background and culture, they create ideas that are naturally
different. They challenge preconceived notions that it can't be done or shouldn't be done because they
have seen such ideas executed successfully in their own experience, according to Forbes. They can
explain to the team how such ideas have been implemented, how challenges were overcome, and vouch
for their effectiveness. Even if the team ultimately decides to go with another idea, they have been
challenged to think in ways they hadn't done before.

Increasing Enthusiasm and Productivity

11
Enthusiasm is contagious. Once people open up to considering doing things differently, more people will
want to be a part of it. This might not happen overnight, but once other teams see the excitement
generated by one team and the praise they receive from management, more teams will want to generate
diverse ideas as well. When people are enthusiastic about their work, their productivity naturally
increases. They are noticed for their higher productivity, and soon others step up. Enthusiasm is the key;
people step up because they want to share their ideas, not because they fear being left behind or criticized.

Improving Employee Retention

Happy employees who are engaged in their work tend to stay with the company, which is a benefit in
many ways, advise the staffing experts at Randstad. The monetary cost of losing an employee is high,
including the cost of their training, the cost to hire and train someone new, the cost of the time involved in
hiring and training, and the effect one worker leaving has on the rest of the team.

Intentionally building a diverse workforce with multicultural teams drives excitement and new interest in
those teams and throughout the company. Innovative ideas invigorate people and encourage others to
explore diverse solutions. Soon, you have a workforce that is excited to stay right where they are. They
don't need to seek new opportunities because they are experiencing newness in their current jobs.

Attracting Additional Diverse Talent

Your business need not appear on a "Best Places to Work" list for new, diverse talent to find the way to
your door. Once current employees tell friends and associates how much they like working at a company
with multicultural teams, widened horizons and the no-holds-barred welcome of innovative ideas, other
potential employees will take notice. When you advertise for a position and mention the multicultural
environment, more top, diverse talent will want to join you. While you may have had difficulty finding
motivated workers in the past, your multicultural workforce and openness to a wide range of solutions
will be key to attracting employees eager for their ideas and differences to be appreciated.

Solving Challenges of Working in Multicultural Teams

Reaping so many benefits from a multicultural work environment doesn't occur naturally. Any time you
propose changing the way things are done, you can expect to encounter challenges. You need to set the
stage for employees to accept and welcome changes to the ways they've worked in the past. Even those
who can appreciate the benefits of the changes will encounter problems working in a multicultural team
environment.

You can prevent some problems by acknowledging that there will be growing pains. Where to start
depends on the level of the company's and employees' current cultural competence – their ability to work
effectively with people from different cultures, explains DiversityResources. People who have never
worked with someone from another culture can be expected to take longer to catch on than those who
have worked across cultures, whether with a coworker or a client.

Large companies have invested heavily in diversity training, which has shown mixed results. A study on
diversity training done by researchers at the Wharton School, as reported in Harvard Business Review,
showed the lowest change in attitude among white males, who statistically hold most of the power in U.S.
businesses. So before you invest, be sure any training you consider can show data proving how well it has
worked in companies similar to yours. Also, be prepared to continue diversity training rather than treat it
as a one-time occurrence.

Promoting Cross-Cultural Team Building

12
Meanwhile, your multicultural teams need to get to work. A better idea, and one that you can implement
on your own, might be to work continuously on cross-cultural team building. You can promote
multicultural teams by cross-cultural feast. Enjoy a leisurely lunch together where everyone brings a dish
from a culture other than their own.

The important thread in building teams that work well together is to hold events regularly and often.
Schedule them during the workday with plenty of advance notice so that all can (and must) attend. Let
teams devise additional activities and have responsibility for running an event on a rotating basis so that
organizing doesn't take up too much of any one person's time. Be sensitive about avoiding activities that
could cause culture clashes.

Source: https://work.chron.com/effectiveness-multicultural-team-3772.html

1. Celebrate, Respect and Realize the Benefits

According to Forbes, teams with diverse resources consistently outperformed monocultured teams. The
term "monoculture" originated in agriculture. It describes farms that attempt to grow the exact same crop
in the exact same soil year over year -- eventually leaving the soil and the crops weak, diseased and
unable to sustain healthy growth. Monoculture has also come to describe societies that employ the same
type of people with little to no variety in ethnicity, beliefs, value systems and intellectual strengths.
Simply stated, lack of diversity - in both agriculture and business - isn't a good thing. When it comes to
business today, the client pool is extremely varied and customers need solutions with customizable
options. Tap into diverse markets by building a company with a resource pool reflective of it. Bringing
together people that challenge each other and create innovative products also creates a more fulfilling
work environment for your employees.

The most important thing you can do to create and manage an outstanding multicultural team is to truly
understand the benefits unique ideas and life experiences bring to a group. Do you welcome thoughts that
aren't necessarily reflective of your own? Countless studies have shown that groups who bond over a
shared sense of purpose while bringing different perspectives to a situation come up with more profitable
ideas than workplaces where everyone thinks and acts alike. Celebrate differences by enlisting the help of
Diversity & Inclusion, Women's Leadership and LGBTQ organizations. Create a more comfortable
environment for your team by being polite to everyone and instilling respectful ways of interacting with
one another. Don't forget to lead by example by monitoring your tone, emotion and responses when
communicating with different team members to ensure you're not unconsciously favoring anyone.

2. Communicate in Different "Languages"

It's important to retain your own unique and personal speaking style as a leader - formal or informal,
cheerful or serious. Just don't forget that different cultures respond and react positively to certain
communication styles. For example, some cultures may bow instead of giving someone a strong
handshake. It may be taboo in some religions for a man to touch a woman he is not married to - making it
awkward if you're constantly reaching for a handshake or used to patting people on the back. If you want
to build a team that you communicate well with -- understand what type of communication style brings
out the best in your team and be aware of societal and cultural norms. Some cultures expect a certain tone,
repetition, descriptive examples, idioms, hand gestures -- brains are wired to receive messages in various
ways! Do a little homework and spend time with each of your employees to get a good understanding of
what works in helping them deliver successfully. You may have to do a little trial-and-error to get it right
until you find a way that works!

13
The same is also true of reward preferences as there are many ways to reward good work aside from
financial compensation. Praise in front of leadership, higher visibility, becoming a personal mentor or an
advocate are all great ways to regularly let your teams know you appreciate their work. A person who
feels appreciated will almost always do more than what is expected. Salary increases, bonuses and
promotions may be limited but your creativity doesn't have to be. The best way to find out how to match
the right communication and reward style with the right employee while working within the boundaries of
your workplace is to listen. Send a questionnaire out, have an informal meeting with your team -- keep
the lines of communication open and you'll be surprised how many languages you learn to speak!

3. The Power of Mentorship

3 Reasons Mentorship is important to Multicultural Team Success:

Everyone needs a mentor or coach in their career -- irrespective of seniority level.

Partnering up with the right mentor will allow you to be open to feedback and change...and ultimately
perform better.

Your direct manager may not have adequate skills or experiences to resolve certain issues.

I once inherited a large team that was so diverse yet so inefficient that I honestly needed a new game plan
if we were ever going to resolve any of our problems (notice, I said we and our in reference to problems).
As those of you with PM backgrounds may recall: we were back in the "storming" phase of team
building. Some teammates lacked certain skills, some had no motivation and others didn't understand the
requirements. Teammates were paired off with a mentor either within the team or across the organization
based on the area of improvement. Honestly speaking, improvements were made within ONE WEEK.
Low quality work suddenly had peer-review eyes. Those who didn't have the best Excel skills found
someone to teach them. Those who had a language barrier had someone to ask in depth questions about
the purpose and goals of the work.

We may not have become a perfect team however we did learn how to work better together and become
more productive - including myself.

4. Establish Goals and Overall Purpose

Keeping it simple, the most effective way for any team to work successfully together is to know the goal
and the purpose of the work. Take a look at the image above: people with clear, written goals tend to
perform 30 times more successfully - 30 TIMES! There have been countless times in my career where
I've seen managers assemble a team, review an overly-lengthy "kickoff" presentation yet completely miss
sharing the overall vision and point of the entire body of work! I can't emphasize enough how incredibly
frustrating it is to have leadership that cannot effectively vocalize the purpose of the work and help the
team clearly see "the bigger picture." Teams need to have an overall sense of purpose that binds them
together. This may seem like a no-brainer but it's most often the #1 most overlooked item by managers.

A best practice is to paint a clear picture of 1) the direction of the company 2) the purpose of the work 3)
the overall expectations and deadlines and 4) each person's role. Repeat this information often. Especially
during times of organizational change, when the goals of the company or timelines shift or when a better
process/technology is introduced. Don't wait to communicate with your teams - likely they already know
what changes are coming and they are depending on you to be honest about what is going on at the
company. Be clear on expectations, repeat them often and have your team repeat it back to you in their
own words so you can help mend any disconnects.

14
5. Establish Clear Roles & Responsibilities

Teams in general also operate measurably better when they are given one thing: a clear explanation of
their roles and responsibilities. Too often, managers assume that people know what their role is yet the
top excuse used when a major issue occurs on a project is that someone "didn't know it was their
responsibility to do/work with/contact/ask for XYZ..." You may have resources who assume they
shouldn't ask too many questions or some who are always getting involved in something they shouldn't.
Help create boundaries and guidelines and revisit them whenever there is an impactful change within or
outside of the team.

Role definitions can also mean different things to different people. For example, depending on the
country, company or industry, a "change manager" could be a project manager, a PMO lead, an
implementation or test manager. Be very specific in your role definitions within your own company.
Clearly state what you expect your resources to do and how independent you expect them to be. Do they
need to come to you for permission for certain things? Is there a chain of command, a peer review system
or an automated tool for communications within the team? Who should people be talking/meeting with on
a regular basis? Make sure these questions are answered quickly and directly to avoid basic pitfalls.

Creating a roles and responsibilities chart (try this fun team game from Atlassian.com) will do wonders
for a team comprised of people in multiple countries, who speak multiple languages and who may have a
different understanding of what the role is. Be aware that you should make each team member aware of
what your expectations are of exactly what he or she will be doing....especially in today's corporate
environment where we are often expected to play multiple roles.

6. Build Something Together....Outside of Everyday Work

Team building activities are more popular than ever...and with good reason. It's important that employees
communicate well with their managers as well as with one another. Fun and meaningful activities outside
of work let people create relationships on a deeper level and give them a chance to practice their social
communication skills. Escape rooms have become a favorite team building activity because it requires
creative thinking, reliance on each other and working quickly effectively with each other. If your team is
able, more physical activities like rock climbing and bowling are all great options to breaks barriers,
socialize and create healthy competition among one another. Remember to think through disabilities or
physical limitations of the team when planning an activity and ensure there's adequate accommodations if
needed.

And of course...never underestimate the power of "breaking bread" together. Be conscious of eating and
drinking options and feel free to ask your team for suggestions. Does happy hour make sense for a team
who doesn't drink alcohol? Can you choose a lunch or dinner location with options in case anyone has
dietary restrictions? Online team calendars are a great way to encourage and monitor appropriate team
lunches and social gatherings...and a great way to keep track of religious holidays or cultural events
across the team. Have your resources add special days and events to your team calendar and get involved
if there's an opportunity or gathering at the company. Think through innovative ways to encourage
comradery (apps, internal company softwares) and most of all.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/6-ways-effectively-build-manage-multicultural-teams-madeha-
khan

Câu hỏi bài tập trên lớp

15
1, How is FDI important to developing countries? Make a table to analyse 5 main disadvantages
and 5 advantages developing countries can get from FDI

 FDI allows the transfer of technology—particularly in the form of new varieties of capital inputs
—that cannot be achieved through financial investments or trade in goods and services. FDI can
also promote competition in the domestic input market.
 Recipients of FDI often gain employee training in the course of operating the new businesses,
which contributes to human capital development in the host country.
 Profits generated by FDI contribute to corporate tax revenues in the host country.
 FDI has become an important source of private external finance for developing countries. It is
different from other major types of external private capital flows in that it is motivated largely by
the investors' long-term prospects for making profits in production activities that they directly
control.
 Given the potential role FDI can play in accelerating growth and economic transformation,
developing countries are strongly interested in attracting it. They are taking steps to improve the
principal determinants influencing the locational choices of foreign direct investors

ADVANTAGE/ MAIN POINT ANALYSIS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE

DISADVANTAGE

Advantage 1 Easy Commonly, a country has Increased inward FDI into

International its own import tariff, and Singapore’s biotechnology sector
Trade this is one of the reasons may eventually boost the
why trading with it is country’s biotech exports, for
quite difficult. Also, there example, but it will take time
are industries that usually before investment translates into
require their presence in higher production volumes or
the international markets greater penetration of foreign
to ensure their sales and markets.
goals will be completely
met. With FDI, all these
will be made easier.

Advantage 2 Development One big advantage In particular, FDI promotes

of Human brought about by FDI is growth by augmenting human
Capital the development of human capital development, bringing in
Resources  capital resources, which is managerial skills, facilitating
also often understated as it labour training and skill
is not immediately acquisition, fostering growth in
apparent. Human capital is the host country. Accordingly, the
competence and human capital stock in the host
knowledge of those able to country is prerequisite for 
perform labor, more production  relocation across 
known to us as the country borders.  Local production
workforce. The attributes only takes place when the basic
gained by training and skills needed for production with a
sharing experience would minimum level of efficiency are
increase the education and present and further training is

16
 overall human capital of a possible, such that foreign
country. Its resource is not investors can use domestic non-
a tangible asset that is reproducible inputs and labor of
owned by companies, but the quality level needed to set up
instead something that is operations in the host country and
on loan. With this in mind, sustain productive activities
a country with FDI can thereafter. Labor has to be
benefit greatly by sufficiently well educated and
developing its human trained to justify investment and
resources while technology transfers into the host
maintaining ownership. country.

Advantage 3 Increasing Many goods produced by In Vietnam, the proportion of

exports  FDI have global markets, export to the export of FDI
not solely domestic enterprises increased sharply from
consumption. The creation less than 50% of total turnover
of export-oriented units before 2003 to over 60% and 2012
helps to assist FDI and continued to increase by 70%
investors in boosting from 2015.
exports from other
countries.

Advantage 4 Provides Recipient businesses Mazda car company (Japan)

technology to receive "best practices" transfers car manufacturing
developing management, accounting, technology to Truong Hai
countries or legal guidance from Company to expand the market in
their investors. They can Vietnam. With technology
incorporate the latest transfer and technical support
technology, operational from Mazda, Truong Hai is
practices, and financing allowed to manufacture and
tools.  assemble complete cars according
to Mazda's technology, and then
sell them to consumers.

Advantage 5  Increased The facilities and Based on a firm-level panel data

Productivity equipment provided by set from Lithuania, the estimation
foreign investors can results are consistent with the
increase a workforce’s existence of productivity
productivity in the target spillovers. They suggest that a 10
country. percent increase in the foreign
presence in downstream sectors is
associated with 0.38 percent rise
in output of each domestic firm in
the supplying industry. 

Disadvantage 1 Negative FDI can at times influence In this scenario, multinational

impact on trade rates for the companies, which borrow or raise
exchange rates advantage of one nation capital internationally to pay for
over another. Negative their overseas projects, will need
effect on interest in the to provide their lenders some extra

17
 nation, the standards compensation to cover the
representing trade rates relatively high costs of monitoring
and direct venture could their investments abroad.
negatively affect investing Multinationals would prefer to
nation. A developing finance these projects out of
country with a struggling internal capital if this were an
currency may see a surge option, since internal capital is
of popularity after a increasing in the parent
foreign direct investment. company’s wealth. 
People and companies see
an investment as a sign of
stability, creating
additional interest in the
market being examined.
That higher level of
interest can lead to a better
monetary value for the
foreign nation, which may
destabilize exchange rates.

Disadvantage 2 Risk from Because political issues in Decree 181 details the
Political other countries can implementation of the Law on
Changes instantly change, foreign Advertising, under which a
direct investment is very Vietnamese entity can only work
risky. Plus, most of the with one licensed advertising
risk factors that you are agency in the country. This
going to experience are requirement not only puts
extremely high. Vietnam in a state of violation.
violates the national treatment
principle under the Agreement on
Accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) but also
limits the opportunities for small
and medium-sized enterprises to
promote their products and
services on platforms such as
Facebook or Google

Disadvantage 3 Expensive Investing into the market In the United States, the dollar is
Cost of developing countries  one of the strongest currencies in
through FDI would the world. For an investment into
actually have higher costs the developing world, the value of
for the individual or the currency can be stretched
business compared to a further than it would be
domestic investment. domestically. That isn’t always
the case, however, because the
euro and the pound trade higher
than the dollar. Enterprises will
have to bear high costs when
investing and developing the

18
 market of these countries. This
will limit the ability of foreign
enterprises to invest in developing
countries' markets.

Disadvantage 4 Negative The rules that govern China is planning to ban

Impact on the foreign exchange rates and companies from going public on
Country’s direct investments might foreign stock markets through
Investment negatively have an impact variable interest entities, closing a
on the investing country. loophole long used by the
Investment may be banned country’s technology industry to
in some foreign markets, raise capital from overseas
which means that it is investors. Therefore, Companies
impossible to pursue an currently listed in the U.S. and
inviting opportunity. Hong Kong that use VIEs would
need to make adjustments so their
ownership structures are more
transparent in regulatory reviews,
especially in sectors off limits for
foreign investment.

Disadvantage 5 Displacement Large multinational The entry of large firms, such as

of local corporations may force Walmart, may displace local
businesses away local enterprises that businesses. Walmart is often
are unable to compete. criticized for driving out local
businesses that cannot compete
with its lower prices.

2, Your group can choose 1 out of 5 countries: India/China/The UK/France/Japan to do research

and analysis on their economy with the following issues: GDP, Inflation, Unemployment, Economic
recession, Government Debts, living standards, international trade. (Your group needs to prepare
10-15 slides including references and visual aids and do the group presentation-(7-10 minutes) next
week).
Topic: Japanese Economy
I, Introduction

Japan is one of the largest and most developed economies in the world. It has a well-educated, industrious
workforce and its large, affluent population makes it one of the world’s biggest consumer markets.
Japan's industrialized, free market economy is the fourth biggest in the world. In general, Japan remains
one of the most powerful and dynamic economies of the world.

II, Country Index

1, GDP 

In 2020, The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Japan was worth 4975.42 billion US dollars, according to
official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of Japan represents 4.40 percent of the world
economy.

19
In 2021, Gross Domestic Product of Japan grew 1.3% in the fourth quarter compared to the previous
quarter. This rate is 20 -tenths of one percent higher than the figure of -0.7% published in the third quarter
of 2021.
The year-on-year change in GDP was 0.7%, 5 -tenths of one percent less than the 1.2% recorded in the
third quarter of 2021.
The GDP figure in the fourth quarter of 2021 was $911,176 million, leaving Japan placed 2th in the
ranking of quarterly GDP of the 53 countries that we publish.
Japan has a quarterly GDP per capita, of $8,280, less than the same period last year, when it was $8,703 .
If we order the countries according to their GDP per capita, Japan is in 20th position of the 53 countries
whose quarterly GDP we publish.
Besides, the upturn marked the strongest pace of quarterly growth in a year, as both household
consumption (2.8% vs -1.0% in the third quarter) and business investment (0.4% vs -2.4%) bounced back,
amid a decline in COVID-19 cases and easing restrictions. In addition, net external demand contributed
positively to the GDP, as exports recovered (1% vs -0.3%) while imports continued to fall (-0.3% vs -
0.9%). Meantime, government spending fell for the first time in three quarters (-0.3% vs 1.1%) and public
investment shrank for the fourth quarter in a row (-3.3% vs 3.0%)

2, Inflation 
In 2020, the inflation rate for Japan was -0%. Though Japan's inflation rate fluctuated substantially in
recent years, it tended to decrease through the 1971 - 2020 period ending at -0 % in 2020. Japan's
inflation rate fell 0.2% in February 2020 from 0.8% in the previous month, and remained unchanged at
0.6 percent in March. Japan's inflation rate sank to 0.2 percent in April 2020. The inflation rate stood at an
over 3-year low of 0.1 percent in May and June. It fluctuated but not significantly in July and August,
before falling rapidly since September. Japan's inflation rate declined 0.4 percent in November of 2020,
from 0.6 percent in the previous month, and then declined 0.2 percent in December, which is recorded as
the sharpest deflation in 10 years.
In 2021, Japan's inflation rate rose 0.2 percent in February, from -0.7 percent in the previous month, as
the pandemic continued to weigh on consumption, then continued to rise at a softer pace by 0.1 percent in
March. In April, the inflation rate decreased to 1.1 percent, and rose to 0.7 percent in May. Although
there was some fluctuation in June, July, and August, overall inflation was between -0.4 to -0.3 percent.
In September, Japan's inflation rate rose for the 1st time in 13 months, to 0.2 percent, and had a slight
decline in October. The inflation rate rose to 0.6% in November 2021, the most in nearly two years and
continued to rise to 0.8% in December. Overall, the inflation rate in 2021 for Japan was -0.2%.

source: https://www.rateinflation.com/inflation-rate/japan-inflation-rate/
3, Unemployment 

Source: https://take-profit.org/en/statistics/unemployment-rate/japan/
Japan's unemployment rate has always been significantly lower than that of other countries. In October
2020, Japan's total unemployment rate remained at 3.1 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from September,
and recorded the highest level since April 2019. Japan's unemployment rate has stayed stable between 2.2
percent to 2.5 percent since 2019. However, in 2020, this rate has remained constant at 3% for three
months in a row. The fundamental reason is that the manufacturing and business activities of Japanese
enterprises and retailers were harmed. Because of the COVID-19 acute respiratory illness, employees are
often frightened to participate in job-seeking activities for fear of spreading the virus.

In December 2021, the unemployment rate in Japan fell marginally, from 2.8 percent the previous month
to 2.7 percent. The unemployment rate in this country has risen to 3% in June 2021, up from 2.8 percent
the previous month. This is the second month in a row that the unemployment rate in this nation has
climbed, but the unemployment rate in Japan has stayed stable and at 2.8 percent for the entire year of

20
2021, despite the three waves of the COVID-19 epidemic. In order to manage the outbreak, the Japanese
government declared a state of emergency three times in the last year. As of February 2022, Japan's
unemployment rate is decreasing, indicating optimistic indicators despite the severe outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic once again, thanks to most economic activity, society continues as normal.

4, Economic Recession 
There are many causes of economic recession such as: banking behavior, diminished effectiveness of
fiscal policy, aging population, transfer from the central government to local government,... In recent
years the main reason for this in Japan is due to population aging and influence of Covid-19 pandemic.
Economic recession normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and
wholesale-retail.
Population aging
Japan is one of the countries with a fairly high population aging rate. It is also known as the country with
the highest life expectancy in the world. Besides, the proportion of the population under 15 years-old is
strongly decreasing, the working age people are getting lower and the number of elderly people is
increasing. These are the basic manifestations of population aging in Japan ongoing more serious. The
deficiency of labor is the most obvious effect on Japan. Population aging increases, the budget spending
for social welfare programs will be more. These seriously affect the national economy when the income
budget is not enough to meet these programs and the budget deficiency will cause the economy to go
down.
Covid-19 pandemic
In 2021, Japan’s economy shrank more than expected in the first quarter as a slow vaccine rollout and
new COVID-19 infections hit spending on items such as dining out and clothes, raising concerns the
country will lag others emerging from the pandemic.

Capital expenditure also fell unexpectedly and export growth slowed sharply, a sign the world's third-
largest economy is struggling for drivers to pull it out of the doldrums.
The economy shrank an annualised in the first quarter, more than the forecast contraction.

The decline was mainly due to a 1.4% drop in private consumption as state of emergency curbs to combat
the pandemic hit spending for clothing and dining out.

While exports grew thanks to a rebound in global demand for cars and electronics, the pace of increase
slowed sharply, a worrying sign for an economy still reeling from weak domestic demand.
5, Government Debts 
This is Japan's debt prediction from 2016 to 2026
The statistic shows the national debt of Japan from 2016 to 2019, with projections up until 2026. The
amount of Japan's national debt in 2019 amounted to about 11.63 trillion U.S. dollar. In a ranking of debt
to GDP per country, Japan is thus currently ranked first.
Japan's economic power
With one of the largest gross domestic products (GDP), Japan is among the largest economies in the
world. However, ever since the global financial crisis, Japan's GDP - like many others - has been slightly
unstable; Japan even reported a negative GDP growth in comparison to the previous year in 2011 and in
2014. Still, it is estimated that gross domestic product in Japan will continue to thrive over the next
decade. One indicator is Japan's inflation rate: Despite the aforementioned economic slumps, Japan has
managed to maintain one of the lowest inflation rates in the world, and it also reduced its unemployment
rate. Between 2010 and 2013, the unemployment rate in Japan decreased by approximately one percent,
and it is expected to drop even lower over the next years.

21
Japan has been reporting a trade deficit, meaning the value of its imports exceeds the value of its exports.
Most of these imports have come from China and the United States. The trade deficit is one of the causes
for in an increase of the national debt. It is estimated that the national debt in relation to the GDP will
increase further until 2020.

As of 2022, the Japanese public debt is estimated to be approximately US$12.20 trillion US Dollars (1.4
quadrillion yen), or 266% of GDP, and is the highest of any developed nation.45% of this debt is held by
the Bank of Japan

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/270121/national-debt-of-japan/ 

6, Living Standards 

Japan's average standard of living is impressive in many ways: high real wages, low unemployment, good
health care, and above-average consumption of goods and services.

 Unemployment is still low. 

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/263700/unemployment-rate-in-japan/ 
 Today, the majority of Japanese employees are guaranteed employment and enjoy a wide range
of career benefits.
 The narrowing of the gap between blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. Bonuses are
established and increased for blue-collar workers, welfare facilities are provided to all employees,
and permanent employment is guaranteed for them.
 High real wages: Japanese workers are considered among the highest paid in the world. In the
mid-1980s, real wages in Japan were estimated to be at least 60% to 80% of real wages in the
United States.
 Since the 1980s, most Japanese have possessed the conveniences and advantages befitting an
advanced society.
 The annual income of the average Japanese family has increased to $20,000
 About 40% of all homes are equipped with a microwave or air conditioner
 More than 99% of households have color televisions and refrigerators.
 The Japanese enjoy political stability, economic security, low crime, good health care, decent
schools, adequate housing, and an exceptional level of public courtesy.

→ The living standard of Japanese has increased steadily over the past forty years (more than 90 percent
of the people consider themselves middle class and reasonably happy about their life).

7, International Trade 

Foreign trade is an essential element of the Japanese economy, but the country is not fully open and
imposes extensive non-tariff barriers, especially in the agricultural sector. Japan is the world's 4th largest
exporter and fifth-largest importer of goods, and foreign trade accounts for 31% of the country's GDP
(World Bank).
Japan began to open its economy to foreign competition late in the 1980s. That resulted in a higher rate of
imports, which lowered trade surpluses until early in the 1990s. The economic decline following the
bubble economy significantly reduced demands for imports, resulting in the return of large trade surpluses
in the 1990s, which reached $144.2 billion in 1994 before falling to $131.8 billion in 1995 and $83.6

22
 billion in 1996. By 1998, with the economic slowdown, the trade surplus had risen to $122.4 billion, but it
declined again to $95 billion in 2000.

Japan lacks many raw materials needed for industry and energy,raw materials  such as oil, coal, iron ore,
copper, aluminum and wood, agricultural products, and fishery products. Japan must import most of these
goods.
In order to pay for these imports, Japan must export a variety of manufactured goods to other countries.
Major Japanese exports include electronic equipment and cars. 
Major exports of Japan include electrical equipment and machinery, electronics, telecommunication and
computer devices and parts, transport equipment and motor vehicles, non-electrical machinery, chemicals,
and metals. Its imports are mainly machinery and equipment, 
Japan's major trading partners are the Asian Pacific countries, the United States, the EU, and the Persian
Gulf countries. The United States is Japan's largest single trading partner. In 1999, it accounted for 30.7
percent of Japan's exports. In 2020, bilateral U.S.-Japan trade in goods and services was worth $253
billion.

Japan’s main partners are China (22%), the United States (18.5%), South Korea (7%), Hong Kong (5%),
and Thailand (4%). The country mainly imports from China (25.8%), the U.S. (11.3%), Australia (5.6%),
South Korea (4.2%) and Thailand (3.7%). Japan is the EU’s second-biggest trading partner in Asia after
China, and together they both account for about a quarter of the world's GDP.

3, Your group needs to read the attached article about 4 cases regarding to CSR policies. After
reading it, you will complete the given analysis table (in Word file ) as required to understand how
the conflicts can affect CSR policies of businesses.

CSR ISSUES/MNCs     APPLE   CANON   COCA-COLA   WALMART  

1. SUMMARY Apple was Canon  Inc. Coca-Cola started its - The largest private
OF BUSINESS established in was founded business in 1886 as a employer in the US +
PROFILE   1977 and in 1937. local soda producer the world’s largest
Apple designs, Although the in selling about nine  retailer  
manufactures digital camera beverages  per  day.   > 10,130 retail units under
and markets is the most By the end of the 69 different banners in
electronic well-known 20th century, the 27 countries + 2.2
devices and product to company was selling million associates
sells a variety consumers, its products in worldwide + net sales of
of related Canon also almost every country $ 443 billion (2012) 
software, produces in the world.    
services, devices for In 2005 it became - Founded in 1962., in
peripherals, office and the largest Rogers, Arkansas  (US) 
networking industry use. manufacturer, 
solutions, and Canon is  
distributor and 
third-party consistently -  Incorporated  as  Wal-
marketer of non-
digital content one of the top mart  Stores,  Inc.  on 
alcoholic beverages
and few 31  October  1969 

23
applications. companies to and syrups in the  
The company be granted the world.  - The company’s  shares 
utilizes most number began  trading  on  OTC 
outsourcing of patents (Over-The-Counter) 
through the over the last markets  in  1970  and 
manufacturing 18 years. In were  listed  on  the 
of its products the year 2010 NYSE two years later 
overseas; most Canon
of the factories Group’s net
are located in sales were
Asia  estimated at
$45,764
million. 
 
  
  

24
 2. SUMMARY OF - Apple - The CSR The  company’s  Walmart uses its
CSR POLICIES   conducts policy aligns CSR  policy    contractual relationships
business with the   to regulate behavior
ethically, corporate + Live  Positively among its suppliers
honestly and philosophy of establishes  seven  around the globe with
in full Kyosei, core  areas  where  respect to product
compliance which means the  company  sets  quality, working
with all laws living and itself  measurable  conditions for the
and working goals  to  improve  suppliers’ employees,
regulations  together for the  business’  and ethical conduct. 
- Apple has common sustainability - Since 2007 Walmart has
used the EN26 good.    practices.  published its annual
performance - Currently,    report on its website. 
indicator,115 Canon  has  a   
+ Code  of  Business 
and sets out CSR  policy  - Transparency  and 
Conduct  which 
initiatives to and  a  CSR  accountability  are  a
aims  at  providing 
lessen the mission  responsible part  of 
guidelines  to  its 
environmental statement. It  Walmart 
employees  on  – 
impact of its has  Canon’s  amongst  other   
products. Global  Code  things  –  - Walmart’s  annual 
Apple designs of  Conduct.  competition  issues  report  publishes  its 
its products - A ‘Cradle- and  anti-corruption.  constant  and 
with the aim to-Cradle’
of being as   progressive  work 
philosophy
energy +  Adopted  towards  social
was used to
efficient   international  CSR  responsibility issues 
design the 
- requires from newest  guidelines  such  as   
its suppliers generation  Global  Compact  - Walmart’s 2011 report
that they Energy  Star- and  Ruggie’s  covers every corner of
prevent compliant  Protect,  Respect  CSR issues: 
discrimination, Canon  and  Remedy   
involuntary devices  Framework + Point out how its
and underage which  (Ruggie’s successful
labour, consume  Framework), but ‘Sustainability 360’
excessive significantly  these guidelines do model has helped
working hours less  energy not seem to be Walmart to be the retail
and that they in  their integrated into the leader in the market 
pay workers manufacture,  Code of Business. 
 
with wages transportation   
+ Communicate the
and benefits in and  use.   + Formed a significant progress
accordance   partnership with the made by and the new
with the World Wildlife Fund reduction goals of
applicable (WWF)and became greenhouse gas
laws  a member of the emissions of its supply
and CEO Water chain by 2015 
regulations.  Mandate, as water is

25
 one of the  
company’s main + Walmart’s  financial 
concerns. contributions:
investments  in 
education,  health, 
commitments  to fight
hunger, support for local
farmers and access to
healthier and affordable
food 

26
3. SUMMARY OF -A well- - Stress- - The  main  1. Walmart Stores Inc. v.
SPECIFIC known conflict related allegations  made  Dukes et al. 
CONFLICTS   involving illnesses.   by  the  NGO  - It  commenced as a
Apple’s One  article  against  Coca-Cola  national class action
suppliers is the from  2007  were  that  it  sold  against Walmart,
suicides at deserves  products  containing  alleging that female
Foxconn  attention  in unacceptable  levels  employees in Walmart
-In 2006 the Canon  of  pesticides,  it  and Sam’s Club retail
Chinese local Denmark, extracted  large  stores were
press reported these illnesses amounts  of  discriminated against
on the were the groundwater  and  it  regarding  pay  and 
excessively result of had  polluted  water  promotion  to  top 
long working changes in the sources.  management  positions. 
hours and the organization + According to safe  
discrimination  and under local - It would have been the
of mainland increasing standards, Coca- largest class action
Chinese pressure to Cola had not lawsuit in US history. 
workers by perform.  violated any national  
Taiwanese - Employees laws whereas the
tests found the - Despite the Supreme
superiors  are not
presence of Court resolution, time,
  allowed to sit
pesticides that failed money and efforts
-in May 2010 down during
to meet European invested up to this point,
two workers working
standards  the case did not end
were killed hours.   there. 
and sixteen Internet + In  2008  an 
independent  study   
employees research also
presented a undertaken  by  The  2. Walmart caught using
were injured
couple of Energy  and  child labour in
during an
articles Resources  Institute  Bangladesh 
explosion at
Foxconn and related to (TERI)  ended  the   
workers from Canon long-standing  - At the end of 2005, the
Wintek had Electronics allegations  by  programme Zone Libre
been poisoned Inc., a concluding  that  the  made public the news
by In company water  used  in  that Walmart was using 
November based  Coca-Cola in India child  labor  at  two 
2010, Apple in  Japan,  is free of pesticides  factories  in 
set up a forcing  its  + Coca-Cola  was  Bangladesh. (Children 
training employees  to  also  accused  of  aged  10-14  years  old 
programme to stand  during  causing  water  were  found  to  be 
prevent the their  work  shortages  in  –  working in the factories
future hiring and  among  other  areas  for less than $50 a
of underage  demanding  –  the  community  month making products
workers  that  they  of  Plachimada  in  of the Walmart brand for
walk  at  a  Kerala,  southern  export to Canada.) 
n-hexane, a
specific   India.  In  addition,   
toxic chemical
Coca-Cola  was  - Referring to Walmart’s

27
used to clean pace. As it accused  of  water  policy, ‘cutting  and 
the touch was not pollution  by  running  is  the  worst 
screens of possible to discharging  possible  response to
iPhones  find an NGO wastewater  into  reports of child labour or
  report on this fields  and  rivers  other sweatshop
topic or any surrounding  Coca- abuses’. 
other Cola’s  plants  in   
completely the  same  - Walmart  ceased 
reliable community. The  business  with  the  two 
source, this  brand  suffered  a  factories  immediately
research  is  great  loss  of  and alleged  that  despite
based  on  consumer  trust  and  its effort to inspect all
blogs  and  reputational  damage factories, it is difficult to
comments  in India and abroad.  enforce its own
by  alleged    corporate code of
employees.  conduct with thousands
  of subcontractors around
  the world. 
 

28
4. In November - In August The rainwater - Walmart’s reporting
IMPACTS/CHANGES 2010, Apple 2007 Canon harvesting project, culture was imitated by
IN CSR POLICIES set up a launched a  where Coca-Cola’s the rest of the companies
AFTER THE training new  policy  operations partnered in the market.
CONFLICTS programme to that  covered  with the Central Nowadays, Walmart has
HAPPENING    prevent the topics  such  Ground Water been qualified as a
future hiring as:  Work-life  Authority, the State ‘global legislator’ in
of underage balance,  Ground Water CSR policies 
workers  Aging  Boards, NGOs and + The  2005  Report  on 
- Apple workforce,  communities to Ethical  Sourcing 
obliged health  and  address water reported  that  Walmart 
Wintek to stop safety,  stress  scarcity and had  ceased  to  do 
using n- management, depleting business  with  141 
hexane and respect and groundwater levels factories,  primarily 
required tolerance, through rainwater because  of  underage 
Wintek to smoking, harvesting labour  violations 
repair its alcohol and techniques across 17  
ventilation  substance states in India.  + Walmart’s  2005  and 
system and to abuse, In June 2007, Coca- 2012  COC  ‘Standard 
work with a nutrition and Cola implemented a for  Suppliers’ 
consultant to exercise. The water stewardship explicitly  establish that
improve its initial focus programme and Walmart would not
environmental was stress committed itself to tolerate the use of child
health and management reduce its labour. 
safety for all operational water
employees.   
systems  footprint and to
- Canon offset the water used + Walmart has a strict
  corporate code of
organized in the Company’s
seminars for products through conduct in the industry
managers in locally relevant but according to
China and projects.  investigations Walmart
Vietnam and is not able to enforce its
intercultural code in developing
training countries. 
seminars at  
operational - Currently, Walmart
sites in publishes a full and
Europe.  complete report on CSR
issues called ‘Global
Responsibility Report’ 
which  covers  the  three 
dimensions  of  ‘People, 
Planet,  Profit’. 
 
+ In 2009, Walmart took
the commitment one

29
 step further with the
incorporation of the
Advisory Board on
Gender Equality and
Diversity. These policies
have  generated  an 
increase  in  female 
officials  and  managers 
(23,873 →  25,246
employees) 
 
+ .Walmart indicates
every year its completed
goals and the progress in
the ones that have not
yet been achieved. 
 
+ Walmart also conducts
internal validation audits
by Walmart’s Ethical
Sourcing team. 
 
 

4, What are the main roles and responsibilities of NGOs in Vietnam?

 The main role of NGOs in promoting modern Vietnamese society: 
 About foreign politics: 
It can be said that NGOs have become one of the important cooperation channels between
Vietnam and the outside world. Thanks to NGOs, our Party and State have the opportunity to
create international public opinion to support us in implementing our foreign policy, contributing
to the struggle to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity and preserve the environment,
regional and international peace. 
 About international economic integration: 
Some foreign NGOs also support Vietnam a lot in international economic integration as well as
protect our legitimate interests in trade issues with the European Union and the Americas. 
 On social issues - development: 
Aid from foreign NGOs in Vietnam has made an important contribution to alleviating difficulties
in many areas, especially in remote, isolated and ethnic minority areas. 
Programs and projects implemented by NGOs focus on priority areas of the Government of
Vietnam such as: economic development, poverty alleviation, health, education, solving social
problems, support. supporting economic reform, environmental protection, sustainable
development, overcoming war consequences, supporting economic reform, solving social
problems, taking care of children, women, drug prevention , trafficking in women and children,
emergency aid… 

30
  In particular, in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, Vietnam continues to receive support
from NGOs, especially the consensus and support in terms of policies, financial support, and
experience of foreign NGOs. The organization has both helped Vietnam prevent the epidemic
and implemented programs and projects. Facing the requirements of isolation, domestic and
international travel restrictions to serve the epidemic prevention and control, NGOs have had
to make great efforts to maintain operations and implement programs and projects to ensure
commitment to beneficiaries and donors. In particular, NGOs have actively supported
Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with nearly 130 grants worth 10.65
million US dollars in cash, medical supplies, necessities, training program,... 
 The responsibilities of NGOs in Vietnam: 
 The nature of NGOs is to operate for the common benefit of the community such as health,
culture, education, etc., not to operate for profit-making purposes or to determine commercial
goals. 
 Non-governmental organizations have the task of promoting people for the common good of
humanity, encouraging people to carry out charitable activities, propaganda and
popularization of education. 
 A non-governmental organization established to help develop the fields of technology,
science and technology, with a global network. 

5, Why is corporate governance important to businesses?

Good corporate governance helps companies improve efficiency, increase access to capital, and promote
long-term sustainability. Many studies show that companies with high corporate governance scores
operate more efficiently and generally take on less risk. Furthermore, good corporate governance can help
companies improve investor confidence, which in turn leads to stronger economic development.Corporate
governance is crucial to a company and almost as important as its main business plan. When implemented
effectively, it can prevent corporate scandals, fraud, and corporate civil and criminal liability. A
corporation without a corporate governance system is often seen as a body without a soul or conscience . 
 Control the financial flow of all activities or production of the organization's business 
Perform currency checks and conduct regular and continuous analysis of financial indicators.
Specifically, those criteria are: financial structure, solvency, performance and use of financial resources;
specific indicators of profitability. 
 Leverage stimulates and regulates business activities 
The distribution function of corporate finance in accordance with the law will make corporate finance
become an economic lever that affects productivity growth and profits compared to invested capital. 
 Deciding on investments and funding 
Planning is not enough, leaders or financial managers must decide on effective methods of
implementation, and at the same time identify investments and finance investments in assets, technology,
people... how to be reasonable. From there, profits can be grown appropriately compared to the
investment in fixed assets, machinery or from upgrading current production technology... to meet market
demand. 
 Closely monitor and inspect all aspects of business and production activities of enterprises 
Through the form, daily monetary expenditure, financial situation and the implementation of financial
targets. Business leaders can generalize and control all aspects of business activities, and timely detect
problems in business. Thereby making decisions to adjust activities in accordance with actual
developments. 

6, What are the main roles of corporate governance in fighting corruption?

31
Good corporate governance can provide effective instruments in the fight against corruption - instruments
which are equally applicable in other countries within the context of transition to a competitive market
economy and increased importance of civil society in political and social affairs. 
 Create transparency.  
In addition to posing obvious barriers to lawful acts, lack of openness has indirect negative consequences
by allowing for unjustifiable discretionary conduct. The disclosure of management and board member
salaries has serious flaws; just a few organizations do it correctly. There are almost no conflict of interest
disclosures. Even the legislative necessity of releasing yearly financial statements (balance sheets, income
statements, and cash flow statements) is frequently disregarded in a larger context.  
 Building trust and new institutions.  
Corruption has flourished in the transition context and due to the inefficiency of the existing institutions.
It is the lack of trust in these institutions and their inadequacy to the new needs of individuals and firms
that accounts for the existing situation; for this, effective strategies to curb corruption should work toward
improving the existing institutions and building new one ones which could be up to the challenge. 
 Increase accountability and responsibilities.  
Corporate governance is centered on principles of integrity, accountability and responsibility and it
provides mechanisms of checks and balances which may deter companies from becoming involved in
corrupt activities. Weak corporate governance frameworks are cited around the world to be among the
factors that deepen the financial and economic difficulties of a country. Good corporate governance
prevents corruption or at the very least limits its negative effects and poor corporate governance breeds
opportunities for corruption. Further, in an era of globalization, bad corporate governance may facilitate
the exporting of corrupt practices across borders and may therefore undermine the effectiveness of the
global anti-corruption campaign.  
 

7, Choose 5-7 countries and make a table to analyze the Levels of Hofstede's cultural dimensions of
their national culture.

Countries Power Distance Individualism  Uncertainty Masculinity 

Avoidance 
   

32
 1. India  High (77/100)  Average (48/100)  Low (40/100)  High (56/100) 

India scores high on India, with a rather India scores 40 and India scores 56
this dimension, 77, intermediate score of thus has a medium and is thus
indicating an 48, is a society with low preference for considered a
appreciation for both collectivist and avoiding Masculine
hierarchy and a top- Individualist traits. uncertainty. In society. India is
down structure in The collectivist side India, there is actually very
society and means that there is a acceptance of Masculine in
organizations.  high preference for imperfection; terms of visual
belonging to a larger nothing has to be display of success
social framework in perfect nor has to go and power. The
which individuals are exactly as planned.  designer brand
expected to act in label, the flash
accordance to the and ostentation
greater good of one’s that goes with
defined in-group(s)  advertising one’s
success, is widely
practiced. 

2. Denmark Low High  Low Low 

  18 score 74 scores With a score of 23 Denmark ranks

Denmark is at the is an Individualist Denmark scores low among the most
very low end of this society. This means on this dimension. feminine cultures
dimension there is a high This means that (with a low score
compared to other preference for a Danes do not need a of 16 for
countries. loosely-knit social lot of structure and masculinity)
Danes do not lead, framework in which predictability in which put
they coach and individuals are their work life. emphasis on good
employee autonomy expected to take care Plans can change relationships and
is required.. With a of themselves and overnight, new co-operation,
very egalitarian their immediate things pop up and charity and
mind-set the Danes families only. It is the Danes are fine modesty. Safety
believe in relatively easy to start with it. It is a and family are
independence, equal doing business with natural part of their very important
rights, accessible the Danes. Small talk work life. Curiosity values. Gender
superiors and that is kept at a minimum is natural and is roles often
management and you do not need to encouraged from a overlap, failure is
facilitates and create relationships very young age. regarded as an

33
 empowers. Power is first. Danes are also This combination of accident and not
decentralized and known for using a a highly as disaster (as it
managers count on very direct form of Individualist and would be the case
the experience of communication. curious nation is with masculine
their team also the driving cultures). Caring
members.  force for Denmark’s and tender
reputation within attitudes or the
innovation and expression of
design.  weakness are not
disregarded. 

3.  Japan Medium (54/100) Medium (46/100)  High (92/100) High (95/100)

At an intermediate Japan scores 46 on the At 92 Japan is one At 95, Japan is

score of 54, Japan is Individualism of the most one of the most
a borderline dimension. Certainly uncertainty Masculine
hierarchical society. Japanese society avoidance countries societies in the
Yes, Japanese are shows many of the on earth. This is world. However,
always conscious of characteristics of a often attributed to in combination
their hierarchical collectivistic society: the fact that Japan is with their mild
position in any such as putting constantly collectivism, we
social setting and harmony of group threatened by do not see
act accordingly. above the expression natural disasters assertive and
However, it is not as of individual opinions from earthquakes, competitive
hierarchical as most and people have a tsunamis, typhoons individual
of the other Asian strong sense of shame to volcano behaviors which
cultures. Some for losing face. The eruptions. Under we often
foreigners most popular these circumstances associate with
experience Japan as explanation for this is Japanese learned to Masculine
extremely that Japanese society prepare themselves culture. What we
hierarchical because does not have an for any uncertain see is a severe
of their business extended family situation. This goes competition
experience of system which forms a not only for the between groups.
painstakingly slow base of more emergency plan and From very young
decision making collectivistic societies precautions for age at
process: all the such as China and sudden natural kindergartens,
decisions must be Korea. Japan has been disasters but also for children learn to
confirmed by each a paternalistic society every other aspect compete on sports
hierarchical layer and the family name of society. day for their
and finally by the and asset was groups
top management in inherited from father
Tokyo to the eldest son. The
younger siblings had
to leave home and
make their own living
with their core
families

34
4. Korea  Average (60/100) Low (18/100) High (85/100) Low (39/100)

South Korea’s Korea scored a very South Korea scored Korea scored 39
Power Distance low score of 18 in the 85 in the uncertainty and classified as a
Index score is 60, Individualism- avoidance index. feminine society,
which is above collectivism This is among the while Japan
average. To some dimension. It means highest levels in the scored 95 and
extent, Koreans that South Korea is a world. The most China scored 66.
believe that very collectivist important thing in In Quora, the
everyone has its society. This appears the Koreans’ question of why
place in the world to be due to the deep- consumption Korea is
and respect the rooted Confucianism decision-making classified as
words of older or culture. The most process is the feminine society
higher-ranking important idea of ‘opinions of others’ in spite of the
people and policies Confucianism is the such as word-of- extreme
of the government. 인(benevolence, 仁), mouth, reviews, competition and
It also appears to be which means that one recommendations discrimination
due to the ideas of  should maintain the and ratings. If there between men and
‘효 (filial duty)’ and family order, think of is a Korean who women has been
‘충 (loyalty)’ from our neighbors and be would like to buy a uploaded and
the centralized loyal to the country. timber desk, she stimulated
bureaucratic society will see its design discussions.
of the Joseon era. So and affordability of While it may be
unlike American course. difficult to
commercials, understand the
Korean TV result, and it is
commercials mostly true that Korea is
feature celebrities, a very
unless there are competitive and
some special cases, sexist society, it
and parody of brings a deeper
popular TV dramas, understanding of
movies, and TV Korean society.
shows at the time to
lend their influence.
Accessories or
clothing that famous
celebrities or
influencers wore on
TV shows or posted
on Instagram often
go out of stock right
away. A word from
the government or
the president also
has a big impact on
the minds of
Koreans. As can be
seen in the COVID-

35
 19 crisis, South
Korean people have
followed
government
recommendations
and appeals
relatively well. They
follow the
government if there
are good reasons
and fear the
possibility of
harming other
people by spreading
viruses.

5. United Low (35/100)  High (89/100)   Low (35/100)  High (66/100)

Kingdom
At 35 Britain sits in At a score of 89 the At 35 the UK has a At 66, Britain is a
the lower rankings UK is amongst the low score on Masculine society
of PDI – i.e. a highest of the Uncertainty – highly success
society that believes Individualist scores, Avoidance which oriented and
that inequalities beaten only by some means that as a driven. A key
amongst people of the commonwealth nation they are quite point of
should be countries it spawned happy to wake up confusion for the
minimized. i.e. Australia and the not knowing what foreigner lies in
Interestingly, USA. The British are the day brings and the apparent
research shows the a highly Individualist they are happy to contradiction
PD index lower and private people. ‘make it up as they between the
amongst the higher Children are taught go along’ changing British culture of
class in Britain than from an early age to plans as new modesty and
amongst the think for themselves information comes understatement
working classes. and to find out what to light. As a low which is at odds
The PDI score at their unique purpose UAI country the with the
first seems in life is and how they British are underlying
incongruent with the uniquely can comfortable in success driven
well established and contribute to society. ambiguous value system in
historical British The route to happiness situations – the term the culture.
class system and its is through personal ‘muddling through’ Critical to
exposes one of the fulfillment. As the is a very British way understanding the
inherent tensions in affluence of Britain of expressing this. British is being
the British culture – has increased There are generally able to ‘’read
between the throughout the last not too many rules between the
importance of birth decade, with wealth in British society, lines’’ What is
rank on the one also ‘spreading but those that are said is not always
hand and a deep North’, a much there are adhered to what is meant. In
seated belief that discussed (the most famous of comparison to
where you are born phenomenon is the which is of course Feminine cultures
should not limit how rise of what has been the British love of such as the

36
 seen as rampant queuing which has Scandinavian
far you can travel in consumerism and a also to do with the countries, people
life. A sense of fair strengthening of the values of fair play). in the UK live in
play drives a belief ‘ME’ culture. order to work and
that people should have a clear
be treated in some performance
way as equals. ambition.

6. Low (34/100) High (68/100) Medium (58/100) High (70/100)

Switzerland
Switzerland is Both German and Switzerland scores Switzerland
among the countries French speaking 58 in UAI, scores 70 in this
with the lowest PDI Switzerland score reflecting the dimension, with
scores, indicating relatively high on this difference between both rankings for
that it is a society dimension, giving the French and German speaking
that believes that Switzerland a score of German parts. Switzerland and
disparities between 68, and it is therefore French speaking the French
individuals should considered an Switzerland has a speaking of the
be eliminated. As a Individualist society. strong preference country indicating
result, the German This means there is a for avoiding a Masculine
Swiss style is high preference for a uncertainty while society – highly
defined as follows: loosely-knit social German speaking success oriented
Being self- framework in which Switzerland scores and driven, albeit
sufficient, having a individuals are lower. Countries that in the
hierarchy for the expected to take care exhibiting high German speaking
sake of of themselves and Uncertainty part the impact is
convenience, equal their immediate Avoidance maintain much more
rights, superiors families only. In rigid codes of belief noticeable. In
who are accessible, Individualist societies and behavior and Masculine
mentoring leaders, offense causes guilt are intolerant of countries, people
and management and a loss of self- unorthodox “live in order to
that enables and esteem, the behavior and ideas. work”, managers
empowers. employer/employee In these cultures are expected to be
Managers rely on relationship is a there is an decisive, and the
the experience of contract based on emotional need for emphasis is on
their team members mutual advantage, rules (even if the equity,
since power is hiring and promotion rules never seem to competition and
dispersed. decisions are work) time is performance.
Employees expect supposed to be based money, people have Conflicts are
to be consulted on a on merit only, an inner urge to be resolved by
regular basis. management is the busy and work hard, fighting them out.
Control is despised, management of precision and
and supervisors are individuals. punctuality are the
addressed by their norm, innovation
first names alone. may be resisted,
Direct and security is an
participatory important element
communication is in individual
used. motivation.

37
 Decisions are taken
after careful
analysis of all
available
information.

7. China High (80/100) Low (20/100) Low (30/100) Average (66/100)

At 80 China sits in At a score of 20 China At 30 China has a At 66 China is a

the higher rankings is a highly collectivist low score on Masculine society
of PDI – i.e. a culture where people Uncertainty –success oriented
society that believes act in the interests of Avoidance. Truth and driven. The
that inequalities the group and not may be relative need to ensure
amongst people are necessarily of though in the success can be
acceptable. The themselves. In-group immediate social exemplified by
subordinate-superior considerations affect circles there is the fact that many
relationship tends to hiring and promotions concern for Truth Chinese will
be polarized and with closer in-groups with a capital T and sacrifice family
there is no defense (such as family) are rules (but not and leisure
against power abuse getting preferential necessarily laws) priorities to work.
by superiors. treatment. Employee abound. Service people
Individuals are commitment to the Nonetheless, (such as
influenced by organization (but not adherence to laws hairdressers) will
formal authority and necessarily to the and rules may be provide services
sanctions and are in people in the flexible to suit the until very late at
general optimistic organization) is low. actual situation and night. Leisure
about people’s Whereas relationships pragmatism is a fact time is not so
capacity for with colleagues are of life. The Chinese important. The
leadership and cooperative for in- are comfortable migrated farmer
initiative. People groups they are cold with ambiguity; the workers will
should not have or even hostile to out- Chinese language is leave their
aspirations beyond groups. Personal full of ambiguous families behind in
their rank. relationships prevail meanings that can faraway places in
over task and be difficult for order to obtain
company. Western people to better work and
follow. Chinese are pay in the cities.
adaptable and Another example
entrepreneurial. At is that Chinese
the time of writing students care very
the majority (70% - much about their
80%) of Chinese exam scores and
businesses tend to ranking as this is
be small to medium the main criteria
sized and family to achieve
owned. success or not.

8, How does culture affect the Centralized Managerial Approach and Decentralized Managerial
Approach?

38
  In a centralized decision-making setup, managers in charge will make all or most of the
decisions and transfer those decisions down to the lower staff in the chain of command for
implementation. Lower staff in the hierarchy will not have, therefore, options of giving
opinion and questioning the decisions already made by the person in-charge of the
department or company.  
For example, In Mexican companies, the authority to make decision lies with the top in the
hierarchy. Decisions are centralized and undemocratic. Roles are clearly separated between boss
and subordinate. The boss makes decision and the workers should support the decision without
making a judgment about the decision. Usually, managers will not delegate authority to their
employees to make decision of their own. In addition, the authoritarian management style of the
Mexican managers tends to discourage upward communication. 
On occasions, employees may be encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions, but they will
not be given authority to make decisions. Decision-making is centralized and the final decisions
in both countries lie in the hands of the managers in top positions. 
 In a decentralized decision-making system, decision-making processes will involve
individual concerns and participation. Virtually, everybody is consulted before the final
decision is made. Of course, the final decision should be approved by the person in-charge. In
contrast to the centralized decision-making system, in a decentralized decision-making setup,
decisions of operational nature can be made by the lower staff in the event of necessity and
urgency. 
For example, The American culture is characterized by individual decision-making, individual
responsibility, and managers delegate authority and responsibilities. 

9, Give specific examples to 6 characteristics of culture

 Adaptive: Managers pay close attention to all their constituencies, especially customers, and
initiate change when needed to serve their legitimate interests, even if it entails taking some
risks. 
 Learned: We may learn when particular holidays occur in school, like Christmas is always
on December 25th. However, the norms and what it means to be 'in the Christmas spirit' is
something we don't have a conversation about or read in a book. It comes from many years of
observing others and just being around people who celebrate Christmas. 
 Trans-generational: In Vietnamese culture, children will receive lucky money from adults
on New Year's Day to wish them good luck. 
 Shared: American culture values freedom; however, beliefs on how to achieve that freedom
may differ from group to group. Thus, there is not one universal American culture. American
culture can create  smaller groups who selectively share some aspects of the overall culture,
but not others. 
 Symbolic: In Russia, even-numbered flowers are only for funerals, and odd-numbered
bouquets are for every other ocension. Another example, in castern European countries such
as Bulgaria, people shake their head yes and nod their head no. 
 Patterned: When it comes to Korea, it means kimchi and kimbap, so Korean restaurants in
Korea must have kimchi. 

10, By using the relocation transition curve, write an essay to analyze 7 stages (state specific time
periods for the stages and show the time periods on the curve) you experienced in the following
case: Assume that you accepted and completed the international assignment to work for Google in
Singapore (for 4 years) as a Business Analyst. (Submit your group work under this post).

39
Stage 1: Unreality (2025)  
Relocation to Google’s Business analyst 
This first phase describes the reaction when the individual initially encounters the trigger for change. The
change concerns the transition into a new role, then this axis indicates the individual's own sense of how
"good" he or she is in the new role; that is, their own sense of value in terms of ability to perform the new
work or responsibility effectively. 
When I was introduced to the position of business analyst at Google, I was completely surprised. Even
though I have experience in the field of business market survey and strategy, I still feel nervous when
waiting for a new opportunity for myself, I feel all emotions bursting and like flying. A great opportunity
has come to me. 
 
Stage 2: Fantasia (2025) 
At the basic level there is a feeling of relief that something is going to change and not continue as before.
Whether the past is perceived positively or negatively, there is still a feeling of anticipation and possibly
excitement at the possibility of improvement.  
When you first step there, you feel that life in Singapore is full of interesting new things, a high standard
of living, a modern and developed infrastructure. Being exposed to new people and new environments
makes this place more worth living in than your country. 
I am very excited to experience a new job in Singapore. It will be filled with many interesting things for
me to discover. Working here will help me improve many necessary skills and make me more
professional. Right now, in my eyes, everything is so wonderful and hopeful. 
  
Stage 3: Interest (2025-2026) 
While the previous phase relates to a perceived improvement in competence while the individual
overlooks the reality of the situation, the third phase carries with it a higher awareness of the individual's
true degree of competence in comparison to the needed level. This is an essential phase because the
individual becomes emotionally involved in the issue, and feelings of irritation or perplexity about how to
handle the transition process are common during this period. The "deficient" areas now demand attention,
and the individual may not know how to improve their level of expertise or modify their attitude.  
When I started working in a new Google environment as a Business Analyst, I began to delve deeper and
more fully into the environment I was working in. I can readily distinguish between the new and old
environments in which I operate. I'm perplexed because there are so many new things I've never done
before, as well as so many new requirements, that it's making it difficult for me to adapt. 
 
Stage 4: Acceptance of reality (2025-2026) 
The downward move in competence and confidence stops when the individual recognises 
and accepts the reality of the new situation. This is the lowest point on the figure. It requires letting go of
attitudes and behaviors which have become comfortable and appropriate or effective only for the old
situation. Feelings of depression may occur as a result of not knowing what to put in place of the old
behaviors and attitudes. 
From psychological changes such as feeling unrealistic at first to feeling excited about a new job, now
that emotions will gradually stabilize, we will have to face reality. Now I find myself a stranger in a new
land. Adapting to a new working environment will take time. I need to adapt to new people, new
situations, new environments. 
 
Stage 5: Experimentation (2026-2029) 
The identification of new behaviors is followed by the phase of starting to test them out. These new
behaviors may be effective and achieve the desired outcome but at other times, the individual may need to
work harder to practise or "polish" their new abilities. This phase of testing is characterized by success
and failure at developing new skill areas. Hence it may not be a simple progression from left to right as

40
failure at trying out a new skill may push the individual back along the curve while the individual
questions its relevance or searches for alternative behaviors.  
I have experience in surveying and data analysis in the real estate sector. However, business analysis for
the technology platform was indeed a big challenge for me. I will try to give some tests to my surveys and
strategies to increase the probability of success. 
 
Stage 6: Search (2026-2029) 
Learning from their success and failure helps the individual start to search for meaning in the new
situation. Rather than just trying new behaviors for size, this stage also involves a questioning of why
certain behaviors are effective, and why others, or indeed the same behaviors but on different occasions,
may be ineffective. This knowledge enables the individual to take more control over his or her action and
to develop strategies for circumstances in advance. 
I had some problems with my market survey that affected my business report analysis. This failure has
given me a new perspective as to the right strategy for gathering market data and improving work
performance.  
 
Stage 7: Integration (2026-2029) 
The individual takes ownership of their newly learned behaviors in the last stage, which increases their
sense of confidence and competence to a higher degree than previously. Their new methods of doing
things get ingrained in their daily routines, become part of the individual's worldview and natural
reaction. There is little or no contradiction between the individual's perception of his or her own capacity
to perform and the demands of the scenario. 
After I have recognized failure and success and created new theories, behaviors, and personal skills, I
have learned to adapt to any situation and integrate those new behaviors and skills for self-development
and self-improvement. 

11, Why is training in international management important to businesses?

 According to Dowling and Welch (2004), international training and management is the
human resource strategy to maintain the working skills of employees that supports the core
competencies of employees. 
 Training helps expatriates to improve their current working behavior and skills. Development
encourages employees to increase their abilities that relate to some future job or position.
(Shen, 2005) 
 In Middle Eastern Assignments, expatriates require assistance in the cultural training that
they need to provide training for expatriates and their families about housing, schools,
currency, and health issues. The training is important for expatriates and their families to
participate in cultures where training helps expatriates to prevent any problems from routine
activities. 
 
→ Training and management development are important strategies that relate to the successful
management of the organization. There are many important benefits of international training and
development. Training is the development of expatriates' current working skills. Development is an
improvement for future work. 
 
In addition, training and management development help MNES to develop the knowledge transfer of
employees. There is different international training worldwide that some Asian countries provide toward
the reality of training programs such as in Indonesia and China. 
 
→ International training is a key significant factor to take MNEs to survive in international competition.  

41
 

12, Describe some types of training programs

 Onboarding Training: Onboarding training is the process of getting your new hires up to
speed, understanding their new responsibilities, getting familiar with company culture, and
becoming productive team members quickly. Employee orientation is a 1-2 days process
whereas the employee onboarding process is a series of events that take place for a duration
of a week, a month, or even a year in some cases. Onboarding is responsible for truly
integrating an employee within an organization.  
 
 Orientation Training: An effective employee orientation training provides basic
organizational information that new hires need to prepare for their role in a company. The
orientation program benefits both employee and employer by educating new hires, setting
them up for success in their new role, addressing any questions they may have, and helping
them contribute to the organization right away.  
 
 Soft skills training: Soft skills training programs focus on personal attributes, like
communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving that are necessary for an
individual’s success and career development. Across an organization, in every business unit
and employee role, soft skills are crucial for gaining new clients, improving current customer
relationships and service metrics, and building a stronger team dynamic. Soft skill training
will help your organization build its ideal corporate culture and improve the relationships at
work. Soft skill training can cover topics such as: Listening, Communication, Teamwork,
Adaptability, Public speaking… 
 
 Diversity training: Diversity training programs create awareness for diversity-focused issues
within the workplace with an aim to facilitate positive interactions and reduce prejudice and
discrimination among employees. These programs encourage employees to embrace people
with diverse cultures and backgrounds including – race, color, nationality, sexual orientation,
religion, gender, physical and mental ability, etc. Implementing a diversity training program
is an important step toward reducing the risk of workplace discrimination and harassment
claims. 
 
 Technical Training: There is an infinite number of new software applications and
technologies emerging in every industry. In order to avoid the risk of falling behind the
competition, employees need to continuously adapt to the latest technologies or update
existing ones. Technical training enables your workforce to build core technical skills and
master the technical aspects of their jobs.  
 
 Managerial and leadership training: Employees can grow to new, higher positions. To
prepare them for a job with a leadership role, you can offer them leadership training. How do
you become a true leader instead of just 'the boss'? How do you get your team on board, even
if your decisions and intended plans initially generate resistance? In multi-day training
courses, you can help your employees gain deeper insights into leadership. First, the company
needs to identify which employees have strong leadership potential. The company can
achieve that by evaluating its employee's contributions to the company and seniority. The
company can hire external coaches for one-on-one or group sessions with the trainees. 
 

42
  Team Training: Team training encourages beneficial team dynamics, ensures every team
member has access to the same professional growth opportunities, improves employees
morale, collective efficacy, and member satisfaction. 

13, Which main benefits can organizations get from cultural diversity? 
- Diverse cultural perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation:  
Our culture influences how we see the world. A variety of viewpoints along with the wide-ranging
personal and professional experience of an international team can offer new perspectives that inspire
colleagues to see the workplace—and the world—differently. Diversity of thought has been shown to
breed creativity and drive innovation, helping to solve problems and meet customer needs in new and
exciting ways. For example, cosmetic giant L’Oréal attributes much of its impressive success in
emerging markets to its multicultural product development teams. A recent study from Forbes
echoed this notion, concluding that “the best way to ensure the development of new ideas is through
a diverse and inclusive workforce.” 
- Local market knowledge and insight make a business more competitive and profitable: When it comes
to expanding into new markets, a multicultural staff may provide a significant competitive advantage.
Adapting a product or service to flourish in a foreign market is common. Understanding local laws, rules,
and customs, as well as the competitive environment, may assist a company in succeeding. Furthermore,
local relationships, native language abilities, and cultural awareness may enormously improve
international business development. For example, McKinsey found out that companies with more diverse
board members performed better financially. Further, in a very recent study, McKinsey found that
diversity wins and needs to be linked to inclusion.  
- Drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool allows an organization to attract and retain the best talent:
In a competitive global job market, demonstrating that your business is invested in fostering a
multicultural and inclusive environment can make you stand out to the right candidates. Making diversity
an important part of the recruiting process will broaden your talent pool of prospective employees. For
example, Google LLC is an American multinational technology company. The diversity and creation of
products and services, it has attracted many talented people from all over the world. 
-Cultural sensitivityinssensitivity insightknowledge meameangher quality targeted marketing. Cross-
cultural understanding, along with local market knowledge, lends itself to the production of more
effective marketing strategies and materials. For example, high-quality and culturally sensitive
translations of websites, brochures, and other assets are essential. But these can be overlooked without the
input of a native speaker. 
Market-specific knowledge and insiinstigateeinvaluable when it comes to imagery and design, too. What
might work well on a billboard for a British company could fail or offend elsewhere. A memorable
Mcdonald’s print ad in Finland may have been considered clever locally, but it was seen as confusing and
even grotesque by foreign audiences. 
- A diverse skills base allows an organization to offer a broader and more adaptable range of products and
services. By drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool, companies benefit from hiring professionals
with a broad range of skills that are often not accessible when hiring locally. Globally oriented companies
can add to their service range by leveraging the skills and experience their international employees bring
to the table. A broader skills base and a more potentially diverse offering of products and services can
help your business to have the competitive advantage of adaptability. 

14, Analyze some disadvantages of cultural diversity when you work in a team. 
- Colleagues from some cultures may be less likely to let their voices be heard. However, having a
diversified pool of brainpower is insufficient. It's also vital to foster an open and inclusive work

43
atmosphere in which all members of the team feel empowered to participate. This can be especially
difficult for coworkers who come from polite or submissive cultures. Professionals from Asian nations
such as Vietnam or Japan, for example, maybe more hesitant to speak out or share ideas, especially if they
are new to the team or in a lower-level position. Conversely, assertive colleagues from the U.S. or
Western Europe, or those from Scandinavian countries who emphasize flat organizational hierarchy, may
be more inclined to speak up in meetings or negotiations when others don’t.  
 
- Different understandings of professional etiquette: Colleagues from different cultures can also bring
with them different workplace attitudes, values, behaviors, and etiquette. While these can be enriching
and even beneficial in a diverse professional environment, they can also cause misunderstandings or ill
feelings between team members. For instance, the expectation of formality (or relative informality),
organizational hierarchy, and even working hours can conflict across cultures. Where a Japanese
colleague may not feel it appropriate to leave work before their manager (or, indeed, anyone else), a
Swedish professional may be used to a 6-hour working day. 
 
- Diversity can create communication problems. People from different cultures may not speak the same
language as their primary communication option. People from different areas can provide unique
perspectives, but it can also cause issues with how co-workers speak with one another. Even when the
same language is spoken, there can be differences in the meaning of certain words or jargon
understanding problems that can create confusion in the workplace. 
 
- Diversity in the workplace can slow down work too. Although there is a benefit to having more ideas in
the workplace to solve problems, this benefit can quickly turn into a disadvantage as well. Teams that are
constantly debating ideas will find themselves moving slower at times. When everyone has an idea that
offers the potential for success, then each one should rightfully be debated to determine its value. Unless
there is a manager who can direct traffic for these discussions, many teams struggle to stay current with
their deadlines over time because of this initiative. 
 
- Different languages cause misunderstanding. Multiculturalism in group work will cause
misunderstandings at work when colleagues do not understand the meaning of your statement. Although
they agree to use a common language to facilitate work because they come from different cultures and
have different perceptions, even if they share the same language, the way they understand the meaning of
that word is still different. together. Therefore, it can cause misunderstandings in the harmony of a group,
cause conflicts among members, and even cause failure in the group's project. 
 

- Conflicting working styles: working styles and attitudes towards work can be very different, reflecting
cultural values and compounding differences. If not recognized and accounted for, conflicting approaches
to work can put the brakes on productivity. For example, some cultures, including many in Asia and
Central America, value collective consensus when working towards a goal. Whereas others, such as
Germany and America, emphasize the independence of the individual. 

15, Analyze some aspects of non-verbal communication and give relevant examples to each.
 Eye contact: Using eye content (or lack of eye contact) strategically to show your attention
and interest is incredibly effective. Eyes can indicate interest, attention, and involvement,
while failure to make eye contact can be interpreted as disinterested, inattentive, or rude.
However, this doesn't mean you have to look people in the face - quite the opposite in fact.
There is nothing more aggressive than gazing intensely into someone's eyes. Experts suggest
that healthy eye contact includes semi-random looking at the area around the eyes, including

44
 the eyelids and eyebrows. Looking away from someone and down at the ground or at your
phone, for example, can show apathy or disrespect. 
 Facial expressions: Since facial expressions are closely tied to our emotions, they reveal
what we are thinking and are perhaps our biggest nonverbal communicators in everyday
life. For example, if you are pitching a new product to a client with a fearful and worried look
on your face, it would convey to your client that you have little faith in the product. Instead, if
you really want to sell your product, show positive energy and enthusiasm with your facial
expressions by allowing your face to be animated and smiling as you talk, it will help get the
customer excited about your new product.  
 Appearance: Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance
are also considered a means of nonverbal communication. These first impressions are
important. That is the reason why, in reality, experts suggest that job seekers dress
appropriately for interviews with potential employers to gain goodwill from the employers. 
 Paralinguistics: Paralinguistics refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual
language. This includes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch.
Consider the powerful effect that tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. For
instance, in a speech, when said in a strong tone of voice and fluent pronunciations, listeners
might interpret approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a hesitant tone of voice
might convey disapproval and a lack of interest. 
 Body Movements: Body movements, or kinesics, include common practices like hand
gestures or nodding. Very often, body movements convey enthusiasm or excitement. For
instance, we all know someone who “talks with his hands.” However, other aspects of
kinesics include actions that we commonly perceive with nervousness or anxiety-like
involuntary tremors, frequent clearing of the throat, or a shaking leg. During meetings, it’s
best to keep your hands on a table or in a gentle clasp. You want to avoid “drumming” on
your thigh or repeatedly touching your face, as these are often distracting 

16,

a, Explain the main differences between Distributive negotiation and Integrative negotiation

Distributive negotiation  Integrative Negotiation 

A negotiation technique wherein the parties try Described as negotiation strategy which attempts to settle
to gain maximum value for themselves, from the dispute, with a mutually acceptable solution 
definite resources 

Distributive Negotiation is a competitive Integrative negotiation uses a collaborative approach 

strategy 

Distributive Negotiation has a win-lose Integrative negotiation is based on win-win orientation 

orientation 

When the resources are limited, distributive The integrative negotiation is used when the resources
negotiation is better  are in abundance 

45
In distributive negotiation, the parties self- Integrative negotiation mutual interest and gain act as a
interest and individual profit motivate the motivation for the parties involved 
parties 

Distributive Negotiation discusses only one Multiple issues are taken into account in an integrative
issue at a time  negotiation 

Controlled and the selective environment is The communication climate is open and constructive in
there in a distributive negotiation  an integrative negotiation 

When the relationship between parties does not Integrative negotiation is used when the parties try to
have a high priority, distributive negotiation is develop a long-term relationship with one another and
used  have a very high priority 

Each party expresses a strong position for each Each party expresses and try to come up with as many
issue  options as possible per issue to maximize mutual gains 

Each party wants to use the negotiation to Each party wants to use the negotiation to ‘expand its
maximize its own share of ‘fixed pie’  own share of the pie’ by creating and claiming value 

The involved parties keep their respective The involved parties share their respective interests with
interests hidden  the other party 

b) Explain some reasons why cultural differences affect negotiations

Negotiators from different cultures may tend to view the purpose of a negotiation differently. For traders
from several cultures, the goal of a business negotiation is, first and foremost, a contract to be concluded
between the parties. Other cultures tend to assume that the goal of a negotiation is not a contract to be
signed but to create a relationship between two parties. Although a written contract represents a
relationship, the essence of the agreement is the relationship itself. The difference in approach may
explain why some Asian negotiators, whose negotiating goal is often relationship building, tend to spend
more time and effort on preliminary negotiations. , while North Americans often want to rush through the
first phase of the agreement process. The preliminary negotiation process, in which the parties seek to get
to know each other well, is an important foundation for a good business relationship. They seem less
important when the goal is merely a contract. 
Due to differences in culture, personality, or both, entrepreneurs seem to approach deal-making with one
of two basic attitudes: a negotiation or a process where both are involved. achievable or a struggle in
which, necessary, one side wins and the other loses. Win-win negotiators see agreement implementation
as a collaborative, problem-solving process; Win-lose negotiators see it as confrontation.  
Personal style is concerned with how a negotiator speaks to others, uses his title, dresses, manner of
speaking, and interacts with others. Culture strongly influences the personal style of negotiators. For
example, it has been observed that Germans have a more formal style than Americans. A formal
negotiator emphasizes addressing the other party by their title, avoiding personal anecdotes, and avoiding

46
questions regarding the private or family lives of team members. other negotiating groups. An informal
negotiator tries to start a discussion on a face-to-face basis, quickly seeks to develop personal, group-
friendly relationships with others, and is able to take off his coat and roll up his sleeves when The deal
begins in earnest. Each culture has its own procedures with special meanings. They are another means of
communication between people who share that culture, another form of glue that holds them together as a
community. 
Communication methods vary between cultures. Some emphasize direct and simple methods of
communication; others rely mainly on indirect and complex methods. The second person may use
roundabouts, figurative speech, facial expressions, gestures, and other types of body language. In a
culture that values frankness, such as Americans or Israelis, you can expect to receive clear and
unequivocal answers to your suggestions and questions. In cultures that rely on indirect communication,
such as the Japanese, responding to your suggestions can be achieved by interpreting comments, gestures,
and other cues that seem vague. What you won't get in the first meeting is a firm commitment or refusal.  

17, Make a list of 15-20 ways to make multicultural team work effectively 
1. Overcome Language and Cultural Barriers 
When working in a multicultural team, one of the most common challenges is handling language barriers
between employees. If each team member speaks a different language, you’ll want to find a common
language you can all use so every member can communicate with ease. 
 
2. Consider Different Cultural Communication Styles 
 
Every culture nurtures its own communication style, like speaking patterns and nonverbal
communication. Nonverbal communication includes everything beyond words — gestures, facial
expressions, and body language. It’s crucial to understand diverse communication styles between cultures
and speak to your colleagues according to these rules. 
 
3. Plan Projects Around Different Time Zones 
 
Supervising a virtual team can be difficult because you’re not in the same place or time zone as your
colleagues. You need to organize your work properly and make plans according to these different time
zones. Also, keep this in mind when you’re setting deadlines for your team members. 
 
To avoid any time-related confusion, try using time management apps. They will help you track project
progress and examine productivity levels by week so you can see the current activity level of your
employees regardless of time zone. 
 
4. Allow Prep Time Whenever Your Team Needs It 
 
Remember to give your team — especially those speaking a different language than what they were
raised on — enough time to prepare themselves when speaking a foreign language. If they need to gather
their thoughts or take time to make a point, don’t interrupt or talk over them. Be patient and give them the
time and space they need to communicate effectively. This not only improves communication, but it helps
your team members become more confident speaking foreign languages as well. 
 
5. Be Open to All Cultures and Their Differences 
 
The best way to show your colleagues that you respect and appreciate them is by being open to the
traditions and values of all cultures. This means avoiding promoting or embracing only one culture in the

47
workplace. For instance, during the holiday season, it’s important to vary your decorations so all cultures
are included. This way, your multicultural team will know you respect and embrace whatever they
celebrate during the holidays. 
 
6. Organize Cross-Cultural Training 
 
To improve workplace happiness and morale, organize cross-cultural training. The purpose of this
training is to overcome cultural challenges at the office. That way, people will get to know each other and
educate themselves about various cultural beliefs. 
 
7. Avoid Stereotypes 
 
When working in a multicultural team, be extra careful with the language you use. There’s a balance
between being mindful of cultural differences and relying on stereotypes to make assumptions about your
employees’ behaviors... The fact that your colleague is from Japan or France does not dictate every
decision your employees make, and leaning on this logic will likely offend them. Everyone, regardless of
their cultural upbringing, is an autonomous individual, so treat your coworkers in such manner.  
 
To avoid stereotypes, take time to become acquainted with every team member. Feel free to encourage
your colleagues to do so as well. 
 
8. Practice Empathy 
 
While talking with your colleagues, practice empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and
share the feelings of someone else. Empathy takes practice, and it’s important to continually grow your
listening skills when in a leadership role. Making an attempt to understand what your coworker is
experiencing helps your relationship with them thrive.  
 
9. Deliver Honest Feedback 
 
Providing your team with honest and constructive feedback is a significant part of your leadership and
management duties. Your colleagues deserve to know the truth about the quality of their work, be it
positive or negative.  
 
As a leader of a multicultural team, you have to be cautious about evaluating someone’s work. Each
culture, and even each country, has a unique way of giving feedback, especially when it’s constructive
and can be easily viewed as negative. 
 
10. Shared Norms 
 
Culturally homogenous workgroups rely on shared assumptions and norms to coordinate their behavior.
Shared understanding also fosters trust and intimacy between group members. 
 
After the group has agreed on an optimal group culture, members must be trained in shared norms. This is
particularly critical for countercultural practices that would otherwise be discomforting to some group
members. Training should include the provision of information on why a particular practice had been
endorsed and how it will contribute positively to group outcomes. 
 
11. Undertaking Regular Progress Reviews 
 

48
Managers of culturally diverse workgroups should regularly check in with the group to assess member
satisfaction as well as performance. Managers should look for problems in coordination, relationships,
and information-sharing. 
 
12. Resolve conflicts quickly and peacefully. 
 
Understanding the cultural differences, communication and decision-making styles, and fostering trust
help reduce misunderstandings or performance issues. However, conflicts are inevitable and often occur
due to "lost in translation" in cultural, language, and communication differences for multicultural teams.
Every team member is allowed to have their voice to agree to disagree. The project leader has to play the
devil rounding up team members involved to open the dialog and communicate clearly about the issues
and bring the team back on track. Conflicts have to be resolved as quickly and peacefully as possible
before they turn south and negatively affect team performance. 
 
13. Celebrate, Respect, and Realize the Benefits 
 
The most important thing you can do to create and manage an outstanding multicultural team is to truly
understand the benefits unique ideas and life experiences bring to a group. Celebrate differences by
enlisting the help of Diversity & Inclusion, Women's Leadership and LGBTQ organizations. Create a
more comfortable environment for your team by being polite to everyone and instilling respectful ways of
interacting with one another. Don't forget to lead by example by monitoring your tone, emotion and
responses when communicating with different team members to ensure you're not unconsciously favoring
anyone. 
 
14. The Power of Mentorship 
 
Mentorship is important to Multicultural Team Success because: 
 Everyone needs a mentor or coach in their career -- irrespective of seniority level. 
 Partnering up with the right mentor will allow you to be open to feedback and change...and
ultimately perform better. 
 Your direct manager may not have adequate skills or experience to resolve certain issues. 
 
15. Establish Goals and Overall Purpose 
 
Keeping it simple, the most effective way for any team to work successfully together is to know the goal
and the purpose of the work. Teams need to have an overall sense of purpose that binds them together.
This may seem like a no-brainer but it's most often the #1 most overlooked item by managers. 
 
16. Establish Clear Roles & Responsibilities 
 
Teams in general also operate measurably better when they are given one thing: a clear explanation of
their roles and responsibilities. Creating a roles and responsibilities chart will do wonders for a team
comprised of people in multiple countries, who speak multiple languages and who may have a different
understanding of what the role is. Be aware that you should make each team member aware of what your
expectations are of exactly what he or she will be doing....especially in today's corporate environment
where we are often expected to play multiple roles.  
 
17. Foster cohesive relationship and build trust. 
 
It's a global team. Team members have to come together as a cohesive team to build strong working
relationship, to support each other and to build mutual respect and trust. No global projects go to

49
completion without overcoming obstacles along the way. The cohesive team energy and spirit working
toward the common goal serves as the driving force helping the team push through the rough spots in
tough times. 
 
18. Remain Formal 
 
In general, U.S. business culture is much less formal than others around the world. Some countries have
very formal rituals and approaches to conducting business that governs, among other things, how
individuals should be introduced and addressed. When collaborating on virtual multi-ethnic teams, it’s
better to keep the meetings formal. Although meetings may seem dull or cold, most cultures will find this
appropriate. 
 
19. Encourage Participation 
 
In cross-functional multicultural teams, each member is equally important and their contributions are vital
to the success of the team. Encourage feedback by calling on a wide variety of members and welcoming
their opinions and knowledge. Be alert to your own non-verbal cues that could be misinterpreted by
members. Show respect for each member through active listening and analyzing what others have said
before you respond. Keep in mind that members who don’t participate are least likely to be invested in the
success of the team. 
 
20. Create a Structure for Success 
 
When you have a multicultural team, you are bound to have different work styles. This doesn’t mean
everybody should go haywire and work according to their own methodology. It is up to the leader to
establish clear norms and help the members to adhere. 
 
Rather than imposing a style, leaders should take the necessary steps to explain the importance of certain
norms and train the members to partake in these efforts. When establishing the norms, try to implement
practices from multiple cultures to create uniformity.  

18, Compare differences between Direct and Indirect Management control

50
 Direct management control  Indirect management control 
- Involves the use of face-to-face - Involve the use of reports and other written forms of
personal meetings for the purpose of communication to control operations at subsidiaries. 
monitoring operations. For examples:   + Financial statements, for example, monthly operating reports;
+ The CEO runs meetings to discuss supplements to the operating report, include financial
problems, set goals, evaluate, decide statements, such as balance sheets, income statements, cash
on actions  budgets, and financial ratios, usually required from
+ Top executives visit overseas subsidiaries: 
affiliates to learn of problems and + Financial statement prepared to meet national accounting
challenges–Staffing practices: Who standards prescribed by the host country 
will manage, etc.?  + Statements prepared to comply with accounting principles
+ Design structure that makes the unit and standards required by the home country 
highly responsive to home office + Statements prepared to meet financial consolidation
requests and communications  requirements of the home country 
   
- Close supervisor and monitoring of - Empowerment and discretion applied to activities 
activities  - Decentralized structures 
- Centralized structures  - High trust culture 
- Low trust culture  - Loose rules 
- Tight rules  - Flexible procedures 
- Highly prescribed procedures 

19, Describe some specific performance measures that are used to control international operations
There are three main levels of control that can be exercised and managed in an international business: 
Strategic control focuses on how well a company determines and maintains the desired strategic fit with
its environment and effectively sets and achieves its strategic goals. It also plays an important role in the
decisions of companies about entering and expanding foreign markets. A strategy is usually implemented
over a significant period of time during which two major questions are answered: Is strategy
implementation taking place as planned? and Taking the observed results into consideration, does the
strategy require changes or adjustments. For example, A courier business decides to boost performance
by setting an on-time delivery goal of 100%. Managers are alerted by the control system as it
automatically reports problems even if delivery rate falls by 1%. By using such a control strategy, the
organization allows its managers to undertake immediate corrective measures for every delivery-
performance issue that's raised. 
Organisation control has been defined in numerous ways but most definitions seem to agree that
organisational control includes the exercise of power (influence) in order to secure sufficient resources,
and mobilise and orchestrate individual and collective action towards (more or less) given ends. Examples
from the business world include the number of hits a website receives per day, the number of microwave
ovens an assembly line produces per week, and the number of vehicles a car salesman sells per month. In
each of these cases, executives must decide what level of performance is acceptable, communicate
expectations to the relevant employees, track whether performance meets expectations, and then make

51
any needed changes. In an ironic example, a group of post office workers in Pensacola, Florida, were
once disappointed to learn that their paychecks had been lost—by the US Postal Service. The corrective
action was simple: they started receiving their pay via direct deposit rather than through the mail. 
Operational control is the authority to perform those functions of command over subordinate forces
involving organizing and employing commands and forces, assigning tasks, designating objectives, and
giving authoritative direction necessary to accomplish the mission. Mid-level management uses
operational controls for intermediate-term decisions, typically over one to two years. Unlike strategic
control, operational control focuses more on internal sources of information and affects smaller units or
aspects of the organization, such as production levels or the choice of equipment. Errors in operational
control might mean failing to complete projects on time. Evaluation techniques for operational control: 
Value chain analysis: to identify and evaluate the competitive potential of resources and capabilities. By
studying their skills versus those related to primary and support activities, businesses can understand their
cost structure and identify their activities through which they can create value. 
Quantitative Performance Measurement: Most companies prepare formal reports on quantitative
performance measurements (such as sales growth, profit growth, economic value added, analytics
reasonable, etc.) that managers review periodically. It is often associated with the standards set forth in
the first step of the control process. For example, if sales growth is a goal, the company must have a
means of collecting and exporting sales data. If the firm has identified appropriate metrics, regular review
of these reports will help managers see if the company is doing what needs to be done. In addition, certain
qualitative bases based on intuition, judgment, opinion or survey can be used to assess whether a
company's operations are on the right track. 
Benchmarking: a process of learning how other companies do exceptionally high-quality things. Some
approaches to benchmarking are simple and straightforward. For example, Xerox Corporation often buys
copiers from other companies and takes them apart to see how they work. This helps companies keep
abreast of competitors' innovations and changes. 

52