Answer the following questions and share your answers with a partner.

a) How important are cultural sensitivity and cross-cultural communication skills for this position? Why are they important?

b) Are there any other skills you think the candidate needs to have? What kind of personal and work-related background do you think the candidate should have? Explain your answers

AGROWORLD

Come grow with us!

We are one of the world's largest producers of agricultural products. We are presently looking for a public relations person to serve as a national and international liaison to promote and represent our new plant outside of Quito, Ecuador. The successful candidate should have the following qualifications:

1. five or more years' experience in an international organization

2. excellent cross-cultural skills and cultural sensitivity

3. excellent communication and interpersonal skills

4. strong knowledge of technology related to the industry

5. proven ability to write press releases and promotional pieces

6. strong organizational skills: able to maintain an office and direct own staff

XV. Problem Solving: information gap

Agro World has reviewed all the resumes and now has two final candidates. You and your group mates must decide which of these two candidates to hire.

Divide the students into groups: A and B. Group A reads Manju Jairam's profile. Group B reads Paul Eraser's profile (both profiles had been prepared by the candidates beforehand). After reading the profiles, complete your part of the chart below. Next, find a partner from the other group and ask questions to complete the chart.

	Manju Jairam	Paul Fraser
Education
Work Experience
Skills and Accomplishments
Personal

 

XVI. Discussion

Go back to your groups, look at the completed chart, and answer the following.

a) For each candidate go through the job requirements listed in the advertisement. State if and how the person meets the requirements.

b) For each candidate go through the other skills and background you listed as important in the chart. State if and how the person has the skills and background you listed.

c) Choose your candidate and explain the reasons for your choice. Share your answer with the group.

XVII. Written Reflection

A successful international businessperson must have many personal qualities that reflect his or her commitment to cultural awareness and understanding. How exactly can the qualities listed below help an international businessperson in relationships and experiences with people from other cultures?

a) Adaptability: being at ease and comfortable in different environments

b) Flexibility: being able and willing to change your ideas or plans even on very short notice

c) Tolerance for ambiguity: being able to work in a situation where you feel information is not always complete or clear

d) Internationalism: having a commitment to learning about and exploring other cultures

Write a short paper in which you discuss the importance of each quality and give an example of a business situation where it is useful. Before writing, think about your experiences and experiences you have heard of, as well as about some of the cases in this book. When you have finished, share your written reflection with the group.

XVIII. AROUND THE WORLD

Company Training of the International Executive

Many companies are now helping their employees build their cross-cultural communication skills. These companies offer cultural training workshops and seminars. Each year more and more companies are offering this type of training. They realize the importance of preparing their employees for the very different and challenging international business world. The following activity will give you an idea of what these training seminars are.

You and your groupmates are salespeople for a sports clothes manufacturer which has been very successful domestically, but has never had any success internationally. The president of your company would like to try the international market again. This time she would like to try exporting products to India. She would like to set up a training program for the sales team (you and your groupmates). She has asked you to a meeting to discuss what type of overseas training you should receive. She has given you the following list of possible topics to be covered in a training program. The program is designed to help you prepare for both living and working in India. Unfortunately your company can offer only five workshops due to money problems.

POSSIBLE TRAINING PROGRAMS TO BE OFFERED

- History of India

- Indian Social Practices

- Hindi Language

- Indian Domestic Management Styles (management within Indian companies)

- Indian Economy

- Indian Distribution Practices (distribution of goods within India)

- Indian Negotiating Styles

- Indian Politics

- Indian Culture

- Legal Aspects of Indian Business Organization

- Indian Business Culture Shock

Your Point of view

Which of the topics are most important for an overseas training program? On your own, decide which five topics are most important and rank those five topics in order of importance. 1 = most important. Then share your decisions in a small group. As a group, create one final list of five topics.

XIX. Group Presentations

Imagine that your groupmates are going to your country to do business and that you must train them before they go. To do this, you will prepare an oral presentation focusing on business practices in your country and on the cultural values behind these practices. If you are in a monocultural classroom, you should choose a country that interests you, research the country, and prepare a presentation focusing on the business practices and cultural values of that country.

Presentation Guidelines

1. You must give your groupmates all the important information they will need to be more comfortable and successful on their business trip.

2. Include information about the business culture as well as the country's basic data and information (e.g., size of country, economy, major exports and imports).

3. Be sure your presentation is well referenced by doing one or more of the following: (1) contacting one of the information sources in the internet; (2) talking to actual business people from your country; and (3) reading articles from magazines or books about your country. Provide your groupmates and teacher with your references.

4. To help you organize the cultural part of your presentation, address the questions and topics from the previous tasks of the present Module. Present your country's basic information first, followed by the business information.

As you listen to each presentation, take notes and complete the following information sheet. Write three important pieces o basic information about the country, five important pieces of information about the business culture of the country, and the questions you have about the country that you would like the speaker to answer.

COUNTRY:

PRESENTER:

DATE:

Country Information:

Business Culture Information:

Three Questions I Would Like to Ask:

1.

2.

3.

XX. Word Forms