Assessment Task -
Identify a media article that you will analyse. It should report on
- a difficult international business situation
- involving cross-cultural management issues
- that has arisen in the past twelve months
This task will demonstrate your ability to apply your cultural intelligence skills to a problematic 'real life' international business situation.
Choosing an appropriate article -
Choose a newspaper or online article between 350 and 1,000 words and less than twelve months old as the basis of your essay
It should be reporting actual international business activities or events and not a commentary or academic critique.
Suggested structure -
- Introduction (half a page)
- Article synopsis (half a page)
- Analysis (most of paper)
- Conclusion and recommendations (if any)
- Reference list (not included in word count)
- Attached newspaper article (not included in word count)
More detail on suggested structure -
Begin with a brief review of the case, identifying the key participants and events that have unfolded.
Provide an analysis of the case
- to identify the cross-cultural management issues that have arisen in the case and
- to determine which cross-cultural issue has proved most difficult for management.
Include an in-depth academic literature review of cross-cultural theory and international business theory relevant to the key cross-cultural management issue identified in the case.
Conclude with recommendations for management to redress the cross-cultural management issues and how these issues might be avoided or better managed in the future.
Please provide a copy of the newspaper article.
Assessment criteria -
As listed in Course Outline:
- Ability to identify and critically analyse cross-cultural management issues in an international business context.
- Research skills with the ability to identify and apply relevant cultural and international business theory to cross-cultural management issues.
- Ability to synthesise and communicate solutions to cross-cultural management issues in the form of management recommendations.
- Written communication skills.
Useful theory to draw on -
- Smith, PB., Dugan, S. and Tromanaarts. F., 1996. National culture and the values of organizational employees a dimensional analysis across 43 nations. Journal of cross-cultural psychology, 27(2), pp 231-264.
- Hall, E.T. and Hall, M.R., 1989. Understanding cultural differences. Intercultural press.