Exam 4: Managing in a Global Environment

Montreal-based Bombardier manufactures aircraft and rail transportation equipment.They employ more than 60,000 workers in production facilities on five continents.All major management decisions continue to be made in their world headquarters in Canada.Bombardier is best described as a ________ corporation.

Which of the following is a key drawback of the polycentric attitude?

Solidarity in the European Union is being undermined by protectionist pressures in some member countries.

________ is a cultural measure of the degree to which people tolerate risk and unconventional behaviour.

International Entrepreneurs (Scenario) Jennifer and James have formed an entrepreneurial venture to develop software for banks and other financial institutions. Their company is growing, but in looking for opportunities in the future, they decide to explore international operations. -By establishing their company's operations in Canada,Jennifer and James hoped that an existing regional trade agreement would help them to avoid tariffs in ________.

In a short essay,describe the Hofstede's five dimensions of national culture.

A Speech on Trade Alliances (Scenario) As manager of the international department for your company, you have been asked by the local Chamber of Commerce to deliver a speech on global trade. The presentation should include an overview of the world's major trade alliances and mechanisms that promote global trade. The Chamber president has also asked you to comment on a recent quote by a local politician, who stated: "NAFTA has been a bad deal for Canada and it continues to weaken our economy." As you review your notes, you wonder how you will fit all the information into the allotted half-hour presentation time! -Before you conclude your speech,you intend to explain how the WTO operates as ________.

Understanding Cultural Differences - GLOBE (Scenario) John has done well in his company. In only five years, he has risen to the position of divisional manager. However, he knows that in order to rise to the level of senior management, he needs to spend some time managing abroad in his company's foreign subsidiaries. Although he has travelled to foreign countries on business and vacations, he has never lived abroad, and he wonders what cultural differences he would find. He is considering applying for a new foreign-based position, but he first wants to learn about some of the basic differences between managing in Canada and managing in a foreign country. John researched the topic of international management and found many helpful facts about various countries and their people. But perhaps the most interesting model he found was the GLOBE framework for assessing cultural differences. Using data from thousands of managers in 62 countries, the GLOBE research team identified several dimensions on which national cultures differ. As John reviewed the GLOBE rankings, he began to appreciate why managers on foreign assignments need to be incredibly sensitive to cultural differences! -John learned that the cultural dimension of ________ measures the degree to which a society relies on social norms and procedures to alleviate the unpredictability of future events.

The focus on decentralized management in multidomestic corporations reflects a(n)________ attitude.

A(n)________ is a specific type of strategic alliance in which the partners form a separate,independent organization for some business purpose.

Canada's economy is best described as ________.

From a legal-political standpoint,some large corporations have postponed doing business with China and other Asian countries due to ________.

Which of the following is a key drawback of the geocentric attitude?

People in societies that are high in ________ tend to look after their own interests and those of their immediate family.

International Entrepreneurs (Scenario) Jennifer and James have formed an entrepreneurial venture to develop software for banks and other financial institutions. Their company is growing, but in looking for opportunities in the future, they decide to explore international operations. -All five Asian countries that Jeff will be visiting ranked very high on which one of Hofstede's cultural dimensions?

According to the GLOBE rankings,Germany and France are both considered low on the dimension of humane orientation.

A high uncertainty avoidance society is threatened by ambiguity and experiences high levels of anxiety.

Canada ranks highest in which of the following Hofstede cultural dimensions?

Understanding Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions (Scenario) Sasha has lived in Toronto her entire life and works at the head office of a large multinational corporation. She has recently become aware of several job openings for management in a number of the company's foreign subsidiaries. As she ponders the prospect of an overseas assignment, she reviews the research of Geert Hofstede to try to understand the cultural differences she would be faced with in each of the foreign subsidiaries. -Sasha decides to apply for a position in the U.S.,which,like Canada,is considered high on the dimension of ________ and low on ________.

A Speech on Trade Alliances (Scenario) As manager of the international department for your company, you have been asked by the local Chamber of Commerce to deliver a speech on global trade. The presentation should include an overview of the world's major trade alliances and mechanisms that promote global trade. The Chamber president has also asked you to comment on a recent quote by a local politician, who stated: "NAFTA has been a bad deal for Canada and it continues to weaken our economy." As you review your notes, you wonder how you will fit all the information into the allotted half-hour presentation time! -You also plan to discuss other regional trading alliances such as the one in Southeast Asia called ________.