Target Audience: Secondary, tertiary.

Language Proficiency: Intermediate to advanced.

Learning Focus: Research skills, reading, memo writing, use of graphic organizers, impact of culture on behavior.

Technology Needed: Web browser software and Internet connection.

Instructions:

This task develops online research skills and builds familiarity with valuable and free-of-charge sources of country-specific economic data and cultural information. Learners gather data and then present it in professional memo format using graphic organizers.

Task: You have recently been hired by the marketing division of a large candy company that produces the popular sweet, Gummy Bears. Consumers like the chewy consistency of the candy, which has been made of gelatin from the processing of pig hooves. Because their domestic market is saturated, the company is looking for new international market opportunities in Asia and the Middle East.

The Vice President for Marketing has assigned you your first project. She has asked you to conduct preliminary research to assist in evaluating two countries for their market potential: China and Saudi Arabia. (See the questions below.)

Knowing that you are new, she suggests that you begin your research on these two countries (China and Saudi Arabia) by visiting the CIA World Factbook web site.

After visiting the CIA World Factbook web site, she recommends that you go to the globalEDGE web site to find out more about the cultures of these two countries (China and Saudi Arabia). On the Resource Desk page, you will find links to valuable resources for international business. Look at the heading Global Resources. Under that heading, you will find the subheading Reference and the link for Culture. Click on Culture. You will be connected to a list of cultural information sources for different countries and regions, including Executive Planet, Global Road Warrior, and Business Etiquette Around the World, which includes ratings for Hofstede’s five primary cultural value indicators. Hofstede's research provides important insight into how culture impacts communication in the workplace.

Preliminary Research Questions

Answer the following questions on China and Saudi Arabia:

• Where is the country located? How large is it in area?
• What is the breakdown of the population according to age? Since your product is primarily targeted to younger consumers, how many people are under the age of fifteen?
• What is the GDP per capita?
• What is the unemployment rate?
• What is the breakdown of the population according to religion? Could religion have an impact on the sale of the product? How easy is it to do business in the country? Consult the "Ease of Doing Business Rankings"compiled by The World Bank Group.
• Are there any other cultural or economic factors that might affect the product’s success that the company should investigate further?

Present the information in a table, and send it to your manager accompanied by a memo. Because you know that the professional presentation of information is important, you will want to pay careful attention to formatting and general appearance when you prepare the report.

Helpful Hints:

Note to teachers: In their memo, learners should include information about the impact of culture on diet. People who follow the strict dietary guidelines associated with Islam and Judaism do not consume pork. Thus, students should recommend the company begin research on other sources of gelatin for the candy.

More on this Topic:

For reliable, up-to-date country and regional information on international business and culture, see:

CIA World Factbook.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

International Business Resources, from globalEDGE.
http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/

U.S. Library of Congress: Country Studies.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html

For business writing guidelines, see:

Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL).
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
This OWL contains many helpful writing guides and exercises, including business-related writing (reports, résumés, cover letters, memos, etc.). See the section (pull-down menu) for Professional Writing.

For graphic organizers, see:

Eduplace, Graphic Organizers.
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/
(These are PDF files and open with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program.)

Kay Westerfield, Global Communication Consulting,kwesterf@uoregon.edu