BUSINESS PAPER (INTERCULTURAL NETWORKING) 6 pages

GUIDE TO INTERCULTURAL NETWORKING & LESSONS LEARNED REPORT 

A Guide to Help Figure Out How to Get the Most Out of This Project 

Pick 3 People 

·       What kind of people should I pick?  The more different, the better. 

oIntercultural people would be good 

oIntercultural business is involved some way 

oDifferent ages 

oDifferent professions or jobs 

oDifferent roles 

oDifferent positions 

oDifferent experiences 

oDifferent places 

oDifferent "home towns" 

oDifferent "home countries" 

oDifferent culture customers 

oDifferent culture suppliers 

oDifferent culture partners 

Ask Good Questions 

·       What kind of questions should I ask?  It depends.   

oWhat are you trying to find out about them? 

oWhat do you hope to compare? 

·       What culture did you grow up in?  Describe. 

·       Have you experienced any other cultures since you were little?  Explain. 

·       Have you studied different cultures? Describe. 

·       What about at work?   

oDo you work with people from different cultures in your job? 

oDid work ever give you training or suggest resources to help you deal with intercultural issues? 

oHave you ever studied at school or on your own about different culture or cultures? 

·       Did you ever study a foreign language?  Have you ever had a chance to use it? 

·       Check the Hofstede Cultural Framework – for topics that you ask about 

oPower distance 

oIndividual vs. Group 

oMasculinity vs. Femininity 

oEtc.  

Evaluate the Information You Have Collected by Your Questions 

·       How should I evaluate this information I have collected? 

oHofstede Cultural Framework 

oKiss, Bow, Shake Hands 

oHarvard Business Review 

oCIA Worldbook 

oDoing Business In ____________ 

What are the Findings? ("Oh yeah, says who?") 

·       What kind of things do you observe from your interviews? 

·       What does this tell you about these people? 

·       What does it tell you about intercultural issues? 

Lessons Learned 

How does this relate to your own experiences?  Explain how your own personal experience at home, school, and work (where applicable) is similar or different than the people you've just interviewed.   

Do your FINDINGS and LESSONS learned confirm the theory and framework you used to evaluate culture?  Or do they not?  If not, why not?  What do you think about that? 

The End 

REFERENCES LIST  

That link back to your in-line citations.