assignment

As a Business Development Managerfor JHAL Trader Company (JHT), you know that the company primarily serves customers in the United States and Canada.  However, as a savvy businessperson, you know that there is a market for fun outside of these borders.  You have discussed this with the Vice President of Marketing, Jennifer L. Pez, and she has suggested that you do some research on a country to come up with a recommendation as to whether or not the company should consider expanding into that market as a new sales territory.

As a result, you will prepare a short report, primarily based on secondary research, concerning aspects of international business culture in a specific country.  Your report should include any aspect of business culture or etiquette that a business traveler would encounter while in another country conducting business.

Country Selection

Note that, since JHT primarily imports its goods from China, Japan, and Korea, it is probably not economically beneficial for companies in those countries to purchase products from you as compared to the manufacturer because of the additional transportation costs.  As a result, you will want to target countries in Latin America, South America, Australia, or Europe.  So the countries that you cannot choose from are as follows:  China, Japan, Korea, the United States, and Canada.  (Mexico, which is in North America, is also acceptable.  Canada is not because JHT already does business in Canada.)

Areas to be Covered

Your research should focus on doing business in that country and should include the following:

Country Overview

· General location, topography, climate

· Size in terms of land mass and population

· Capital city

· Primary language spoken, including number of dialects, if available

· Primary religion(s) practiced

· Currency used 

Industries & Markets

· Primary industries located in this country

· Large companies located in this country

· Largest cities

Government & Political Environment

· Type of government

· Name of current leader

· Current trends / events – particularly those that impact the business climate, risks

Business Norms

· Business operations: Typical business days during the week, hours of operation, hours per work week, etc.

· Number of weeks typically worked per year / number of weeks of vacation or holiday

Customs, Traditions and Etiquette

· Customs and celebrations, including holidays and religious holidays

· Nonverbal communication: use of gestures, use of body language, use of personal space, use of symbols including clothing and color, etc.

· Briefly describe how an initial meeting should be handled. Who should attend, when should it be scheduled, how would introductions be handled, etc.

· For each of the four cultural communication barriers outlined by Mr. Gesteland, identify where this country fits on the spectrum.

· Describe any additional points of etiquette to be aware of, such as appropriateness of gift-giving, dining etiquette, conversational style, etc.

Conclusions & Recommendations

· What can you conclude about the business environment in this country relative to JHAL Trader Company's business?  Does it appear to be favorable or unfavorable?

· Do you recommend that the company continue to further explore this country as a potential sales territory in the future?  Why or why not?

· If you recommend moving forward, describe what makes this a good country for potential expansion.  What factors contribute to this?  What do you see as some positives, and what do you see as some barriers moving forward?  Are there additional topics that you would recommend further study about before proceeding further?  If future travel is likely, what would you recommend be further researched before traveling to this country?

· If you do not recommend moving forward, describe the reasons.  What would make doing business in this country undesirable?  What would be the biggest obstacles to doing business?  Although this is not a persuasive report, you may need to overcome some resistance if an executive has a "soft spot" for this country and was looking forward to doing business in this country.

Sources / Works Cited

· This should be on a separate page and is not counted as part of the 4 pages minimum.

· You must use a minimum of 3 different sources.

· Use MLA style and appropriately reference sources within the text.