Culture briefing for a US based company selling bicycles
Assume you are a manager in a company that sells bicycles. Your company started in the United States, but it has also been a big player in the European market for a long time. Now, it is going to be expanding into a new market on a new continent. You have been asked to head a work team to develop this new market.
You will be taking some of your U.S. employees to the country, where you will lead an operation that will include these employees, as well as new employees who are citizens of the country where you will be opening a new office. You know culture is important to successfully selling your bicycles to a new set of customers, and you have decided to educate yourself about the country where you are setting up your operation. After conducting research into the market, you have prepared a briefing to enable your U.S. sales team to understand how to operate successfully in this new market. The briefing will also help your American employees understand how to work effectively with the employees who are citizens of that country.
Please select one country in Asia, Africa, or South America. This will be your new target market. Then develop a culture briefing on the country you select. Your culture briefing should include the following information:
Description of the Country – 5 Points
• history and geography
• profile of inhabitants
• political system
• economic system
Culture of the Country?- 5 Points
• traditions and customs
• values and ethics
• life styles
• common business practices
Key Business Strategies – 15 Points
• strategies for promoting successful business growth
• strategies for addressing the cultural perspectives of your new customers
• strategies for addressing the cultural perspectives of your new employees (that is, citizens of that country)
Your culture briefing should be 6 to 8 pages, plus a cover page and a references page.