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NOTE:  You may want to highlight all the text in this file and then "copy" and "paste" it to a word processing file.  You can then type in your answers below each question or insert spaces for a handwritten answer.

Part I: Short Answers (Please answer ANY 6 of the following 8 questions. If you answer more than six, only the first six questions will count toward your grade. If you start on an answer and decide to abandon it, please make sure that your answer is crossed out.

  1. Please discuss how Islamic law differs from either the common law or code law, emphasizing implications for doing business.
  2. According to the text, what is the significance of "linguistic distance?"
  3. Reliable Riffles, Inc., sells very specialized weapons and targets jealous spouses that would like to do something about individuals with whom they suspect their spouse is having (or has had) an affair. So far, RR has sold its product exclusively in the U.S., but management is now looking to go abroad and thus wants to do marketing research in potential countries. Please discuss advantages and disadvantages of primary, relative to secondary, market research, for RR's situation.
  4. Protectionism generally hurts most consumers in the country that imposes it. Yet, as we saw on the video tape on the sugar industry, it persists. Why?
  5. Rap singer Scoop "Catty" Cat is interested in marketing her new album Rappurrrring! in different countries and is intrigued by the concept of high vs. low context cultures. She has asked you to consult on how this issue might relate to the acceptance of her lyrics in different cultures.
  6. According to the text, what were the findings of a recent study of effects of consumers in twenty-one protected industries?
  7. According to the text, how does explicit and implicit business communication differ, and what are the implications of this?
  8. Please discuss laws of interest to U.S. firms doing business abroad.

Part II: Case. Part II. "Issue spotter" case Please apply course concepts to one of the two cases below. You must (1) identify which course issues are relevant and important to the firm and then (2) apply those concepts to the specific situation of the firm. Grading will be based on:

bulletthe significance to the firm of the issues that you identify (you must decide which issues are applicable and are genuinely important for the specific firm);
bullethow well you relate the ideas to the specific situation of the firm in question (merely regurgitating class notes in the abstract will yield no credit);
bulletthe extent to which in-depth knowledge of the ideas applied is expressed (note that your reasoning must be evident and explicit); and
bulletthe extent to which the answer is well organized.

PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOU RELATE YOUR ANSWERS TO THE SPECIFICS OF THE FIRM—GENERAL ANSWERS ARE NOT OF INTEREST!

There will be no credit for:

bullet"No brainer" observations, such as the need for the firm to take culture into consideration (you must discuss likely cultural influences in context of the firm situation) or the need to do research (you must justify the issues and methods that you explicitly indicate);
bulletOutside knowledge (what you happen to know about this particular firm, beyond what was covered in class, readings, or in the case);
bulletIdeas which are too vague to be meaningful;
bulletIdeas not related to issues discussed in this course (e.g., issues not of international significance);
bullet"Buzz" words whose meaning is not discussed; or
bulletGeneral ideas not tailored to the needs of the specific firm.

 

  1. Dole Fruits is interested in expanding its sales of fruits in Japan. Currently, fruits in Japan cost several times what they cost in the United States, but there has been a strong desire in Japan to have as much as possible of the food consumed produced there. Despite the current economic crisis, Japanese incomes are quite high by international standards, and the Japanese per capita gross domestic product is approximately $41,000, compared to $32,000 in the U.S. Nevertheless, with the economy not as strong as it has been in the past, consumers have been seeking cheaper goods and have become more receptive to imports.
  2. Starbuck’s, which has been very successful in getting American consumes to "fork out" three dollars or more for a fancy cup of coffee, fears that it is running out of growth opportunities in the home market, and would like to expand into Europe and Asia. Although Europeans and Asians are not used to paying these exorbitant prices for coffee, an executive pointed out that Americans were not used to these prices when the chain began, but have been willing to pay for the upscale experience and high quality service.