http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Mon, 20 May 2013 11:32:42 PDT Mon, 20 May 2013 11:32:42 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=88612 Want a dose of Chinese culture in request, time concept, and numbers? Check out this site, which provides explanation of intercultural differences with cartoon illustrations. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=84823 The newsletter link in Leadership Crossroads website offers a wide array of information and articles regarding conducting international business from a cultural perspective. Their monthly newsletter has four primary sections which include: In Focus, Book of the Month, Website of the Month and Ten tips for Doing Business In (a different country each month). The general public can access the most recent 12 monthly newsletters at no cost. The site offers articles on timely topics such as remote management, work style differences, and organizational vs. national culture, as well as links to additional resources. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=76742 This site has links to articles regarding cultural issues in a number of different countries. Topics include negotiating, gift giving, entertainment, business dress, public conduct, etc. In some cases the link is to an article and in others to executive interviews. Additional links are also provided to more information about the country. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=77856 This site contains guidelines for Japanese culture. It includes information on Japanese body language, visiting a Japanese home or business, and Japanese dining tips. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=555795 Cross Cultural Leadership is a collaborative research seminar that examines what constitutes "effective" leadership across cultures. It is collaborative because the students are expected to provide some of the content. The weekly readings target particular aspects of cultural differentiation. Working within those topics, students are asked to describe aspects of leadership in particular cultures based on their research and/or personal experiences. The goal of the course is to help prepare students for business assignments outside of their native countries. Course deliverables include: active participation in the class, contribution of class content on a weekly basis and an end of course paper that explores some aspect of leadership across cultures. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=584569 This story, produced by This American Life, is a fantastic example of trying to make significant changes in a workplace. Here's the description...A car plant in Fremont California that might have saved the U.S. car industry. In 1984, General Motors and Toyota opened NUMMI as a joint venture. Toyota showed GM the secrets of its production system: How it made cars of much higher quality and much lower cost than GM achieved. Frank Langfitt explains why GM didn't learn the lessons—until it was too late. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=81843 A series of excerpts from the book of the same title, this website gives some insights into the business culture of the Arabian countries. It includes information on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates Qatar, and Bahrain. Sample information is available without charge. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=77857 This site contains guidelines for communicating with the Japanese, including the spoken word and written word. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=617719 This is a free, online textbook offered by Book Boon. This book aims to help Europeans and American businesses and their business partners understand where and how their legal and cultural systems are at odds. It provides insights to better understand the differences by putting the law in a cultural context. It does not teach ‘the law’, nor does it provide legal advice. Of course each and every European country implements its own legislation. Of course within the US, too, local law (that is, non-federal law) differs by state. Whenever legal interpretation is necessary you should consult an attorney who is familiar with local law. Here, the main distinctions, the major pitfalls, the different concepts that you may come across when doing business across the pond are addressed. It is not a law book, but a book that describes the law in a cultural perspective to make you aware of some very important distinctions when conducting business across the Atlantic. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=598460 In this project students use both synchronous (Web conferencing) and asynchronous (Google Sites) tools to research a topic in the field of management information systems. The students start by signing up for a topic using a shared Google doc. Then they use Google calendar to schedule their only face-to-face meeting. At this meeting they discuss a collaboration plan and the rest of the work is done via computer-mediated communication tools. One the day of their presentation they present their research (Google Site - Wiki) using web conferencing program. In this example WebEx is used but could be substituted by a free webconferncing program such as DimDim or Skype. At the conclusion, the audience (classmates) fill out a peer evaluation (survey) and the presenters submit a post to the blog about collaborating using computer mediated communication tools.