【Unit 3】2. Text I On National Prejudices
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【Unit 3】Text I On National Prejudices
1 Warm-up
What do you know about Fortune Global 500? Read the 2011 list to see how
far you are familiar with these corporations.
The Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as
measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by Fortune
magazine. Until 1989 it listed only non-US industrial corporations under the title
"International 500", while the Fortune 500 contained and still contains
exclusively US corporations. In 1990, US companies were added to compile a
truly global list of top industrial corporations as ranked by sales. In general,
Fortune notes, the list is getting more international.
This is the top 10 as published in July 2011. It is based on the companies' fiscal
year ended on or before 31 March 2011.
How do you define “multinational corporations”? Illustrate them with
some examples.
Multinational corporations are business entities that operate in more than one
country. The typical multinational corporation or MNC normally functions with
a headquarters that is based in one country, while other facilities are based in
locations in other countries. The exact model for an MNC may vary slightly. One
common model is for the multinational corporation is the positioning of the
executive headquarters in one nation, while production facilities are located in
one or more other countries. This model often allows the company to take
advantage of benefits of incorporating in a given locality, while also being able
to produce goods and services in areas where the cost of production is lower.
Multinational corporations can be divided into three broad groups according to
the configuration of their production facilities:
Horizontally integrated multinational corporations
manage production establishments located in different countries to produce the
same or similar products. (example: McDonalds)
Vertically integrated multinational corporations
manage production establishment in certain country/countries to produce
products that serve as input to its production establishments in other
country/countries. (example: Adidas) 【Unit 3】Text I On National Prejudices
2 Diversified multinational corporations
manage production establishments located in different countries that are neither
horizontally or vertically integrated. (example: Microsoft)
Have you heard of the term “cultural intelligence”?
Cultural intelligence, cultural quotient or CQ, is a theory within management and
organizational psychology, positing that understanding the impact of an
individual's cultural background on their behavior is essential for effective
business, and measuring an individual's ability to engage successfully in any
environment or social setting.
How do you understand the proverb “Punctuality is the soul of business”?
Role-play: Your clients, from the Middle East where it’s culturally appropriate to
keep “the other person waiting”, are late for a scheduled business meeting.
The following list gives an overview regarding punctuality for business
meetings.
Punctuality is Critical, Insulting if you are not
on time China, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Singapore
Punctuality is Highly valued, even at times a
way of life
Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Iran,
Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand
(even a bit early), Norway, Singapore, South
Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand
Punctuality is Important, expected and
appreciated Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, Finland,
India, Indonesia, Italy (especially in Northern
Italy), Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab
Emirates, United States
Punctuality is Expected, but the locals may
arrive late Egypt, France, Ghana (may not show up),
Greece, Mexico, Middle East, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Saudi Arabia (may have others at
meeting), South Korea, Spain, Taiwan
Punctuality more laissez faire Algeria, Caribbean, France — southern region,
Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Lebanon, Morocco,
Nigeria, Panama, Spain
* Delays in Latin American, Middle Eastern and African countries are not uncommon 【Unit 3】Text I On National Prejudices
3 Information about patriotism and ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own ethnic culture. It seems natural that people feel pride in the culture in which they have grown up and from which they have adopted their
values and standards of behavior. However, the problem is that one may view other cultures not only as different, but also as inferior, with a great danger of behaving in ways that are damaging to those from other cultures. However, as
