Lesson correlates with National Business Education Association National Standards for Business Education, 1995, Reston, Virginia.
Standard II. International Business Communications... Achievement Standard: Apply communication strategies necessary and appropriate for effective and profitable international business relations.
  B. Non Verbal
Level 3 (Secondary) - Performance Expectations: Compare business protocol of various countries.

 
TIME REQUIRED:
Two 50-minute class periods
 
RECOMMENDED GRADE:
Grades 9-12


 

MAJOR CONCEPTS:
Knowing business protocol of various cultures can reduce the risk of making mistakes which would terminate business dealings.  Knowing the appropriate business protocol can enhance business opportunities.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
To appreciate the diversity of business relationships

To explore the complexity of human relations when doing business globally

To begin a process of researching traditions, culture, etc., of various countries which may impact business relationships
 

MATERIALS:
The Art of Crossing Cultures, Craig Storti, Intercultural Press, Inc., 1990

Cross-Cultural Dialogues, 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference, Craig Storti, Intercultural Press, Inc., 1994

Do s and Taboo s Around the World, Edited by Roger E. Axtell, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993

Do s and Taboos of hosting International Visitors, Roger E. Axtell, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990

Internationally Yours, Writing and Communicating Successfully in Today s Global
Marketplace, by Mary A. DeVries, Houghton, Mfflin Company, Boston, 1994
Books and encyclopedia entries about specific countries
Internet searches

Specific countries
Alta Vista
 Search “international business customs and cultures”
World Wide Web Yellow Pages
Contains business advertisements which may be useful when scanned
 International Chamber of Commerce

  Business World electronic magazine

 United States International Trade Commission

 Wall Street Journal

 Chicago Tribune

 New York Times

 CNN

 Asia One
 
 

RATIONALE:
Understanding that business protocol differs, will help students prepare business transactions in the future which will attempt to avoid mistakes in human relations.
PROCEDURE:

1. Define protocol as rules for conducting business courteously which are accepted by a   particular culture.

2. Invite a guest speaker or panel of speakers including foreign students (if your own school is not hosting foreign students, perhaps area high schools, colleges, or universities are  hosting foreign students who could visit your class), foreign nationals, foreign guests, business people who have conducted international business, or community members who have traveled and/or lived outside of the United States.

3. Each student or group may choose or be assigned a different country to research.  DeVries lists profiles of major countries of the world which may be expanded by using other sources. Research may include geographical location, capital city, official and other languages, major and other religions, principal holidays, business hours, customs (business and personal), and holidays.  Axtell offers additional information and insights of business  protocol which relate to specific countries.

4. Storti includes dialogues between two people of different cultures.  Samples of the short dialogues could be role-played by students followed by discussion about what went wrong in each dialogue.  Discussion could be concluded by Sorti s brief insights about cultural differences that are included in a section following several dialogues.  This could be an introductory or a concluding activity.

EVALUATION: Oral and/or written reports.  Students are instructed to take notes based on other students reports and to write their reflections at the end of the reports.

Students write a memo to the teacher comparing two countries with the one that they researched after hearing and/or reading other students reports.
 

AUTHOR:
: Dr. Dorothy Wiese, Elgin Community College, Hampshire, IL.
EDITORS:
Les Dlabay, Lake Forrest College, Wildwood, IL.
Robert Ristau, Eastern Michigan University (ret.), Ypsilanti, MI.

 
 
 
 
 

Click here to download Microsoft Word version of the plan including handouts.