Project: Cultural Rapport

Remember: This course has major project assignments that will be due in weeks 3 and 5. It will take more than a week’s effort to adequately complete them. Plan time to start the research and other work for those assignments earlier than the week in which they are due.

This week, read The First Meeting at NTC and The Second Meeting sections of the case study provided in W1 Project. Also, review discussion questions 6 and 8 at the end of the case study document. Do not skip ahead to future sections of the case study or other discussion questions in the document for this week’s work. Many important issues for the case study lie below the surface and require both background research and critical evaluation to uncover.

Based on this week’s assigned sections (and all previous assigned sections of the case study), address the following topics:

• Continuing Issues
  • Building upon the key themes and cues discovered in the week 1 portion of the final project, what cues exist in this week’s assigned portions that provide further insights on the business practice, task/relationship, communication, and structure issues?
• Cultural Awareness
  • What cues exist that reveal the practices of cultural awareness (present or lacking) in the case? In particular:
    • How can a negotiator recognize needs and concerns of both parties?
    • How can a negotiator identify options and alternatives?
    • What can a negotiator do to understand strengths and weaknesses of both parties?
• Conflict Management
  • What conflict management approaches are being used by the parties in the case study?
  • What better conflict management approaches could be used to create an enhanced negotiation environment and outcome?
• Cultural Rapport
  • Based upon the cues within the context of the case study and the research you have completed, provide at least 3 best practices that international negotiators might use to develop cultural rapport. Defend your recommendations with research.

Important hint: You might find it helpful to begin each section of the paper by discussing the key themes and cues you observe. Then, do research on those key themes to both broaden and deepen your evaluation of the case and your understanding of the important issues. In the final product, about half your written evaluation of each topic should be research. About half should be application to the case study.

Recommendation for the level one headings for the body of your paper:

Continuing Issues

Cultural Awareness

Conflict Management

Cultural Rapport Best Practices

Submission Details:

• Submit your evaluation in a four- to five-page Microsoft Word document, using APA style.