Problem
I. You are responsible for hiring a sales manager whose territory will include all of South America. You have narrowed your search to two people. One is a citizen of Brazil who speaks Spanish and Portuguese but very little English. The second is a U.S. citizen who speaks English and a little Spanish. Your product line necessitates that the sales manager hires two additional people in South America, run a sales office with a receptionist/secretary, lives in South America, and personally calls on customers in different countries. Which of the two people would you choose? Give reasons for your choice.
II. Fred, a large U.S. bookstore manager, hired Ching Wu, a newcomer from China, as one of his clerks. In an attempt to get to know Ching Wu better, Fred invited her to join him for coffee. Throughout their conversation, he noticed that Ching Wu always looked down at the floor and never gave him eye contact. He interpreted this as a lack of respect. Discuss the nonverbal communication differences that made Fred think his new employee disrespected him.
III. Imagine you are writing an email to a Candidate who recently applied for a teaching position in your institution and did not meet the requirements. How do you deliver the bad news to that person in your message? Talk about the structure of the message. You should NOT mention the message here.
IV. At his first meeting with Mina Van Buren, a U.S. manager, Juan Velasquez, an Argentine businessman, complimented her on her appearance and invited her out for drinks and dinner that evening. Ms. Van Buren refused, saying that she preferred to keep their relationship on a professional level. Discuss the appropriateness of Mr. Velasquez's invitation, Ms. Van Buren's response, and the implications for building a solid business relationship.