Cross Culture

Management in
International
Business
• Bachelors Program on Digital Business
• Foreign Trade University
• October 2023
• 1st Class
Objectives of The objective of the program is
• to train students with political qualities,
the Digital genuine business ethics,
comprehensive professional
Business knowledge of international economics
and business, knowledge of data,
Bachelors information technology, digital
revolution and digital transformation in
Program business.
 • Give students basic understanding of cross-
cultural issues which may impact digital
businesses. Through the course, the
students will:
1. Appreciate what defines culture;
Course 2. Understand the differences among
objectives various “cultures” – appreciate cross
culture issues and their impacts on
digital business
3. Recognize the impacts of the various
cultures on the way people utilize
digital tools.
 4. Address business problems
arising from difference in
cultural backgrounds,
Course 5. Appreciate the needs of digital
objectives business users by different
cultural groups.
(continued) 6. Prepare the students to work in
a cross-cultural environment.
 • Roadmap
① Understand what ‘culture’ is and how it is
formed
② Understand cross cultural issues and the
reasons for studying cross culture issues
How do we ③ Study cross culture models and understand
what/how they affect the business behavior
achieve the ④ Examine Vietnam’s cultural traits as analyzed

course ⑤
by two scholars on cross culture
Study empirical researches to appreciate
objectives? impacts of culture on IT platform and e-
Government services, and
⑥ Explore desirable approaches for Vietnam
consumers for digital services
Syllabus Please review the syllabus.
 • 7 teams to study cross cultural issues
and other materials together
• The teams are responsible for the
delivery of homework, responses to
case studies and other assignments
Forming a during the course
• Each team member takes a role;
team a. Coordinator who coordinates the
group work
b. Speaker (s) who presents the group
discussions
c. Note taker(s) who takes the note on
the group discussion
 • For the class management, Trung
Sensei and I will use Microsoft Team.
Use of • Please register using the class number.
Microsoft • All the presentations, homework and
some materials will be posted at the
Team as the Team site.

platform for • You are required to log into the Team

and submit your homework/
the study presentation and questions.
• Team products will be evaluated and
will be a part of your grade.
Forming a
team
Culture – why
do we study • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSt_
op3fQck&list=PLClXiOzJlcPDLTpKpKD0Y
cultural nIP6F84WyD12

differences?
 • Three things that you want to get from
Group Discussion the course
(10 minutes) and • Three questions you want to find
answers to through this course
Presentation
What is your
expectation and →Discuss among your group.
how do you want → Appoint a group representative
to benefit from the →The representative to share the
course? group opinions to the class
What is Culture?
 • 193 recognized and accepted as member
countries by the UN, 2 observer status
countries and several other countries.
• But # of cultures is higher since there are
How many strong regional variations
• Vietnam - North, Central and South
cultures are • Japan – Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto,
Kansai, Kyushu, etc.
there in the • Italy – Northern Italy and Southern Italy
• Not only regional but cultures divided by:
world? • Religion
• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Company, university,
 By Geert Hofstede : Scholar on Cross Culture Issues
The collective programming of the mind that distinguishes
the members of one category of people from another
By Merriam Webster: Dictionary
• a : the customary beliefs, social forms, and material
traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also : the
Definition of characteristic features of everyday existence (such as
diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place
or time popular culture Southern culture
Culture • b : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and
practices that characterizes an institution or
organization a corporate culture focused on the bottom
line
• c : the set of values, conventions, or social practices
associated with a particular field, activity, or societal
characteristic studying the effect of computers on print
culture
 • History
• Geography
Where do • Demography
national • Language
cultural • Religion

characteristics • Education
• Political belief
come from? • Art
• Other things like food, songs, etc.
 • Do you think businesses need to care
about “culture”? If so, why? If not,
why not?
• Give three reasons for businesses to
For care about culture. And vice versa.
businesses,
why “culture” 10 minutes discussion

is important? • Present your discussion

• By the presenter of each group
 Basic Facts:
Globalization of
Businesses

From an Economic
Intelligence Unit
Report: Competing
Across Borders
Why do we study
cultural
differences?
Better cross-border
communications improves the
following:

1. Profit

2. Revenue

3. Market share
 Why do we
study
cultural
differences?
From an Economic
Intelligence Unit Report:
Competing Across
Borders
Why culture matters
to business?
1. Better cross border
collaboration has been a
critical factor in the
improvement of our
organization’s performance
in the past three years.
2. The multicultural nature of
cross border teams breeds
innovation
3. Cultural and linguistic
diversity can make it
difficult to collaborate
internally across borders
and with our external
partners
Char
t5
Please state the extent to which you agree or disagree with the
following statements:
(% respondents)
Stronglyagree/agree Neutral Disagree/strongly disagree
64% 27%
7% 67% 28% 51% 29% 20%
Better cross-border
3%
Culturaland linguistic
collaboration hasbeenacritical
factor inthe improvement of
The multicultural
nature of cross-border
diversity can make it difficult
to collaborate
our organisation's performance
in the past three years
teams breeds
innovation
internally across borders and with
our external partners
 FACTS: Businesses are becoming more
international
• Expand the business into a foreign
Why modern market requires understanding of the
enterprises market’s rules, preferences, behavior,
etc.
study cultural • Globalization promotes innovation

differences? • Better relationship between the

employer and the employee for good
business performance
 Read “Walmart Case: An American
Business Tackling Foreign Markets” from
Homework Fish Can’t See Water (p155-160) Kai
for the next Hammerich & Richard D. Lewis
Uploaded in MS team
class
Group presentation on the following
questions
 1. Define the Walmart’s culture in the
USA

2. Explain the Walmart’s strategy

Four getting into Germany

questions on 3. Discuss what Walmart should have

done in Germany
the Walmart
case study 4. What do you recommend the
Walmart leaders to do if they are to
invest in Vietnam.