There are two parts to this assignment, the main body in which you write about the culture of the country you have chosen, and an appendix with some travel details.
In the first part, on culture, imagine that your boss is soon to take a trip to the country your have chosen to research, the purpose being to get to know the people in a local company with whom you hope to do business. Include a map to show the location of your country but keep any discussion of it very brief. Assume that your boss is female. Your description will highlight the most relevant information about the local culture that will help her interact with people and conduct business successfully. Begin with significant points about the country’s broader culture before moving on to appropriate business etiquette, including language and dress. (Do not cover any aspects of your country’s political and economic situation here – unless there is a travel advisory due, for example to severe political unrest – because you will be covering that in your next brief.)
In the appendix that follows your discussion of culture, mention (1) the difference in time between where your boss will be going and her home location, whether Washington state or elsewhere; (2) visa requirements and, if there are any, how to obtain the visa (3) the current rate of exchange with the US dollar; (4) suggestions about tourist sights that your boss could visit during her leisure time, and (5) the most notable local dishes she is likely to encounter.
References: For your section on culture, make use of at least 5 different sources, cited according the guidelines below right after this section. In addition, you may consult personal contacts knowledgeable about the country, but do not count them among your five and in your list of references say who they are and how you know them. You are responsible for ensuring that all your sources, including your personal contacts, are accurate.
For your travel brief, make use of as many sources as you need and cite them at the end of your brief.
Length: 1.5 to 2 pages for the discussion of culture, single spaced, excluding map, travel appendix and references.
| Grading criteria for Cultural Brief (100 points) |
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Culture. Good coverage of the points required by the guidelines above. Creativity, good writing – including spelling and grammar – and good organization. Good references. |
60 |
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Travel appendix. Accurate information on the points requested. |
40 |
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Citing references:
- List the sources you have used by author, title, publisher and date using whichever citation style you are used to or prefer. If you have no preference, use the APA method. WSU has good summaries of the APA and other citation styles at http://libraries.wsu.edu/quickguides
- Make use of in-text citations, using the brief, in-text format of the APA method or your other chosen citation style.
- For articles found on the internet, make sure that you follow the guidelines that your chosen citation style lays down for such sources. The URL alone is not adequate.
Report format:
- Submit in a format that MS Word can read and edit Include your last name as part of the file name.
- Margins should be exactly 1 inch all around (top, bottom, left, right).
- Font size should be 12point Times New Roman, 11point Arial, or the equivalent in other fonts. (11point Times New Roman is too small, 12point Arial is too large.)
- Give a professional look to your report. It must be well organized and edited. Check for clarity, grammar and spelling.
