1. Discuss how the Internet and culture interact.

Which most affects the other

and how? Give some examples.

Internet and culture are inextricably linked which affected each other in
different way. Internet has provided an opened interaction platform towards
culture and changes others view in different cultures. The closed-minded
perspective of Saudi Arabia is associated with Islamic roots. However, internet
acts as a communication avenue which provides opportunities for them to
connect with others; also broken the conservative culture of learning styles and
offers innovative learning strategies in education. http://www.igi-
global.com/article/impact-internet-usage-saudi-arabia/2628.
http://ai2-s2-
pdfs.s3.amazonaws.com/9b26/9cb611c882955c9aad501e91c8c8a05db176.pdf.
Nonetheless, culture also affecting internet. The strong protectionism
culture in China had driven government to implement regulations of internet
censorship rules and restricted the liberty of speech in internet dominion as
government perceived that social-network is a threat. Therefore, China exercises
control to media usage to avoid information express to outsiders.
https://www.nsdesign.co.uk/why-is-facebook-blocked-in-china/.
(122 words)

2. Discuss the types of operational conflicts that could occur in an

international context because of differences in attitudes towards time,
change, material factors, and individualism. Give examples relative to
specific countries.

Filipinos preferred to do the task in rush rather than doing it in advance

before closing-date, which called Manana attitude view time as unlimited.
However, time is limited and cherished for North-America. Impression of poor
time management will be given if doing task without well-organised.
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/the-international-business-
culture-business-essay.php.

In United-State, change views as an affirmative opportunity. They believe

change enable them to manipulate a better improvement. In contrast, Japanese
are uncertain to perform a change due to high-uncertainty avoidance behaviour
more sensitive to resist the change.
http://www.onken.com/classroom/internationalmanagement/Japan/ChangeandDiv
ersity.html.

Regarding to material factor, America consider nature is part of their

benefits sources, but Korea treat nature as their part of religious beliefs.
http://isaacjhepburn.blogspot.my/2011/08/international-business-
management.html.
 United Kingdom is high individualism tend to be confident and
independent to work in own way, also consider personal achievement as greatest
value. Japanese is low individualism encourages cooperation and dependent
each other to have dominant to accomplish a task.
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/the-international-business-culture-
business-essay.php.
(146 words)

3. Identify five stereotypes that foreigners typically hold about Australians.

Why do you think they might hold these stereotypes? Identify five cultural
stereotypes that you hold (about foreign cultures).

Stereotype is generally known as fixed specific idea or image of a certain

individual or thing.
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/305291729/24AFC1C
8D3BD40B9PQ/1?accountid=10382.
Stereotypes that foreigners hold about Australians is Aussie keep kangaroos as
pet because they are most famous native Australia animal. Secondly, foreigners
think that spiders are everywhere since spiders are the most common insect in
Australia. Thirdly, Australia is a hot weather country, yet Australia does get cold in
winter time. Fourthly, Australia is a desert land but in fact, the cities are well-
developed. Lastly, Aussie always gets drunk due to the impress of Aussie loves to
party.

The main reason why stereotypes would occur is because culture differences
between people or countries, which might lead to misconceptions in the thinking.
Besides, people like to over-categorize to certain thing with what they think of.
Moreover, prejudgment people judge before they get to know the fact or receive
the wrong perspective from others.

Stereotype that I hold about Paris is Parisians are fashionable due to Paris is
known as fashion capital. Secondly, Parisians are romantic lover because Paris is
named as city of love. Thirdly, eating snails are very common in Paris since the
movie shown us the snail was the classic menu for Parisians. Fourthly,
Parisians do not speak English as French was their mother-tongue. Lastly,
Parisians always drink wines because the impression of romance behaviour.
(226 words)

Total word count: 494 words

1. Discuss the role of social media in global business communication.

 In the social medias era, e-commerce is way more effective to build up
businesses globally than traditional-business. Regarding the research, the
numbers of social medias users are continuously grown in annually. Thus, it has
full potential to enhance the business with lower accessibility and budget,
especially for small businesses.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Faulds/publication/222415599_Social
_media_The_new_hybrid_element_of_the_promotion_mix/links/00463532845a0
100af000000.pdf. (Page 360).

Social media provides a communication avenue for businesses to target their

customers in multiple markets more effectively and offer opportunity to engage
with the customers, which would gain trust and able to understand customers
expectation with closer connection.
http://www.techstars.com/content/entrepreneur-resources/how-social-media-is-
changing-the-world-of-business-communications/.

Notwithstanding the benefits of social media are undeniable, but it bring several
negative concerns as well. Social media is widespread over the world. Hence, the
negative publicity could spread rapidly and it would damage companys
reputation. In conclusion, social media is the effective way to reach the target or
potential customer and build awareness, but businesses should learn to avoid the
negative impact. http://themarketmogul.com/global-impact-social-media/.

(150 words)

2. What is the relationship of language and culture? How is it that people from
the same language may still miscommunicate?

The connection between language and culture are intensely rooted but also a
complex relationship since it has difficulty to understand a persons thought when
communicates. Languages are used to express and symbolizes cultural
connections.
http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/science/article/pii/S2352250
X15002572?
np=y&npKey=7b960801de7bc2919b2114ef3ccbf87f868b643734bf5323ac063221
71c025cf. Likewise, a persons culture can be reflected from the knowledge of
language they used since language offer categories expression of thoughts.
Thus, the thinking of a person can be expected as influenced by the language
used. http://www2.lib.nifs-k.ac.jp/HPBU/annals/an46/46-11.pdf. Language and
cultural connections lead towards intercultural communication communicate
connection between different language and cultural roots. (Language and
Culture in Relation to Intercultural Communication in a Business Context, Nani
I. Tiono) file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/ING02040105.pdf.
 Different culture backgrounds create different thoughts. Hence, individuals who
have the same language but different culture will construct different viewpoints
and therefore lead to misunderstanding. Lack of common cultural backgrounds in
each other could cause miscommunication in same language because of culture
distance, also culture difference can affect the how individuals interpret
information. Therefore, cross-cultural communication are important when interact
with people from different languages and cultures.
http://www.tefl.net/elt/articles/teacher-technique/language-culture/.
(154 words)

3. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body

language. What is the role of such nonverbal communication in business
relationships?

Communication is a tool that conveys messages, which involves verbal and non-
verbal communication. Body language also termed as kinesics behaviour is one
of the non-verbal communication. Body language refers to communicate with
others by body movements, which able to communicate effective as words.
(textbook)
Culture differences create different meaning of body languages. Body languages
mostly does not have universal connotations, but have culturally distinctive
meanings. For instance, in France, thumbs-up gesture is mean as approval, but it
is a rude sign for Australia. Eye contact is appreciated in western cultures, which
consider strong eye contact as confidence and weak eye contact may be seen as
insulting. However, eye contacts are not appropriate in the Asia cultures, avoiding
eye contacts is treated as respect and politeness.
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1366367112/21F0D1E
5CAEF446EPQ/5?accountid=10382.

Non-verbal communication plays as an important role along with verbal

communication in every business relationships. People tend to believe the
actions they see rather than words they heard because they consider that non-
verbal actions would not lie. As a result, understanding in non-verbal
communication helps businesses to build up positive relationship in workplace
and improve the performance without any conflict of cultural differences between
clients and colleagues.
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1868790254/A282CD7
3CD0A43F1PQ/2?accountid=10382.

1. Discuss the relative use of nonverbal behaviours, such as silent periods,

interruptions, facial gazing, and touching by people from various cultural
backgrounds.
 The expressions of nonverbal behaviours face expression, body actions are
much more effective than verbal in communication as the emotions displayed can
be clearly determining while interact with each other.
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/303362811/2262E917
85F14491PQ/1?accountid=10382. (Page 13). Nonverbal behaviours not only
represented body languages, also as well as universal behaviours patterns.
Nonverbal have tendency to be friendlier for individuals since it displayed cross-
culture negotiation such as international body language. http://ecute.eu/wp-
content/uploads/2011/04/HCII_2011_Nori_Nakano.pdf.
Silent periods mean the gaps of duration in conversations, which occur more
often in the interaction of Korean negotiators compared to European. In the other
hand, European tends to spent more face gazing into partners than Chinese
looking people directly represented as a disrespectful sign. Besides, French
representative was quite aggressive, which involving threats as well as time
gazing and interruptions. Touching defined as bodily contact. In Brazil,
negotiators are more frequent to have physical touch. However, Korean rarely to
touch their counterparts expect for greeting purpose.
http://www.ipfw.edu/dotAsset/e93d30a4-0fd6-4109-b034-6f42d95e5cdf.pdf.
(149 words)

2. What are some of the differences in risk tolerance around the world? What
is the role of risk propensity in the decision-making process?

Risk propensity described as risk averse or seeking behaviours and willingness

to undertake the risks. The risk taking are affected by the individuals tendencies
to avoid or accept the risk, or else depends on the current situation.
http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1360&context=ijbf.
(Page 6).
It is extremely important in all business decisions as the outcomes are often
probabilistic in nature.
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/89213990/fulltext/2D8
1156A97774175PQ/1?accountid=10382.
Risk tolerance referred as the maximum variability individual willing to withstand
in a decision-making.
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1037988117/CBF7575
751ED4B8BPQ/3?accountid=10382.
The level of uncertainty avoidance is closely connected with risk tolerance, which
might impact the decision of risk-taking. According to Hofstedes concept of
uncertainty avoidance, risk taking is acceptable for low-uncertainty avoidance
culture while high-uncertainty avoidance culture preferring to manage decision
with low or no risk. For example, USA risk taker with high risk tolerance that
more willing to take risk to receive better results in exchange like profitable return.
However, low risk tolerance societies such as Japan risk avoider tendency
toward safety options to avoid the unexpected lost.
 http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/226998309/239E7EC2
BB01460CPQ/4?accountid=10382.
(156 words)

3. Describe what you would expect in negotiations with Germans and how
you would handle that situation.