1.
Family Tree
Briefings continue.
2.
See how
Kentucky Fried Chicken markets itself in the relatively impenetrable society of
Japan.
This is the first of two lessons that ask you as as a
business man or woman to consider the cultural difficulties in penetrating a
foreign market place. We have an opportunity today to observe Kentucky
Fried Chicken as it takes on Japan.
Before we turn (next class) to the task of selling
MacDonald's Hamburgers in Moscow, we will spend the remainder of the lesson
considering the Japanese customs relative to filial duty and obligation to one's
family and the Emperor.
3. Meet with the
members of your team to discuss the answers to your homework.
1. Because American values are not the same as those held
in foreign lands, those Americans unable to understand or appreciate foreign
values will be unable to make much progress in exporting goods and services to
the rest of the world. We watched a video about an American fast food
business seeking to compete in a Japanese business setting. There are
several strikes against the "Colonel." For one, Japanese people are not
fond of American food. For another, Japanese business leaders
simultaneously own seats on bank and government bureaucracies which would be
considered a conflict of interest in the United States. Kentucky Fried
Chicken has no such inside persons who will represent American interests in this
closely guarded society. And yet the Colonel takes on sushi, fish, and the
traditional rice menu in Japan. Of the several strategies used, which do
you think were the most important ones, without which, the "Colonel" could not
succeed in Japan? If you were opening a business in Japan, would a lack of
cultural understanding be likely to impede your success? Why or why not?
1. Read Chapter Thirteen "Aggression: The Nonviolent
Semai" pages 67-72 in
Cross-Cultural Perspectives in America. Answer the
following questions in your notebook:
