Question

Please read the case study 4-1 “One-Year Assignment to China: Go Solo or Bring the Family?” on page 118 of your text. Following the APA style, including 4-6 references along with the in-text citations, write a 750- to 1000-word analysis by answering the following questions:

How challenging do you think this assignment would be? To what degree will Nick’s start-up experience in the U.S. help him be effective starting McDonald’s restaurants in China?

How can language and cross-cultural training help Nick and his family (if they accompany him) adjust to Chinese culture?

If Ella goes to China for a year, how might that decision impact her career? What are her chances of working for the local law firm when she returns from China?

What would you do if you were Nick? Go alone to China or ask Ella, Jenny and Luke to accompany you?

Answer 1

1. This assignment is not going to be easy for Nick and his team. The first challenging issue for this assignment is competition in Chinese fast food market by another American fast food chain such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut. Another thing is remodeling of 80 percent of existing stores in the country. Nick’s start-up experience in the US would definitely help his team to get started up in China effectively. The expatriate life cycle experience would be the most challenging. First, hiring staff skills should be Parent Country National. Second, difficulties with the environment. Third, personal and emotional problems. Fourth, family pressures. Fifth, inability to cope with the cultural environment of China.

2. Language and cross-cultural training can help Nick and his family adjust to Chinese culture by teaching them and helping them understand the new environment that they will be living in. By teaching Nick and his family the Chinese language they will have an easier time trying to communicate with people in China. By learning about Chinese culture, they will know what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. .Intercultural training will help Nick and his family by allowing them to better understand the high context and low context cultures, sub-cultures, co-cultures, and better their business competency. Overall, it will allow them to more easily adjust and understand the world around them Language and culture training will help them overcome culture shock as well, which is good because Nick and his family may not be as uncomfortable if they did not have language and cross-culture training.

3. Ella has two options if she decides to go to China, option one is to put her career on hold for a year while still staying current in all practices and possibly publishing papers. Second is for her to stay with the law firm that she is currently with and work remote doing research. While she cannot physically appear in court it will allow her to still be employed and have a job when they return home. But I think the chances of working for the local law firm when she returns is a slim chance especially if they have hired someone else before she gets back. If her position is gone when she returns from China she will have to start the process of looking for another position at another law firm. Who knows how long it will take for her to get another position at a different law firm.

4. Personally, I would go to China alone. The stress that moving puts on a family is immense not to mention it is across the world. Asking Ella to theoretically forego her career for a year or possibly more is unfair considering how much schooling is required for a law degree. Asking Jenny and Luke to make new friends in an entirely new country is a large burden. The single hardest aspect of having the family in China is Nick being gone for weeks at a time, this coupled with the stress of being in a new location will put unnecessary stress on the family.