It's COWANBUNGA time: Setting up shop in a foreign country

Ruth B. McKay, Sprott School of Business
Ed Chung, Elizabethtown College

Abstract

What happens to business negotiations when culture gets in the way? Participants are about to find out. This game is an international negotiation simulation for the classroom. Participants learn, through role-playing and observation, how cross-cultural differences complicate international business negotiations. Students are formed into pairs of teams. Each pairing involves two teams that are negotiating to set up business in a foreign country. Each pairing has one team of managers of a company from one country, and one team of government officials from a different country. These countries exhibit significant cross-cultural differences. The negotiations are conducted in front of the class, so everyone can observe and learn from the experience. The number of pairings can vary depending on class size. © 2008 Sage Publications.