Individual Paper
Each student will write an 8-10 page paper (double-spaced, 12 font, 1 in. margins; page count
does not include references, illustrations, or exhibits) concerning a US based MNC subsidiary,
located in the country researched by the student’s online presentation group. The paper
should be organized with subheadings as follows:
1. Introduction: 1 paragraph. Provide an overview of your paper.
2. MNC subsidiaries. (2-3 pages)
Select ONE American multinational corporation that a) has operations in the country that you
have researched in your team online presentation; b) is NOT in the clean
energy industry. Conduct research on the operations of the MNC in that country and the types of
people it staffs. In writing the paper, assume that you are offered by the MNC a job to work in
the country you researched. You are conducting research and applying it to your own personal
situation in order to decide whether to take the offer. Find detailed information on company
operations in the country (scope and location of operations, types of positions available, etc.) as a
basis for this decision. Identify opportunities and threats in the political and economic
environment the subsidiary faces at this point in time. What would be the implications for your
own career development of working there?
3. Living conditions in cities where subsidiaries are based. (2-3 pages)
Select one city in the country where your selected MNC has operations. Then gather information
on what living conditions would be like working for the subsidiary in this city. For example,
where would you most likely live (include a clearly printed city map), what mode of
transportation would you most likely use to get to work, are there safety concerns, how big is the
expatriate community, how much would it cost to live there, what would you personally seek to
do for entertainment, etc. Hint: try Internet searches with your city and “expatriate”; check
out sites such as easyexpat.com, expatfocus.com, expatforum.com for some general
information. If you have family obligations, describe them and how you intend to deal with
them, e.g., extent to which your spouse could adjust to life in each country. If you have children,
describe how you would help them adjust–schools where they could study, etc. If you are
single, how will you cope with loneliness in a strange place?
4. Multicultural competence (2-3 pages)
Assess your ability to adapt to life in the country. Evaluate the cultural distance between yourself
and natives of the country: use a direct compare & contrast of the two countries, rather than first
covering one country and then the other. Be sure to apply 3 to 5 of the cultural
dimensions covered in class. Describe your own background and the ethnic background of your
family and how these have influenced the type of cultural environment most comfortable for
you. If you have had previous cross-cultural experiences, discuss them and the way in which
they might help you deal with culture shock. Which aspects of these cultures would create
headaches for you? What challenges would you face?
5. Conclusion (1-2 paragraphs)
Conclude by telling whether you would take the job offer and explain why.
5
FORMAT: This paper should be very personal—it should be something only you could
write. Every part of it should relate to your decision regarding which job offer would be most
appropriate for you. You may use a colloquial style of writing if you wish. The paper should
include page numbers. The paper should be printed with a laser printer: print must be dark and
legible.
The paper MUST include references. This means either footnotes or citations within the text of
your paper indicating the sources for each piece of information. There should be a list of all
references at the end of the paper. Do NOT copy sentences from any of your sources without
using quotation marks. Try to paraphrase rather than quoting: use your own words. Use at
least seven different sources, preferably more. Do NOT use Wikipedia. Do not rely solely on
Internet sources: look for recent articles from business periodicals (be sure to include the date in
your references).
All papers submitted online will be subject to TurnItIn check for plagiarism.
