Answer the following statements true (T) or false (F)

Question

1. Greg, a manager at the Rome, Italy, store of an American-owned clothing company, understands the differences and similarities between American and Italian customers, customs, culture, and practices. As a result, Greg uses his understanding of Italian culture, tastes, and business practices to help him market his products to Italian customers in Rome—and he uses his understanding of American culture to sell his products to American tourists who are visiting Rome. Greg is an example of a geocentric manager.
2. Two managers from an Electronics Mart were talking to Ty, their district manager, about Harriet, the unpopular store manager. Susan, the assistant manager, said, "I believe I speak for other managers and employees when I say that Harriet acts like she knows it all. We all feel that Harriet does not listen to any of us because she always thinks her way is right and does not want to consider any other opinion." Harriet is an example of a geocentric or parochial manager.
3. In 1999, the top exporting nation was the United States, but in 2015 the world's top exporting nation was China.
4. Over the last two years, an American computer manufacturer has partnered with a technology organization in Japan to develop and produce computers and printers. The partnership benefits both organizations and is an example of countertrading.

Answer 1

1. TRUE
The successful international manager is geocentric, not ethnocentric or polycentric. Geocentric managers accept that there are differences and similarities between home and foreign personnel and practices and that they should use whatever techniques are most effective. Being an ethnocentric or polycentric manager takes less work, but even with the extra work, the payoff for being a geocentric manager can be far greater.
2. FALSE
Ethnocentrism (also be called parochialism) is a narrow view in which people see things solely through their own perspective. Ethnocentric managers believe that their native country, culture, language, and behavior are superior to all others. In contrast, geocentric managers accept that there are differences and similarities between home and foreign personnel and practices and that they should use whatever techniques are most effective.
3. FALSE
The United States was ranked the number one exporter in the world in both 1999 and 2015.
4. FALSE
A U.S. firm may form a joint venture, also known as a strategic alliance, with a foreign company to share the risks and rewards of starting a new enterprise together in a foreign country. Strategic allies are two organizations that have joined forces to realize strategic advantages that neither would have achieved by operating individually. Countertrading means bartering goods for goods.