assignment 2: Part 1:

Open and watch the video “Cuba without Fidel Castro:Cuba without Fidel (Documentary of 2013 from the series “I Love Democracy”) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)and answer the following questions to the best of your abilities based on the video :

1. Describe examples of Cuban entrepreneurs who are legally working in the private sector after the government allowed it.
2. Explain the difference between the Pesos and the CUCs and where you can use them.
3. Explain the current relationship between the church and the state.
4. Why is the old man interviewed in la Sierra Madre considered a hero. Why does the police keep checking the papers of the people filming the video. What are they afraid of?
5. All Cubans get free health services. What did the video producer found out about situation of hospitals in Cuba thru his own experience? What are the two health care systems?
6. Why do the four guys who were asked if they were going to vote in the next election started laughing?
7. How is the housing situation in Havana.
8. What are CDR chapters? What are the roles of the CDR representatives in neighborhoods?
9. What is your perception of Cuban people. (attitude, disposition, wants/desire, etc.)
10. How are employees entertained inside state owned tobacco plants?
11. Find out what is the difference between an authoritarian government and a totalitarian one. Which type of government do you think Cuba has and why.

Part Two:

1. On an internet browser type the word “Andorra wikipedia” and pick the first link. On the right hand side you will see the Andorran flag, and other information like the capital, official language, etc. Read the section on government (including the links), and in your own words rephrase the information read and write three/four sentences to explain why Andorra’s government is defined as “Unitary parliamentary, semi elective diarchy”
2. Do the same as above for the country of Canada and explain why it has a federal parliamentary, constitutional monarchy.

Assignment Three- Chapter 2

In this assignment, you will analyze an article based on certain criteria.

1. Read the 12 Important Features of Authoritarianism provided below.
2. Read the article The ISIS Files.docx, which was posted in the New York Times. Here is a short video (Links to an external site.)about the importance of this prize winning article.
3. Analyze the article in terms of the features of authoritarianism. In other words, for each of the twelve features presented you have to write how each specific feature is evident in the ISIS article.

12 Important Features of Authoritarianism

Some of the most important features of authoritarianism are as follows:

In its content and form an authoritarianism is a rule involving excessive control of the rules over the people. The state control over the people is excessive. Limited openness is permitted. Centralization is considered ideal but along with it some limited decentralization of authority is also tolerated.

In such a system of government, the power is in the hands of a military dictator or a civilian junta. Manipulative politics is practiced. Either modernization or traditionalism is used to win maintain credibility and popularity of rulers. Religion or an ideology is often used to secure support and serve the ends of the rulers.

Important Features of Authoritarianism:

A.R. Ball, specifies the following features of Authoritarianism or Authoritarian state:

1. Limitations on Political Process: Important limitations are imposed on open political process, political parties and elections.
2. Use of an Ideology: Ideological principles like racialism or fundamentalism or nationalism often provide some basis for the exercise of state power over the people.
3. Rulers determine all decisions: The rulers and not the people determine all decisions.
4. Dependence on Coercion and Force: Authoritarian rulers mostly use force and coercion to command political uniformity and obedience.
5. Less importance to Rights and Liberties: Civil liberties enjoy a low priority. Governmental control over judiciary and mass media is direct and considered justified in the interest of public good.
6. Authoritarianism can involve Family rule or Military rule: The basis for rule is found either in traditional family elite or in a new modernizing group, often the army, which seizes power by a coup.
7. A Small Group uses all the powers: Under authoritarianism, one group monopolies political power and control.
8. Based on Power and Manipulations: Manipulations, suppressions and coercion constitute the basis of the power of the rulers.
9. Bureaucracy as the main tool of the rule of the rulers: The rulers use bureaucracy and police as the instruments of their control over the people.
10. Centralization of authority in a few hands: Centralization of authority is practiced and very often an attempt is made to cover this centralism with the cloak of power-sharing among several political groups who are, however, totally loyal to the ruling group/leader.
11. Use of Propaganda: Legitimacy for the rulers’ authority is secured through declarations, manipulations and propaganda or by the use of the ideology of peace, development and security.
12. Rulers Control Public Opinion: In an authoritarian system, public opinion is controlled. Only that opinion is allowed to move in society as is deemed favorable for the authority of the ruling group or rulers. In an authoritarian state, the individual and social life is largely controlled by the state i.e. by the government of the state and which is formed by one party or group.

The above material was taken from http://www.preservearticles.com/2014071933479/12-important-features-of-authoritarianism-explained.html (Links to an external site.) for educational purposes.

Assignment Four: chapter 3

The purpose of this assignment is to become familiar with the mission, organization and actions of the two biggest intergovernmental organizations influencing international business; the United Nations and the World trade Organization.

Questions to answer about the United Nations:

1. Main locations of the UN. Purpose and principles of the UN as specified in chapter I of its charter.
2. What are some issues in the 21st century where the UN can take and has taken actions?
3. Summarize in your own words UN Chapter II as it relates to “Membership”
4. In terms of organizational structure what are the six main bodies of the UN and what are their purposes?
5. Provide a brief biography of the current leader of the UN
6. Briefly describe the purpose of any five programs of the UN family and any five specialized agencies.
7. Summarize three current news/events related to the UN found in its website.
8. How is the UN financed?
9. What are some of the criticism of the UN?

Questions to answer about the World Trade Organization

1. Who is the WTO, where is it located.
2. What does it do
3. What does it stand for
4. How many countries are members of the WTO? How does a country become a member of the WTO (the accession process).
5. How does the WTO organizational chart look like. What is the general council and who makes up the secretariat.
6. How are trade disputes settled by the WTO
7. How is the WTO funded

Assignment Five: Chapter four

This assignment consists of a report on the political risks of doing business in a country of your choice.

1. The report must cover at least four of the following seven types of risks:
2. Economic risks in terms of exchange controls, foreign direct investment, trade, currency transfer, taxation, etc. and ranking of the country in recent economic surveys.
3. Business and Human Rights risks assessment
4. Bribery and corruption risk assessment
5. Terrorism threats, security of personnel and executives, etc. risk assessment
6. Intellectual property risks assessment
7. Organized crime risk assessment

A summary statement describing the overall political risk assessment of the chosen country.

1. Summarize three articles on the chosen country’s current political/legal/economic situation, which is influencing or will influence its risk assessment. Give the web link to the article, and follow it with your summary and impact analysis.

Assignment Six: Chapter 7

National Culture and Business Culture

Select your own country of nationality to do this assignment. You are to write an essay analyzing your own culture from the perspective of its components studied in class and from the business culture perspective.

Part A: Components of national culture.

As you have learned in this course, the culture of a country is made up of several layers, such as artifacts, symbols, language, rituals, norms/customs/traditions, values and beliefs. You are to reflectively think of your own culture and describe how each of the components mentioned above is actionable within your culture. This assignment is highly personal (not to worry- it is confidential), because I really want you to express who you really are/belief in and what aspect of what you do reflect your own culture. I want you to be original and authentic in your answer. Make sure you clearly specify and cover each component.

Part B:

Discuss the national culture dimensions of your country using Hofstede’s framework . Go to http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.) and select your country of nationality from the list. A graph with the six dimensions for your country will be displayed; cut and paste the image into part B.

Click “read more about chosen country.” For each of the six dimensions presented you will see some interpretation of what it generally means for the country. Take at least three of these descriptions (cut and paste it), and with a concrete example of your own, support the assertion being made in the description. . For example:

Uncertainty Avoidance Assessment for country XXXX:

“At 80 XXXX has a high score on Uncertainty Avoidance which means that as a nation they are seeking mechanisms to avoid ambiguity. Emotions are openly expressed; there are (extensive) rules for everything and social conservatism enjoys quite a following. This is also reflected in religion, which is respected, followed by many and conservative. Rules are not necessarily followed, however: this depends on the in-group’s opinion, on whether the group feels the rules are applicable to their members and it depends, ultimately, on the decision of power holders, who make their own rules. In work terms this results in detailed planning that may not necessarily be followed in practice”

My own concrete example to support this assertion:

Life is hard in my country because of …….. Therefore, people stopped worrying about the future, or even planning for it. Instead they ……. There are laws about everything but……

Part C

Share a specific, concrete story where any or all of the three topics above can be seen in action. In other words, recount a situation or anecdote either from personal experience or from that of friends/relatives where the theory studied so far comes alive and is illustrated. The anecdote can be an observation, a funny situation, or a cultural blunder/pitfall where you learned a lesson which made you understand different orientations, values or points of view.