Part 1 Matt and Jan: beginning a journey; seeking markets -meeting up with Japan; negotiating a partnership - an international perspective; the international assignment -selecting the "right" one; west meets east - adapting to Japan; becoming part of a Japanese "family" - the complexity of partnerships; power and hierarchy in Japan; other Asian markets -exploring Japan's neighbours; culture in an emerging market - a look at Vietnam; an international buyout - a clash of cultures; leveraging the global experience; deciding to go to France; negotiating the compensation package; moving to France - the first six months; Matt's international performance review; Jennifer Stewart; Jennifer's new business development; coming home; Matt's perspective from top management. Part 2 Conceptual lessons: individual and cultural values - cultural frameworks; negotiations, decision making - organizational life-cycle; personal and career management - expatriate selection, joint ventures and other partnership options, Medtech and Muhashi, communications; expatriate acculturation - dual-career couple issues at early stages, gender roles in Japan; Japanese culture -communications, hierarchy, commitment, function of religion, expatriate acculturation; comparative career systems, motivation and communications, ethnic differences, power and influence, managing diversity; power structure in Japan - labour unions, gender issues, language; relationship importance in Asia - ethnic differences, power structure, indigenous beliefs (eg. feng shui); business management issues in emerging markets; organizational culture and national culture - managing foreign acquisitions; global strategic alliances - Plasmatec and GTS, the mentoring relationship, a note on French labour law; managing the dual-career partnership at later stages - defining career success, pre-departure training; international compensation packages; expatriate family adaptations - encountering France and French culture; international performance reviews; high-potential management - internationalizing managers, women managers working abroad, "deep" culture; acculturation issues - re-entry, career effects of international assignments, encountering Germany, Russia and Burkina Faso (West Africa), new business development in a global company; acculturation issues - re-entry, career effects of international assignments; strategic guidelines for managing across borders - big emerging markets (BEMs), international recruiting, international management development.
