U.S. Culture Through
Media 
Business Module
By Tracy Schall
U.S. Culture Through
Media
Business Module
By Tracy Schall
| Corporate Culture |
Corporate
Culture An overview of corporate culture
using Hewlett-Packard and
Southwest Airlines as examples. A good article
to start with for defining corporate culture.
What is a Global Corporate Culture? As opposed to a domestic corporate culture.
Microsoft Corporation See what Bill Gates has to say about how to run a company.
Ben and Jerry's The ice cream kings' idea of how a company should be run.
Coca-Cola The world's largest and most popular soft drink company describes its corporate culture.
Papa
John's Pizza The vision of the
young entrepreneur who went up against Pizza Hut and
Dominos to establish his name in the pizza
business. Make sure you also look at the company's core
values.
back to top
| Cross-Cultural Communication in U.S. Business |
Decoding
Body Language The four basic modes of
body language in business.
For the chart, click here.
Cross-Cultural Communication for Business and Industry From Rob Sellin and Elaine Winters.
Cross-cultural
Communication Challenges A short
cybertext by Marcelle DuPraw
and Marya Axner which examines six fundamental
patterns of cultural differences with guidelines on how
to work with people of a different culture.
Mock
Job Interview From the Kaplan
Educational Center. A fun and interactive activity
for
students who want to practice answering job interview
questions.
Business
Meeting Quiz A quiz by Michael Vallance
designed to test student's knowledge of
what to say at business meetings.
| Women in Business |
Women's Work An online business magazine devoted exclusively to the concerns of women in the workplace. The title of this magazine is a good example of sexist expressions used relative to women in the workplace.
Women's Wire An online magazine focusing on women starting small businesses.
Women.com Scroll down to the News and Features area for essays on topics that concern today's women in the workplace.
The 50 most powerful women in business By Fortune Magazine. After reading the short introduction, go to the Part 1 link for an informative article on the growing impact of women in the business world.
| Facets of U.S. Business |
Nike's Responsibility Web Site This is a part of Nike's corporate web site that focuses on their global social responsibilities: environmental practices, labor practices, recycling programs and their support of sports programs in schools. A good site for explaining how U.S. corporations are sensitive to pressure from the public concerning their business practices.
How to Make a Small Fortune in Software By Bill Gates. One of the original entrepreneurs of the computer industry writes about how anybody can be a success in business.
The American Dream How Sam Walton accomplished his dream through founding his Wal-Mart discount stores.
The following articles are from the archives of Fast Company Magazine, a free, online business magazine.
What is Great Service? From October, '97. A good article for introducing the idea of the U.S. as a service driven economy.
Money and the Meaning of Life From June '97 This is setup as a question/answer format and focuses on material wealth aspect of U.S. culture. "Money is like a mirror to our culture. What we see tells us who we are."
Hire Great People Fast From August '97 A good article for conveying business attitudes and the competitive spirit of employment in the business world.
| Business Movies |
Wall
Street "Stone's
target is the value system that places profits and wealth
and the Deal above any other consideration. His film is
an attack on an atmosphere of
financial
competitiveness so ferocious that ethics are simply
irrelevant..."
Working
Girl "The problem with
working your way up the ladder of life is that sometimes
you can't get there from here. People look at you and
make a judgment call, and then, try as you might, you're
only spinning your wheels. "Working Girl" is
about a young woman who very definitely wants to make
money in mergers..."
Listening Comprehension/Writing Task Sheet
| Business Focused Writing Activities |
Resume Writing An entire page of links from the Kaplan Educational Center on the elements of a good resume and how to write an effective resume. Includes sample cover letters and resumes.
Describing
a Product How to write an effective
product or service description.