Conduct one Interview with a well-experienced GLOBAL EXECUTIVE and write a ONE PAGE OF REPORT and ONE PAGE OF PROCESS DETAILS.
Your interviewee must have extensive experience as an executive-level organizational leader in Japan AND in either the U.S. or China. Conduct the interview as you would a typical informational interview with an executive. That is, you should begin by asking general questions, such as:
o what do you actually do in your position?
o what was your career path to this position?
o what advice would you give to someone who aspired to your position?
In addition, for this globally-oriented interview, ask:
o how does the national culture affect the design and management of your organization?
o how did you prepare to work in cross-cultural contexts?
o what specific skills do you believe a global executive needs, and how would you suggest developing them?
Be sure to conclude your interview by asking, “Who else would you recommend I talk to?”
THE REPORT SHOULD INCLUDE:
• the executive’s name, position title, company, and her/his experience in both countries;
• what were the most important new insights for your team project (difference in Japanese culture and work environment in Japan) and for your personal management practice that you gleaned from your interview? what had you read about the national culture in preparation for the interview that was confirmed in your conversation?
• what was the most effective question you asked? why was it effective? what did you learn?
• what is one question you wish you had asked? why? what might you have learned?
PROCESS DETAILS SHOULD INCLUDE:
• summary information on the executive you interviewed, specifically:
1) executive’s name; 2) current position title; 3) company name; 4) brief description of the primary business of company and primary responsibilities of executive; 5) executive’s managerial roles/experience in both countries; 6) executive’s business card or detailed contact information;
• the date/time of the interview, and a brief explanation of how you located this interviewee
