Walmart Egypt, cultural universality assignment help

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Need walmart egypt powerpoint to be more like walmart chyna project with added notes on each slide explaining the slide


Consider 10-12 slides, 10 minutes’ presentation, the first and the last slides are dedicated to an opening and closing- the rest, associated with related pictures and a recorded voice should present your own research findings. You can add your recommendations in your presentation as well. the cultural universals should be used as arguments for each recommendation. The PowerPoint presentation should have one opening and one closing slide, with the last one dedicated to possible questions. In addition, the presentation should include a Google image of the country/location and several images of ordinary life and culture. The presentation should be dedicated to the recommendations; a description of culture should be used as argument. The individual research papers should be used as the main source of information. Attached is the documents to help with the assignment

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Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Entry to Egypt Introduction Egypt is an ideal location for holiday tours and shopping due to its scenic and more so strategically placed location (Aliboni, 2013). It is also a place parked with dense populations especially in the city, such as in Cairo where it is around 20 million. These inhabitants are ideal customers for major shopping centers. Walmart in Egypt Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. should consider venturing into the country to tap into the extensive market that Egypt offers in its major cities such as Cairo. Egypt presents a great opportunity for Walmart to venture in the country, and also diversify in terms of cultures of its consumers. Culture of Egypt At the same time, there are cultural aspects that must be considered in the case that the retail shopping company chooses to venture into a market such as Egypt. The country has adopted an Arab culture by large. Therefore, Wal-Mart would have to custom-tailor its shopping experiences to incorporate shopping needs that are typical of Arabs. Arab Consumers Understanding the Arab consumer is vital to the entry in markets where the group dominates. It is important that Walmart is aware of needs of this consumer group to facilitate seamless operations in the region. Knowledge about the preferences of an Arab consumer can give the retailer a proper understanding of what to avoid. Arab Culture The Arab culture is rather strict, an element the retailer must put into consideration. Despite the presence of cultural universals that are applicable regardless of the society, there are other aspects that are unique to one. In this case, the contemporary Egyptian culture is strictly particular about certain things. Case in Point There have been instances where businesses have suffered dearly following incidences that consumers in Arabic countries consider insulting. Such is the case with Danish depictions of Muslim figures in rather offensive cartoons. A Dano-Swedish dairy company, Arla Foods, was caught in the crosshairs when its consumers in Islamdominated countries shunned their products (Mahajan, 2013). Arab Markets The rate at which globalization is happening is opening up markets that were otherwise closed. Now, there are increasing business opportunities for international corporations that are looking to expand their ventures into these economies. Arab Economies Arabs possess an immense buying power, and according to an article by Mahajan (2013), they would be the 8th largest economy in the world if they were a state by themselves. Therefore, it is worth considering entry into markets such as Egypt. References Mahajan, V. (2013, May 31). Understanding the Arab Consumer. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2013/05/understanding-the-arab-consumer Aliboni, R. (2013). Egypt's Economic Potential (RLE Egypt). Routledge. Running head: CULTURAL UNIVERSALS Title of paper: Cultural Universals Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Language ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Family structure ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Rules and laws .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Education ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Traditional art and culture ......................................................................................................................... 6 Religion ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Rituals celebrations ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Cultural Universals 2 Time view ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Recreation and leisure ................................................................................................................................... 9 Diet and food preparation ............................................................................................................................. 9 References:.................................................................................................................................................. 10 Introduction Cultural universal involves traits and patterns which occur in all cultures around the globe. Culture involves a collection of symbols that a society uses, which are not limited to language, symbols, values, and beliefs. Norms are part of culture because they determine the behavioral expectation within the society. However, the cultural elements occur differently depending on the region or context. According to Antweiler, (2012), cultural elements occur depending on the context in different geographical distribution and time; cultural universals Cultural Universals 3 involve traits, patterns, institutions, and elements that relate equivalently to all cultures around the world. The collection of the cultural universals gets collectively referred to as the human condition. Examples of cultural universals include metaphors and figurative speech, abstract speech, units of time, antonyms and synonyms. The paper reports on the globalization impacts of culture on the Chinese culture. It’s easy to tell that globalization has changed lots of things, not only from the manner that people communicate but rather the means that people interact and their practices. Globalization impact on culture is diverse because many elements are taken into consideration. Alon, (2013) argued that technological advancement reduced the world into a global village and dissolved certain cultures and the ones that did not get dissolved placed in the world perspective. The report identified that globalization empowered the Chinese culture into acting and living like the westerners. Globalization is the background for economic empowerment and development, and lead to the development of a global village. Globalization can mobilize and empower individuals in a community and support collective identity through the provision of work opportunities and socialization. Culture globalization could misrepresent a people’s mandate and create colonization into the culture. The globalization could lead to the loss of group and self-identity and loss of individualism. The paper’s focus is solely dependent on the Chinese culture which became transformed thanks to the globalization that’s happening to the entire world. Language Language exists in two forms, spoken and unspoken language, meaning that hand signs or facial expression are part of the language. A hand gesture for instance, in a certain language, Cultural Universals 4 could mean something elsewhere. In a given case, a hand sign could mean a greeting while in another part it could require one to perform a given task. Hand signals are not liked in a certain culture and could get associated with rudeness. Body language differs from culture to culture, and people must understand that they have theirs just like others. The Chinese culture has lots of diversity and heritage when it comes to language because they have many dialects consisting both written and spoken language. The Chinese language is among the old languages in the world dating over six thousand years. One requires the knowledge of around 2000 or up to 3000 words to be able to read a Chinese newspaper. Globalization led to the alteration of given aspects of Chinese language but the primary concepts remained the same. Chinese comprises many language dialects, though the written language is prevalent to the rest. Writing is common because people can’t understand the other between different provinces, but with writing it’s easy. Written language has three forms mainly informal, traditional and simplified communication and the Chinese language can get transcribed into Roman. Family structure The family is the basic unit of life as most could define the term, and each person on earth came from a given family even if they are not married. Families are mostly headed by fathers, however, others though few are headed by the women. The family is the most important aspect of life and no one would refute the claims unless they don’t have one and didn’t come from one which couldn’t be true. Cultural Universals 5 Alon, (2013) argued that China has a rigid family structure that’s also hierarchical and their elders are highly respected and obeyed by others in the community even in the globalized era. People get addressed differently in the Chinese culture from brother, sister, aunt, uncle and grandfathers. Respect is an important factor in the Chinese family structure, and their women respect their husbands and taking care of their children. The family is therefore, the core of everything in the Chinese aspect, despite the adoption of the western lifestyle. The traditional values are prominent when engaging their daily family aspects. Rules and laws In America, the most respected laws are probably the constitution because it guides the activities of people and their interaction with the other. In America are the states and the federal government whose laws might differ a bit but must get respected by everyone. The local governments operate under the state government, whereas the state and federal governments are more of complimentary bodies. China has lots of regulations which are common sense to most of them, although others expect one to know the difference between right and wrong. Certain illegal things aren’t obvious and one must follow the laws and understand them. The Chinese culture has strict rules when naming their children, because their children must have names that are easy to translate. The Chinese are expected to protect their cultures and secrets from outsiders, for instance, once are not expected to give names outside their cultures. Education The manner that one gets educated gets determined by their culture, for instance, the American culture requires that everyone gets educated. The importance of equal education in Cultural Universals 6 America relates with the democracy practiced in American culture. Of course, there is nothing wrong when everyone gets educated. Through education, one passes, their cultural heritage to the other people and their offspring.one would get educated and get a job in future, thanks to education. Education in china gets managed by the state, under the ministry of education docket. Children must get a minimum of nine years in a school funded by the government. The nine years comprised six years in primary education which begins at the age of six or seven. The child enters three years of secondary once they complete the primary. Variations exist in primary school when they may have five years of primary school, then three years into the senior middle school. Chinese love their education because the government reports a 99% attendance in the primary school, whereas 70% of 80% attendance for the secondary school. The government plays important role in education system with most of the funding. Traditional art and culture Huang, and Zürcher, (2015) Americans reckon with their Native American pottery, which when spotted elsewhere in the world would get related with them. The spread of panda animals around Asia made them produce cultures that relate with people. Americans, particularly, the Northwest produce arts that are bird images, while the African culture is known for their masks that one can hang on the walls of the house. The Arabians and the Russians have something that they know themselves. The vehicles these days are painted according to those respective cultures, for instance, India, Pakistan or even Nepal paint their commercial vehicles according to their culture. Alon, (2013) argued that Chinese has one of the oldest civilization forms which dates over five thousand years ago. Chinese culture has lots of preserved artifacts whose origins date Cultural Universals 7 over six thousand years. The Chinese culture attracted people from different parts of the world, thanks for being unique, exceptional and inspirational. Chinese’ art comprises beauty and charm like no other culture. Guillain, (2016) argued that Chinese culture takes different forms which include calligraphy, pottery, folk arts, ancient cartoons, and paper cuts that represent the people’s imagination and vision of the Chinese culture. The Chinese poets, writers, and philosophers made significant contribution towards promotion and preservation of the Chinese culture to other nations. The cultural artifacts document the suffering which the Chinese people faced, discontent and displeasure with the authorities. Religion Most cultures around the world practice religion and even more than one religion, the main religions that spread across the world include Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and even those that don’t worship any god. Religions are important because they help people differentiate the right from the wrong ones and the religions intend in most cases, to explain to people the reason behind creation and nature. China practices different religions and globalization led to the encroachment of other religions into the nation. China practices more than one religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Protestantism, Islam alongside Catholicism. All the regions get practiced in the nation, thanks to the government’s freedom of belief. The government plays a significant role in the protection of the people’s religion. Buddhism came to China past two thousand years from the Indians and got classified depending on the languages which they spread. The Taoism is at least 1700 years old Cultural Universals 8 as it’s a native religion, and it’s based on the teachings and writings. The religion is one of the most influential in the Chinese culture. Rituals celebrations According to Lerman, (2017), Weddings are important rituals that relate to marriages and are common in different regions of the world. Indians have their forms of wedding, Americans, or the Africans have theirs too, however, the Africans westernized their marriage weddings and prefer taking them to church. Wedding rings mark the knot that gets tied by the wedding couple. Birthday celebrations relate with the birth of a newborn and the baby shower. The Chinese culture embraces the worship of heavenly bodies, which they call the Border Sacrifice performed in the Southern Border. The Chinese placed sacrifices to their God whom they believe was their creator is held during the winter. Among the heavenly bodies they worshiped include sun, moon and stars. The Chinese culture lets them worship the earth, which takes place during the summer solstice. The chines had secular rituals like meeting rituals, birth and military rituals. Time view Alon, (2013) argued that time is important in cultures, for instance, when one calls you for an appointment you either turn up on dot or before, else the appointment becomes void. The perspective of culture depends on the region that one comes from. Time is important again when it comes to age because when one reaches a given age they get respect and given permission to perform given activities in the family. At the age of sixteen, for instance, Americans let the lady graduate into womanhood. Jewish people let their children accountable for their actions at the age of twelve. Cultural Universals 9 Guillain, (2016) argued that the Chinese people are time conscious and when they intend to meet a person at a given time, they ensure they get there at the specified time or before the exact time. Chinese culture values time and classifies time into a commodity. They don’t capitalize time, but its value just like money. A Chinese person would show their gratitude to others when they finish their meeting with others. Recreation and leisure People engage in recreation activities in different manner everywhere around the world, for instance, through football, hockey and bull fighting. Games get practiced everywhere in the world, and sporting activity, though football is nearly loved in all cultures at the time. Chinese practices different sporting activities when free and mostly take their free time outdoors. Children and their parents spend their time outside. Chinese prefer playing board games outside parks instead of playing them inside as most cultures prefer. Chinese attend parks that are full of people, including the young and the old from morning till the evening and some extending till the night. Chinese practice different leisure activities and sports. The Chinese are relatively social people and because of that, they prefer having their time with others rather than spending the time alone. Chinese spend their free time moving around and doing practical things which make them quite healthy compared to western nations like America which have many causes of lifestyle diseases. Diet and food preparation Different people have a unique culture when it comes to food, for instance, fried chicken and steak chicken in Texan. Japanese reckon with miso soup and sushi. Other cultures don’t eat Cultural Universals 10 corn and give the food to animals. Others eat donkeys and others eat horses while in other cultures its total taboo. The variations in foods cooked in homes differ, thanks to culture. Guillain, (2016) argued that the Chinese prefer foods that are mostly fermented on miso soup because they believe that the probiotics enable them to get the nutrients from the food. The Chinese culture is strict on a balanced diet comprising dry and crispy ingredients. The yin foods are believed to make the body cool. The Chinese prefer foods that make them relatively healthy, and they comprise light foods that are natural and organic. The paper reports on the globalization impacts of culture on the Chinese culture. It’s easy to tell that globalization has changed lots of things, not only from the manner that people communicate but rather the means that people interact and their practices. Globalization impact on culture is diverse because many elements are taken into consideration. References: Cultural Universals 11 Alon, I. (2013). Chinese culture, organizational behavior, and international business management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Cho, L. (2013). Eating Chinese: Culture on the Menu in small town Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Guillain, C. (2016). Chinese culture. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library. Hill, M. (2013). Lin Shu, Inc: The making of an icon in modern China. Huang, J., & Zürcher, E. (2015). Time and space in Chinese culture. Leiden: E.J. Brill. Wang, L. (2015). Tea and Chinese culture. San Francisco: Long River Press. Walmart in China { ANT 3150 Course Project: Presentation Map of China Chinese and Corporate Culture  Ideal culture for corporations     Hierarchical structure Group harmony over the individual Rote memorization based education system Non-ideal culture aspects for corporations  Communication style Consumer Demographics  Lower and middle class population    Majority of population Growing middle class Target female consumers  In 69.8% of Chinese households the mother is responsible for household purchases Business Location  Urban    Location of emerging middle class Location of a portion of the lower class Center of bold reforms   Open to new companies Used to change Employee Services  Healthcare    Opportunities to build guanxi    Required by private and public employers Many employers refuse to comply or avoid law Co-worker personal relationships essential to one’s career Important aspect of Chinese business culture Public speaking and assertive communication seminars    Chinese communication style is passive and highly contextual Public speaking not emphasized in education system Public speaking and assertive communication extremely important in international corporate business Employee Placement  Upper Management: American expatriate   Middle Management: Foreign nationals    Hierarchical society demands respect regardless of cultural mistakes Aid upper management in building guanxi with lower level employees Build guanxi with upper management – lead by example Management Age: Middle aged or older  Confucianism ideals of increased respect and power with age Store Layout  Multi-level     Items essential to region placed at front of floors and on end caps   Urban areas are dense Decrease cost of land More locations available for smaller footprint Example: North China – Wheat & South China – Rice Positively symbolic items more numerous than negatively symbolic Employee Interactions  Guanxi  Has ability to determine employee’s career success and group success  Group harmony over the individual  Employee/Customer interactions     Messages expressed indirectly Listen unless granted authority to speak Modesty and humbleness important in interactions Hierarchical  Individual employees must understand their position in the hierarchy and its implications Chinese vs American Walmart  Group harmony over self-promotion    Focus on team cohesiveness Employees more loyal to corporation Employees more obedient to management hierarchy  Employees must be asked to answer if participation is encouraged Conclusion  Key Cultural Characteristics     Hierarchical structure Passive and highly contextual communication Guanxi is extremely important Key Consumers   Lower and middle class Women References Bedford, O. (2015). Crossing Boundaries: An Exploration of Business Socializing in a Chinese Society. Psychology of Women Quarterly,40(2), 290-306. doi:10.1177/0361684315596161 Blumenthal, D., & Hsiao, W. (2005). Privatization and Its Discontents – The Evolving Chinese Health Care System. The New England Journal of Medicine,353, 1165-1170. doi: 10.1056/NEJMhpr051133 Fang, T., & Faure, G. O. (2011). Chinese communication characteristics: A Yin Yang perspective. International Journal of Intercultural Relations,35(3), 320-333. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.06.005 Fang, T., Zhao, S., & Worm, V. (2008). The changing Chinese culture and business behaviour. International Business Review,17(2), 141-145. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2008.02.010 Ma, G. (2015). Food, eating behavior, and culture in Chinese society. Journal of Ethnic Foods,2(4), 195199. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2015.11.004 Mingyuan, G. (2006). An analysis of the impact of traditional Chinese culture on Chinese education. Frontiers of Education in China,1(2), 169-190. doi:10.1007/s11516-006-0001-8 Zhang, L., Deng, Y., & Wang, Q. (2013). An Exploratory Study of Chinese Motives for Building Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi. Journal of Business Ethics,124(4), 659-675. doi:10.1007/s10551-0131899-4 Running Head: WALMART IN EGYPT Walmart in Egypt Recommendations: Individual work Date: 7-14-2017 1 2 WALMART IN EGYPT Walmart in Egypt Egypt has been found to be one of the countries where the different people have always wanted to visit. The country has been located strategically facing the opening of the Mediterranean Sea which makes it strategic in that it attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. This has been seen as a significant advantage as far as trade is concerned. Walmart could ensure that it utilizes this chance and make it possible for them to establish their stores in the given country. The country has a vibrant population that is rich in the various cultural practices that would ensure that a lot of customers for the store have been gathered and brought together to the place to enjoy the various goods and services that the store offers. Following the establishment of the warehouse in the different countries across the world, it has been established that the store has not invested so much in the Arab culture. This is probably because Arabs have a similar culture regardless of their geographical location in which Arabs have been found to have a tendency of obtaining their different goods and products from their respective areas. A lot of people in the various parts of the world have been known to travel to the Arabic countries with the aim of getting their products for themselves, in other words, shopping (Wilson, 2011). Following the current situation of the country as far as the trade and business environment is concerned, the country has been found to stand as a perfect opportunity for the establishment of the store which would serve to provide the various goods and services in the country and also in the entire region as a whole. Influence of culture Culture has been described as simply the way of life of a given group of people living in a given particular place. In Egypt, the culture of the Egyptians has been known to be that of WALMART IN EGYPT 3 Arabs. Arabs have been known to occupy various geographical locations of the world and exercise and practice the same cultural practices regardless of the geographic location. It has been known that the Egyptians were of the Arabic culture have been formed under the Islamic laws and rules. This is accompanied by various practices that could be used as the defining forces of the culture. However, the different ethical considerations that have been based on the Islamic religion that makes it possible and easy for the establishment and undertaking of the regular business. A business that is based on corporate standards ensures that all the operations are inclined ad operated ethically. Considering the country, the country is built on the strict Islamic practices; there are some of the practices that have been found to be the norm in the area. The overall positioning of the various genders in the country has a significant effect on the establishment and the success of Walmart in the country. The society has been based upon the belief that the women are subordinates to the men which automatically places the male gender as the overall head. Since the general freedom of the women in the area has been limited, this has made it difficult for the women to have the freedom of choice even on the issues to do with the choice of dressing that they wear which has stood out as one of the major cultural constraints. There are various corporate products as well as services that could be offered in the country by the store. Following the nature of the culture in the area, such products such as foodstuffs can be proposed by the cultural beliefs of the country. This would ensure that the people in the area would be more inclined towards the store. However, some foodstuffs may have been prohibited within the area by religion or by culture such as pork which may restrict the sale of such products. As a recommendation, there are the various differentiated products that can be offered within the area as far as the provision of new goods and services is concerned. WALMART IN EGYPT 4 One of the most significant products would be perfume and jewelry. These have been known to be among the most valued items in the culture. Demographic groups Following the differentiation and the segmentation of the population, it can be seen that the culture in Egypt has prohibited various products regardless of the age and or gender. However, some products are used and consumed by all ages and genders. These may include perfume and jewelry. These products can be sold to all the people in the country regardless of the gender. Considering the youth, they may be inclined more towards fashion as far as shoes, and the other garments are concerned. Considering the jewels, the market is wide coming from the young and also from the filthy rich in the society. The inclusion of jewelry in the location would serve as a huge point of attraction especially for the youth as well as the rich. Location of the business The location of a business is crucial and plays a significant role in ensuring that the business has succeeded in its operations. Considering the population of Egypt and the various products and services that Walmart offers to its customers, the location of the business would be more appropriate if located in the urban areas. The choice of the location is because the urban areas are characterized by the composition of wealthy business persons as well as the urban areas offer similar businesses which would be a good idea for Walmart. Besides, the urban areas carry a huge population that acts as a good market for the various products and services that the store sells. Joint venture? WALMART IN EGYPT 5 This is a question that various business owners find themselves asking themselves before introducing their businesses in a different area such as Egypt as far as the geographical location is concerned (Zoubir, 2000). There are various worries that the business owners may have regarding the location of the business such as the skills of the local people as far as the operations of a joint venture are concerned. The other issue of concern is what the surrounding people would say if the business were to be established and operated in the area solely by foreigners. The society likes it when a foreign investor includes the locals, therefore, running it as a joint venture would be a good practice. Physical layout of the business The location and the overall layout of the business are vital which ensures that the image of the business to the eyes of the locals who are the customers has been kept as good as possible. The layout of the business would be appropriate if it were set out to be in the design of a huge shopping mall. This would enable the locals to flood the place, and it has been known that such a huge mall attracts huge numbers of people, both window shoppers as well as the actual buyers. Besides, it makes it look like a neat and a well-organized business that has the capability to serve the various customers. Setting up a small shop would not make any impact on the society since there exist various other businesses that are similar to the newly introduced one. The operations of a business are made possible by the overall interactions between the different groups of people in the society with the business. Considering the business in context, the inclusion of foreigners who may not be cautious of the cultural changes and the way they are supposed to treat the locals may be one of the barriers to the communication and the interaction among the other groups. Language barriers may be one of the most significant cultural practices that may affect the interactions. Having little knowledge on the existing operation of the existing WALMART IN EGYPT 6 business partners as well as the government policies like the county councils may become a problem that would affect the functioning of the business and also the interaction between and among the various key players in the area. Differences with the similar business in the US The business set up in the U.S could be different in some ways. One of them is the overall layout of the physical structure. This can be driven by the nature and the volume of goods that are being transacted on a daily basis. In the U.S, bulk purchasing may be the daily operations of the stores while in Egypt, small-scale purchases may be witnessed. The nature of goods being purchased in the U.S is and may be different from those being sold in Egypt. The common distinction factor is the imitation by religion. In the U.S, women can buy and wear any clothing of their choice which increases the market for women clothing while in Egypt, women wear and dress according to their religion because mainly most of them are Muslims. This is the same case considering the other goods and products which serve as a distinction between a similar store in the U.S. WALMART IN EGYPT References Wilson, S. (2011). Culture Shock! Egypt. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. Zoubir, Y. H. (2000). Doing business in Egypt. Thunderbird International Business Review, 42(3), 329-347. 7
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INTRODUCTION
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REFERENCE


CULTURAL UNIVERSALITY
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Introduction
 Entry into new markets is a very important activity for

big firms such as Wal-Mart Incorporation especially in
increasing its revenue margin
 Globalization though a very vital step in growth and
development is pegged in understanding the culture in
which a firm would like to enter

Geographical location of China

Wal-Mart in China
 Though this is not the

first time the corporation
is entering the market it
has projected
establishment of new
firms and remodeling of
the existing ones

Chinese and corporate culture
 The Chinese culture has

approximately fifty six
communities with the
largest one being the Han
community
 The corporate culture is
one tha...


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