1 GBCA Outline Example: Introduction Seriously relevant graduate school research requires a question for which no ready answer is available. The research is conducted, to answer specific questions regarding a topic, problem, or issue for which the answers are not yet known. Let’s focus on the concept of a topic. What do you want to know about a topic? Asking a topic as a question (or series of related questions) has several advantages: Questions require answers. A topic is hard to cover completely because it typically encompasses too many related issues; but a question has an answer, even if it is ambiguous or controversial. Questions give you a way of evaluating the evidence. A clearly stated question helps you decide which information will be useful. A broad topic may tempt you to stash away information that may be helpful, but you're not sure how. A question also makes it easier to know when you have enough information to stop your research and draft an answer. A clear open-ended question calls for real research and thinking. Asking a question with no direct answer makes research and writing more meaningful to both you and your audience. Assuming that your research may solve significant problems or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves you in more meaningful activity of community and scholarship. In this course, the required research questions are open-ended and require a variety of accumulated data to develop answers. Your topic is a Global Cultural Business Analysis of the nation you selected. You have been provided four specific research questions to guide you in the study of this topic which, if done well, will demonstrate you have attained an advanced measure of expertise in the topic. The research questions provide the framework of your analysis. 1. Question 1 requires you to discuss the general elements of culture (described in Chapter 2 of your textbook) as they apply to your chosen nation. 2. Question 2 is a natural extension of Question 1 in that you will demonstrate how these elements of culture are used in business dealings by the people of your nation. 3. Question 3 is a natural extension of Question 2 in that you will compare and contrast these specific findings with business cultural elements found in the USA. Here is where you use the models for understanding cultures (Hofstede, etc). 4. Question 4 is where you briefly summarize your research findings and is the place where you draw substantive conclusions and report the implications of your research for doing business in that nation. Questions 1 through 3 “set the stage” for Question 4. Question 4 is the most significant for two reasons, for two audiences: the reader and your professor. A substantive and comprehensive coverage demonstrates to the reader why the research is important and how it can be used in business dealings for US managers. It also demonstrates to your professor the extent to which you have mastered the necessary adv.

1. 1
GBCA Outline Example: Introduction
Seriously relevant graduate school research requires a question
for which no ready answer is available. The research is
conducted, to answer specific questions regarding a topic,
problem, or issue for which the answers are not yet known.
Let’s focus on the concept of a topic. What do you want to
know about a topic? Asking a topic as a question (or series of
related questions) has several advantages:
Questions require answers. A topic is hard to cover completely
because it typically encompasses too many related issues; but a
question has an answer, even if it is ambiguous or controversial.
Questions give you a way of evaluating the evidence. A clearly
stated question helps you decide which information will be
useful. A broad topic may tempt you to stash away information
that may be helpful, but you're not sure how. A question also
makes it easier to know when you have enough information to
stop your research and draft an answer.
A clear open-ended question calls for real research and
thinking. Asking a question with no direct answer makes
research and writing more meaningful to both you and your
audience. Assuming that your research may solve significant
problems or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves
you in more meaningful activity of community and scholarship.
In this course, the required research questions are open-ended
and require a variety of accumulated data to develop answers.
Your topic is a Global Cultural Business Analysis of the nation
you selected. You have been provided four specific research

2. questions to guide you in the study of this topic which, if done
well, will demonstrate you have attained an advanced measure
of expertise in the topic. The research questions provide the
framework of your analysis.
1. Question 1 requires you to discuss the general elements of
culture (described in Chapter 2 of your textbook) as they apply
to your chosen nation.
2. Question 2 is a natural extension of Question 1 in that you
will demonstrate how these elements of culture are used in
business dealings by the people of your nation.
3. Question 3 is a natural extension of Question 2 in that you
will compare and contrast these specific findings with business
cultural elements found in the USA. Here is where you use the
models for understanding cultures (Hofstede, etc).
4. Question 4 is where you briefly summarize your research
findings and is the place where you draw substantive
conclusions and report the implications of your research for
doing business in that nation. Questions 1 through 3 “set the
stage” for Question 4.
Question 4 is the most significant for two reasons, for two
audiences: the reader and your professor. A substantive and
comprehensive coverage demonstrates to the reader why the
research is important and how it can be used in business
dealings for US managers. It also demonstrates to your
professor the extent to which you have mastered the necessary
advanced analysis and critical thinking skills required of a
graduate-level student.
The example begins on the following page. Be sure to use the
exact wordings in this outline for your APA level-headings.
EXAMPLE OUTLINE Comment by Satterlee, Brian C
(School of Business): As you begin to research your GBCA,
think of it as writing four highly inter-related papers.

3. Remember, what you are really doing here is breaking the
research assignment into smaller, more manageable components.
Research Question 1: What are the major elements and
dimensions of culture in this region? Comment by Satterlee,
Brian C (School of Business): The first “paper” deals with the
specific 8 dimensions of culture listed at the beginning of
Chapter 2 of your book. This first “paper” describes the general
societal deployment of the 8 dimensions.
Communication
Religion
Ethics
Values and Attitudes
Manners
Customs
Social Structures and Organizations
Education
Research Question 2: How are these elements and dimensions
integrated by locals conducting business in the nation?
Comment by Satterlee, Brian C (School of Business): The
second “paper” deals with how these specific 8 dimensions of
culture are deployed in the daily business dealings in the nation.

4. Communication
Religion
Ethics
Values and Attitudes
Manners
Customs
Social Structures and Organizations
Education
Research Question 3: How do both of the above items compare
with United States culture and business? Comment by Satterlee,
Brian C (School of Business): The third “paper” compares and
contrasts your nation with the USA; here is where you deploy
the Hofstede analysis.
Compare/Contrast Greenland with USA, based on answers to
Research Questions 1 and 2
Hofstede analysis
Research Question 4: What are the implications for United
States businesses that wish to conduct business in that region?
Comment by Satterlee, Brian C (School of Business): The
final “paper” is a detailed graduate-level analysis of the facts
researched in the previous three questions.

5. Analysis of facts from prior three questions
SWOT Analysis Comment by Satterlee, Brian C (School of
Business): Graduate-level work requires several substantive
implications, based on the results of your research-based SWOT
Analysis. In the event the concept is new to you, please see
SWOT Analysis Explanation for a discussion regarding how to
conduct such an analysis or SWOT Analysis Video for a short
video lecture. In the event these hyperlinks are not active,
simply contact the LUO Librarian for assistance in locating
appropriate substitution links.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
FDI Analysis Comment by Satterlee, Brian C (School of
Business): One of the several substantive implications should
cover foreign investment decisions, as that is the bottom-line
for all businesses seeking to do business overseas.
Global Business Cultural Analysis Instructions
The purpose of this research project is for you to write a
professional, graduate-level research paper in current APA
format. Competency in current APA format is required of all
business graduates, as set forth by policy of both the graduate
faculty and the administration.
You will research and write a paper analyzing the cultural
perspectives of doing business in another nation. You will
select a nation (South Africa) to study.

6. After reading your paper, the reader should be able to
comprehensively answer the following research questions. Thus,
the research questions form the major aspects (APA Level 1
headings) of your outline.
· What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in this
region? (See Chapter 2 of the textbook for a list of the required
dimensions.)
· How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals
conducting business in the nation?
· How do both of the above items compare with US culture and
business?
· What are the implications for US businesses that wish to
conduct business in that region?
Important Points to Consider
This paper must be written in strict conformance to current APA
format, and contain a minimum of 24 pages of content
(excluding the title page, abstract, and references) utilizing at
least 24 references from reputable professional and/or scholarly
journals and/or informational venues that deal with the content
of the course (i.e., not blogs, Wikipedia, newspapers, etc.).
1. Use the following as the exact title of your paper, Global
Business Cultural Analysis: (South Africa)
2. The paper must consist of only 4 sections, as indicated above.
Do not add sections, or revise the research questions.
3. The paper must be submitted as a Microsoft Word file
through the SafeAssign link in Module/Week 8.
4. Three levels of current APA headings must be used
throughout the paper, as this is a graduate-level research paper.
For the purpose of this academic paper, adhere to the following
rules when quoting or using a source:

7. · Do not directly quote more than 120 words from any 1 source.
· If the source is 2,000 words or less, do not directly quote more
than 50 words from it.
· Do not use the same source more than a total of 3 times within
the whole document for quoting or paraphrasing.
· Quotes must contain the section (if provided) and paragraph or
page numbers of the quote and this information must be placed
in the reference.
· In all instances, use current APA guidelines for citations and
references.