Module Five strengthens your business implementation plan through an analysis of crosscultural, economic, and geopolitical factors that may impact the business environment and concept by allowing you to explicate the assumptions behind your business implementation plan and detail your contingency plan. Understanding the ways in which globalization factors such as the cross-cultural and geopolitical implications influence your implementation plan is critical for success. Even if your idea or concept is limited to one specific country or part of a country, various crosscultural, economic, and geopolitical elements will interact with your business implementation plan. For instance, your business implementation plan may target potential customers in a country that is heavily dependent on the manufacturing sector. Many manufacturing industries rely on global demand for the products they manufacture. Geopolitical and global economic circumstances have the potential to dramatically affect demand for your product or service even if it is only available in one country. Beyond this, you or others may ultimately offer the product or service in multiple countries. For these and other reasons, your plan must analyze the cross-cultural, economic, and geopolitical factors that may affect the business environment or concept. Janakova and Magdolen (2013) support this when they argue that political turmoil and many other factors lead to a situation in which organizations operate in a globally interdependent environment. Global realities will affect your business implementation plan, so it is good to outline these realities. There are at least two perspectives from which to understand the geopolitical and global economic environments. First, you should understand the ways in which these can negatively affect your product or service. The goal is to have a clear idea of how to appropriately respond to negative events to insulate your financial stakeholders from such events. The second perspective is how these geopolitical and global economic environments can positively affect your product or service. The approach here is to have an idea of how to take advantage of opportunities that occur during changes in global political or economic environments. Understanding cross-cultural factors means more than just determining how to operate within the context of other countries. Janakova and Magdolen (2013) state that in many business and organizational environments, leaders and others interact with people from different cultures who also have cross-cultural backgrounds to consider. Within this framework, Nardon and Steers (2014) proposed that cross-cultural leadership involves understanding how cross-cultural dynamics may differ from context to context and also identifying how to leverage cross-cultural dynamics. A comprehensive business implementation plan will consider cross-cultural, economic, and geopolitical factors that may impact the business environment and ...

1. Module Five strengthens your business implementation plan
through an analysis of crosscultural, economic, and geopolitical
factors that may impact the business environment and concept
by allowing you to explicate the assumptions behind your
business implementation plan and detail your contingency plan.
Understanding the ways in which globalization factors such as
the cross-cultural and geopolitical implications influence your
implementation plan is critical for success. Even if your idea or
concept is limited to one specific country or part of a country,
various crosscultural, economic, and geopolitical elements will
interact with your business implementation plan.
For instance, your business implementation plan may target
potential customers in a country that is heavily dependent on
the manufacturing sector. Many manufacturing industries rely
on global demand for the products they manufacture.
Geopolitical and global economic circumstances have the
potential to dramatically affect demand for your product or
service even if it is only available in one country.
Beyond this, you or others may ultimately offer the product or
service in multiple countries. For these and other reasons, your
plan must analyze the cross-cultural, economic, and geopolitical
factors that may affect the business environment or concept.
Janakova and Magdolen (2013) support this when they argue
that political turmoil and many other factors lead to a situation
in which organizations operate in a globally interdependent
environment. Global realities will affect your business
implementation plan, so it is good to outline these realities.
There are at least two perspectives from which to understand
the geopolitical and global economic environments. First, you
should understand the ways in which these can negatively affect

2. your product or service. The goal is to have a clear idea of how
to appropriately respond to negative events to insulate your
financial stakeholders from such events. The second perspective
is how these geopolitical and global economic environments can
positively affect your product or service. The approach here is
to have an idea of how to take advantage of opportunities that
occur during changes in global political or economic
environments.
Understanding cross-cultural factors means more than just
determining how to operate within the context of other
countries. Janakova and Magdolen (2013) state that in many
business and organizational environments, leaders and others
interact with people from different cultures who also have
cross-cultural backgrounds to consider. Within this framework,
Nardon and Steers (2014) proposed that cross-cultural
leadership involves understanding how cross-cultural dynamics
may differ from context to context and also identifying how to
leverage cross-cultural dynamics. A comprehensive business
implementation plan will consider cross-cultural, economic, and
geopolitical factors that may impact the business environment
and concept.
In addition to global factors, your potential financial backers
also want to understand the assumptions upon which you built
your business implementation plan. Here, the objective is for
the potential financial backers to judge the reasonableness of
your assumptions for themselves, which could be somewhat
difficult because it opens up lines of inquiry that might lead to
conflict. At the same time, it is important to embrace the
potential conflict associated with outlining your assumptions. In
the end, working through the assumptions and aligning them
will strengthen the overall plan and give your project a greater
probability of success.
Holllingworth (2008) indicates that when business

3. implementation plans do not disclose the assumptions, financial
backers are more likely to back the plan. The initial support,
however, is much less important than a winning business
implementation plan. According to Hollingworth (2008), even
though financial backers are more likely to support the business
implementation plan when they do not understand assumptions,
such business implementation plans are also more likely to fail.
When financial backers understand the assumptions, they may
uncover problems in the assumptions that need to be resolved
before project funding.
When considering assumptions, you must also understand what
assumptions are and what they are not. Murad (2002) argued
that some business leaders make assumptions that substitute for
research effort. The assumptions you make for your idea or
concept should only be on the things you cannot reasonably
determine with some degree of certainty. Limiting your
assumptions to those that fit within this framework gives you
vital credibility with your potential financial backers.
Addressing the assumptions behind your business
implementation plan requires engaging with each assumption in
a meaningful way. Daly and Walsh (2010) argue that
methodologically decomposing and reconstructing assumptions
provides organizational leaders the mechanism necessary to
fully understand the assumptions behind business
implementation plans. Engaging with your assumptions using
this kind of intellectual robustness may be difficult at first, but
the effort is worthwhile. Finding difficulties with your
assumptions before the plan is under way is much better than
finding difficulties with the plan after the fact.
Examining your assumptions is especially critical because your
idea or concept is within the framework of entrepreneurship or
intrapreneurship. In these cases, the project you propose is well
outside of what organizational leaders might see as the normal

4. way of doing business. Many successful concepts or ideas come
from this rethinking, so the project has a good foundation. At
the same time, working outside of the normal way of doing
business limits the sort of institutional knowledge and insight
typical of operating within the normal organizational
framework.
Because your idea or concept exists outside of an organization’s
normal operational capabilities, robustly detailing the
assumptions might even be what differentiates your project from
other potential investments. As you may recall from earlier
modules, your financial backers are likely selecting investment
opportunities from a number of good ideas or concepts. Bertels,
Koen, and Elsum (2015) even go so far as to argue that
effectively understanding the assumptions behind a proposal
might prevent a project from failing. Ensuring that you have the
right assumptions in your project plan and outlining them
appropriately is a critical part of your overall project proposal.
In addition to explicating your assumptions, in this module you
will also detail your contingency planning. Even with a well-
thought-out proposal, unexpected events or other activities can
often affect implementation. The unanticipated events can be
negative circumstances, or they could even be opportunities. In
both cases, thinking about how to act before an unexpected
event takes place is much better than being forced to react while
a crisis is unfolding.
Many approaches to contingency planning consider how to
avoid catastrophes should unexpected events occur. For
instance, Simpkins (2009) proposes that effective contingency
planning is one way great leaders avoid project disaster. While
it is certainly necessary to plan for unexpected negative events,
contingency planning should also include understanding what to
do when unexpected positive events occur. As an example, how
would you react if market demand for your idea or concept was

5. double what you expected? Contingency planning involves
thoughtfully understanding how to react in unexpected
circumstances.
One of the foundational elements of contingency planning is to
identify those elements of the plan that are the most critical.
These are the areas on which to focus the contingency plan,
because continuity in these areas is essential for overall project
success. O Neill (2013) argues for a systematic approach toward
identifying the critical components and systems for the project
so the project planners can include these in their contingency
plan. Contingency planning, when combined with a thorough
analysis and understanding of the critical project elements,
leads to greater project success.
Besides the benefit of a potentially more effective response to
unanticipated events, robust contingency planning also
demonstrates leadership. Svensson and Wood (2005) propose a
link between leadership effectiveness and business practices,
such as contingency planning. As mentioned before, potential
financial backers often have more good proposals than available
funding. As a result, the potential financial backers are likely to
consider their perception of leadership effectiveness as a project
selection input.
References
Bertels, H. M., Koen, P. A., & Elsum, I. (2015, March–April).
Business models outside the core: Lessons learned from success
and failure. Research-Technology Management.
doi:10.5437/08956308X5802294
Daly, P., & Walsh, J. (2010). Drucker’s theory of the business
and organisations: Challenging business assumptions.
Management Decision, 48(4), 500–511.
doi:10.1108/00251741011041319

6. Hollingworth, M. (2008, November/December). Strategic
assumptions: The essential (and missing) element of your
strategic plan. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved from
http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/strategic-
assumptions-the-essential-and-missing-element-ofyour-
strategic-plan/
Janakova, H., & Magdolen, L. (2013). Creative impact measure
of cross-cultural managerial aspects. Creative and Knowledge
Society, 3(2), 16–27. doi:10.2478/v10212-011-0035-z
Murad, D. (2002, May). Stop making assumptions: Plan
proactively for any uncertainty. Adhesives Age, 47. Retrieved
from
http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA87131467
?u=nhc_main
Nardon, L., & Steers, R. (2014, April–June). Managing cross-
cultural encounters: Putting things in context. Organizational
Dynamics, 43(2), 135–145.
O’Neill, P. (2013, August). Protecting critical infrastructure by
identifying pathways of exposure to risk. Technology
Innovation Management Review, 3(8), 34–40
Simpkins, R. A. (2009). How great leaders avoid disaster: The
value of contingency planning. Business Strategy Series, 10(2),
104–108. doi:10.1108/17515630910942241
Svensson, G., & Wood, G. (2005). The serendipity of leadership
effectiveness in management and business practices.
Management Decision, 43(7), 1001–1009.
doi:10.1108/00251740510609992
Module Five strengthens your business implementation plan

7. through an analysis of crosscultural,
eco
nomic, and geopolitical factors that may impact the business
environment and concept by allowing
you to explicate the assumptions behind your business
implementation plan and detail your contingency
plan.
Understanding the ways in which globalization fact
ors such as the cross
-
cultural and geopolitical
implications influence your implementation plan is critical for
success. Even if your idea or concept is
limited to one specific country or part of a country, various
crosscultural, economic, and geopolitical
elements will interact with your business implementation plan.
For instance, your business implementation plan may target
potential customers in a country that is
heavily dependent on the manufacturing sector. Many
manufacturing industries rely on global
demand
for the products they manufacture. Geopolitical and global
economic circumstances have the potential
to dramatically affect demand for your product or service even
if it is only available in one country.
Beyond this, you or others may ultimately o
ffer the product or service in multiple countries. For these
and other reasons, your plan must analyze the cross

8. -
cultural, economic, and geopolitical factors that
may affect the business environment or concept. Janakova and
Magdolen (2013) support this whe
n they
argue that political turmoil and many other factors lead to a
situation in which organizations operate in
a globally interdependent environment. Global realities will
affect your business implementation plan,
so it is good to outline these realities
.
There are at least two perspectives from which to understand
the geopolitical and global economic
environments. First, you should understand the ways in which
these can negatively affect your product
or service. The goal is to have a clear idea of how to a
ppropriately respond to negative events to insulate
your financial stakeholders from such events. The second
perspective is how these geopolitical and
global economic environments can positively affect your
product or service. The approach here is to
have
an idea of how to take advantage of opportunities that occur
during changes in global political or
economic environments.
Understanding cross
-
cultural factors means more than just determining how to
operate within the
context of other countries. Janakova
and Magdolen (2013) state that in many business and
organizational environments, leaders and others interact with

9. people from different cultures who also
have cross
-
cultural backgrounds to consider. Within this framework,
Nardon and Steers (2014) proposed
that cross
-
cultural leadership involves understanding how cross
-
cultural dynamics may differ from
context to context and also identifying how to leverage cross
-
cultural dynamics. A comprehensive
business implementation plan will consider cross
-
cultural, ec
onomic, and geopolitical factors that may
impact the business environment and concept.
In addition to global factors, your potential financial backers
also want to understand the assumptions
upon which you built your business implementation plan. Here,
th
e objective is for the potential
financial backers to judge the reasonableness of your
assumptions for themselves, which could be
somewhat difficult because it opens up lines of inquiry that
might lead to conflict. At the same time, it is
important to embr
ace the potential conflict associated with outlining your
assumptions. In the end,
working through the assumptions and aligning them will
strengthen the overall plan and give your
project a greater probability of success.

10. Module Five strengthens your business implementation plan
through an analysis of crosscultural,
economic, and geopolitical factors that may impact the business
environment and concept by allowing
you to explicate the assumptions behind your business
implementation plan and detail your contingency
plan.
Understanding the ways in which globalization factors such as
the cross-cultural and geopolitical
implications influence your implementation plan is critical for
success. Even if your idea or concept is
limited to one specific country or part of a country, various
crosscultural, economic, and geopolitical
elements will interact with your business implementation plan.
For instance, your business implementation plan may target
potential customers in a country that is
heavily dependent on the manufacturing sector. Many
manufacturing industries rely on global demand
for the products they manufacture. Geopolitical and global
economic circumstances have the potential
to dramatically affect demand for your product or service even
if it is only available in one country.
Beyond this, you or others may ultimately offer the product or
service in multiple countries. For these
and other reasons, your plan must analyze the cross-cultural,
economic, and geopolitical factors that
may affect the business environment or concept. Janakova and
Magdolen (2013) support this when they
argue that political turmoil and many other factors lead to a
situation in which organizations operate in
a globally interdependent environment. Global realities will
affect your business implementation plan,

11. so it is good to outline these realities.
There are at least two perspectives from which to understand
the geopolitical and global economic
environments. First, you should understand the ways in which
these can negatively affect your product
or service. The goal is to have a clear idea of how to
appropriately respond to negative events to insulate
your financial stakeholders from such events. The second
perspective is how these geopolitical and
global economic environments can positively affect your
product or service. The approach here is to
have an idea of how to take advantage of opportunities that
occur during changes in global political or
economic environments.
Understanding cross-cultural factors means more than just
determining how to operate within the
context of other countries. Janakova and Magdolen (2013) state
that in many business and
organizational environments, leaders and others interact with
people from different cultures who also
have cross-cultural backgrounds to consider. Within this
framework, Nardon and Steers (2014) proposed
that cross-cultural leadership involves understanding how cross-
cultural dynamics may differ from
context to context and also identifying how to leverage cross-
cultural dynamics. A comprehensive
business implementation plan will consider cross-cultural,
economic, and geopolitical factors that may
impact the business environment and concept.
In addition to global factors, your potential financial backers
also want to understand the assumptions
upon which you built your business implementation plan. Here,
the objective is for the potential

12. financial backers to judge the reasonableness of your
assumptions for themselves, which could be
somewhat difficult because it opens up lines of inquiry that
might lead to conflict. At the same time, it is
important to embrace the potential conflict associated with
outlining your assumptions. In the end,
working through the assumptions and aligning them will
strengthen the overall plan and give your
project a greater probability of success.
MBA 705 Milestone Five Guidelines and Rubric
Overview: For the capstone assessment, you will create a
business implementation plan and audiovisual presentation for
the product, service, or idea you have
been developing throughout your MBA coursework.
In Milestone Five, you will submit the assumptions and
contingency planning, in which you will clearly explain the
assumptions you have made in creating your
business implementation plan, any factors that may affect those
assumptions or the success of the project, and how you have
planned for those contingencies.
At a minimum, you should discuss any cross-cultural, economic,
and geopolitical factors that may impact the business
environment and concept; how you will
ensure that the project operates in a legally and ethically
compliant environment, including relevant laws, regulations, or
patents or permits that may need to be
obtained; plans for incorporating stakeholder and customer
diversity into planning and implementation of the concept; and

13. the role corporate social
responsibility will play in the implementation of you concept.
Critical Elements:
business implementation plan, including a discussion of any
factors that may affect the
assumptions or success of the project, and how you have
planned for those contingencies.
-cultural, economic, and geopolitical factors
that may impact the business environment and concept.
legally and ethically compliant environment, including relevant
laws, regulations, or patents or
permits that may need to be obtained.
mer
diversity into planning and implementation of the concept.
in the implementation of your concept.
Guidelines for Submission: Your draft must contain all of the
elements listed above. It should be 5 to 8 pages in length
(excluding the title page, references, and
appendices) using 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-
inch margins. You may include summary pictures, charts,
graphs, or other explanatory diagrams as
needed to successfully explain the concept and implementation,
but should use appendices for detailed supporting
documentation. Your paper should follow
APA guidelines. You must include at least 5 scholarly sources.

14. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the
reference page.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Not Proficient (0%) Value
Main Elements Includes most of the main elements Does not
include any of the main elements 15
Critical Thinking Provides logical conclusions and defends with
examples
Does not provide logical conclusions 15
Assumptions Explains the assumptions behind the plan and
includes a discussion of any factors that may
affect the assumptions or success of the
project and contingency planning
Does not explain the assumptions behind the
plan and include discussion of any factors that
may affect the assumptions or success of the
project
12
Cross-Cultural, Economic,
and Geopolitical Factors
Discusses cross-cultural, economic, and
geopolitical factors that may impact the
business environment and concept
Does not discuss cross-cultural, economic,
and geopolitical factors that may impact the
business environment and concept

15. 12
Legally and Ethically
Compliant Environment
Explains how the project will operate in a
legally and ethically compliant environment,
including relevant laws, regulations, or
patents or permits that may need to be
obtained
Does not explain how the project will operate
in a legally and ethically compliant
environment, including relevant laws,
regulations, or patents or permits that may
need to be obtained
12
Stakeholder and Customer
Diversity
Outlines plans for incorporating stakeholder
and customer diversity into planning and
implementation of the concept
Does not outline plans for incorporating
stakeholder and customer diversity into
planning and implementation of the concept
12

16. Corporate Social
Responsibility
Discusses the role corporate social
responsibility will play in the implementation
of the concept
Does not discuss the role corporate social
responsibility will play in the implementation
of the concept
12
Articulation of Response Submission does not have critical
errors
related to citations, grammar, spelling,
syntax, or organization that prevent
understanding of ideas
Submission has critical errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Total 100%