1. Describe Ugandan cultural attributes that might affect the operations of a foreign company doing business there.
Uganda is located in the center of Africa, having a population of 25 million people. The official language is English, but many of the people speak Bantu or Nilotic languages. Two thirds of the population is Christians, split about evenly between Roman Catholics and
Anglicans, with a large number of Muslims and other various animistic religions. Some cultural attributes that could get in the way is the language. Having foreigners come into the country to work can prove difficult in communication since not everyone speaks the same language.
Ugandans have different multiple …show more content…
3. Who was right Green or Martin, about Martin’s more controversial actions in facilitating the project? How might things have turned out if Martin had not been a member of the project team?
Martin was right in his action. He was well suited for the job at hand. Martin was able to
Complete his original assignment and the preliminary construction phase of the project on time and within budget. He was well suited in Uganda having graduated from college with a major in African studies. He also served time in the Peace Corps in Africa. He continued on with his MBA and took a job with HG, also making sure his superiors knew he was interested in going back to Africa. Martin’s philosophy was not to draw attention to himself and to respect and learn the culture. Martin knew the necessary tactics in doing business in Africa through his time there in the Peace Corps. His philosophy might not have been those of the company in the United States but he was not dealing with Americans, Martin was dealing with Ugandans. He learned from his previous time in Africa that paying tips in advance to the right people got jobs done quicker. He learned that by mentioning job openings by word of mouth got him reliable workers from the employees. He also learned to respect tribal rituals and was advised by hiring a specialist in African religion to help him advise on solutions for displacing tribes. If Martin had