I. THE PROFESSOR
Jeffrey A. Fadiman is professor of Global Marketing and Trans-cultural communication at the College of Business, San Jose State University. A former Fulbright Scholar, he has worked in anthropology, oral history, and international business in East, West and Southern Africa, South East Asia and Western Europe. He speaks Swahili and Swazi-Zulu as well as German and French and is currently learning Spanish and Indonesian. He has 35 academic publications (books, monographs, journal articles), three of which have been selected by Choice, thus earning him a Scholarly Recognition Award while teaching at Eastern Michigan University. One publication has appeared in Harvard Business Review, and contributed to his receiving an SJSU award for "Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise" in 1986, and again in 1987. In 1989, he was awarded "Outstanding Professor," MBA program, San Jose State University. In 1995, he was awarded his second Fulbright Scholarship, and taught at the University of Zululand, South Africa. In 1998, he was nominated by the C.O.B. as Outstanding Teaching Professor, SJSU.
II. THE COURSE
This is not a textbook course; it does not seek textbook answers. Nor does it deal with abstract academic theories. It is practical, research oriented, and will explore new and often unconventional ways Americans can use to market overseas. This course operates at three levels:
A. Eastern/Western European Marketing Methods
B. Eastern/Western European Area Studies
C. American Business Writing
III. THE TOPICS
Lectures, cases and class discussions will be drawn, as time permits, from among the following international marketing topics:
1. Why Yankee Traders Get Out-traded
2. Niche Marketing: There are 100 Europes!!
3. Europe's Norsemen: Marketing to Low-Contact Clientele (Sweden, etc.)
4. Europe's Mediterraneans: Marketing to High-Contact Clientele (Greece, etc.)
5. French or Foe: Marketing to Gallic Europe
6. Moslems, Gypsies, Africans, etc.: Europe's Minority Markets
7. Germanic Clientele: Germany, etc.
8. Nazism as a Marketing Risk: Former East Germany, Austria, etc.
9. Marketing to Neo-Communism: Ukraine, Belarus
10. Marketing to/through Mafia: Western Russia
11. Eurocorruption: Marketing in the Balkans (Serbia, etc.)
12. Eurosmuggling: Marketing to Lawlessness (Albania, etc.)
13. How to Bribe a Hungarian (or Anyone Else)
14. The Godfather Lecture: Mafia II (Sicily)
15. Marketing to Iberians: Spain and Portugal are Different
16. The Euro Lecture: Markets in a Unified Europe
17. How to Get Assigned Abroad: Launching your Eurocareer
NOTE: New topics will be added or substituted as international circumstances, potential guest speakers and class interest suggest.
IV. THE BOOKS
1. Richmond, Yale,From Da to Yes: Understanding East Europeans
2. Broome, Benjamin,Exploring the Greek Mosaic
3. Hall, Edward and Mildred,Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans, French, and Americans
V. THE ASSIGNMENTS
Grading will be based primarily on short (5 page, typed, double-spaced) position papers; each dealing with one aspect of the international marketing process, as well as the consistency of work in class:
1. Selecting a target market (Research paper)
2. Researching a target culture (Field Interview)
3. International marketing plan (Final Exam)
4. In-class work (cases, class, class participation, attendance, etc.)
VI. THE GROUND RULES
l. TIMING: Each class begins precisely on time, please be prepared.
2. IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS/IN-CLASS ABSENCES: Most writing assignments occur in class, under moderate time pressure, thereby simulating condition of limited time (project deadlines, etc.) that often occur in modern business. These adjustments will be graded competitively. It is impossible however, to produce these same competitive conditions outside of class to accommodate students wishing to make-up in-class missed providing absentees with a competitive writing edge. Students will not, therefore, be permitted to reproduce (make up) in-class writing assignments outside of class.
Exceptions: Absences documented by written evidence of medical treatment (illness) or a supervisor decision (business absence) or similar.
3. OUT OF CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Each written assignment is due at the beginning of class, on whatever date has previously been assigned. Late papers will be penalized one third of a grade for each period (to be specified) of delay. The later the paper, the lower the grade. e.g.: end of the class period when paper was due (-1/3) end of day when paper was due (-1/3) each day thereafter (-1/3) c. Delays due to illness must be "documented" by written evidence of medical treatment.
Delays due to business must be "documented" by written statement from your supervisor. Documentation must be turned in with (attached to) "late" assignment to avoid penalty.
4. "REREADS" (GRADE CHANGES):
a. Students may request the instructor "reread" any written assignment where the grade is believed incorrect.
b. Each request must be made in writing within seven days after receiving the grade.
c. Each written request must "make a case", providing reasons to support the students argument for a higher grade.
d. Instructor will then reread the assignment from the students' perspective and re-evaluate the grade. NOTE: No grade/papers etc. may be discussed in the moments immediately after concluding class.
5. "REDO'S": On occasion, the instructor may request that an assignment be "redone" [in whole or part] in such fashion as to correct specific errors and allow the student additional opportunity to practice correct forms. These are not extra-- credit assignments and may be considered part of the normal course work.