This week’s discussion will focus on cultural negotiation using the case study Danone’s Wrangle with Wahaha (p. 255).

This case is a cautionary tale of how important cultural differences are when forming a strategic partnership or joint venture with companies from different countries.

Our content this week reflects on the impact of conflict on decision-making. As a decision-maker within your organization, it is important for you to deal with conflict in a skilled matter. Doing so can create positive outcomes and provide opportunities for improvement rather than undesirable results.

After reading the case, reflect on the following:

What was the problem in the joint venture that triggered the conflict between the two companies?

What were the differences of each company’s understanding of their own respective roles and responsibilities in this venture?

Did any aspect of organizational cultural or national culture affect this perspective?

As a leader, what are some ways you can handle conflict when it arises?

Embed course material concepts, principles, and theories, which require supporting citations along with two scholarly peer-reviewed references supporting your answer. Keep in mind that these scholarly references can be found in the Saudi Digital Library by conducting an advanced search specific to scholarly references.

Be sure to support your statements with logic and argument, citing all sources referenced. Post your initial response early and check back often to continue the discussion. Be sure to respond to your peers’ posts as well.

Answer all questions posted by students and your professor. These post replies need to be substantial and constructive in nature. They should add to the content of the post and evaluate/analyze that post answer. Normal course dialogue doesn’t fulfill these two peer replies, but is expected throughout the course. Answering all course questions is also required.