A Latin American Factory Start-Up
This case offers the situation of an established multinational company opening a new production facility in Costs Rica with an American ex-pat in the key leadership role. The case focuses on cultural issues, staffing development, and reward systems. The protagonist must select among a set of approaches to overcoming the cultural challenges in order to influence performance and positively impact the bottom line. In addition, the teaching note provides a follow-up of "what happened next."
The case is intended for use in an MBA-level course on global management or an Executive Education program for middle managers. The case highlights both the challenges and the opportunities for leading cultural integration from the middle of a large, global business.
