PROBLEM
You are Vice President for Business Development at Golden Crescent Petroleum (GCP), a regional
fuel distributor based in Victoria, Texas. Acme buys diesel and gasoline from Gulf Coast oil
refineries, stores the fuel in bulk oil terminals (storage depots) that GCP owns, and then sells and
delivers the fuel to commercial, industrial,
and agricultural users. As you now know,
GCP has acquired land along Route 59 just south of Victoria to build a “tank farm” or facility with multiple oil terminals. Since Route 59 is designated to become the future Interstate 69, this land is an ideal
crossroads location for storing fuel that will be delivered to customers across coastal and central Texas. GCP has documented in an environmental impact statement how the new tank farm will include state-of-the- art safeguards against leaks, plus an economic impact statement that shows how a major fuel distribution node in Victoria will create jobs both at the tank farm itself and by providing fuel that
Crossroads industries need to grow.
Now, GCP has received the necessary approvals from state and local agencies to proceed with
construction of the Route 59 tank farm. But you need the capital to construct the farm and that
requires an investor. As VP for Business Development, you’ve reached out to the Houston office of New [insert a country of your choice here; e.g. China, Norway, Italy, Canada, South Africa, etc.] Energy Group. This company is a [insert your chosen country here]-owned corporation that
specializes in energy sector investments.
Your potential partner has responded positively and is ready to hear a presentation on the GCP tank
farm and willing to consider preliminary negotiations. The initial meeting with this possible partner’s
executives is set up for next month at the group’s Houston office. In preparation for that meeting,
you have several tasks ahead:
• research [insert your chosen country here]’s corporate culture
• prepare a presentation and negotiation strategy that will connect with [insert your chosen
country here] investors
• interview and hire an International Development Director who will report to you
• brief your President & CEO on your activities
• address an internal conflict with employees who question any dealings with [insert your chosen
country here].
DELIVERABLES PART I –
Annotated Bibliography : Research the business culture of a country you might see yourself working with some day at GCP or that you find particularly interesting as a potential GCP partner [TIP: pick a country that you find interesting and one you can learn about via sources].
Compile an annotated bibliography of information sources to help you better understand your
chosen country and its (business) culture. See further instructions below.
You might consider your country’s cultural value dimensions (high vs low power distance, high vs
low uncertainty avoidance, collectivist vs individualist, masculine vs feminine) through the work of Geert Hofstede, the originator of the dimensions.
His research is available at these websites:
• Hofstede Insights, https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries
• Geert Hofstede, https://geerthofstede.com/culture-geert-hofstede-gert-jan-hofstede/6d-
model-of-national-culture
Also, many articles have been written about business culture in different countries in scholarly
journals and the mainstream business press.
As a guide to credible sources, use the Three R’s and compile information that is:
• Reliable. Is the material from a source that possesses credible qualifications, credentials, or
experience, is unbiased, and is in general agreement with the findings or observations of
other credible sources?
• Recent. Is the material a reasonably recent finding or observation?
• Relevant. Is the material pertinent to your subject?
To complete your Annotated Bibliography:
• Compile at least six sources
• In your submission, list each source in APA style
• Below each source, write a paragraph that synopsizes the information in the source
DELIVERABLES PART II
Oral presentation outline : Construct an outline for your oral presentation. Use
Appendix A as a model to guide you on creating your outline. Note that the model outline is on a
different topic but shows the correct format.
The main argument of your speech is, of course, that the GCP tank farm is a good investment for
your potential partner. To support that argument, refer to statistics from the Texas Oil and Gas
Association 2022 Annual Energy and Economic Impact Report at https://www.txoga.org/2022eeir/
Be sure that your oral presentation outline has the following elements:
• An introduction that …
o gets the audience’s attention with a surprising statistic
o establishes why your topic matters to your possible partner
o establishes why you’re credible as VP for Business Development to speak on the topic
o states your main argument, i.e., the GCP tank farm is a good investment for your
partner
o briefly previews your three main points
o tells the audience that you are transitioning to your first main point
• A body of three main points—not two, not four or more, but only three—that are …
o each supported by at least two subpoints, with …
o each subpoint referencing research with a citation
• Transition statements between each point that tell your audience that you’re moving to
your next main point, and then a transition statement from your final point to your
conclusion
• A conclusion that …
o reviews your three main points
o restates your main argument
o provides closure with a memorable statistic
o calls on NCEG to invest in the Acme tank farm
For your convenience, Appendix B provides you with a checklist of the above criteria.
