Global Executive Interview

To supplement your Team Project, you will need to individually arrange and conduct one Global Executive Interview, send the interviewee a formal

thank you letter, prepare a brief report on your learning from the interview, and share the report with your class colleagues on the Forum for

Global Executive Interviews. Your Interview Report is due by Class Session 4, and your findings should be used in preparing your Team Project.

The Interview:
• This should be a face-to-face informational interview with an executive-level manager who will be a new addition to your professional

network. The executive should be a well-experienced manager both in the country of your Team Project and in either the U.S. or your home

country, so he/she will be able to draw explicit comparisons of value to your Team Project and to you personally.

• Your primary goal is to learn from the executive about business practices and managerial skills needed to be effective in your team’s target

country. Therefore, prepare for the interview by reading about culture and management practices in your target country. See the list of

suggested readings, and do research with your team. With this background, you will be able to explore key issues with your interviewee in

greater depth, and you will gain deeper insight from the interview experience.

• Conduct the interview as you would a typical informational interview with an executive. That is, you should begin by asking general

questions, such as:
− what do you actually do in your position?
− what was your career path to this position?
− what advice would you give to someone who aspired to your position?

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In addition, for this globally-oriented interview, ask:
− how does the national culture affect the design and management of your organization?
− how did you prepare to work in cross-cultural contexts?
− what specific skills do you believe a global executive needs, and how would you suggest developing them?

Be sure to conclude your interview by asking, “Who else would you recommend I talk to?”
Also, remember to exchange business cards, so your interviewee will have yours and you will have their complete and accurate contact

information.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW IS NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASKING FOR A JOB, AND
NO SUCH DIRECT INQUIRY SHOULD BE MADE.

The Thank You Letter:
• Immediately after the interview, write and send a formal, professional thank you letter to the executive.

• Craft your letter thoughtfully, being sure to note some of the most important insights you gleaned from the interview, both for your team

project and for your personal leadership development. This will impress upon your interviewee how important his/her conversation was to you.

• Proofread and edit your letter carefully to assure it makes the best impression.

The Report: [due by Class Session 4]
1) Post in the Forum on Global Executive Interviews:
a. executive’s name, position title, company, and his/her experience in your target country;
b. what were the most important new insights for your team project and for your personal management practice that you gleaned from your

interview?
c. what was the most effective question you asked? why? what did you learn?
d. what is one question you wish you had asked? why? what might you have learned?
2) Post one file your DropBox that contains the following:
a. summary information on the executive you interviewed, specifically:
1) executive’s name;
2) current position title;
3) company name;
4) a brief description of the primary business of the company and the primary responsibilities of the executive;
5) the executive’s managerial roles/experience in the target country and in the U.S. or your home country;
6) the executive’s business card or detailed contact information;
b. the date/time of the interview, and a brief explanation of how you located this interviewee;
c. a copy of your thank you letter.
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