CLOSING CASE: Charles Martin in Uganda [See Map 2.5.] Hydro Generation (HG) is a U.S.-based specialist in power generation, with plants in 16 countries. Charles Martin, a 29 year-old American has been assigned by HG to manage the preliminary stage of the construction of a large dam in Uganda. Martin’s specific assignment was to (i) work with Ugandan government authorities and villagers to gain support and necessary permission for the construction, (ii) establish an office and hire people who would be responsible for local operations, and (iii) help foreign visitors when visiting Uganda. Vice President James Green wondered whether to continue to employ Martin in Uganda for the construction phase of the project. In particular, Green was concerned about Martin’s lifestyle, some of his business practices, and his participation in Ugandan tribal rituals. Green worried that Martin’s practices were counter to both HG’s corporate culture and methods of operating elsewhere, that some of his actions bordered on the unethical, and that some might actually be illegal under U.S. law.
-------------------------------------------------

Questions 1. Describe Ugandan cultural attributes that might affect the operations of a foreign company operating there. Business in Uganda typically moves slowly; however paying tips to people in advance can speed the process. Because unemployment is high and hiring is generally done through word-of-mouth, contacts typically recommended their relatives, who are usually hired. Further, although the majority of Uganda’s population is Christian, tribal religions believe that many natural sites (including that of the proposed dam) possess spiritual qualities and are sacred. 1. Would you describe Green’s and Martin’s attitudes as being ethnocentric, polycentric or geocentric? What factors