Bachelor Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: 1,3, Humboldt-University of Berlin, language: English, abstract: The number of Western expatriates in China is growing; however, the rate of expatriate failure remains very high. Many multinational enterprises are now providing their expatriates with cross-cultural training (CCT), which many studies suggest is an effective way to improve expatriates' intercultural competence and their work performance overseas. This study attempts to develop an optimal methodology for CCT in China, based on review of the literature and empirical data of five semi-structured interviews. A seven-step model is developed, and each step is examined for its effectiveness and applicability in a Chinese context. Ultimately, the final model is presented in the Research Summary, and its implications are discussed in detail.

Knitting is a booming pastime, enjoying a resurgence of interest, spawning books, movies, a brisk online trade in wool and knitted goods -- even trade fairs. In Canada, Cottage Craft has long held a strong reputation for its fine wool, dyed to the palette of the local landscape, and the fine craftsmanship of the women who weave and knit its quality materials. Behind Cottage Craft is the story of a woman of vision and remarkable resolve. Grace Helen Mowat looked upon traditional rural crafts -- knitting, weaving, and rug hooking -- as cash crops for the straitened farm women of Charlotte County, New Brunswick. In 1911, unmarried and with limited means, she commissioned a handful of St. Andrews women to make rugs according to her designs, which were then sent to Montreal. The Arts and Crafts movement was in full swing -- the rugs sold quickly. This is the story of how Grace Helen Mowat built Cottage Craft into a burgeoning home-grown business that continues to attract customers the world over.