Research, Citation, & Class Guides: International Business: Country & Culture

Qualitative: Cultural Info

Global Road Warrior
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The business culture, decision making, and negotiation profiles of 175 countries.

Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He defines culture as 'the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others.'
Global Edge Insights by Country
Select your country. The page contains some quantitative statistics, but mainly narrative descriptions of a country's political system, cultural trends, and business risk.
Doing Business 2020 report
Reviews and ranks 190 countries on the ease of doing business there, considering a wide variety of factors from getting permits, construction, banking, protection of foreigners, and much more.
Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International)
Based on expert opinion, the Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide.
Democracy Index 2019 (The Economist Intelligence Unit)
The Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide. You will need to sign up for a free account to download the report.

World Factbook
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The CIA World Factbook provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
World Bank Open Data
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Access to all available World Bank datasets, including World Development Indicators and Global Financial Development.

Global Edge Country Comparator
Choose most recent or historic data, and compare two to twenty countries on various economic and social indicators.

Data-Planet
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A variety of datasets from both the U.S. and some other countries' statistical agencies
Access provided by UW Madison.
Statista
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Search for a country name along with an economic keyword, or the name of a product to get some idea of trade and economic activity in that country & industry.

Federal Reserve's Economic Data Website (FRED)
Trusted data from the Federal Reserve
Coface Economic Studies & Country Risks
View a country's current (and previous) credit risk assessments, and risk assessments internationally for specific industry sectors.

Direction of Trade Statistics
The Direction of Trade Statistics shows current figures for import and export values, and which country is the seller or recipient of those trades.
World Integrated Trade Solution
From the World Bank, this tool visualizes a country's or region's exports and imports with various trading partners.

UN Comtrade
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Official trade statistics and analysis. Annual trade statistics since 1962 and monthly trade statistics since 2010.

OANDA Currency Converter
View the current exchange rate, or historical exchange rates, for any pairs of countries.

The Library has a number of cultural analysis sources that could also help in learning more about the people and how they do business.

Culture Grams by Brigham Young University
Call Number: Reference collection, GT150 .C85 2010
ISBN: 0977809161
Publication Date: 2009
Countries and Their Cultures by Melvin Ember; Carol R. Ember
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9780028658964
Publication Date: 2003-11-01
This guide provides a reference for anyone seeking information about the predominant and variable cultural forms, mores, and modes of expression in virtually every country. Entries cover many of the elements that together constitute the predominant culture, as well as lost cultures of the world.