Presentation 

Competency

Explain how art contributes to problem-solving skills and idea creation in personal and professional experience.

Student Success Criteria

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Scenario

Your company is one of several that hopes to land an international contract with MagnifiCo, a large corporation overseas. You have recently learned that Company X, who is competing for the same overseas contract, has received some negative publicity for their lack of cultural literacy among employees. An embarrassing video has gone viral showing an American employee from Company X awkwardly fumbling through a business dinner with foreign associates. First, he insulted the lack of air conditioning in the foreign restaurant, then he nervously laughed in the middle of their prayer, and finally he nearly spit out the dinner dish he was served! The business deal was doomed.

When you watched the video, you almost took pity on this American businessman clearly so out of his element. But then, you noticed in the background of the video that the entire dinner was taking place in a beautiful building; there was gothic vaulting on the ceiling, finely detailed mosaic tile on the floor, and intricate fresco painting on the wall next to their table.

There was classical music playing in the background— perhaps Baroque? If the American had noticed any of these things, he could have asked his dinner companions about them. If he had learned a little about this country’s culture, he could have even made intelligent conversation about his surroundings and possibly impressed and connected with his colleagues instead of insulting them with awkward behavior.