Chapitre 14 - Cultural Diversity in Business
Mobiliser vos compétences dans un nouveau contexte professionnel.
When Global Brands Get Culture Wrong: The IKEA Case
A different source, a different company: a real case study in cultural sensitivity.
Women Erased From IKEA's Saudi Catalog
In 2012, IKEA published a special edition of its catalog for Saudi Arabia. Journalists soon noticed something unusual: more than a dozen images of women that appeared in the international version of the catalog had been digitally erased from the Saudi edition. In one picture of a family in a bathroom, the mother standing at the sink with her son was simply removed. Even one of IKEA's own designers, Clara Gausch, was erased from a photo featuring four of the brand's designers.
The story quickly attracted international media attention and criticism, as IKEA is well known for promoting gender equality as a core company value. After the story broke, IKEA issued an official statement:
"We should have reacted and realised that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalogue is in conflict with the Ikea Group values."
The case became a widely studied example of the risks of adapting marketing materials to a new market without fully considering how such changes might conflict with a company's own brand identity and values.
Source : Reports from NPR and Knowledge at Wharton (University of Pennsylvania) · Level: B2
Comprehension check
1. What exactly did IKEA change in the Saudi Arabian version of its catalog?
| Critère | Description | Auto-évaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Compréhension des faits | J'ai identifié précisément ce qu'IKEA a modifié dans le catalogue saoudien (effacement numérique d'images de femmes) |
|
2. Find the infinitive or gerund in IKEA's official statement, and explain its function.
| Critère | Description | Auto-évaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Identification gérondif/infinitif | J'ai repéré le gérondif "excluding" dans la citation et correctement expliqué sa fonction grammaticale (sujet de la phrase) |
|
Loop - Preparing an International Catalog
Apply your skills to a realistic workplace task.
You work at Loop, a lifestyle and concept store in Paris. Loop is preparing its first international catalog for several new overseas markets. After hearing about the IKEA case, your manager wants your input on how to handle this sensitively.
Claire Dubois
Store Manager, Loop
Write a short internal guideline (100-120 words) for the marketing team on how to adapt Loop's catalog for international markets without compromising the brand's values. Use at least one gerund and one infinitive.
Write an email (80-100 words) to the design team explaining the new international catalog plan and why cultural sensitivity matters. Use at least one gerund and one infinitive.
Before publishing catalog content in a new market, our team needs to review all images and text carefully. Removing or altering content to fit local expectations is sometimes necessary, but it must never conflict with Loop's core values, especially equality and respect. We recommend consulting a local cultural advisor before making any major change. It is important to document every decision, so we can explain our choices if questioned. Ignoring this step, as IKEA did in 2012, can seriously damage a brand's reputation worldwide.
Self-assessment Grid
Rate your own production honestly - this mirrors the E4 oral/written evaluation criteria. Cette grille de 5 critères complète les 2 grilles de compréhension déjà remplies à l'étape 1.
| Critère | Description | Auto-évaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Registre | Ton professionnel et adapté (guideline / email) | |
| Grammaire | Gerunds & Infinitives utilisés correctement | |
| Vocabulaire | Lexique de la diversité culturelle mobilisé à bon escient | |
| Pertinence | Réponse adaptée à la demande de Claire Dubois | |
| Consignes | Longueur respectée pour chaque production |
Mon bilan général du chapitre
Ce bilan agrège automatiquement les 2 grilles de compréhension (étape 1) et les 5 critères de la tâche professionnelle (ci-dessus) - 7 critères au total.
Checklist finale
Chapitre 14 terminé !
Vous maîtrisez maintenant le vocabulaire de la diversité culturelle, les gérondifs et infinitifs.
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