Using Geert Hofstede’s cultural characteristics, compare Australia and the United States on various measures. As you’ll see, the two countries are fairly similar, but there are some differences that may help explain Les Collins’s apparent lack of success in the American setting. Which of these do you think is the most significant and why? What could GOC have done to prepare Collins for his assignment in the United States? Outline an action plan for companies to use in preparing executives—and their families—for international assignments. Articulate and evaluate your own opinion about the degree of distance prevalent in U.S. companies between managers and their direct reports. Who is protected by this management style? What adverse organizational impacts might result from this style?