Mar 30

Top Tips for Doing Business in the USA

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

It has been said that Britain and the USA are two countries separated by the same language. Many assume that Brits and Americans are similar due to their colonial ties and special relationship but actually they are often more than just an ocean apart. Since independence in 1776, the United States has developed its own identity and ways of doing things. Compared to the Brits, Americans’ communication style and attitudes are more direct and open and this affects doing business in the USA.

Statue of Liberty 3 Nikada i Top Tips for Doing Business in the USA

© istockphoto.com/ Nikada

Americans tend to be very easy to deal with due to their open nature. They have a very strong work ethic and are not afraid of taking risks to succeed. Success is often measured in terms of profit, so when conducting business, they will tend to prioritise tasks over relationships. Just as former US President Calvin Coolidge once stated, “The business of America is business.”

As the world’s largest economy, America’s influence on business culture around the world is unmistakable. There are boundless opportunities for others to achieve their very own ‘American dream’. An understanding of this young diverse culture as well as knowledge of American business etiquette is essential for anyone doing business in the United States.

The following tips will help you to maximise any opportunities of doing business in the United States.

  • Be punctual. Arriving late to appointments can be considered disrespectful.
  • Meet deadlines. In the United States ‘time is money’ and Americans place great emphasis on getting the best results in the shortest period of time possible.
  • Be polite. Politeness is highly valued in the United States and Americans will expect you to match their level of politeness.
  • Participate in small talk. Americans like to create a comfortable environment before doing business by chatting for a couple of minutes.
  • Always remember to shake hands when greeting American counterparts. It is customary to begin and end business meetings or negotiations with a brief but firm handshake.
  • Americans are known for their openness and are often not afraid to share details of their personal life with you. Following up about an event they went to or a family member they told you about is appreciated and will help you build a stronger relationship with them.
  • Remember to minimise physical contact. Americans respect other people’s space and privacy and are very protective of their own ‘personal bubble’.
  • If you are working on a long-term project in the US, don’t be surprised if a colleague or counterpart invites you to their home for a meal or BBQ.
  • Address colleagues with their appropriate title at first, but don’t be surprised if you are invited to call someone by their first name soon after meeting. Colleagues will almost always refer to each other by their first name.
  • Don’t be offended if your American colleague seems frank. Americans like to get down to business and don’t like to ‘beat around the bush’ when it comes to negotiating. They are often blunt which can be perceived as rudeness by certain cultures.

Considering and respecting the top tips for doing business in the US above is the first step towards building effective relationships with your American counterparts. Participating in a cross cultural awareness training course such as Doing Business in the United States will give you a deeper insight into the cultural differences you may find in the US and it will improve your ability to anticipate and manage them effectively.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Mar 28

Are the French ‘Arrogant’ and the Belgians ‘Thick’? A Look at Stereotypes and Cultural Misconceptions in Film

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

French humorist Dany Boon, the well known film director of the French box office blockbuster “Bienvenue chez les C’htis” is attempting to repeat his success with his latest outing “Rien à Déclarer” (Nothing to Declare). This time, instead of highlighting the differences between the people of northern and southern France, he is poking fun at how the French and Belgium stereotype each other.

Business People 8 Sean Locke i Are the French ‘Arrogant’ and the Belgians ‘Thick’? A Look at Stereotypes and Cultural Misconceptions in Film

© istockphoto.com/ Sean Locke

The film takes place in a small customs office on the French/Belgium border in 1993 just before the Schengen Agreement came into force. As the border controls slowly disappear, the Belgian and French governments decide to create bi-national patrols forcing former “enemies” to work together and attempt to develop a working cross-cultural relationship.

Belgium and France make a really good setting for this type of comedy. For decades the French have made jokes about the supposed “thickness” of their Belgian neighbours. The Belgians, on the other hand, usually describe their French neighbours as arrogant and over confident. Boon’s latest film is almost entirely based on these French and Belgian stereotypes. Of course, and inevitably, everything is exaggerated to the maximum and is a succession of jokes and insults about both countries.

When the BBC interviewed Boon about his latest film he explained that he wanted to talk about racism and cultural stereotypes in a funny and enjoyable way. He views racism between the Belgians and the French as utterly ridiculous as both populations are “basically the same” and “share a large number of common points such as food, language and religion.”

Boon certainly has a point when he explains that negative stereotypes, racism and hostility between cultures are pointless and lead nowhere. Making fun of these elements can help to show that stereotypes are usually false or exaggerated and often come from a lack of cross-cultural awareness. However, films like Boon’s latest outing can sometimes encourage stereotypes and, although exaggerated, some viewers may believe what they see to be a real portrayal of attitudes between the French and Belgians.

Assuming that two cultures are identical because they share common points such as language or religious beliefs, as Boon indicated in his interview, is equally dangerous. Supporting negative stereotypes and making strong assumptions of similarity can lead to cross-cultural clashes and incidents. Believing that the French and Belgians have the same working habits or perceptions of time for instance can reflect a lack of cross-cultural awareness and risk harming relationships when doing business in France or Belgium.

Working effectively across cultures requires a high level of cross-cultural awareness and the ability to go beyond the many stereotypes that may exist about other cultures. Neighbouring countries often quickly reach for extreme stereotypical clichés due to the long and often tortuous relationship they have endured. As national borders melt away and organisations merge, acquire and integrate their operations, the need for employees and indeed organisations to become much more aware of the role that culture plays is vital. Companies are now more and more investing in cross-cultural awareness training courses such as Doing Business in Belgium or Living and Working in France to help break down these boundaries and develop a sense of common partnership.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Mar 18

Doing Business in India: Understanding the ‘Holi’ Festival

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture No Comments »

India is home to a huge diversity of cultures, religions and languages. The nation’s rich cultural heritage dates back at least 5,000 years making India one of the oldest civilisations in the world. India’s many cultural influences means that it has a wide array of religious celebrations throughout the year. One such celebration takes place on the 19th March when the Holi festival will become a central point for many Indians, particularly those who live in the north of India.

Holi celebrations will impact anyone visiting or doing business in India at during this time. A very lively and often colourful Hindu festival that lasts for several days, Holi celebrations have become very popular and draw a lot of attention.

Spices Synergee i Doing Business in India: Understanding the ‘Holi’ Festival

© istockphoto.com/ Synergee

Holi is a religious festival and marks the beginning of spring. At the same time its origins are closely tied to the religious legend Krishna. Krishna, who is said to have spent his childhood in the north of India, took great pleasure in colours and liked painting the face of his childhood friend. One of the rituals of Holi involves people throwing coloured powder at each other and spraying coloured water, leaving everyone soaked in bright colours. You may recall seeing photographs from India in the past at this time of year where people are in the streets and are covered in colour.

To an outsider, many of the traditions of Holi can give an impression of pure entertainment or fun. It’s important however to consider the religious side of the festival and what it really means to your Indian counterparts. In the case of Holi, each colour has a specific meaning: green is for harmony, orange symbolises faith in the future, blue brings health while red represents love and joy. It is also a custom to apologise when throwing colour at someone and you might hear “Bura na mano, Holî hai” (which can be translated by “please don’t be upset, it’s Holi”) a lot during the festival.

But Holi is not only about throwing coloured powders. Depending on the region, you may witness different events such as a bonfire in Bihar, religious processions in Bengal or even women chasing men with sticks in the village of Barsana. All these events are related to the countless variations of myths and legends connected to the festival. Regardless where you are and how the festival is celebrated, Holi is the only time of the year when social and gender distinctions seem to vanish to give way to a sense of sheer joy shared by every member of the community.

People in India take great pride in their cultural heritage so when doing business in Indiayou should always try to understand as much as possible about the culture and traditions. In addition to religious celebrations like Holi, it’s also important to understand how Indians think, behave and communicate in both social and professional spheres. An intercultural training course like Doing Business in India can help you to understand the many working practices and business values in Indian culture and how they are influenced by unique religious and cultural traditions like Holi.

So, if you visit or live in India, make sure to visit the North of the country during the Holi celebration and enjoy this colourful celebration alongside the local population.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Mar 09

Doing Business in Indonesia – Successfully Navigating these Culturally Diverse Islands

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management No Comments »

Indonesia has one of the world’s fastest growing economies and the largest in Southeast Asia. According to a recent article on BBC, Indonesia’s economy is growing at its fastest rate since 2004. Steady consumer spending, improved political stability and abundant natural resources combined with an increasing number of organisations reinvesting profits into their businesses are just a few of the contributing factors.

Jakarta Warren Goldswain i Doing Business in Indonesia Successfully Navigating these Culturally Diverse Islands

© istockphoto.com/ Warren Goldswain

With a population in excess of 245 million people and growing, Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world and is home to a large domestic economy and labour force ready for foreign investment. This makes this country an attractive destination for foreign investment and a growing number of global organisations are increasingly taking advantage of this thriving economy.

Indonesia is home to a large, cheap labour force which is an attractive asset to manufacturers who can save a significant amount of labour costs by relocating their operations to the country. This combined with opportunities to access new markets through Indonesia’s geographical positioning as a gateway to other South East Asian countries like Thailand or India makes it an even more appealing location for doing business.

Located on an immense archipelago of over 17,500 islands, Indonesian culture is a mixture of different cultural, religious and ethnic influences. While there is a cosmopolitan vibe in the bigger cities where most things are written in English, it is important to prepare yourself for the cultural differences you may encounter when doing business in Indonesia.

One of the most challenging aspects of Indonesian culture is the diversity of religions practised in the country and the impact they have on business and social culture. Indonesia is currently the largest Islamic country in the world with approximately 202 million followers, and it is also home to a number of other religions including Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

While the Indonesian constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion, its state ideology Pancasila includes an element of believing in ‘the one and only God’. Religion has a great impact on all aspects of Indonesian social and business culture so it’s essential to understand its role when doing business in Indonesia.

As the majority of the population of Indonesia is Muslim, you may find that a large number of your counterparts in Indonesia will adhere to Islamic practices such as Friday afternoon prayers. If you are running an operation in Indonesia, it is a good idea to create a prayer room in the office where they can take time for their religious beliefs. An intercultural training course like Doing Business in Indonesia can help you to understand other areas of Islam and how it may impact your interactions with Indonesian counterparts so that you can show respect to their requirements in the most appropriate way.

Religious diversity is only one aspect of doing business in Indonesia which foreigners may find challenging. An intercultural training course will help you to understand the other cultural beliefs and attitudes you will find when doing business in Indonesia. The importance of the group, respect toward elders and different communication styles are some of areas anyone doing business in Indonesia may find different from what they are used to.

Understanding how your Indonesian counterparts think and behave in the context of the cultural diversity of their society will help you to successfully navigate Indonesian social and business culture and harness the immense benefits of this dynamic economy and culture.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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