Identify Some Cutural Mistakes

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PG1

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: IDENTIFY SOME CULTURAL MISTAKES

TOURO UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL

GEORGE L. HALL

MODULE IV CASE ASSIGNMENT

INTERNATIONAL BUSINEE 401

DR. DAVID HUNT

DR. FADIA AKHALIL

14 MARCH 2008

IDENTIFY SOME CULTURAL MISTAKES

Some of the cultural mistakes in the first article (The pitfalls of cross-cultural business) were made when people mistook there own cultural beliefs or definitions of certain to mean the same while visiting another country. In 1950 former President Nixon while visiting Brazil waved the “A-Okay” sign to show the Brazilian people his good intentions. But the “A-Okay” sign in America is actually the equivalent to giving someone the middle finger in Brazil. Another occasion is when in the Middle East the bottom of the foot should not be shown because it is considered to be dirty. But for us Americans we have a habit of crossing our legs when we sit down. Other instances include things like alcohol during business meetings is seen as proper in places like Asia or Hungry. To refuse a drink can be seen as being rude or untrustworthy. In these places it is also customary to refill each other glasses so if you do not wish to have your drink refilled then be careful not to allow your glass to become to Timing is also very important depending on where you are at. If you are visiting Germany or Sweden people are almost always on time, but in Costa Rica, Spain, and especially Italy people tend to be tardy or late so be careful to not jam your schedule with appointments. In Japan gift giving is mandatory. The gift should always be wrapped in red or gold wrapping and should be presented with both hands. One should never open the gift in front of the gift giver because this is a sign of disrespect. Also in America business person are usually straight forward and direct but in Asia business persons are often indirect. This can cause most Americans to view them as dishonest when in actuality they trying to be polite.

I think the best way a company should manage its cultural mistakes would be to hire someone who is from that region or to hire someone who has expert knowledge on the particular region. For instance in India Subway chose two brothers from the region but who had been educated in the United States. This was a good idea not necessarily because they were educated in the United States but because they were from the region and knew the customs and the culture. It was also wise to choose them because of their family background of running a business even if it still took at least two years to negotiate a deal. The brothers also understood that if you are bringing a new product