INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

International Business

Table of Content

International business3

Affect of cultural issues on International Business3

Example of a culture clash:8

Example clash:9

Self Expression and Individuality9

Time9

Example clash:10

Listening with an open mind13

Non-verbal and Verbal behaviour13

Gestures14

Marketing Mistakes in International Business15

Eliminating marketing efforts when times get tight17

Not measuring results17

Putting all your marketing dollars in one area18

My company Examples22

Strength & Weakness23

Strengths24

Weakness24

Reference30

International business

Affect of cultural issues on International Business

Understanding cultural differences is a critical aspect of international business. An international manager is not expected to master the cultures of the world; however, understanding the ways culture affects business is necessary. When selecting markets for entry or as a source of supply, an international manager must become familiar with the specific cultural factors, business etiquette and issues involved in conducting business abroad (Hofstede, 2005). Every year thousands of people accept the challenge of working abroad with little idea of the experience that awaits them, the problems that will confront them and the cultural issues they will need to deal with when working abroad (Hofstede, 2005).

Doing business on a global basis requires a good understanding of different cultures. What works in your country might not work well in another, and could even be interpreted as an insult! And in your role as an international human resources professional, it's important to raise the awareness of cultural issues within your organization to ensure effectiveness (Hill, 2008).

The broad ideological framework of a country, corporation, or situation is the most important determinant of the cultural identity that people develop in a given locale (Triandis, 2004). The 'melting pot' ideology suggests that each cultural group loses some of its dominant characteristics in order to become mainstream: this is assimilation, or what Triandis (2004) calls subtractive multiculturalism. In contrast, when people from a cultural group add appropriate skills and characteristics of other groups, it may be called integration, or additive multiculturalism.

Multicultural communication, negotiation, and management, as well as other business practices, have gained significance in our global economy, easily reflected in our field's publications (see, for example, The Journal of Business Communication, and Journal of Business and Technical Communication) (Hall, 2001). The concepts, however, of cultural differences and their effects on communicating and doing business in the 1990s are complex, with several competing terms in use. In this article, I identify the terms for cultural differences and examine their implications (Hall, 2001). Then, I present two approaches to an assignment to introduce cultural issues to MBA students in business communication classes and the results of those assignments. My purpose is not only to suggest ways to incorporate an understanding of the impact of cultural differences into the business communication class but also to encourage more discussion about diversity within a focal culture and its impact on communication (Hall, 2001).

The terms multicultural and intercultural are often used in reference to the culture of another country. In Helen Sharp's "Challenging Students to Respond to Multicultural Issues" (2005), for example, each of the two case studies asks students to consider how an American will work in another ...