Question

Given the growing importance of internatianal trade, One is to address differences in business culture between the US and another country. In particular, pointing out behaviors that US business people should avoid, last they offend a potential customer in another country, or behaviors that would help facilitate a transaction. (Please write at least 200 words!)

Answer 1

In International Human Resource Management, culture means acquired knowledge that is used to interpret experience and generate social behaviour. The cultural orientation of a society affects behaviour and attitudes of people. As such, awareness about differences in cultures around the world becomes important for a global manager.

Understanding the local country culture allows global managers to build a diverse and integrated unit of people, leading to improved communication that ultimately results in higher productivity. Cultural values vary across nations. While Japanese and Chinese managers stress on group cooperation, their American and Canadian counterparts prefer to work independently. As such, an American supervisor must know how to promote teamwork for motivating his subordinates while working with their Asian managers.

On the positive side, both American and Japanese managers love challenges and are result oreinted. As such, stressing on these aspects would help American managers develop a good relation with their Japanese counterparts.

In the Middle -East, caution must be exercised while greeting people as the cultural orientation is far different from America. One needs to be as formal as possible as people are very modest and traditional in both attire and mannerisms.

Germans are known to be very professional and so minimum chitter chatter from them. A formal dress code is followed in offices that is conservative and usually dark in color. On the other hand, French appreciate a hint of glamor when it comes to formal attire. Colourful ties and trendy briefcases are preferred by men while women add a hint of fashion to their otherwise formal attire by wearing high heels and painting their nails.

In some nations, revealing the soles of your shoes is considered disrespectful and should be hence avoided. Hand gestures also have different meanings in different cultures. In Britain, for instance, the age old victory sign is considered rude if made from a certain angle. Even Australia, New Zealand and Ireland find it offensive. The basic thumbs up feature could also land one in trouble if made in Italy or Greece. A pat on the head should be avoided in Thailand as the head is considered the most sacred body part there.

Thus, understating cultural differences can be considered an art that managers need to learn for becoming successful in the globalised corporate world .