INPUT

 

Focus on reading

1. Multinational companies can either attempt to use similar management methods in all their foreign subsidiaries, or adapt their methods to the local culture in each country or continent. Which procedure do you think is the most efficient?

 

2. Do you think the culture of your country is similar enough to those of neighbouring countries to have the same management techniques? Or are there countries nearby where people have very different attitudes to work, hierarchy, organization, and so on?

 

3. A Dutch researcher, Fons Trompenaars, and his associates, have asked nearly 15,000 business people in over 50 countries a number of questions which reveal differing cultural beliefs and attitudes to work. Here are five of them. They concern ways of working, individuals and groups, rules and personal friendships, and so on. What are your answers to the questions?

1) If you had to choose, would you say that a company is (a) a system designed to perform functions and tasks in an efficient way, using machines and people, or (b) a group of people whose functioning depends on social relations and the way people work together? 2) What is the main reason for having an organizational structure in a company? (a) So that everyone knows who has authority over whom, or (b) so that everyone knows how functions are allocated and coordinated? 3) Will (a) the quality of an individual’s life improve if he or she has as much freedom as possible and the maximum opportunity to develop personally, or (b) the quality of life for everyone improve if individuals are continuously taking care of their fellow human beings, even if this limits individual freedom and development? 4) A defect is discovered in a production facility. It was caused by negligence by one of the members of a team. Would you say that (a) the person causing the defect by negligence is the one responsible, or (b) because he or she is working in a team the responsibility should be carried by the whole group? 5) Imagine that you are a passenger in a car driven by a close friend who hits and quite seriously injures a pedestrian while driving at least 25 kilometres an hour too fast in town. There are no other witnesses. Your friend’s lawyer says that it will help him a lot if you testify that he was driving within the speed limit. Should your friend expect you to do this?

 

4. Read the portraits of managers in five different countries and decide which country each one corresponds to. How did you guess?

 

Germany     Poland     Sweden The United States The United Kingdom

 

Managers from this country: consider professional and technical skills to be very important; have a strong sense of authority; respect the different positions in the hierarchy of their companies; clearly define how jobs should be done; are very loyal to their companies and expect their subordinates to obey them; are often older than in other countries. 

Managers from this country: receive a general education; delegate authority; take a practical approach to management; have relatively formal relationships at work; encourage their employees to work individually; believe it is important to continue education and training at work.

Managers from this country: consider social qualities to be as important as education; encourage their employees to take an interest in their work; pay close attention to the quality of working life; do not use as much authority as in other countries; appreciate low-level decision-making; are often women. 

Managers from this country: generally attend business schools; communicate easily and informally at work; admire the qualities of a leader; expect everyone to work hard. Individual performance is measured and initiative is rewarded; have competitive and aggressive attitudes to work; often accept innovation and change. 

Managers from this country: have either gained their experience in state-owned enterprises or are competitive self-starters;older managers hold technical degrees rather than business qualifications; work very long hours and expect their subordinates to do so; are extremely innovative, optimistic and determined; are quick to invest in the development of new products, market techniques and methods of production and distribution.

In groups, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to management, and say which one you personally would find most attractive. Do any of these profiles correspond to management practices in your country (or in the country you are familiar with)?

 

Culture note 

Matrix management is the interface of an organization both vertically and horizontally. Traditional organizations consist of horizontal layers with a distinct line of command. Under matrix management, people may report to more than one person. Therefore, you could have a Salesmen report to the Finance Manager or a Production Supervisor report to the Chief Technology Officer. The balancing of horizontal and vertical structures creates a matrix or grid whereby people move according to projects. Thus, the organizational chart looks like a series of vertical department columns crossed over by a series of horizontal project rows. By moving people around according to projects, skills are improved and human resource capital is enhanced.

 

Reading 

1. Read the text below, and see if your suggestions above coincide with the countries mentioned.

 

CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT

 

Managing a truly global multinational company would obviously be much simpler if it required only one set of corporate objectives, goals, policies, practices, products and services. But local differences often make this impossible. The conflict between globalization and localization has led to the invention of the word ‘glocalization’. Companies that want to be successful in foreign markets have to be aware of the local cultural characteristics that affect the way business is done.

A fairly obvious cultural divide that has been much studied is the one between, on the one hand, the countries of North America and north-west Europe, where management is largely based on analysis, rationality, logic and systems, and, on the other, the Latin cultures of southern Europe and South America, where personal relations, intuition, emotion and sensitivity are of much greater importance.

The largely Protestant cultures on both sides of the North Atlantic (Canada, the USA, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia) are essentially individualist. In such cultures, status has to be achieved. You don’t automatically respect people just because they’ve been in a company for 30 years. A young, dynamic, aggressive manager with an MBA (a Master in Business Administration degree) can quickly rise in the hierarchy. In most Latin and Asian cultures, on the contrary, status is automatically accorded to the boss, who is more likely to be in his fifties or sixties than in his thirties. This is particularly true in Japan, where companies traditionally have a policy of promotion by seniority. A 50-year-old Japanese manager, or a Greek or Italian or Chilean one, would quite simply be offended by having to negotiate with an aggressive, well-educated, but inexperienced American or German 20 years his junior. A Japanese would also want to take the time to get to know the person with whom he was negotiating, and would not appreciate an assertive American who wanted to sign a deal immediately and take the next plane home.

In northern cultures, the principle of pay-for-performance often successfully motivates sales people. The more you sell, the more you get paid. But the principle might well be resisted in more collectivist cultures, and in countries where rewards and promotion are expected to come with age and experience. Trompenaars gives the example of a sales rep in an Italian subsidiary of a US multinational company who was given a huge quarterly bonus under a new policy imposed by head office. His sales – which had been high for years – declined dramatically during the following three months. It was later discovered that he was deliberately trying not to sell more than any of his colleagues, so as not to reveal their inadequacies. He was also desperate not to earn more than his boss, which he thought would be an unthinkable humiliation that would force the boss to resign immediately.

Trompenaars also reports that Singaporean and Indonesian managers objected that pay-for-performance caused salesmen to pressure customers into buying products they didn’t really need, which was not only bad for long term business relations, but quite simply unfair and ethically wrong.

Another example of an American idea that doesn’t work well in Latin countries is matrix management. The task-oriented logic of matrix management conflicts with the principle of loyalty to the all-important line superior, the functional boss. You can’t have two bosses any more than you can have two fathers. Andre Laurent, a French researcher, has said that in his experience, French managers would rather see an organization die than tolerate a system in which a few subordinates have to report to two bosses.

In discussing people’s relationships with their boss and their colleagues and friends, Trompenaars distinguishes between universalists and particularists. The former believe that rules are extremely important; the latter believe that personal relationships and friendships should take precedence. Consequently, each group thinks that the other is corrupt. Universalists say that particularists ‘cannot be trusted because they will always help their friends’, while the second group says of the first ‘you cannot trust them; they would not even help a friend’. According to Trompenaars’ data, there are many more particularists in Latin and Asian countries than in Australia, the USA, Canada, or north-west Europe.

 

2. Answer these questions on the text. 1) How would you explain the concept of ‘glocalization’? 2) Why might a 50-year-old Japanese manager be offended if he had to negotiate with or report to a well-educated but inexperienced 30-year-old American? 3) Why was the American concept of pay-for-performance unpopular in Italy, and in Asia, in Trompenaars’ example? 4) Why do universalists disapprove of particularists, and vice versa?

 

3. Find words in the text which mean the following:

the use of reasoning rather than emotions or beliefs; understanding or knowing without consciously using reason; respect, prestige or importance given to someone; having a higher rank because one is older; to have hurt feelings because someone is being disrespectful; money or something else given in recognition or good work; additional money given for better work or increased productivity; a feeling or shame and loss of dignity or self-esteem; to give up a job or position; according to accepted moral standards.

 

4. Work in groups and discuss these questions:

1) Would you like to work for a company that had a pay-for-performance policy? Does this only work for salespeople, or could it be extended to all jobs? 2) Would you say that you, personally, were individualist or collectivist? Particularist or universalist? What about the majority of people in your country? 3) Would you like to work in a team? Do you like the idea of matrix management, or would you rather report to only one powerful boss? 4) Do you believe that it is possible to sum up national characteristics known as stereotypes in a few words? Is there any truth in them? Do you find such stereotyping dangerous?

 

5. What is your idea of national stereotypes? To learn more, read the following article.

 

NATIONAL STEREOTYPES

 

Anyone who dares to talk about a “typical” Italian, etc, only needs to spend a day in that country to realize the error of his or her ways. But, outside Italy, the stereotype reasserts itself.

There are strong variations within most European races, in terms of different morphological types as well as the physical and psychological differences between generations (compare the young Spaniard or Sicilian with his or her grandparents...). In fact you can often see a similarity between foreigners of the same morphological or psychological type that far outweighs their national characteristics.

Yet these national characteristics, the stuff of stereotypes, are real and palpable enough to encourage an attempt to put them to paper – an act comparable to walking wittingly into a minefield with the prospect of emerging an arm or a leg the less. Most people would say one has to be deranged to take on the invidious task of trying to pigeon-hole one’s fellow Europeans.

National characteristics exist not just because of history – and certainly not because someone-or-other won the battle of something-or-other, as the history books imply. They are there as a result of exposure to a particular set of influences: climate, culture, a particular social order, even language (in a curiously roundabout way) and cuisine.

They surface as stereotypes. These stereotypes are often wild and wide of the mark, yet they say something about the race in question.

One thing for sure is that, once established, these stereotypes are devilishly difficult to extirpate. The square-headed kraut, the bowler-hatted limey, the bereted frog, the mustachioed dago will be around for a long time after the Single European Market has done its job. Likewise, Continentals and Americans still think fondly of London’s peasoupers even though there haven’t been any for thirty years or more.

Such cultural mindsets, reflecting seminal attitudes and prejudices, have roots that go deep into a country’s collective subconscious.

There was a striking example of this in the article by George Mikes in the Spanish edition of an international magazine, in his English-language original, talking about a row with a friend at a football match, he used the rather convoluted phrase “he called your mother-tongue barbaric”. The translator, having a mindset about traditional forms of Spanish abuse, rendered this as “llamaba a su madre un bdrbaro del tribu tonga”. Translated back, this means “he called your mother a barbarian of the Tongue tribe”, wherever or whatever the “Tongue tribe” may be.

Now, if you know the traditional Spanish propensity for attributing all sorts of dubious behavior and antecedents to the other party’s mother in times of stress, you will understand everything. If you don’t, never mind. Just take it that it demonstrates the ease with which one can slip into the habit of thinking a particular way about a culture, even one’s own.

 

6. Argue for or against the following debating themes:

1) “By creating national stereotypes, we perpetuate racial disharmony”; 2) “The north of any given country is more down-to-earth, more businesslike, more prosaic and more freedom-loving than the south of that country (which is more idealistic, more easy-going, but less reliable or businesslike)”; 3) “Stereotypes can be positive or negative in their valorization, depending on the political and economic circumstances”.

 

7. What would you tell a foreign visitor about “good manners” in your country?

 

8. Give a critical analysis of good and bad points of your countrymen.

 

9. What’s your own opinion on the jokes made at the expense of particular nationalities?

 

Culture note 

Cross cultural differences can negatively impact a business in a variety of ways, whether in team cohesion or in staff productivity. In such multicultural companies, objective help may be needed through a cross cultural consultant who will show teams and individuals how to manage communication and work together more cohesively and productively.

 

10. All over the world organizations are finding themselves increasingly engaged in cross-cultural communication, whether they are doing business in another country, sourcing products from abroad, managing an increasingly multicultural workforce, or appealing to customers from a variety of cultural backgrounds. As a result, intercultural communication skills are not a distant need for the future, but a real need right now in the workplace. What country would you like to do business in the future? What should you know about cultural peculiarities of the country before you go?

 

11. You have an opportunity to do business in one of the following countries: Egypt, China, Spain, Germany. Which one would you choose? In your opinion, what are peculiarities of doing business in this country? Read the information on the county selected. Take notes on the main groups of cultural differences.

 

EGYPT

Communication and behaviour

 

- Since there are plenty ofgreeting styles in Egypt, it is safest to wait for your counterpart to initiate the greeting, especially at a first meeting.

- Arab men usually walk hand in hand although Western-style Egyptians rarely do this. If an Egyptian holds your hand, accept this as a gesture of friendship.

- The left hand is considered unclean in Egypt. Unless you are handling something considered dirty, always use the right hand. Avoid gestures with the left hand.

- Pointing is considered extremely rude.

- Do not cross their legs when sitting. Moreover, showing the bottom of your foot is considered offensive.

- The “thumbs up” sign is offensive in Egypt and the entire Arab world.

- Strict Muslims won’t touch alcohol or pork. If you invite an Egyptian to a social event, make sure there is a selection of non-alcoholic drinks available.

- Don’t ‘wipe out’ your plate. Leaving a small portion of food means you have had enough.

- When eating in an Egyptian home, adding salt to your food is considered an offence.

- Egyptian cotton, sports (football, boxing) and achievements of the past are popular conversation topics.

- Women (inquiring about female members of your counterpart’s family) and Israel are topics to avoid.

- Presents are acceptable but make sure you give or receive them with the right hand and never with the left. Using both hands is acceptable. Small electronic devices, chocolates and fashionable compasses are popular gifts.

 

Doing business

 

- A typical business day is usually from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm in the summer and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm with an extra 5:00 to 7:00 pm in the winter.

- No business is conducted on Friday, the Muslim holy day. Most people don’t work on Thursdays either.

- Working hours for businesses and government offices are shortened during the Ramadan.

- Punctuality is not as much of a priority. Your counterpart may be late for the appointment or won’t show up at all.

- Indeed, it is a common practice to keep foreign trade partners waiting. You may not be able to hold more than one appointment per day. Besides, Cairo is well known for its traffic congestion.

- Appointments with traditional Arab entrepreneurs are rarely private. Interruptions in the form of phone calls and visits from friends and family are to be expected. Remain calm and understanding.

- You should have an Egyptian agent to do business in this country. If you’re doing business in both Cairo and Alexandria, it’s recommended that you have a separate agent for each city.

- Business cards should be printed in English on one side and in Arabic overleaf.

- Business documents should include two dates: the Gregorian (Western) and the Hijrah (Arabic) date.

- Visitors are expected to follow Egyptian discretion standards. Despite the country’s hot temperatures, most of the body must remain covered.

- Avoid wearing traditional clothing. Egyptians may find it offensive to see foreigners dressed in their traditional attire.

- The lewd gaze of an Egyptian man is usually a good indicator that a foreign woman’s dress is not ‘modest’ enough.

- The pace of business is much slower in Egypt than in Europe or the States. Producing ‘instant results’ is out of question.

- Business will not proceed until your counterpart decides that he likes you. The social side of the deal goes hand in hand with the work-related one.

 

CHINA

Communication and behaviour

 

- Negative answers are considered impolite. Answer “maybe”, “I’ll think about it”, or “we’ll see” instead of a blunt “no”.

- When your Chinese counterparts politely say “Not a big issue” or “The problem is not serious”, they usually mean “There are still problems”.

- Terms such as “Red China”, “Mainland China”, and “Communist China” are to be avoided. Just “China” will suffice. There is no need to avoid mentioning Taiwan as long as you call it “TaiwanProvince” or just “Taiwan”.

- Handshakes are popular but wait for your Chinese counterpart to initiate the gesture.

- Do not put your hands in your mouth as it is considered rude. Likewise, when in public, refrain from biting your nails, removing food from your teeth, and similar practices.

- Spitting in public is not acceptable anymore and it’s subject to a heavy fine.

- Most people should be addressed with a title followed by their last name. If a person does not have a professional title simply use “Mr.”, “Madam”, “Miss”, plus the last name. Unless you’re a convict communist, never refer to someone as “comrade.”

- Official policy in Chinese business culture forbids gifts.  The gesture is considered bribery, an illegal act in the country.

- “Eight” is deemed as one of the luckiest numbers in Chinese culture. If you receive eight of something, consider it a gesture of good will. “Six” is considered a blessing for smoothness and progress. “Four” is taboo because it means “death”. Other numbers such as “73” meaning “the funeral” and “84” meaning “having accidents” should be avoided.

- If invited to a banquette, wait to be seated, as there is a seating protocol based on hierarchy. Business is not discussed during the meal.

- During a meal, 20 to 30 courses can be served, so try not to eat too much at once. The trick is to tuck in a sample of each dish.

- Scorpions, locusts, snake skin, dog meat and blood are considered premium delicacies.

- Leaving an empty dish is perceived as if you were not given enough food: a terrible insult to the Chinese.

- Leaving food untouched will also purport offence. Even if you find a dish unappealing, try a small portion just for the sake of politeness.

- Slurping and belching at the table are acceptable: they are perceived as signs that you are enjoying the meal.

- Building a personal relationship (“guanxi”) during your business is very important. Part of this involves participating in the strong drinking culture that exists in the country.

- Sometimes, the Chinese enjoy testing the ability of a foreigner (“lou wai”) to handle alcohol, especially “er gua toe”, a powerful booze that might be compared to airline fuel. A good practice would be to eat something beforehand.

- If you want to avoid alcohol, your counterparts will accept medical excuses.

- Giving tips is generally considered an insult in China.

 

Doing business

 

- Being late for an appointment is a serious offence in the Chinese business culture.

- The best time for scheduling an appointment is April to June and September to October.

- Business hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Saturday.

- Many Chinese workers take a break between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. Almost everything ‘shuts down’ during this period, from lifts to phone services.

- Conservative suits are the norm. Bright colours of any kind are considered inadequate.

- It’ll be beneficial to bring your own interpreter to help you understand the intricacies of everything being said during meetings.

- Speak in short, simple, jargon-free sentences. Pause frequently.

- Before you arrive, have at least 20 copies of your proposal(s) ready for handing out.

- Printed presentation materials should be only in black and white. Colours are to be avoided.

- Belief in the communist party line will be dominant in all negotiations.

- “Saving face” is an important concept to bear in mind. Causing embarrassment or loss of composure can be disastrous for business negotiations.

- Exchanging business cards is common practice, so bring a plentiful supply. Make sure that one side is in English and the other in either Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese, depending on the region.

- Include your professional title on your business card, especially if you hold a decision-making tenure.

- If your business is the oldest or largest in your country, or has some other prestigious distinction, ensure that this is stated on your card.

- Having your business cards printed in gold ink is a distinctive asset. In Chinese business culture, gold is the colour of prestige and prosperity.

- Tender your card with two hands and ensure that the Chinese side is facing the recipient.

- When receiving a business card examine it carefully for a few moments.

- People are expected to enter the meeting room in hierarchical order. The Chinese will assume that the first foreigner to enter the room will be the head of the delegation.

- The Chinese tend to extend negotiations far beyond the official deadline to gain some advantage.

- Be patient, accept that delays will occur and do not mention deadlines.

- When the meeting is finished, you are expected to leave before your Chinese counterparts.

- You may have to go back several times to achieve your objectives. Chinese businesspeople prefer to establish a strong relationship before closing a deal.

 

SPAIN

Communication and behaviour

 

- Lifestyle in Spain is at odds with that of Northern Europe: it is unhurried, loud and smoke-filled.

- A general “buenos días” (good-morning) or “buenas tardes” (good-afternoon) on entering a shop or bar and “adios” (good bye) on leaving is expected.

- In conversation, the Spanish aren’t likely to stand uncomfortably close, but they may still pat your arm or shoulder.

- The expansive body language of a Spaniard should not be misunderstood or mistaken for anger.

- If you feel uncomfortable with such gestures, it will only cause offence trying to retreat into your own private space.

- Foreign blonde women continue to hold a particular fascination for the older generations. 

- Although it is now considered rude to whistle, women must be prepared for lengthy gazes from admiring males.

- A tip of 5% in restaurants and 10% in taxis will be appreciated.

- Public toilets are rare but it is quite acceptable to use the facilities of a café or bar even if you are not a customer.

- Yawning or stretching in public is considered vulgar.

- Meals in Spain (for coffee, lunch, tapas, dinner) are the perfect occasion for establishing personal relationships and rapport with your business partners.

- Spanish men are usually willing to accept a lunch or dinner invitation from a businesswoman although she must take care to remain strictly professional all times.

- During a meal, you should make an effort to eat everything, as it is considered rude to dump food. 

- You should only accept a refill if you are confident that you can finish it.

- When you have finished, you should place your knife and fork parallel on the plate, otherwise it will be assumed that you want more to eat.

- If you are up to drinking spirits, you should know that Spanish measures are usually extremely generous.

- Your home country, Spanish football and flamenco are good topics of conversation. Gibraltar, Franco and religion are likely to put your counterpart off.

- In the Spanish business culture, gifts are usually offered only at the conclusion of successful negotiations.

- You should ensure that it is a high-quality item and that it is finely wrapped.

- If you are offered a gift, you should open it immediately and in front of the giver.

- If you are invited to a Spanish home, you should bring chocolates, dessert items (pastries) or flowers (not chrysanthemums, white lilies or red roses) in an odd number that is not thirteen.

 

Doing business

 

- Most offices are generally open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 1:30 /2:00 pm (morning) and from 4:30 /5:00 pm until about 8:00 pm (afternoon).

- Banks and government offices open 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday to Friday and may not reopen at all in the afternoon.

- Whilst the “siesta” is still a distinctive feature of the Spanish way of life, Spain no longer ‘shuts down’ completely for the afternoon.

- Business can be conducted over meals but be aware that the Spanish regard eating mainly as a sociable activity.

- Spain is one of the least punctual countries in the whole Europe. Be prepared to keep waiting for some 15-30 minutes.

- It is always polite to use the basic titles of courtesy: “Señor” (Mr), “Señora” (Mrs), “Señorita” (Miss) followed by the surname.

- Spaniards are very conscious about dressing and will perceive your appearance as an indication of your professional status.

- Designer clothes and brand names will be noticed with approval.

- Business cards should be printed in English on one side and in Spanish overleaf.

- You should hand your card with the Spanish side facing the recipient.

- It is also recommended to bring plenty of literature about your company, samples of your products or demonstrations of your services.

- It is always helpful to provide a printout of the summary of your presentation in Spanish.

- Personal contacts are vital for all business success in Spain.

- You should select your Spanish representatives with care because, once you have made your choices, it can be extremely hard to change allegiance to other people.

- Honour and personal pride mean everything in Spanish culture. You should avoid insulting the Spanish ego at all costs.

 

GERMANY

Communication and behaviour

 

- If you do not speak German, be careful of addressing a person in English.

- While Germans can speak very good English, some may well feel offended by the presumption.

- Germans don’t expect to be greeted by strangers (“since I don’t know this person there is no need to get into superficial pleasantries”).

- Germans usually prefer third-party introductions whenever possible.

- Praising is not part of German business protocol and will often cause embarrassment.

- Football, recent holidays, work and beer are good conversation topics.

- World War II, the Holocaust and personal inquiries (salary, cost of personal objects, family) are to be avoided.

- German etiquette regarding who should pay the bill at the end of a meal is quite peculiar. The person who extends the invitation will be the person who pays.

- They do not expect you at all to fight for the bill. Your persistence will result in a serious offence.

- In Germany, a small gift is considered polite, especially when contacts are made for the first time.

- Substantial gifts are not usual, and certainly not before a deal has been reached.

- Gifts are expected in social events, especially to express your gratitude after being invited to a dinner party at a home.

- Avoid selecting anything obviously expensive. A bouquet of flowers (not in red) to the house lady will be a good choice.

- After returning home, remember to send a hand-written card to your hosts for their invitation.

- For restaurants and taxis, a tip of 10% or slightly less will be sufficient.

 

Doing business

 

- Punctuality in the German business culture is sacred.

- Arriving 15 minutes late will be considered a very serious offence and could mean a shaky start to any potential business relations.

- The best time to schedule a business appointment is between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm or between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

- Avoid scheduling appointments on Friday afternoon, as some offices will close by 2:00 pm or 3:00 pm on Fridays.

- Dress in corporate business is formal, dark and conservative for both men and women. Dress codes in the IT sector are more casual.

- Bring a plentiful supply of business cards. Unless you will be exclusively dealing with Germans, it is not necessary to have the reverse side translated.

- Germans should be addressed by the academic title given on their card (e.g. “Dr.”).

- In your card, include your full title or position, any university degrees you have earned and professional organisations membership.

- Germans will arrive at the meeting well informed, and expect the same from you.

- German executives tend to be analytical thinkers, requiring lots of facts and examples from the other side to support their position.

- German businesspeople tend to be traditionally cautious of new ideas and concepts. Institutional change comes very slowly and often quite reluctantly.

- Unlike North Americans, Australians and Spaniards, which are typically “high risk-taking” cultures, German businesspeople tend to be traditionally cautious to new ideas and concepts.

- Flexibility and spontaneity are not common traits in the German business culture.

- When you are preparing promotional material, be aware that German executives are not impressed by glitzy advertising, illustrations or memorable slogans.

- Germans don’t find it hard to say “no”, “I can’t”, or “This is impossible”.

- Decision-making is slow, protracted and every detail relating to your proposal will be carefully examined.

 

12. Draw a grid like the one below. Use your notes to fill in the first column. Then fill in the information on the country selected.

 

Groups of cultural differences	Egypt	China	Spain	Germany
Greeting style
Common topic of conversation / topics to avoid
?

 

13. Interview other members of the class to complete the grid.

 

Culture note 

1. When researching a country’s culture, remember that the information you find reflects cultural priorities, that is, what most of the people do most of the time. Generalizations such as these are useful; however, they should not be used as rigid stereotypes, but as dynamic, changeable prototypes that provide a starting point for beginning to understand a different culture. If you want to know what a specific person in a culture values, you need to get to know him / her. Every person within a culture has a unique background and set of previous experiences that shape his or her value preferences.

 

2. For relationship-minded people, the establishment of warm personal feelings is the gateway to business, and they invest time in getting to know their clients through hospitality. China and much of the Asia-Pacific region conform to this model. But task-minded people rely on task completion or systems: sign the agreement, do the job as specified, pay on time – that’s all you ask.