The Global Marketplace

Goal

Understanding Customs and Traditions

The American Business Culture:

Foreign Business Culture:

• We are seen as people who are always rushing, always on the go

• Time is viewed as money – to waste time is to waste money

• Punctuality is a must

• Basic Puritan work ethic = the harder we work the greater the rewards. This leads us to being known as ‘workaholics.’

• Some countries such as Australia, Israel, Germany, and Switzerland, and the Scandinavian countries approach business similar to the US

• In Arab, South America, and some Asian countries, time is flexible and people often arrive late to meetings and appointments. They are not tied to schedules.

One of the major problems in conducting business in foreign countries is a lack of understanding of those countries’ customs, traditions, and laws.

A common misconception people have is that all other people think and behave as they do.

Before you are able to understand other cultures it is necessary that you first understand your own.

The American Business Culture:

• Americans often conduct business at social functions and at home.

• Americans tend to be very direct in what they are looking for.

Gestures

• Gestures, as well as words, communicate ideas and feelings.

• In the US, a raised hand at a restaurant beckons a waiter. This is considered rude in most other cultures.

• The American hand gesture for “okay” is a vulgar sign in some cultures.

• Since they convey different meanings in different cultures, it is best to avoid using them.

Develop a Conversational Strategy

Tailoring Your Communication

• Speak slowly
• Enunciate your words clearly and avoid contractions.
• Use easy to understand words – avoid expression and idioms that cannot be translated literally
• Repeat, paraphrase, and summarize
• Use Positive Body Language – a smile conveys friendliness, happiness, and approval.
• Adapt Your Written Communications
• Use short simple sentences
• Don’t use idioms, clichés, or slang
• Avoid any attempt at humor
• Be polite using words such as please, thank you, appreciate, and grateful

Foreign Business Culture:

• Whether you are speaking or writing, you need to adjust your communication style to accommodate your foreign counterpart.

• The most important rules is to use and pronounce names correctly.

• If in doubt about using or pronouncing someone’s name, ask “what would you like me to call you?”

• Confusions can easily occur. In South America last names are hyphenated. One is the surname of the father and one is that of the mother, with the father’s being first.

• In Brazil the mother’s name is first. In China a person’s surname appears first. Many Chinese reverse this order to accommodate Americans. It is best to ask how they would like to be called.

LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES

Non-English Speaking Countries

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-july-16-2007/language-burier

Symbols

Typical Business Problems:

• English is recognized as the universal language of business, but not every international businessman can speak and understand it. To escape embarrassment, they may nod or say yes but often they do not fully understand what is being said. You cannot assume that just because a person says he understands English does it mean that he is fluent in it.

• Before you arrive in a non-English speaking country you need to learn about its history, customs, food, and dress so that you will not offend anyone.

• It is best to use an interpreter so that misunderstandings and problems do not develop. However, it is important that you discuss your goals and objectives with the interpreter beforehand.

Generally, people in the US speak only English while people in foreign countries are often multilingual. Africans have many dialects. Japan has three distinct languages.

English Speaking Foreign Countries

• Americans cannot assume that they will have no difficulty speaking in countries that speak English. This is because accents, dialects, and vocabulary differences can lead to misunderstandings.

• In England a bonnet is a hood of a car, a counter jumper is a salesman, and a panda is a police car.

• There are also many spelling differences as well.

• These people tend to be not as direct as Americans. At meetings they often engage in social conversation, coffee drinking, and other idle conversation. They use first meetings not to close a deal, but to get acquainted and to evaluate the people they will be working with.

• If an American businessman attempts to hurry this procedure this will only set back any business proposals.

• In the US, the scent of lemon means freshness. In the Philippines a lemon is connected with illness.

• In Japan the number 4 is considered unlucky like our number 13. In Ghana, Keny, and Singapore our lucky 7 is unlucky.

• In India the owl is bad luck as our black cat is.

• In Japan a fox is associated with witches.

• The stork is a sign of maternal death in Singapore. Here, it is a sign of birth.

• In Arab countries sunsets are associated with death and sickness. Here, it is a sign of birth and pleasure.

• Be careful how you use symbols.

What are 3 tips

you learned from

these videos about

communicating

with other cultures?

Commercial enterprises worldwide are no longer just domestic markets. Through the use of:

•Television penetration • Newspaper coverage

• Tourism • Immigration • Advanced communication systems

Markets cross all national boundaries. Countries throughout the world now operate in the global marketplace.

All this is possible because the barriers of time and distance have diminished through the use of new technology. However, now cultural and language barriers hamper exchange in the global marketplace.

McDonald's America:

McDonald's Commercials

McDonald's Egypt:

Name two similarities that the commercial has to American McDonald's commercials. Then, name two differences.

McDonald's China:

The Global Marketplace

Name two similarities that the commercial has to American McDonald's commercials. Then, name two differences.

Why does McDonald's succeed in the global marketplace?

McDonald's

McDonald's India

Name two similarities that the commercial has to American McDonald's commercials. Then, name two differences.

The new age of global mobility (ideas, traded goods, and services across the world) and awareness has increased people’s desire to exchange products and services such as:

• Cars • Cameras • Television • Tennis sneakers

• Designer clothing • Tools • Computers • Banking

• Insurance • Medical Services • Consulting Services

• Tacos • Burritos • Lasagna

• Sushi • McDonald’s

Foods have gone global such as:

Nike Breaks Record: http://adage.com/article/the-viral-video-chart/nike-breaks-viral-record-world-cup-ad/144083/

Why do you think this commercial broke records?