...Brazilian Adaptation When dealing with business matters in another country or with professionals from another country, it is important to recognize any cultural differences that could cause potential problems if not handled properly. Communication styles can vary drastically between the cultural divides of our great planet. Verbal, as well as nonverbal, messages must be adapted to meet the needs of whichever country is being courted. Brazil is no different. While there are many similarities between the U.S. and Brazil, one major difference, on the business front, is the communication style. While most U.S. business offices are very formal in terms of ideas and debate, utilizing mostly written protocol, Brazilian business professionals tend to communicate matters more orally. According to “Brazilian Communication Styles” (2010) website, the manner in which meetings are discussed can be extremely emotional and often theatrical when compared to the traditional U.S. model. Exaggerated body language and intense eye contact can illuminate any board meeting. If one were to not understand this cultural contrast, certain negative implications could arise. The top echelon of the American business world is dominated by males, this is a known fact. Therefore, most companies are not used to catering to female leaders. However, Brazil is leading the way for a new breed of CEO, the educated and motivated woman. Hewlett (2011), “In Brazil, 14% of the CEOs of large companies...
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...Negotiations: Theory & Practice Cultural Diversity in Negotiations It has been said that the Japanese often find United States negotiators as difficult to understand, because “unlike Japanese, the Americas are not racially or culturally homogenous”(1). Reading this statement is what lead me to write on Cultural Diversity in regards to Negotiations. What I have found is that while it is difficult to characterize any national or cultural approach to negotiations, generalizations are frequently drawn. While these generalizations are helpful it is essential to remember that they are only guidelines and not hard and fast rules. What I have found in my research is that any generalization will apply to some of the members of a group, some of the time. A great personal example is to consider a few generalizations about one or two groups that you currently belong to. In this report, some generalizations about cultural and national approaches to negotiation will be outlined. If negotiators understand that their counterparts may be seeing things differently than themselves, they will be less likely to make negative judgments and more likely to make progress in negotiations and this is why I think cultural diversity is so important to be aware of before walking into a negotiation. We will start out with the time orientations of monochronic and polychromic approaches across cultures. . Monochronic approaches to time are linear, sequential and involve focusing on one thing at...
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...believe in family and that family is a key part to life. Brazil is a place that is filled with variety and is not afraid to allow new cultures to their part of the world. Cultural Analysis In Brazil, the primary language is Portuguese. It was the Brazilians’ first language, but over time immigrants such as Italians, Germans, Japanese, and Spanish-speaking introduced new words and expression to their language. It is much easier for some Brazilians to understand Spanish language than other Latin American countries. The Portuguese they speak in Brazil is different from what they speak in Portugal. The language is so different. It’s just like the English spoken in the United States. However, in Brazil there are many customs. In fact, their daily communication style of Brazilian locals is typically relaxed and relatively informal. It is not unusual during a conversation to be interrupted. Although it’s not rude in their culture. Also, when communicating with locals they often touch each other lightly and stand close together. This is not to be mistaken as flirtation or inappropriate behavior. In addition, Capeoira is a unique form of martial arts that is special to Brazil. It came from the African people in Brazil. A tradition to Brazilians in Brazil is celebrations and carnivals. The two famous...
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...Carrefour and Grupo Pão de Açúcar Merger Intercultural Negotiation Rafael Campos de Oliveira November 2012 Contents Table Introduction Background Information a. Background Information of Carrefour b. Background Information of Pão de Açúcar c. Background Information of Groupe Casino 1. Situation before the negotiation 2. The proposal 3. Groupe Casino position 4. End of Negotiation 5. Future for Carrefour and Pão de Açúcar 6. Final commentaries 7. References Carrefour and Pão de Açúcar merger Introduction This paper will describe the negotiation to merge Pão de Açúcar, the largest retailer in Brazil, and Carrefour, the second largest supermarket chain in the world. The initial plan was to create a Brazilian super retail chain with a global presence but due to several reasons the negotiation didn’t succeed. These reasons will be presented in the following chapters, along with an analysis comparing the theories learned in the Intercultural negotiation class. The methodology of this research was based in articles published by newspapers, containing both analysis of this case and interviews with the people involved. Background information BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF CARREFOUR Carrefour S.A. is a one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world – according to public information – it had more than 1395 hypermarkets at the end of 2009. Carrefour is...
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...form, negotiation is a method of conflict resolution. It is a problem-solving process in which two or more parties attempt to resolve their disagreement or conflict in a manner, and through a process, that is mutually agreeable. Whereas the general concept of negotiation is easy enough to understand, in practice it can be an extremely difficult proposition. Opposing views about what is right and wrong, disagreement on what is fair and equitable, understanding each other’s message and form of communication, and even the procedures that will be used to conduct negotiations are but a few of the hurdles that negotiators will encounter. Negotiation is further complicated when the parties find themselves negotiating across dissimilar cultures. Culture is a powerful factor in shaping how people think, communicate and behave. It therefore affects how they negotiate. In business arena, negotiations are crucial aspects of inter-organizational relationships like joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and distribution agreements, and sales of products and services. As the proportion of foreign to domestic trade increases, so does the frequency of business negotiations between people from different countries and cultures. To successfully manage these negotiations, businesspeople need to know how to influence and communicate with members of cultures other than their own. This paper investigates the impact of culture on negotiations. It begins by defining negotiation, cross...
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...SUMMARY You may find certain aspects of Brazilian culture to be strange and quite different from what you are used to in Canada. One of the major differences is that Brazil is a collectivistic culture as measured on Hofstede’s Individualism Index, in contrast to Canada’s individualistic culture (Hofstede, 2014). Brazil’s collectivist nature will have many impacts on your daily interactions, including the Brazilian importance of family, which will often be place above work priorities (Training, 2012). Brazil is also different in its communication style, which tends to be more informal and indirect than Canada’s formal and direct style. Brazil is also considered a high-context culture, therefore it is important to pay attention to what is said, how it is said, and what is not said (Suderman, 2008). Another major aspect of Brazilian culture is the importance of building relationships before commencing business. Brazilians expect to get to know their business contacts through multiple meetings, in order to establish trust, and hopefully a friendship (DiPaolo, 2006). This process may take some time as it illustrates Brazil’s Polychronic orientation, which is more relaxed (slower) in nature and where the prevailing attitude is that “things will get done in their own time” (Suderman, 2008). Brazil is also very comfortable with inequality as evidenced by their high score on Hofstede’s Power Distance Index (Hofstede, 2014). As a manager in Brazil you will be expected to take absolute...
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...partners inheriting different national cultures. National culture can be defined as “historically evolved values, attitudes and meanings that are learned and shared by the members of a community and which influence their [...] way of life” (Tayeb, 2003, p.10). Hence, the crux for every international manager is to understand the differences in the ways employees, suppliers and clients think, feel and act in different business settings (Hofstede, 1997, p.4). International managers, being capable of managing this challenge, possess a set of intercultural competencies, allowing them to turn cultural diversity into a competitive advantage (Browaeys and Price, 2008, p.215). This information pack provides substantial information about Danish and Brazilian business practices. The subsequent analysis is based upon the theories of the Dutch anthropologists Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars. In particular, Hofstede’s “Uncertainty Avoidance” and Trompenaars’ “Ascription vs. Achievement” have been applied. 2. Theoretical Background Hofstede and Trompenaar are proponents of the ‘etic’ approach. They hold that culture is linked to people’s values. Furthermore they argue that these values can be transferred into universal cultural characteristics. Underpinned by empirical and experimental evidence, both anthropologists developed their set of bi-polar dimensions. According to Browaeys and Price (2008, p.92) these dimensions serve to differentiate national cultures. Moreover they provide implications...
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...system, and management style for doing business with respect to the culture and traditions of the country. Each country can be a real consideration for expanding your business in if the research is done by the business desiring to expand. If the research is not done properly, then without a doubt your business plan to expand will not be productive. Each of these countries it is easy to cause a great enough offense to the host country that it will be virtually impossible to enter into this country and have an effective business. The business must have a market advantage to expand in any country. The host country must feel they have respect and the wellbeing of their country before they will allow a business to enter into their country. A good example of this is when McDonalds entered into China. McDonalds needed to make some serious changes to their menu for the culture in which they intended to setup their business and they had to give certain guarantee’s to China about labor, customs, courtesies, and business involvement for political issues (Thuermer, 1998). A similar business move was required when McDonald’s established their self in England. England required a large amount of the product be produced by England for the product used. This research will look at Brazil, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia for a proposed business plan for implementation, with respect to the culture and how they are different in each country. What type of management style will be used and why...
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...|Differences |United States |China | |Ethnic Culture |Centered around Individuals |Centered around relationships | | |Minds their own business |Have an idea to save the world | |Culture |Outspoken; eloquent; effective communicators |Quiet and reserved; clumsy communicators | |Negotiation Style |More individual authority and distributed decision |Group decision; final say by the "boss" | | |making | | |Dealing with business counterparts |Direct; more matter-of-factly; memory for conflict |Indirect; courteous; take things personally; long | | |superseded by business objective |memory for both favors and humiliations | |Interpersonal |Relationship comes first |Economics comes first | |Tolerance of Diversity...
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...THE TOP TEN WAYS THAT CULTURE CAN AFFECT INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS by: Jeswald W. SalacuseIssues: March / April 2005. Categories: Global Business. * Share on LinkedIn * Share on googlePlus * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share by email When Enron was still – and only – a pipeline company, it lost a major contract in India because local authorities felt that it was pushing negotiations too fast. In fact, the loss of the contract underlines the important role that cultural differences play in international negotiation. For one country’s negotiators, time is money; for another’s, the slower the negotiations, the better and more trust in the other side. This author’s advice will help negotiators bridge the cultural differences in international negotiation. (This article first ran in the September/October 2004 issue of Ivey Business Journal). International business deals not only cross borders, they also cross cultures. Culture profoundly influences how people think, communicate, and behave. It also affects the kinds of transactions they make and the way they negotiate them. Differences in culture between business executives—for example, between a Chinese public sector plant manager in Shanghai and a Canadian division head of a family company in Toronto– can create barriers that impede or completely stymie the negotiating process. The great diversity of the world’s cultures makes it impossible for any negotiator, no matter how skilled and experienced...
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... a. True b. False 2. A "win-win" negotiation goal would best describe the integrative negotiation style. a. True b. False 3. Which one of the following is an effective technique for dealing with hard-ball tactics? a. Fight fire with fire b. Threaten and bluff until the other party is intimidated c. Plead for mercy d. Complain to the other party's constituents e. Ignore them 4. Which of the following approaches is inconsistent with interest-based negotiation? a. Separating the people from the problem b. Identifying shared interests c. Fully exploring the problem d. "Low-balling" and "high-balling" opening offers e. Inventing options for mutual gain 5. All of the following are well-regarded approaches to ethical reasoning, except: a. Duty b. Social contract c. "Personality" ? d. End results e. Absolute ethics 6. The following are true of coalitions, except: a. They rarely start with a founder b. They build by adding one member at a time c. They need to achieve critical mass d. They exclude members e. They sometimes form quietly and disband quickly 7. Which of the following would be an incorrect statement about multi-party negotiations? a. The number of parties greatly influences the process b. Information exchange tends to be more complex c. The social environment remains static d. Procedural complexity adds to the negotiation challenges e. They are strategically more...
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...India because of the A.superior technical knowledge of Indian workers B.extensive call center experience of Indian workers C.lower payroll costs associated with Indian workers D.customer preference for interacting with Indian workers 4) In the context of doing business in Asia, what is meant by the phrase "the contract is in the relationship, not on the paper"? A.Asian contracts are not legally binding for MNCs. B.Contracts are ceremoniously destroyed after they are written. C.Managers risk being offensive to Asians by requiring contracts. D.Managers should nurture the relationship to ensure the reliability of the contract. 5) The ________ model of leadership style has been recommended by American research studies as one more likely to have positive results with American employees. A.autocratic B.charismatic...
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...Pizza Hut History The Pizza Hut story began in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas where two brothers, Danny and Frank Caney, opened their first restaurant. Within one year, they franchised their first unit. In 1968, the company entered the international market with a store in Canada. The following year stores opened in Australia, Mexico and Germany. In 1977, Pepsico, leader in the snack and beverage industry acquired Pizza Hut, initiating its entrance into the restaurant industry. At that point in time, Pizza Hut consisted of approximately 3,200 units (Tricon website 2001). By 1989, Pizza Hut had stores in fifty four countries and in the same year the company opened its first location in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The parent company Pepsico grew later with the acquisition of Taco Bell and KFC, each brand expanding through the development of company-owned units and franchises throughout the world. In an effort to sharpen Pepsico’s focus, in 1997, it announced a plan to separate the company’s packaged goods and restaurant businesses. The new company was named Tricon Global Restaurants, and upon its formation became the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of units, and second in the world in terms of sales (Pepsico websitepress releases). The Tricon corporate philosophy promotes “A passion for putting a ‘YUM’ on people’s faces around the world… that special eating experience that makes you smile and creates lifelong customers” (Tricon website 2001). For all...
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...which is collaborative, innovative, imaginative, and which provides an exemplar for inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of Inter-Disciplinary Press. Inter-Disciplinary Press, Priory House, 149B Wroslyn Road, Freeland, Oxfordshire. OX29 8HR, United Kingdom. +44 (0)1993 882087 ISBN: 978-1-84888-309-3 First published in the United Kingdom in eBook format in 2014. First Edition. Table of Contents Introduction Patricia Hunt-Hurst and Sabrina Ramsamy-Iranah Part 1 ix Fashion: Past and Future Fashioning the Other: Representations of Brazilian Women’s Dress in National Geographic, 1888-1988 Elizabeth Kutesko 3 Elizabeth Keckly and Anne Lowe: Constructing Fashionable Black Identity Elizabeth Way 13 Barbara Hoff: Polish Fashion Dictator...
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...Nuova Accademia di Belli Arti Milano BERSHKA IN BRAZIL José Contreras Julia Avancini Maria José Gonzales Marina Gallati Fashion Marketing Communication Milano/2012 THE BRAND Bershka is one of the brands from the Inditex Group (which the sales represents 10% of the company), focus in the young public which like street style, music and art. The brand was created in April 1998 with a new conception of fast fashion and store, selling clothes just for women. In 2002 the company started to produce men collection too. The brand can be a reference point for fashion targeting because in just 2 years has consolidated its brand image with 100 shops. Nowadays the brand has 785 stores in 54 countries, and shopping at Bershka offeres the newest and hippest 21st century trends to their clients. MISSION The reason why Bershka exist is to offer to their consumers the best trends of the fast fashion world with an urban style, bringing new products to the stores in a short time. Therefore, the brand wakes the desire of buy in their clients, because is updating frequently and offering new products with different design all week. ENVIRONMENT Brazil is a country that is growing in a lot of aspects, especially economic facts. With a World Cup in 2014 and the Oplympics in 2016, all world are paying attention and thinking in ways to invest there. Not only have that, but the media (movie and television) focused attention in the country in the last years too. For...
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