Business Overseas
James Hall
AIU Online
Unit 5 IP

Business Overseas
“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”. -Mahatma Gandhi
In order for any business to travel overseas and find success they must first learn to understand and appreciate the culture in which they plan to thrive. Learning this and losing your sense of ethnocentrism, the belief that your own culture is superior to another, is something that many business fail to do and in turn never find success. In order to find success overseas we must first learn to view their culture with and open-mind, or cultural relativism, and judge them according to the standards of their society, not our own. You must look at many things before trying to establish a foothold overseas. To prevent culture clash you must recognize the barriers you may face including language, cultural values and cultural norms. One way to avoid language barrier is to make sure the plant opened in Asia has local personal that not only understand the language but also understand the region in which you expect to establish a foothold. If a business is unaware of the values in which the society holds they can risk offending rather than satisfying their desire for your product. This is why local personal is important. These individuals will not only be knowledgeable of the language, religion, values, and culture norms but they will be comfortable executing these values. This prevents the culture shock or disorientation one might feel when in a society with a culture different from our own. When trying to establish a foothold overseas there are a few very important questions one must answer before their attempt overseas. Failing to answer these questions can result in unforeseen difficulties later. These questions include “Is my product needed in Asia and Europe?” knowing the demand for your product in this new society