In order to be successful in international business one must be knowledgeable in other cultures. This includes knowing cultural beliefs: a set of learned interpretations that form the basis for cultural members to decide what is and what is not logical and correct. Cultural values which is what a culture regards as good or bad, right or wrong, valuable or worthless, appropriate or inappropriate, etc. Cultural norms consist of things such as greeting behaviors, what is considered good manners, and how to gain someone’s attention. And social practices tie it all together, because it is the outward manifestation of beliefs, values and norms; consisting of the typical behavior patterns that individuals of a specific culture follow (Intercultural Communication, n.d.).
Italy is an Italian speaking country in south central Europe, it is beautiful not only for its landscape but for its history and culture. Rome has been religious and political center of western civilization as the capital of the Roman Empire. Italy is dubbed as the world’s “living art gallery” because you are always surrounded by magnificent pieces of art. Sculptures and paintings from some of the most brilliant artists in history were made and are found in Italy (World Explorer).
Ninety percent of the population in Italy is Roman Catholic; therefore most of the cultural in Italy is based around the Church and the love for art. This could make it very difficult for another culture to feel comfortable in Italy and be able to communicate if they do not share either the same values or respect for the Italian beliefs. Vatican City is a great example of Italian culture, combining both religion and art.
St. Peter’s Basilica is known to be “the greatest of all churches of Christendom” and the Vatican museums are among the greatest museums in the world due to their extravagant collection of art built by the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican City contains artworks by Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Perugino, Giotto and many more which is why over four million people visit a year (Hintzen-Bohlen, 117).
Aside from Vatican City there are landmarks around Italy, which portray a story that built the Italian culture. The Coliseum in Rome was built in 80 AD for gladiator contests, holding an audience of about fifty thousand. It is considered one of the greatest arts of the Roman architecture. This type of structure just shows you the intelligence and ingenuity Italians have. All of these magnificent artworks and stories provide Italian culture with a great sense of self discovery. Because the Roman Empire was built on public stature and wealth it makes sense that communication styles and patterns Italians carry today have not changed very much. Italian culture is very big on appearance. They believe the way you dress will indicate your social status. Italians also tend to be very expressive when communicating. They speak with a lot of emotion, and often use several gestures (“Italy - Language, Culture, Customs”). Brazil is a Portuguese speaking country located in South America. Brazil is known for its beautiful rainforest, islands, beaches and people. Brazil was originally colonized by the Portuguese in 1500 so a lot of traditions and culture traits come from Portugal and from the native Indians. Brazil has several important landmarks such as; Sugarloaf Mountain, Cristo Redentor, Iguaçu falls, Ipanema beach, Copacabana beach, the Amazon rainforest and many more breathe taking places to visit.
The Brazilian people are just as colorful and alive as its country; they are known for carnival, capoeira, samba and bosa nova. Capoeira is a mixture is martial arts, dance and music that was created in the 16th century. It is performed by using quick and complex moves which involved some acrobatic ability. Bosa nova is a mixture of samba and jazz which became popular in the 60’s. Carnaval and samba show you a lot of the values Brazilian culture carries. Samba originated in Bahia, it has a very fast pace rhythm with drums and a guitar.
Samba is a form of art and expression. Every year, forty-six days before Easter there is a carnival that goes on day and night for several days straight. This festival is to say bye to the bad and welcome Christ’s resurrection. During the festival different schools of samba portray a story and tell the history of Brazil. They use costumes, floats, music and dance as symbolization. Most businesses closes during carnival and everyone travels in celebration. It is the most famous holiday in Brazilian culture. Carnival is just an example of Brazilians strong religious and family values. Everything gets put on hold while families come together to celebrate Jesus. Brazilians festive way of welcoming Christ just shows you that they are a welcoming culture. When communicating with a Brazilian, you will be easily welcomed and help will always be given when it is needed.
Egypt is located in Africa, it is the world’s first nation state and powerful civilization that invented writing and built the first stone monuments (World Explorer). The first Pharaoh of Egypt was Narmer around 32 BC and the first pyramid was built in the 37 BC. Over several years pharaoh’s monuments and temples grew (Cervelló-Autuori, 174). On June 1953, Egyptian republic was declared and General Muhammad Naguib was the first president of the Republic. The current president is now Mohamed Moris which was elected after winning the 2012 Egyptian presidential election in June ("Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi Becomes Egypt's First Civilian President."). For most Egyptians life and lifestyle have changed little for hundreds of years. For the majority population, things are as they have always been. Egyptians have a prevailing attitude that whatever will be will be (World Explorer).
Most Egyptians tend to stand very close to one another when communicating which can be misconstrued by other cultures as invasion of personal space but it is a normal characteristic. It is common that Egyptians tend to be loud and shout when they speak but it does not mean they are fighting it just means they are demonstrating emotion towards the topic ("Egyptian Communication Styles”). It is normal for Egyptians to only do business with those they know and respect. And it is said that direct eye contact is a sign of honesty and sincerity ("Egypt - Language, Culture, Customs."). Also using the left hand alone to exchange an item with an Egyptian is considered rude and a cultural norm (Intercultural Communication, n.d.).
Japan is located in Asia where they have very strong social practices. Japan is a fascinating country with a traditional culture and practices that are centered around temples shrines, kabuki and tea ceremonies and museums packed with treasures from Japan’s rich artistic heritage. Japan has several social practices that are known around the world. The love of Japanese food and chopsticks are some of them. Sushi, tempura and sukiyaki are best known globally but what most people don’t know is that Japanese restaurants tend to specialize in one type of cuisine. Okonomiyaki diners specialize in a mixture of meat, seafood and vegetables fried up in a cabbage with vegetables better; and Sukiyaki restaurants serve thinly sliced beef, vegetables and tofu cooked in broth (World Explorer). Chop sticks have many unwritten rules and traditions, for example; it is considered particularly taboo to pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks, as this is how bones are handled by the family of the deceased after a cremation (Bosrock, 56-57). Another Japanese custom is treating invitations seriously, if you except to do something it becomes and obligation. Also when you are given a gift you must first refuse it, and then accept it with both hands. These types of social practices can make it confusing for a visitor and the Japanese may even come off as cold and rude but on the contrary, to them it is very important to keep harmony at all costs (Intercultural Communication, n.d.).
Every culture has a different cultural belief, cultural value, cultural norm and social practice. It is important that when traveling and doing business with different cultures we make ourselves aware that what is a “given” to us, may not be the same to someone with a different culture. To become a competent intercultural communicator it is important to understand which values are important to specific cultures (Intercultural Communication, n.d.).

Works Cited
Bosrock, Mary Murray. Asian Business Customs & Manners: A Country-by-Country Guide. Simon and Schuster. N.p.: Simon and Schuster, 2009. Print. Pp. 56–57.
Cervelló-Autuori, Josep. Narmer, Menes and the Seals from Abydos. Cairo: American University in Cairo, 2000. Print.
"Egypt - Language, Culture, Customs." Egypt. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012. .
"Egyptian Communication Styles." Business Communication Styles in Egypt and Successful Communication with Egyptian Businesses and Colleagues. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012. .
"Gochisosama." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012. .
Hintzen-Bohlen, Brigitte, and Jürgen Sorges. Art & Architecture Rome and the Vatican City. Cologne: Könemann, 2001. Print.
"Italy - Language, Culture, Customs." Italy. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012. .
"Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi Becomes Egypt's First Civilian President." The Christian Science Monito. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012.