1) Imagine you are the management team of a US-owned pharmaceutical company entering into a joint venture with a partner in a Latin American country of your choice. Using Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, and other relevant materials, explore the potential cultural problems in international team working between parent and subsidiary managers. Make recommendations as to how these problems might be overcome.

There is no doubt that doing business with another country is a challenge, and when there are cultural differences as well, it can seem formidable. Although different Latin American countries have certain similarities, there are also some profound cultural differences, some of which are comforting to USA and UK exporters. Since all aspects of consumer behavior are culture bound, there is an increased need to identify and integrate this interaction and its’ impact on global advertising and marketing. Geert Hofstede’s work can be used to explain the differences between countries and act as a guide in increasing global efficiency in marketing.
Across all Latin American markets there are profound cultural similarities that in turn pertain to business operations with USA enterprises. High Uncertainty Avoidance and often Low Individualism prevail. Based on studies and data, the large majority of predominantly Catholic countries (those with Uncertainty Avoidance as their highest ranking Dimension) have a low tolerance for ambiguity.
As Geert Hofstede explains about peoples with a high Uncertainty Avoidance Index, their attitude is, “There can only be one Truth and we have it.” This creates a highly rule-oriented society that institutes laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order to reduce the amount of uncertainty within the population. If we explore and compare Brazil´s culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep