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Golden Week in Japan

Golden Week in Japan

April 29th, Showa Day, marks the start of Golden Week – a series of four holidays which has become the longest and one of the busiest vacation periods for most Japanese companies. The week continues with May 3rd celebrating Constitutional Memorial Day, Greenery Day on May 4th, and ends with Children’s Day on May 5th. Uniquely Japanese, Golden Week remains a significant holiday, but its…

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bWise Russia

Russia has certainly captured the headlines this past year, from geopolitical issues around the world to its interference in the US elections and unclear relationship with the new presidential administration. Will President Elect Trump reset the relationship with Russia? And what exactly will that mean? To read the political tea leaves, it helps to refresh our understanding of the cultural…

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Making Sense of the Global Economies

Making Sense of the Global Economies

(Excerpt from bWise: Global Economies) On a daily basis, there’s regular media references to trade, global economies, emerging markets, BRICS – and now CIVETS and the Next Eleven. There’s continuous debate whether the category of emerging markets is even valid anymore, and yet, BRICS, CIVETS, Next Eleven and emerging markets still seem to dominate the public discussion. Just what do we mean when…

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Ochugen: Giving Thanks the Japanese Way

Ochugen: Giving Thanks the Japanese Way

The Japanese love to give gifts — it’s deeply engrained in the culture. This month marks one of Japan’s cherished gift-giving seasons, Ochugen.   Ochugen has its origins in Taoism and falls in mid-July this year, although it’s often recognized during the two weeks leading up to July 15th, which marks Obon, a Buddhist festival honoring the dead. While less widespread than the counterpart holiday…

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India’s Interesting Cultural Paradox

India’s Interesting Cultural Paradox

Prime Minister Modi addressed the US Congress on June 8th. The last Indian prime minister to do so was Manmohan Singh in 2005.   For years, Prime Minister Modi came under much criticism, domestic and international, for years for his handling of religious conflicts between Hindus and Muslims in his home state of Gujarat.   But times have changed — as have American attitudes towards Modi’s version…

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Germany: Global Trade & Business Culture

Germany: Global Trade & Business Culture

President Obama started the week visiting Europe’s largest industrial trade fair, Hannover Messe, and promoting global trade.   It should come as no surprise that Germany — a global export champion — is the host of the preeminent fair which continues to promote manufacturing excellence — with a focus this year on boosting productivity and efficiency through the Internet.   A European and global…

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Brazil’s Business Culture

Brazil is once again at the forefront of news. Ongoing corruption scandals plague the highest echelons of leadership. Impeachment hearings threaten the stability of the largest economy in South America.   With the current chaos, it’s easy to forget that over the past several decades, Brazilian society has undergone significant changes. Ambitious privatizations and growing foreign ownership have…

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Navigating China’s Business Culture

Navigating China’s Business Culture

The world’s second largest economy began this month with China’s National Party Congress holding its annual meeting, intended to be an official display of formality, solidarity, and strength but really to rubber stamp the state’s new policies.   How the country is “really doing” generates a wide range of opinions on the convergence of the economic, political and social conditions in China.…

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Culture Applied: Practical Realities of Global Staffing & Local Culture

Culture Applied: Practical Realities of Global Staffing & Local Culture

Far from being resolved, the issues of discrimination, based on race, ethnicity, gender, and lifestyle are once again dominating our political, social, and corporate conversations.   Most companies have detailed official staffing and employee policies against discrimination in any form. But, we’re often asked, how do firms realistically implement those policies as we have all come to expect and…

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Japan: Decision-Making & Maintaining Harmony

Japan: Decision-Making & Maintaining Harmony

Japan’s surprise move to cut interest rates below zero last month brought its continuing economic challenges back into the global limelight.  The country remains an economic and industrial powerhouse — currently ranked the world’s third largest economy — yet it’s an intriguing enigma to many. Just below the surface of the frenetic pace and western gloss, it’s a unique Asian culture, one that is…

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CultureQuest Spotlight on Chinese New Year

CultureQuest Spotlight on Chinese New Year

Spotlight on Chinese New Year By Atma Global (www.atmaglobal.com)   China is fascinating mix of ancient and modern. From its snowy mountain ranges to its long rivers and to its expansive deserts, China is home to a rich mix of ethnicities, cultures, and traditions that can be traced back thousands of years. The most important of Chinese traditions and holidays is the Chinese New Year, which, this…

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In the Global Trenches

Impact of History on Culture & Business By Atma Global (http://www.atmaglobal.com/)

It’s simplistic to think that trade is just about business interests in each country --  global trade is much more. There’s a convergence and at times, a conflict of the interests of the different stakeholders—from businesses, to governments, to local citizens. In recent years, advancements in technology, a renewed enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, and a global sentiment tilting towards free trade have further connected people, businesses and markets – all flatteners that are helping to expand global trade and investment.

As more businesses seek to operate outside of their home country, they find themselves facing different cultures and business environments. Whether a firm is doing business in Europe, the Far East, North America, or any of the other region, understanding modern history at all levels is essential for business success.

History has a deep impact on the evolution of the local culture – understanding this evolution is essential for doing business in any country. Most people hear about culture and business and immediately think that it’s just about a protocol, a list of do’s and don’ts by country. Don’t show the sole of your foot in Saudi Arabia. Know how to bow in Japan. While these are certainly true, they are just a tiny tip of the iceberg. We often underestimate how critical local culture, values, and customs can be in the business environment. The local beliefs, values, mind-set and practices all constitute a culture and  impacts how we think, why and impacts all interactions. Culture is really just the collective programming of a mind from birth.

Understanding culture often means knowing the local history and how local businesspeople view foreign businesses, products, and people. Read the current media, and we think that a country may just be “opening” to the world, and yet the local leadership may have been doing business with select multinational firms for decades. There are strongly felt local perceptions about businesses from the U.S., Europe, Russia, China and Asia – and underestimating the value of these perceptions can impact the bottom line.

Many people assume, usually incorrectly, that business is the same everywhere. Culture does matter. From the simplest of factors such understanding why your multicultural work teams may not be collaborating well, despite technical synergies, to workers behaving opposite to local cultural norms in a country. Culture is still a key factor in global business.

Human nature is such that we each see the world through our own cultural shades. Tucked in between the lines of our cultural perspective is an unconscious bias that sometimes limits us from viewing other cultures objectively. Judgments of people from other cultures will always be colored by this frame of reference.  

Cultural values do change over time; cultures and values are not static entities. Around the world, values and cultures are evolving from generation to generation as people are influenced by things outside of their culture. In modern times, media and technology have probably single-handedly impacted cultures the most in the shortest time period -- giving people around the world instant glimpses into other cultures, for better or for worse. Technology may bridge us, but local culture still defines our uniqueness. It’s essential to learn how culture impacts your global objectives.

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