Introduction
Culture is one aspect of business that is ignored by many people wishing to conduct business on the internal scene. Studying and understanding the cultural issues would be beneficial to business people; they can compare opportunities and make informed choices. This paper will conduct a review of cultural issues in the videos Twitter acquisition experience, Culture shock, Outsourced movie and Chinese business etiquette instruction to provide an insight into culture how it impacts on business activities.
Five cultural issues identified and framework
Various dimensions and elements of culture are identified in these videos. The elements include communication, ethics, values and attitudes, customs, and structures of a business establishment. Values and attitudes greatly influence how people think, communicate and behave. Since different nations have different cultures and sub-cultures, it is important to understand the cultural features in the prospective of doing business.
Specifically, Joe McGuire in the video, Resolving culture conflicts in corporate acquisitions asserts that understanding values and attitudes mean that one is conversant with the cultural aspect and its impact on business. Conducting business will require focus, attention and confidence especially for the business people. Thus, strategy and good business knowledge are required to succeed in the dynamic market (Sinclair 2010).
The second cultural element identified in the videos is ethics. Basically, ethics are rules that define what is right or wrong. The scope of ethics may differ between nations but there are those ethics that apply in most business environments. Shang-Hsien Liu, in the video Chinese Business Etiquette Instructional, observes that ethical considerations are observed at educational level, executive management level, the government and private stakeholders’ level in line with the etiquette of the target market.
Manners and customs have an impact on local business since the market is made up of persons from different cultural backgrounds. The differences in mannerism especially in talking may result in sharp differences between groups and choice of business partners. Integration of manners and customs at local scene is generally aided by increasing education of the target persons. Specifically, this can be achieved through intergroup communication (Guimeràa et al. 2006).
The third cultural issue identified in these videos is the element of customs. Application of gestures and expression, as indicated in the video American kitsch explained to the Indians, is heavily dependent on cross cultural communication. As a matter of fact, heterogeneity of societies plays a significant role in understanding perceived and actual gestures in expression. The expectations against habits acquired over a long period of time control the semantic custom process.
Change should begin with modification of attitude and perceptions among the locals who should appreciate that business is more than just making money. Fresh training on ethical codes should be given priority at corporate level and managers should also be the role models as far as ethics are concerned (Sinclair 2010).
The fourth and the fifth cultural elements identified are communication and structures respectively. Reflectively, Social structures and organizations have great impacts on local business; for instance, in some regions where there is political instability due to recurrent conflicts, local business is likely to be marred. Family, ethnicity and religion on the other hand affect business in terms of time, and performance.
Ethnicity and religion are sources of discrimination in consumption of goods and services. Communication largely determines the direction of business at local level (Guimeràa et al. 2006). Basically, senior people in terms of business attainment, religious position and education level attained, should be given the role of communication in business since they are respected by the ideals of a culture.
References
Guimeràa, R., Danonb, L., Díaz-Guilerab, A., Giraltc, F., & Arenasd, A. (2006). The Real Communication Network behind the Formal Chart: Community Structure in Organizations. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 61 (4), 653-667.
Sinclair, M. (2010). Fear and Self-Loathing in the City: A Guide to Keeping Sane in the Square Mile. London: Karnac Books.