Introduction
This is a theory that was put down by one of the renowned political scientists Samuel P Huntington, trying to explain that differences in people’s religious and cultural identities will likely lead to war in the near future. He argues in his book entitled the End of History and the Last Man that there are different civilizations that will define the new era, and that these civilizations are western, Islamic, Hindu, and Christianity (Samuel, 1993).
To support this theory the current global conflict is religiously perpetrated, we are witnessing the Islamic region resurging with the explosion of its population. Some analysts have always expressed their concern that the resurgence of the Muslims and the Islamic religion is a global security threat. The differences between cultural and religious beliefs have always led to war in Middle East countries (Samuel, 1993).
The purpose of this paper is to explain how the clash of civilizations creates none- favorable international business environment. Everybody knows that any conflict is a threat to the business fraternity. It’s the responsibility of neighboring countries to establish a mutual understanding by accepting other citizen’s diverse ethnic, cultural and religious identities. If this is not dealt with then there can be no meaningful business. Cultural factors are therefore good determinants as to whether a business is viable internationally or not in the following ways (Samuel, 1993).
Values/beliefs
As an entrepreneur before a decision regarding the international market is reached at there should be a feasibility study that will encompass gathering important information about people concerning their cultural as well religious backgrounds. This will guide the firm to understand the values and traditions governing different communities and societies to make informed decisions on the type of products that these are likely to use. We have had cases where people are opposed to certain products that appear to contravene their cultural as well as religious beliefs (Rutledge, 2007).
Religious ideology
A difference in religious beliefs is an important factor to consider when doing international business. In the current global world, there are two major religions the i.e. Christianity and Islam. Political scientists have argued that the continued growth in Christianity and Islam and the resurgences of their followers are likely to result in a future conflict. These conflicts are likely to cause negative impacts on the businesses such that if you are an international business entrepreneur perceived to be associated with a particular religion then your business is likely to be affected seriously (Maud, 1997).
This is because the two religions pine on the following beliefs; they are missionaries and are therefore seeking conversion by others, they are universal each side believes that its faith is the correct one, and finally teleological in that their values and beliefs represent the goals of existence and human purpose. The underscoring factor here is the Islamic resurgence and demographic explosion of their faithful.
Civilization clash, therefore, contributes to a considerate percentage in global insecurity and that every business should give it a priority (Samuel, 1993).
Conclusion
Countries should spend a lot of time building multilateral relationships with other nations in order to pave way for conducive commercial exchanges that will ensure that trade barriers don’t exist between nations. This explains why cultural factors should be considered in the context of international business (Maud 1997).
List of references
- Maud, T 1997, How cultural factors affect internal and external communication.
- Samuel, P 1993, The Clash of Civilizations.