The impact of technology on the Arab communication style and culture: Implications for marketing

‘Culture is communication and communication is culture,’ as Hall (1976, Beyond culture, Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, Doubleday) reminds us. The main purpose of this paper was to assess the impact of technology on the Arab communication style. The Internet is a unique environment with particular characteristics that might cause shifts in people's communication styles. The setting/context of online communication is very different from face-to-face communication and thus assumptions about communication styles need to be reexamined. The data analysis indicates that significant changes to the Arab culture are taking place and these changes are likely to have an impact on marketing practices in the region.     

Strategic Aspects of Organizational Culture of Czech Companies

ABSTRACT

The paper presents the results of the research into organizational culture which was carried out at the Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Business and Management. Respondents of the research were representatives of top and middle management working in 54 Czech manufacturing companies. The organizational culture was looked at on the level of organizational values, five empirical types of the organizational culture of Czech manufacturing companies were identified. Research outcomes bring information which could be useful for further research in this area and also for the management practice.     

Managerial Values and Practices Sharing Common Cultural Heritage: A Comparison of Cultural Values in Hong Kong,Taiwan and the People's Republic of China

ABSTRACT

This paper explores managerial values and practices in three rapidly growing economies in Asia: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China. Differences and similarities in six cultural dimensions were investigated. Although participants in the present study share a common cultural heritage, their cultural values may be very different. Implications for cross-cultural research and practical applications are explored.     

A Picture of Brazil from the Viewpoint of Cultural Change and Business Exchange

Abstract

This paper argues that, with trade and business exchange, cultural change is introduced to business partners. After analyzing the impact of trade in societies, leading to the transformation of traditional holistic ideologies to individualistic ones, Brazilian society is appraised as a dual culture existing under a constant tension between the demands of social hierarchy and predatory individualism. The paper argues that Brazil's dual culture has been a deterrent to economic remedies that worked in societies that experienced industrialism. Finally, the possibility of cultural changes is assessed and considered as a condition for Brazil's partnership in today's global markets.

Este articulo argumenta que el intercambio de negocios y/o comercial introduce adicionalmente cambios culturales a las partes involucradas en las transacciones. Despues de analizar el impacto del comercio en las diferentes sociedades, en particular el cambio que transforma sociedades con ideologia holistica y tradicional a individualistas, la sociedad Brasilena es evaluada como una cultura dual con una lucha constante entre las demandas de una sociedad jerarquicatradicional y un individualismo depredador. Se argumenta en este articulo que la cultura dual del Brasil ha sido un impedimento para el buen funcionamiento de las estrategias economicas (remedios) que funcionaron en paises expermientaron una cultura de industrializacion. Finalmente, este escrito considera el cambio cultural en Brasil como una condicion para la incorporacion del mismo a los mercados globales.

Esse artigo defende a idéia de que as trocas comerciais geram transformaç[otilde]es culturais. Após analisar o impacto do comércio na vida social, o que gera a mutação de ideologias holisticas em práticas individualistas, a sociedade brasileira é avaliada como uma cultura dual que sofre a ação tensa e constante das exigências de hieraquização social e de um individualismo predatório. A cultural dual brasiliera é entendida como um impecilho para a ação dos remédios econômicos que funcionaram em sociedades industralizadas. E, finalmente, considera-se a possibilidade de mutaç[otilde]es culturais como fatores para a integração do pais nos merados globais contemporâneos.     

Negotiating in Latin America

Abstract

The emerging role of Latin America in the global marketplace suggests that understanding and managing cross-cultural negotiations will become increasingly important between Latin America and the rest of the world, including and especially the United States and Canada. While North America and Latin America were colonized at about the same time, different historical development, economic conditions, and cultures influence their approaches to negotiation. This paper examines what we know about negotiating in Latin America, based on anecdotal and empirical evidence, and what aspects of negotiation behavior require further study and elucidation.

Resumen

La nueva y creciente posición de América Latina en los mercados globales hará que el entendimiento y la administración de los procesos de negotiatíon inter-culturales entre América Latina y el resto del mundo, con especial énfasis en Estados Unidos y Canadá, adquiera mucha mayor importancia. Norte y Latino América fueron colonizadas en épocas aproximadamente similares, sin embargo, los procesos requeridos para negociar con cada uno de ellos han sido influenciados por diferentes desarrollos históricos, condiciones económicas y aspectos culturales. Este artículo examina a través de evidencia anecdótica y empírica los aspectos de negociaión en América Latina ya conocidos y aquellos que requieren investigación adicional.

Resumo

O papel emergente da América Latina no mercado global sugere que o entendimento e a gerêntia de negociações inter-culturais se tornará cada vez mais importante entre a América Latina e o resto do mundo, destacando-se os Estados Unidos e o Canadá. Apesar de a América do Norte e a América Latino terem sido colonizados em torno da mesma época, diferentes desenvolvimentos históricos, condições econômicas e culturas influenciaram a sua forma de negociar. Esse artigo examina o que nós sabemos a respeito de negocição na América Latina, baseado em evidências casuals ou empíricas, e que aspectos do comportamento de negociação requerem estudos mais aprofundados ou maior elucidação.     

U.S. Organizations' Personnel Management in Mexico

Abstract

U.S. organizations are experiencing dramatic growth from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Companies that operate across the Mexican border must decide to either relocate currently employed personnel or to hire foreign nationals to staff positions. Since many cultural differences exist between the United States and Mexico, the use of “culture-pins,” or bicultural people who bridge value differences, may facilitate success in these operations. Consequently, this paper proposes that U.S. firms located in Mexico should recruit and retain Mexican Americans.

RESUMEN

Las corporaciones mexicanas y estadounidenses están creciendo dramáticamente como resultado directo del NAFTA. Las empresas que operan del otro lado de estas fronteras, debe decidir si desean trasladar a sus gerentes y trabajadores o contratar nacionales extranjeros para ocupar estos cargos. Este documento presupone que los iucomodines-culturalesl., o personas biculturales que pueden cruzar el puente de las diferencias culturales, son necesarios para asegurar el éxito de NAFTA y contribuir, brindando una inventaja competitivalc a las compañías participantes. La propuesta de este artículo es que las empresas estadounidenses que operan dentro de México se beneficiarían reclutando y entrenando mexicanos-norteamericanos para aumentar su fuerza de trabajo local.

RESUMO

As empresas mexicanas e americanas têm experimentado um crescimento diretamente relacionado à NAFTA. As empresas, que operam dentro destas fronteiras, devem decidir entre realocar os gerentes atuais contratados ou contratar estrangeiros para ocupar cargos disponíveis. Pretende-se, através deste estudo, mostrar que pessoas com ambas as culturas, capazes de superar as diferenças culturais, são essenciais para o sucesso da NAFTA e contribuem para a vantagem competitiva das empresas envolvidas. Este trabalho prop[otilde]e que as firmas americanas, atuando no México, seriam beneficiadas, se recrutassem e treinassem americanos, de origem mexicana, para aumentar a sua força de trabalho no México.     

Current and Desired Employee Communication Patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical Evidence on Four Ghanaian Organizations

In this study, the author explores employees' expectations of organizational communication patterns including internal communication behavior in organizations. In-depth interviews of employees and managers were used as data from four Ghanaian organizations. Results show that employees want a change from the current pattern of overcentralized communication system in organizations to a more horizontal interpersonal communication. Findings also show the importance of effective and interpersonal communication as processes that can affect employees' attitude to work. Additionally, results show that aspects of national culture, structures and systems, and management practices influence the pattern of communication in organizations. The results suggest that work organizations would thrive only if both managers and employees work collectively as a team and understand each other through effective communication media institutionalized in the various organizations.     

Culture' Effects on Job Satisfaction and Performance in a Bicultural Context

Abstract

This study looks at culture' influence on employee job satisfaction and performance as it pertains to competitiveness. The researcher investigated whether INDSALES (a job satisfaction scale) is compatible with a Hispanic salesperson sample, focusing on automobile sales situations. The methodology relied heavily on field research and on an experimental design that applied different employee/manager combinations. Two hypotheses were proposed and subsequently tested. Results demonstrate that Hispanics and Anglo-Americans view job satisfaction somewhat differently. The study also found that there are significant differences in the levels of job satisfaction between mono-cultural and bicultural relationships. Managerial implications for better competitiveness are incorporated. Future research could investigate a different geographical region with Hispanic and Anglo automobile salespersons or other nations where different cultures work together     

Digital Technology in Teaching International Business

Abstract

As we enter the brave new world of interactive digital technology, teachers of International Business are being confronted with the problems and opportunities associated with integrating the new medium with a subject area that is inherently geographically dispersed. This analysis extends the traditional marketing tradeoffs between richness (depth of knowledge) and reach (geographic area coverage) to the emerging technology-mediated education industry, and then specifically evaluates their effect on the teaching of International Business. We believe that interactive learning, particularly as it applies to team building and problem solving in a multicultural environment, will prove valuable as the next generation of business leaders begins to emerge from academic institutions.