Cross-cultural issues are very complex. And these differences are more complicated than what country you are from.
In this age of global mobility, stereotypes are still commonly applied — whether it is with good intentions to understand unfamiliar cultures or figure out how to interact with others. Although reading through cultural guidebooks is a place to start, we still have to be more mindful of contextual nuances and individual differences as well.
In this short cross-cultural management article in the Harvard Business Review, the author poses three general questions to help prepare for doing business with a new global markets. Another wonderful resource are expatriates who have experienced those cultures first hand.
- What do you know about the region?
- What do you know about the company or industry?
- What do you know about the people?
Cultural differences are more complicated than what country you are from
