International

Cultural Effects on

Management Issues

TED ROEBUCK

The values and attitudes shared by

individuals from a country that

shape their behavior and beliefs

about what is important

Independent and

individualistic

High value on

personal freedom

Direct and may

seem assertive

or rude

Value cleanliness

and may seem

obsessive about it

Japan

Value

dignity, harmony,

and social

cohesion

Saudi Arabia

Honorary

conventions

must take place

before business

Pakistan

Artificial

fragrances as

hiding the truth

Spoken Language

SLANGSmay hurt an international

business deal

Body Language

Between 60 and 70

percent of all meaning

is derived from

nonverbal behaviors.

Body Language

Active Listening

Professor, I’m paying

attention!

STEREOTYPING

“Stereotypes can cloud

our judgment and

jeopardize future

business relationships”

Hollywood…

9/11

Terrorists…

“…Muslim men got rid of their beards

and women gave up their hijab in

order to be accepted in society…”

[Supervisors and coworkers]

had cursed them for being

Muslim; thrown blood, meat

and bones at them; and

interrupted their prayer break.

“If she insisted on

wearing the

scarf, she could

work either in back

or at a telephone

job…”

Muslims make up less than 2% of US population

but more than 25% of religious

discrimination claim filed with the E.E.O.C

Ethnocentrism is the

tendency to look at the world

primarily from the perspective

of one’s own ethnic culture.

Religion Language Culture HistoryCustoms

1997: Walmart bought Wertkauf

Failed to listen to employees

Ignore local culture

Business is not

conducted the same way

across cultures

CulturalIntelligence

• Cultural Intelligence is a person’sCultural Intelligence

(CQ- Cultural Quotient)-a person’s capability to function effectively

in situations characterized by cultural diversity

mindfulness

Activities to Support the Development

of Cultural Intelligence●International tourism● International internship● Working for an international company● Studying abroad● Moving to another country and actively seeking employment● Finding an international business mentor● Teaching English abroad● Government foreign service● Multicultural team assignments, including virtual teams with members in different countries● Foreign mission/humanitarian service● Foreign military service● Learning another language● Research● Attend performances and classes that showcase other cultures, such as dance, music, production, art, and cooking

“As business becomes increasingly

globalized, cultural intelligence is a vital tool

that can positively affect business outcomes”