The Blog for Culture Vultures

Culture is a complex thing.

It affects everything we do from the way we raise our kids to the way we do business.

Many assume the two Gulf countries are alike.

However, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are culturally, politically and socially different in many ways.

With the fall out of Coronavirus making itself known on a grand scale, it's fair to say that the development of competent remote and virtual teams is now a big priority for most training departments. 

This question is often asked in Indian intercultural training programmes.

"We don't get it! Why do they always nod? And in different ways too!?"

Ramadan 2020 has arrived!

Although Muslims the world over are celebrating its arrival, the fact that it has arrived against a backdrop of COVID-19 makes it rather unique.

Want to make the best impression possible when you visit the UAE on your business travels?

Then you need to learn a bit about the country, its people and how to behave!

Culture is everywhere; whether you know it or not.

It influences everything from how we get married, do business with one another and yes, deal with a pandemic.

Cross-cultural, intercultural and multicultural don’t mean the same thing.

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they do, in fact, have very different meanings.

Travelling to India for business and want to make make a good impression?

Then you need to learn a bit about the people, their beliefs, manners and, of course, their culture!

Do cultural commitments to ideas like freedom and liberty help or hinder Americans in their plight?

In this blog we’ll explore how American culture and values are potentially harming the country’s ability to slow the spread of COVID-19.

It’s fair to say that most ethnic groups stereotype other ethnicities.

Whilst stereotypes provide a way of understanding one’s own culture or ethnicities against other’s, they are generally unhelpful and misleading.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing havoc across the globe.

Markets are in meltdown, flights have been grounded, gatherings banned and whole countries on lock down as the world tries to slow down its spread.

As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, China has claimed relative success in dealing with the virus.

On closer inspection, much of this success comes down to Chinese culture.

Understanding how to market yourself across the globe means big bucks for today’s big businesses.

Learning how to present yourself positively and to place yourself strategically within a target country often means the difference between success and failure.

What impact do you think cultural differences have on a business relationship and trust building?

Well, researchers have taken the time to try and find out!

Working with the Japanese in a professional capacity can be tough.

For some cultures, such as for Americans, Canadians, Germans, Australians and British, the Japanese culture can seem a little alien.

What are some of the important differences between British and Indian culture?

In this blog we'll examine some of the common areas within the workplace and professional world where Brits and Indians don't quite see eye-to-eye.

Depending on your own culture, working with Americans can be challenging.

When delivering cross-cultural training we get to hear many of the challenges facing professionals when working in the USA or with Americans remotely.

Need examples of cultural misunderstandings in business?

In this blog, we are going to share real-life examples of cultural misunderstandings from our cross-cultural training work.

This is a common stereotype often heard about the British.

In some parts of the world they have a reputation for being ‘cold’ and ‘unfriendly’.