The Blog for Culture Vultures

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.

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.

Saudi Arabia has a wealth of strategic opportunities, characterised by a favourable geographical position and an abundance of natural resources.

It has the potential to become the ‘next big thing’ in the Middle East and to build economic streams which are not oil dependent, as outlined in its ambitious ‘2030 Vision’.

Every culture has its approach to conflict.

In this blog we’ll be exploring Iranian culture and how the people approach conflict, communication and resolution.

Did you know that Saudi Arabia segregates people at restaurants according to gender?

Yes, it’s true, but the internet and media have been buzzing with news that the country has stopped the practice.

Ever wondered why in some parts of the world people wear masks?

We are often asked by people to travelling to Japan, China, Korea and Thailand why it is so common.

Want to learn more about negotiations in India?

Then this is the blog for you! We'll be giving you some fantastic insights into the Indian negotiation style and how you might need to adapt your approach.

Do you work with the Chinese?

Then you really need to get to grasp with the importance of face – mianzi – in Chinese culture.

Be warned! Saudi Arabia is a confusing and contradictory place at the moment.

If you’re involved in doing business in Saudi Arabia, then you need to be aware of some of the current changes taking place at a cultural level.

The British communication style can be tricky for some foreigners.

Their complex use of indirect messages, suggestion and insinuation can be confusing – in fact, it can drive you bonkers!

Work with Iranians or doing business in Iran?

Learning about another culture is much more than learning about dos and donts; it’s about understanding their values and their mindset.

Doing business in China? Then you'll be attending lots of meetings!

If you’re attending meetings in China, then it’s important to understand a little about Chinese culture and how meetings are run.

Imagine that you’re presented with an unfamiliar board game and told to play it.

Unfortunately, you don’t understand the rules and irritate the other players by making mistakes and getting things wrong.

Imagine you’ve been asked to play an unfamiliar board game and that you’re instructed to play it without any understanding of the rules.

You soon begin to irritate other players by making mistakes and getting things wrong and, after a while, the game becomes a stressful and confusing experience.

Are you new to doing business with the Middle East? Understanding the local culture is critical if you want to succeed.

In order to truly understand the locals, then you need to understand Islam and its influence on, not only the culture, but how business gets done.

Off to Japan for business or working with Japanese colleagues? Then put your best foot forward and make a great impression by understanding Japanese business culture. 

Wherever you travel in the world, getting someone’s name wrong can be the difference between making a good impression or a bad impression.

If you’re travelling to China on business, it’s important that you take the time to understand the naming structures.

If you’re travelling to the UK for a business meeting, then be sure to make a good impression by understanding British meeting culture!

A little bit of cultural awareness can go a long way in improving communication and professional relationship building.

Whether for business or pleasure, if you’re travelling to Japan, it’s important you know how to address people.

Etiquette is an important part of Japanese culture and getting things wrong could result in you being perceived as rude or ignorant – not a good footing in which to start your trip to Japan.

Culturally speaking, how easy would you say it is to do business with the UK?

Well the Business Culture Complexity Index ™ (BCCI), which assesses the potential complexity of a country's business culture, has just the answer!