The Blog for Culture Vultures

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!

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’.

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.

Over the past 15 years a continuous theme, which has never ceased to amaze us, has been the way in which businesses significantly underestimate the impact of cultural differences.

It typically takes something to go wrong before stakeholders take notice.

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. 

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.

Unless you’re well acquainted with Japanese culture, then it’s unlikely you have come across the word freeter before.

However, if you want to understand Japanese culture, this word can give you some great insights into the Japanese people's values and attitudes.

Danes have every reason to celebrate! The Business Culture Complexity Index™ has ranked Denmark as having the easiest business culture among the top 50 economies of the world.

Let’s discover how this tiny western European country, famous for Lego, butter, bacon and Carlsberg beer, has created a culture, that according to the data, is open, trusting, transparent and open for business!

The global nature of commerce means today's businesses are always looking for opportunities outside of their domestic markets.

Acquiring, or merging with, a foreign company is common way to achieve this.

Travelling to Italy for work? Want to make a good impression? Then this blog is for you.

Here's a quick-fire overview of some key cultural insights that might come in handy.

With it being called 'cultural awareness training', 'cultural competence training' or 'cross-cultural training', anyone would think that these types of training courses are all about culture.

Well, you wouldn't be wrong.

In a rapidly changing training world, learning trend reviews reference terminology which would have been incomprehensible to learning and development professionals not so long ago.

With terms such as E-Learning, Mobile Learning, Online Learning, Gamification and Virtual Learning, peppering our training conversations, the training culture has changed dramatically.

Being a good host is a central part of life in the Middle East and it is an underpinning value that everyone in the region shares.

The roots of this can be found in the tribal system whereby treating guests well is traditionally a way of gaining honour.

As with any people, the Arabs look to the past for their sense of identity.

Arab history is tied to tribalism and the nomadic life of the desert. Although in most places the nomadic lifestyle has all but disappeared, the influence of the desert and especially the importance of tribal identity are still prominent today.

The giving and receiving of gifts is an important part of professional and personal life in the Middle East.

Closely tied up with the need to maintain relationships and as a way of gaining and giving face, gift giving bonds people together.

The UK's innovation agency has just released a report highlighting what investors are looking for in potential investment targets.

‘Scaling up: the investor perspective’ is the result of research commissioned by Innovate UK which was overseen and publish by the market research company, Ebiquity.

If your introduction to the topic of cultural appropriation was due to a celebrity, such as Pharrell Williams, being slammed for wearing Native American headwear,  Zac Effron, being called out for sporting dreadlocks, or Katy Perry, being criticised for performing as a Geisha, then you're not alone. 

Research from Deloitte finds that diversity and inclusion in the workplace are now leadership-level issues, central to future growth and security.

Findings from the firm's 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report suggest that diversity has moved away from a predominantly HR-focused, "check box ticking" initiative to one of key strategic importance at CEO-level.

It’s nearly a year since the restrictive sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted. These sanctions were not only applied by the UN, EU and US but also included sanctions from third party countries. The lifting of these sanctions has therefore been long-awaited by many and sets the stage for exciting times for those companies who have identified potential opportunities in Iran and who are keen to now pursue them.

Although our administration takes place in the sleepy South West of England, we witness global movements and trends first-hand. There’s not much we don’t know about what’s happening with our global neighbours.

Culture Matters

Having a poor understanding of the influence of cross cultural differences in areas such as management, PR, advertising and negotiations can lead to cultural blunders with potentially damaging consequences.

It is crucial for today's business personnel to understand the impact of cross cultural differences on business, trade and internal company organisation. The success or failure of a company venture, merger or acquisition is essentially in the hands of people. If these people are not cross culturally aware or cross culturally competent, then misunderstandings, offence and a break down in communication can occur.