The Home of Blogs for Culture Vultures

Recent studies on facial expressions have destroyed any suggestions that facial expressions convey the same emotions or meanings all over the world.

Easter is nearly upon us and will be celebrated across the world! Here in the UK we have seen chocolate eggs of all sorts on our market shelves for weeks. However, Easter is not celebrated the same way everywhere in the world. Some countries have their own traditions and some, believe it or not, dont have chocolate eggs!

Are you going on a business trip and wondering about the cultural etiquette of the country? Are you working with international counterparts from a specific country and encountering some issues related to communication, relationship building or management?  

Chances are you have been to an airport at least once in your life: thus, the fact that airports can be characterised as culturally diverse places is probably nothing new to you. Of course, airport staff should be prepared to cope with people from all over the world. But how should they handle all these different cultures?

Have you ever wondered how other cultures celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Does everyone give gifts?

Is it always celebrated by couples, or do some cultures celebrate with family?

What about special unique traditions, they must differ from country to country?

Do some countries celebrate Valentine’s at all?

Have you heard those nightmare stories of foreigners working abroad and causing offence?

Well, strap yourself in because this is one hell of a tale!

Case studies from real business life are always the most powerful of ways to highlight the importance of local knowledge and cultural awareness for those operating in foreign countries.

Often ignored or undervalued, this lack of sensitivity can sometimes have messy outcomes.

You may have seen this amazing graphic going viral in the past couple of days.

How did such a simple and funny representation of stereotype become viral so quickly?

To find out more, we interviewed it’s creator – Jerome Vadon.

Students and graduates, pack your bags! Studying or working abroad is not only an experience of a lifetime, the lessons you learn when you spend time in another country might benefit you later in life as well. Fiona Timba explains why every UK citizen should exchange the British Isles for the European main land once in their lives.

Global Real Estate advisor Jones Lang LaSalle have carried out some research into the difficulties that can be encountered by western companies when they enter the Indian market.

The result? Cultural differences are a major obstacle.

According to a new global study about workplace bullying, bullying bosses are more accepted in Anglo countries such as the U.S. or the U.K than they are in many other countries. The study was recently published in the Journal or Business Research and is co-authored by Nikos Bozionelos, who is a Professor at the Audencia Nantes School of Management. The research also revealed that the kindest bosses reside in Latin America.

During these past four days in Accra, we have often been asked what we make of Ghana – the culture, people, food, etc. It’s been an exciting and eye opening 4 days. Interestingly, one of the most surprising factors have been the traffic jams during rush hour and the extent to which these influence timeliness – we have experienced this ourselves on most days, so to avoid unnecessary frustrations, I have had to surrender to the traffic and simply go with the flow (and try not to inhale too many fumes!).

We focus a lot on this website about cultural differences in business; however for us it's all about culture and understanding that culture influences who we are and what we do. Only when you understand your own "self" and the cultural programming your have received, can you move towards understanding the "other".

As the retail market continues to suffer under the crippling effects of the current financial crisis, retailers (especially in the UK) are turning to new strategies to expand their businesses - export and international sales through online commerce.

How many though have considered the impact of cultural differences on the chances of their success?

Have you ever thought about the link between culture and retail? One of the first things I like to do when I go into a different country is go check out the local supermarket.

Exporting food? Beware of cultural differences and always carry out research on consumer, retail and shopping habits say the experts.

Doing business internationally can be exciting and fulfilling. It can also present opportunities to learn new approaches to the workplace. 

However, it's not always a bed of roses as American companies starting up in Germany seem to be finding out.

By overlooking the importance of intercultural training, companies do not get the most out of their employees. David Livmore is here to make us aware of the significance of knowing a bit more about  your co-workers’ cultures.

We are all familiar with traditional Christmas decorations. The Christmas trees, mistletoe and other red, gold and green ornaments.

However, different cultures use different decorations; in this article we explore Christmas decorations that are typical for certain other cultures or countries.

It's 2021 and racism is still continues to rear it's ugly head in football. 

From comdemnation, to campaigns and zero tolerance in the stadiums, the FA is facing an unrelenting struggle. However, could culture training for foreign footballers contribute in part to the solution? The Football Association seems to think educating players on British culture can help get rid of the ugly side of the game. Neil Payne, Cultural Training Specialist, gives his reaction to this suggestion. 

In many Western cultures, the Christmas celebrations are more or less the same or thereabouts. The family gathers on Christmas Eve, a Christmas mass is possibly attended and presents are unwrapped. There are numerous cultures, however, that like their Christmas traditions a little less conventional…