22 Apr Take on the role of a consultant Read their recommendations thoroughly then provide some rationale as to why you think their recommendations are p

Directions

1. Response posts 

0. Select two peers to respond to. 

1. Take on the role of a consultant. Read their recommendations thoroughly then provide some rationale as to why you think their recommendations are persuasive (or not).

Jennifer Lord

Investigate the differences in business culture of Asian and Western cultures. How would you describe the Asian culture?

One of the main points of this course is to understand how culture can hinder or enhance business relates for a foreign business owner who wants to do business in Asia. Honor and respect “must be a part of all of your standard business practices when dealing with people from an Asian background.” (Empirics Asia, 2015). Being too familiar and possibly offending someone with a joke would not go well in Asia. Western culture sometimes believes respect must be earned and may lead to issues when conducting business. In Asia, it is seen as bad form to discuss money and wealth. Western cultures seem to flaunt their wealth to make more wealth.

Compare the low context Western culture to the high context Asian culture.

Communication is key to any relationship. When there is a language and cultural barrier, communication is especially important to focus on. High context is communicating to build relationships. Sometimes gestures are as important as the words spoken. Asian culture “social roles and a concern for respect and harmony inevitably have a bearing on communication.” (Chen, 2015). Low context is having a meeting or discussion as a means to an end. The conversation is surface level and direct.

Explain how the Asian and Western cultures affect business relationships between the regions.

Building a healthy business relationship within the different regions could look different depending on the region. “When doing business in China, for example, one of the ways to build good relationships involves spending time together at the dining table (drinking and eating).” (Smith, 2021). At the end of a meeting some elders expect a small bow. When doing business in Western cultures, breaking bread during a meeting is a rarity. In Thailand, punctuality is expected, and a suit and tie should be worn. That is the same in Western cultures, but in Asian cultures if this is not taken seriously it could be viewed as disrespect. In Singapore, it is expected you will shake everyone's hand at the start and end of the meeting. These small differences among the regions are important to note if someone wants to maintain a healthy, successful business in Asia.

Take on the role of a consultant and propose some persuasive recommendations to grow business relationships between Asian and Western countries.

I recommend speaking to retain the information, not speaking just to get your way. In a business meeting, you may speak to get your product sold or get the opportunity to sell in a certain region. In Asian cultures they value relationships, so if you remember something they said and reference it back in a later conversation that would be considered meaningful in the Asia culture. Try to build genuine relationships.

-Jen Lord

References

Chen, M.-J. (2015, March 26). The Nuances of Cross-Cultural Communication. Retrieved from Uva Darden Ideas to Action: https://ideas.darden.virginia.edu/the-nuances-of-cross-cultural-communication

Empirics Asia. (2015, April 7). Business Culture Of Asia. Retrieved from Empirics Asia: https://empirics.asia/business-culture-of-asia/

Smith, S. (2021, June 11). Why Cultural Differences in Business Matter. Retrieved from Day Translations: https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/culture-nuance-business/

Shiron Musick

Cultures vary not only on the component of east versus west culture, but also will vary from one country to another. Not only is there the culture of a community there is also the specific business culture that is influenced based on the culture of the communities. When it comes to evaluating the difference in business culture from one area to another, the small daily actions will hold vital information. This can be as simple as how people greet each other, both in a personal and professional manner, there is always a level of respect that is connected in Asian culture (Birtles, 2020).

When it comes to the level of context that is connected to one’s culture, there will be a variety of information that can be learned, especially when it comes to conducting business. The level of the context within a culture, is connected to how much is left unsaid when communicating. When it comes to conducting business across the globe it is vital to understand and respond accordingly to high and low context cultures (United Language Group, 2022). In addition to the context level in the culture, the culture in itself will impact how business is conducted between different regions. An example can be applied to the concept of the separation of professional and personal relationships between coworkers. It is important to have open communication and expectations when it comes to building relationships between different cultures (Stone, 2019). Things will be different from one culture to another so for positive relationship growth to occur, being open to learn is the best approach.  

When it comes to growing business relationships it is important to approach the potential interactions with an open mind. This approach will allow for the companies to learn about the other cultures, which can lead to better connections. One way that a company can grow their relationships is in the use of internships. There is only a level of knowledge about a culture that can be evaluated with research. The culture of an area influences every aspect, and the best way to learn and have individuals who are aware of this is to be emerged in the culture of the country. Having individuals who have interned in multiple locations allows for a company to have a better understanding of cultures and can help grow the footprint of the organization.   

Reference

Birtles, K. (2020). 13 of the most peculiar cultural customs you'll find in Asia. from https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/asian-traditions-cultural-customs/ (Links to an external site.)

Stone, D. (2019). East vs. West: 10 Corporate Cultural Differences All Inte… , from https://www.goabroad.com/articles/intern-abroad/east-vs-west-corporate-cultural-differences-for-interns-abroad (Links to an external site.)

United Language Group. (2022). Communicating in High Context vs. Low Context Cultures. from https://www.unitedlanguagegroup.com/blog/communicating-high-context-vs-low-context-cultures