Intercultural Awareness essays

Intercultural Awareness essays This report provides an overview of different cultural challenges people encounter when their company sends them abroad to conduct business. It also conveys the importance of cultural training, which is necessary for a businessperson to be successful in another country. The report begins with cultural values in the areas of semantic differences, the importance of relationship building, and the different attitudes toward women. It continues with information on different types of nonverbal communication patterns and why it is important to recognize them and how they can impact business dealings abroad. The report also includes information on cultural etiquette, from exchanging a business card to giving gifts, and how the lack of proper etiquette abroad can make or break a business deal. The last topic reviews the stages of cultural shock and how it affects employees sent abroad without any prior intercultural training. The report concludes that there really is a different world out there and that adequate cultural training is needed for people traveling abroad to conduct business. Businesses today are conducting more business in other countries than ever before and their employees may be paying the price. To compete in today's global marketplace, companies and their employees must recognize that cultural differences do exist and understand what they are. Employers must ensure that adequate cultural training is provided to its employees before sending them abroad. This report outlines a sampling of cultural values and how they differ from ours. It also identifies the importance of providing cultural training for an organization that does business with diverse cultures. Businesses today are becoming more involved in global markets and their employees are traveling to countries outside of the U.S. more than ever before. Because of the lack of understanding of the culture, values, and customs to be encountered, a new enviro...