Today’s workplace takes us all over the world, both literally and figuratively.  We might be doing business with a company in another country, having a manufacturing facility in yet a different country, and working side by side with people born and raised anywhere and everywhere in the world. Without realizing there are differences to be honored, we often create misunderstandings, mistakes, and unnecessary conflict.

To be successful, it becomes important to learn the major differences in culture and behavioral expectations of those with whom we interact.  This includes learning their primary way of behaving and believing.

Having taught International Business in an MBA program for several years, my students taught me far more about cultural differences and expectations than I ever taught them.  Between us, a great deal of research has been accomplished and will be shared in this course.  In addition, I conducted research with employees of companies that were based primarily in other countries.

Many of my corporate clients have facilities in other countries, vendors and clients all over the world, and employ people who were raised and educated elsewhere.

This course offers an overview and generalizations about how different people see things such as their relationships with other people, attitudes about time and aging, and attitudes toward the environment – the external world. 

Learning what people believe, how they think, and how they make decisions will aid you in your working relationships with others, improve your reputation, increase productivity, teamwork, and cooperation – all of which will improve the organization’s bottom line.

This is Part 1 of 2. The Second course is titled: Global Business: Cultural and Behavioral Norms Part II