International business tips

Cross Cultural Howlers!

Doing business across borders is never easy. Of all the factors businesses have to think about, language and culture sometimes drop to the bottom of the priority list. Such oversights can occasionally be harmless, occasionally funny and occasionally seriously bad business decisions. The one thing all share is the plain and simple fact that a little sprinkle of intercultural awareness could have gone a long way.

We have put together a possible top 10 cross cultural howlers. The list is by no means exhaustive and in fact we hope to bring you some more:

1. Locum were a Swedish company. As most companies do around Christmas time they liked to send out promotional materials to wish clients season’s greetings. In 1991 they decided to give their logo a little holiday spirit. However someone in charge of the new design came up with the idea of replacing the “o” in Locum with a heart shape. You can see the result yourselves. (If you don’t understand – then look up the word cum and you soon will!)

2. Matsushita Electric was promoting a new Japanese PC for internet users. Panasonic had created the new web browser and had received alicense to use the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker – Woody was to act as the interactive internet guide taking you on a tour and helping you with any problems.

The day before the launch of the marketing campaign, a Panasonic employee realised a fatal error and the plug was well and truly pulled. Why? The ads for the new product featured the following slogan:
“Touch Woody - The Internet Pecker.” The company only realised its cross cultural blunder when an embarrassed American explain what “touch Woody’s pecker” could be interpreted as!

3. Some genius at the Swedish furniture giant IKEA somehow came up with the name “FARTFULL” for one of its new desks. As you can image sales did not exactly hit the roof.

4. In the late 1970s, the British outlets of the American computer company Wang refused to use the HQs new slogan, “Wang Cares”. To British ears this sounds too close to “Wankers”.

5. The word “mist” seems to get many a company into trouble. Poorly thought through uses of the name in Germany has resulted in “Irish Mist” (an alcoholic drink), “Mist Stick” (a curling iron from Clairol), “Cashmere Mist” (deodorant from Donna Karen) and “Silver Mist” (Rolls Royce car). What the companies did not realise is “mist” in German means dung/manure. Fancy a glass of Irish dung?

6. In 2002, Umbro the UK sports manufacturer had to withdraw its new trainers (sneakers) called the Zyklon. The firm received complaints from many organisations and individuals as it was the name of the gas used by the Nazi regime to murder millions of Jews in concentration camps.

7. Sharwoods, a UK food manufacturer, spent £6 million on a campaign to launch its new ‘Bundh’ sauces. It received calls from numerous Punjabi speakers telling them that “bundh” sounded just like the Punjabi word for “arse”.

8. Honda introduced their new car “Fitta” into Nordic countries in 2001. If they had taken the time to undertake some cross cultural marketing research they may have discovered that “fitta” was an old word used in vulgar language to refer to a woman’s genitals in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. In the end they renamed it “Honda Jazz”.

9. A nice cross cultural example of the fact that all pictures or symbols are not interpreted the same across the world: staff at the African port of Stevadores saw the “internationally recognised” symbol for “fragile” (i.e. broken wine glass) and presumed it was a box of broken glass. Rather than waste space they threw all the boxes into the sea!

10- Traficante” and Italian mineral water found a great reception in Spain’s underworld. In Spanish it translate as “drug dealer”.

Comment optimiser son expatriation?

Par Olivier Soumah-Mis

Les différences culturelles bien ou mal gérées, sont le premier vecteur de succès ou d’échec d’une expatriation. Souvent elles sont sous estimées surtout lorsque les cultures des deux pays sont proches, comme ici au Mexique. Il n’y a pas de grandes différences entre un français et un mexicain, mais il y a une multitude de petits détails qui font qu’en fin de compte, nous sommes vraiment différents.

La culture est comme un iceberg, 80% est immergée, nous avons tous 80% de nos cultures respectives qui est inconscient. Ce sont donc ces multiples détails qui viennent parasiter notre quotidien et le rendre plus ou moins facile à vivre comme par exemple :

Avez-vous remarqué ici au Mexique lorsque vous faite la queue au super marché au rayon charcuterie comment les gens vous collent ? La distance que nous laissons entre nous et les autres est culturelle ! Des anthropologues l’ont même mesuré : En moyenne au Mexique elle est de 80 centimètres alors qu’elle est d’1m20 en France. Cela fait partie de nos cultures inconscientes :

En France le temps est lié au respect, pas au Mexique. Ce qui est un manque de respect dans un pays ne l’est peut être pas dans un autre. Qui a raison ? Les deux chacun dans leur pays. Il y a autant de vérités qu’il y a de cultures, les grandes puissances ont tendances à croire qu’elle détienne la vérité.

Si vous jugez les mexicains à travers vos normes et vos codes français, alors 1 : vous ne comprendrez pas le pays et 2- votre expatriation risque d’être douloureuse. Vous êtes au Mexique, il vous faudra vous mexicaniser, accepter ces différences, vous enrichir de ces différences.

Dans une expatriation il y a des accélérateurs d’échecs qu’il faut absolument éviter :

- Les certitudes.
- L’ethnocentrisme (le sentiment de supériorité).
- Les stéréotypes, les préjugés.
- Le manque ou l’absence de préparation au pays d’expatriation.

Pour « survivre » à son expatriation, il est d’abord important que l’objectif ne soit pas uniquement professionnel, mais bien familiale. Et il est certaines qualités indispensables au succès d’une expatriation comme :

- L’humilité.
- La curiosité.
- La sociabilité.
- L’ouverture d’esprit.
- L’empathie.

Un projet d’expatriation se prépare, avant de partir :

- Vous devez préparer cette nouvelle expérience avec tous les membres de la famille.
- Vous ne devez pas cacher vos préoccupations, elles sont légitimes.
- Ne pas sous estimer celles des enfants.
- Ne pas partir dans l’inconnu. Se documenter avant de partir.
- Commencer à apprendre la langue avant de partir, celle-ci est le premier vecteur
d’intégration dans le pays d’accueil.
- Le couple doit être solide.

Une fois sur place, il existe des facteurs d’intégration, le premier la langue, rien de plus frustrant que de ne pouvoir communiquer avec les gens. Les enfants sont des facilitateurs d’intégration, il faut les emmener à l’école, aux sports, ce qui facilite souvent les choses pour les parents pour rencontrer de nouveaux amis. La télévision est le reflet du pays dans lequel on vit, il est toujours conseillé d’acheter rapidement une télévision, pour la langue et pour la compréhension du pays. Dans un pays comme le Mexique, il est facile et rapide de connaître ses voisins.

Souvent les français à l’étranger ont tendances à s’enfermer dans leur communauté, mais pour comprendre un pays et s’y intégrer il faut se rapprocher des locaux, se sont eux qui vous intégreront dans leur pays.

Un dernier point, le retour au pays. Il doit se préparer également. Lorsque vous rentrez en France après 3 ou 5 ans d’expatriation, vous n’êtes pas tout à fait le même, vous rentrez, plus riche intellectuellement, votre regard sur la France, vos amis peut changer, vous pouvez vous sentir décaler, dans certains cas ne pas vous sentir à votre place.

Une règle existe, plus votre expatriation aura été bien vécue, mieux vous vous serez senti dans votre pays d’accueil et plus le retour sera difficile voir douloureux, d’où l’importance de la préparation.

Le choc culturel

Par Olivier Soumah-Mis :

On me demande souvent “Quel est le pays le plus difficile pour un expatrié ? ». S’il est vrai que pour un expatrié français l’effort d’adaptation à Bruxelles sera moins important qu’à Karachi, dans l’absolu, il n’y a pas de pays plus difficile que d’autre. Tout va dépendre de vos capacités d’adaptation, d’ouverture d’esprit, d’acceptation de la différence, de votre empathie. Là ou certain vont mal s’adapter, ne pas s’adapter voir tomber en dépression nerveuse, d’autre vont profiter pleinement de leur expatriation. Il n’y a pas de règle. Ce qui est sûr c’est que nous ne sommes pas tous fait pour vivre dans n’importe quel type de pays, dans n’importe quel type de culture. Certains seront comme un poisson dans l’eau dans les cultures latines alors que d’autres se sentiront mieux dans les cultures anglophones ou asiatiques. L’expatrié qui aura passé 3 ou 5 ans au Mexique, qui aura été efficace professionnellement qui se sera intégré avec sa famille, car le système de valeurs au Mexique ne lui aura pas coûté un effort trop important, s’il est envoyé au Japon à la fin de son expatriation mexicaine, rien ne garantit que son adaptation sera aussi performante. S’adapter à des cultures donc à des systèmes de valeurs qui peuvent être très différents et en plus sans préparation, exige de grandes qualités humaines. En 15 ans de préparation d’expatriés, je peux dire que je compte sur les doigts d’une main ces personnes capables de s’adapter partout.

Tout expatrié ou qu’il aille subit ce que l’on appel « le choc culturel ». La violence de ce choc ne dépend pas du pays mais bien de l’expatrié lui-même. Comment fonctionne ce choc culturel ?


A priori l’expatriation est un choix. Lorsque le Directeur des Ressources Humaines répond positivement à la demande du cadre, celui-ci est content. Avant de partir il est heureux car, son expatriation est un nouveau départ, un nouveau challenge professionnel, nouvelles responsabilités, nouvelle vie…

Lorsqu’il arrive dans le pays, au Mexique par exemple, il va subir plusieurs phases :

1- L’état d’euphorie : Lorsqu’il arrive dans le pays, tout est merveilleux, tout est différent, il a tendance à « sublimer » son nouvel environnement. Il a tout à découvrir.

2- Le coup de blues : 3 facteurs différents nous font passer de l’état d’euphorie au coup de blues :

Le premier : Une fois que son nouvel environnement devient sa norme quotidienne, c'est-à-dire que les choses deviennent normales, il commence à être confronté aux réalités du pays qui ne sont, forcément pas toutes roses, là ou il ne faisait pas attention aux embouteillages de la ville, ces embouteillages lui servait pour prendre ses repères, pour observer cet environnement inconnu, maintenant ces mêmes embouteillages répétés tous les jours deviennent fatigant. Et petit à petit l’expatrié va ouvrir les yeux sur milles petits détails qui viennent parasiter la vie quotidienne de tout expatrié ou qu’il soit sur la planète.

Le second : Puis il y a la famille, le pays, la nourriture, les amis que nous avons
laissés en France, ils commencent à manquer. L’expatrié sur Bruxelles peut rentrer
en France chaque week end s’il le désire, l’expatrié au Mexique doit attendre les
vacances de Noël ou d’été pour rentrer, c’est plus difficile dans certain cas.

Le troisième : Certainement le plus inconscient et le plus déstabilisant. Au début de
son expatriation l’expatrié vit dans un « no mans land » culturel. Il y a un moment en
général après l’état d’euphorie, difficile à vivre car l’expatrié se rend compte que ses
repères culturels ne fonctionnent pas à 100% avec les réalités du pays car il vient
d’arriver et il n’a pas encore capté ceux de son nouvel environnement. Le manque de
repère est toujours quelque chose de difficile à gérer.

Suivant comment l’expatrié va vivre son coup de blues, plusieurs comportements possibles vont suivre :

Le pire : La dépression nerveuse. C’est le cas de la personne qui c’est trompé de pays. Ce pays ne lui convient pas, l’effort d’adaptation est trop important pour elle, elle broie du noir, elle critique tout, les gens, la chaleur, la nourriture, tout !! Du coup de blues petit à petit elle va sombrer dans la dépression. D’après les études cette catégorie représente quand même 30% des expatriés français dans le monde.

L’autre cas négatif, l’insatisfait, qui après son coup de blues, passage obligé, va rester dans un état d’esprit toujours négatif, il a bien pris ses repères dans son pays d’accueil, mais il n’y a rien à faire il reste très critique vis-à-vis du pays. C’est le cas de beaucoup de français à l’étranger. Ce cas reste négatif, car il est difficile d’être performant professionnellement lorsque l’on ne se sent pas bien dans un pays.

Le troisième cas, le passionné, cas qui reste négatif pour l’entreprise mais positif pour l’expatrié. C’est ce français envoyé au Mexique par son entreprise, qui rapidement tombe amoureux du pays, voir d’une ou d’un mexicain, qui devient plus mexicain que les mexicains, qui devient critique envers son pays en découvrant une autre réalité au Mexique. Ce cas est négatif pour l’entreprise car lors du retour, soit il démissionne, soit il rentre mais le retour sera douloureux car il lui sera plus difficile de se réadapter au moule français alors qu’il se sentait si bien dans le moule mexicain. Positif pour l’expatrié car s’il décide de démissionner pour rester, alors il fera sa vie sur place dans un pays qui lui convient culturellement bien.

Le dernier cas, le satisfait, est le cas idéal, c’est l’expatrié content d’être là qui positive son expatriation sans oublié d’où il vient et qui sera content de rentrer lorsque l’heure du retour sonnera.

L’adaptation n’est pas innée c’est un effort, c’est un apprentissage, malheureusement peu d’entreprises investissent dans cet apprentissage alors que les conséquences sont humainement douloureuses et financièrement coûteuses.

Business meeting etiquette

Business etiquette is essentially about building relationships with colleagues, clients or customers. In the business world, it is these people that can influence your success or failure. Etiquette, and in particular business etiquette, is simply a means of maximising your business potential by presenting yourself favourably.
Business meetings are one arena in which poor etiquette can have negative effects. By improving your business meeting etiquette you automatically improve your chances of success. Comfort, trust, attentiveness and clear communication are examples of the positive results of demonstrating good etiquette.
The article will focus on a few key examples of business meeting etiquette for both formal and informal business meetings. Although these are meant as guides to etiquette in the UK they are very much applicable to other nations too.
Informal Meetings :
Informal meetings are generally more relaxed affairs and may not necessarily take place in the office or meeting room. Even so a sense of professionalism and good business etiquette are still required.
There are 7 points to consider with informal meetings:
* Business etiquette demands that the person calling the meeting (henceforth 'the chair') should be the most senior or the one with the most direct or urgent interest in the topic at hand.* The chair should decide the time, place and agenda. These details should be confirmed with everyone to make sure all are in agreement and no inconvenience is caused.* The chair must make the purpose of the meeting clear to the attendees, how long it will last and what is expected of them, i.e. particular information or preparation of documents. Failing to relay the proper information is bad business etiquette as it could cause embarrassment.* Punctuality is a must. Keeping people waiting is considered the height of poor etiquette as it abuses their time.* The chair should strive to ensure the meeting stays within a set framework or agenda so that it is kept as short and effective as possible. He/she must keep circular disagreements and the like to a minimum.* The chair should (pre-)appoint someone to record the proceedings; documenting major decisions or action points. This can later be distributed to the attendees for reference.* If the results of the meeting have an effect on others who were not present it is considered proper business etiquette to inform them.
Formal Meetings :
The business etiquette of formal meetings such as departmental meetings, management meetings, board meetings, negotiations and the like can be puzzling. Such meetings usually have a set format. For example, the chair may always be the same person, minutes, agendas or reports may be pre-distributed or voting may take place.
Here are 10 business etiquette guidelines that are applicable to any formal meeting:
* Prepare well for the meeting as your contribution may be integral to the proceedings. If you are using statistics, reports or any other information make sure it has been handed out at least three days prior to the meeting. * Dress well and arrive in good time. Your professionalism is linked to both.* Always remember to switch of a mobile phone.* If there is an established seating pattern, accept it. If you are unsure, ask.* Acknowledge any introductions or opening remarks with a brief recognition of the chair and other participants.* When discussions are under way it is good business etiquette to allow more senior figures to contribute first.* Never interrupt anyone - even if you disagree strongly. Note what has been said and return to it later with the chair?s permission.* When speaking, be brief and ensure what you say is relevant.* Always address the chair unless it is clear that others are not doing so.* It is a serious breach of business etiquette to divulge information to others about a meeting. What has been discussed should be considered as confidential.
The underlying principles of the all the above business meeting etiquette pointers are good manners, courtesy and consideration. If these principles are adhered to the chances of offense and misunderstandings are greatly reduced.

The Business Lunch and Cultural Differences

Business lunches are very common in many countries and cultures. Food itself is one of the most visible manifestations of a culture and is something people are proud of and like to share with guests to their country. However, just as the food changes from culture to culture so does the intention and etiquette surrounding the lunch. In some cultures the business lunch is a time for chit-chat and building relationships, in others simply a fuel stop at which people continue to talk about business, known as the "working lunch".
For the international globe-trotter it is always beneficial to have an appreciation and understanding of a local culture and any etiquette or protocol. Traditionally this has concentrated on areas summed up in the title of a book named "Kiss, Bow or Shake hands." One area many people do not consider is the role of the business lunch and how different cultures approach them.
In order to introduce the idea of 'doing lunch' across the globe we have picked out a few examples from some countries to highlight cultural differences in the approach and etiquette surrounding the business lunch.
The UK :
Lunch is not a big affair in the UK and many an office worker will happily eat a sandwich at their desk. Business lunches however will take place at a restaurant or pub. The British like to keep personal life and business separate unless a good relationship has formed so discussions may very well be centred on business. As and when conversation strays to other topics it is usually about sports, politics and of course the weather!
Table manners demand a certain demeanour; one should always use a knife and fork, napkins if provided should be placed on the lap, ask to be passed dishes or condiments rather than lean over people and avoid speaking loudly.
Japan :
Lunch is the main meal of the day in Japan so when doing business in the country bear in mind this is when people like to eat. Lunch in Japan can therefore consist of several courses.
While the majority of restaurants in Japan are equipped exclusively with Western style tables and chairs, restaurants with low traditional tables and the customers sitting on cushions on the floor are also common. Chopsticks have their own etiquette rules associated with them including: When you are not using your chopsticks and when you are finished eating, lay them down in front of you with the tip to left, do not stick chopsticks into your food and do not pass food with your chopsticks directly to somebody else's chopsticks. When drinking alcohol it is the correct etiquette to serve each other, rather than pouring the beverage into one's own glass.
Generally speaking conversation is quote subdued at Japanese lunches so do not feel as though it is incumbent on you to liven up the proceedings. Savour the food and follow the lead of your hosts.
The Middle East :
Lunch is the time to enjoy good food and engage in some good conversation. Business should not generally be discussed as this is the time of day when people wind down due to the heat. The business lunch should be used as the time to forge good relationships so engage in plenty of chit-chat about current affairs, sports or ask questions about your host's country. Be sure not to ask political or religiously sensitive questions. Similarly asking in-depth questions about one's family is not done.
Traditionally meals are eaten on the floor. If this is the situation you find yourself in then try and sit with your legs crossed or leaning on one. Never sit with your feet stretched out. To eat the food simply scoop it into your right hand and pop it into the mouth. Never use your left hand for anything, whether eating or passing things to people.

EthnicEvents.com

EthnicEvents.com, an online resource for marketers looking to reach the multicultural consumer, was launched on November 5, 2007, at the 2007 ANA Multicultural Excellence Summit by Global Advertising Strategies. With minority buying power projected to exceed $1.7 trillion by 2010, this unique online platform offers marketers a one-stop place to survey thousands of ethnic events with a click of a mouse.
According to Luba Tolkachyov, the Project Director for EthnicEvents.com, “Grassroots outreach continues to be an important part of the multicultural marketing mix.” Traditionally finding events that are best for your products has been a tedious affair, necessitating hours of research. “EthnicEvents.com makes your search painless, putting professionals in touch with the organizer or the community leader behind every happening listed in our database,” Luba added.
Across over 30 ethnic markets, EthnicEvents.com consolidates information on a wide range of events such as street festivals, parades, community conferences, ethnic concerts and performances, as well as business tradeshows. Among the prominent upcoming events to be found in the database are vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations, Cinco de Mayo fiestas, and Black History Month events. Users can customize their searches by state, ethnicity, and date. More options will be added soon.
Larry Moskowitz, VP of Integration, at Global Advertising Strategies indicated that, “in general, multicultural marketers enjoy a high return on their investment. This is due to the relatively low cost of media and events sponsorships and the relatively high loyalty these consumers show to brands which are visible within the community.”
In addition to the event database, subscribers can network on the site blog, recruit promotional event staff, and review an extensive multimedia gallery of videos and photographs from past events. For more information, log onto http://www.ethnicevents.com/ or contact Luba Tolkachyov at 212.964.0030 x 256.

Japanese companies embrace diversity

TOKYO: In the middle of 2006, Nissan Motor's auto development division summoned a team of 10 women to develop a small car that would appeal to female buyers. The team, made up of designers, product planners and advertising and marketing staff and ranging in age from their 20s to their 30s, came up with the Pino, a minicar to be produced in pastel colors and with a wide array of options, like cushions and special ashtrays, that it felt young women would want.
When the Pino was introduced in January, Nissan was hoping to sell 2,600 vehicles during the first month and beyond. It got 5,500 orders during the first month and has sold steadily above target ever since.
"You are able to make good products by letting women participate in all aspects of the business process," said Yukiko Yoshimaru, general manager of the diversity development office at Nissan. "That way, we can meet the customers' needs satisfactorily."
That Nissan even has a diversity officer may sound startling to those who are used to thinking of Japanese companies as dominated by men, and Japanese men at that. But the automaker has made visible progress on the diversity front under a management team that includes Carlos Ghosn and other French executives from Renault. Aside from bringing in foreign managers from overseas, it has increased the proportion of women in managerial ranks to 4 percent from 1.6 percent three years ago.
And Nissan is not alone in making a visible commitment to diversity. Big employers from manufacturers like Matsushita Electric and Toshiba to large lenders like Mizuho Corporate Bank are setting up departments, holding seminars for management-track women, and soliciting foreigners as regular, full-time employees to work at headquarters in Japan.
Of the 750 new employees Matsushita Electric hired last year in Japan, 30 were non-Japanese; of the 100 non-engineering positions, close to half were filled by women, according to the company. Nissan also boasted a 50-50 ratio of women to men for non-engineer new recruits last year.
"To meet the diverse needs in the global market, you need to have diversity in the composition of your employees," Yoshimaru said. "A homogeneous group can only come up with something homogeneous."
This is radical talk in corporate Japan, which previously took pride in its homogeneity, especially during the go-go years of the 1970s and 1980s, saying it make them efficient. Today the new buzzword is "daiba-shitii," or diversity.
As a general manager of diversity development office at Tokyo Electric Power, the largest electricity producer in Japan, Hiroko Amemiya's job consists of publishing in-house magazines and leaflets meant to raises awareness of the issue and holding seminars for employees and managers to discuss habits and customs in the workplace that might stand in the way of creating a diverse work force.
"There are certain ingrained habits and thinking that are difficult to shake off immediately," she said. "People say, for example, that women aren't good at driving. But some women are good at driving, and to conclude that women can't drive well leads to a bias, and bias leads to discrimination."
Japanese business, like Japanese society and many other countries, still has a long way to go to be truly gender- or ethnicity-blind. According to the most recent survey by the Ministry of Welfare and Labor, in 2003 women held just 3.3 percent of managerial jobs at companies with more than 5,000 employees - among the lowest in mature economies.
And only about 1.6 percent of the population was foreign-born at the end of 2006, according to the Justice Ministry - the highest it has ever been. Xenophobia still runs deep in certain segments of society, and "No Foreigners" signs are found in some commercial outlets in the countryside.
But things are changing - largely, say corporate managers and analysts, because they have to. Demographics and globalization demand it.
In Japan, one of the fastest aging societies in the world, labor is increasingly becoming a scare resource. A big lump of workers in their late 50s, the so-called baby boomers, are retiring, while the pool of younger workers is shrinking, driving big companies to scramble for workers to plug the gap.
"In certain businesses such as the info tech industry, companies are structurally and chronically short of workers," said Yukihiro Yamao, president of AXIS Consulting in Tokyo, an employment concern that has helped big Japanese employers like Fujitsu, Hitachi and their group companies find workers from overseas.
He has placed about 30 Chinese white-collar workers with Japanese companies in the past year and sees assignments from clients zooming to several hundred in a few years.