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The Japanese communication style reflects the value placed on maintaining harmony.
The Japanese are non-confrontational and will rarely directly decline requests. Instead, they will reply, “It is inconvenient,” or “It is under consideration.” They do not criticize, insult, put people on the spot or do anything that might cause embarrassment and thus loss of face.
To understand Norwegians, you must understand the natural environment in which they live. Considered among the most beautiful places on earth, Norway is also a harsh land of cold, snow, fjords and isolation.
Norwegians are proud of living so closely to nature and their relationship with the natural world forms their national identity.
In Israel, business is done at a dynamic and quick pace. However, negotiations may take longer than expected. Arab Israelis prefer to do business with people they know and to develop relationships before conducting business deals. Jewish Israelis value rapport between partners to a lesser extent, and this fact may speed up closing a deal.
Australia is a multicultural, amicable society, so it is important to be sensitive to different cultures and lifestyles when interacting with locals who may come from a wide range of traditions.
In general, Australians feel they are an unpretentious people and are proud of this.
You may have heard that the Dutch tend to give off the impression of being rude or crude, but the more accurate way to describe their communication style is direct and informal with a strong sense of humor.
The word “culture” was named the most popular word of the year in 2014 by Merriam-Webster, which comes to no surprise as it is increasingly being recognized as a powerful force in business. While cultural diversity can be advantageous for businesses and create higher performing teams, it can just as well create conflict in other areas.
Whether you’re planning a vacation to Brazil or conducting business with Brazilians, it’s important to understand the cultural context of the people you are working with.
Your personality and ability to establish strong relationships are crucial to the success of your business endeavors with Brazilians. Brazilians are known to do anything for friends, and when it comes to business, relationships carry more weight than a legal document. Hence the expression, “For friends, everything. For enemies, the law.”