GUIDE’s KEY CONTENT

WHAT MATTERS IN BUSINESS ?

The guide reviews in each business culture twelve features that have a direct and profound influence in the way people conduct business.

  • TIME

    Time is fundamental in all aspects of business: plans, budgets, deadlines, objectives, meetings etc.

  • TRUST

    Far more business takes place with a simple verbal or digital short agreement than a formal contract. What is trust for your colleagues, suppliers, customers, partners?

  • MONEY

    Money is supposedly the ultimate objective in business. Is it really ?

  • BOND BETWEEN PEOPLE

    Is building a relationship a waste of time or a genuine investment ?

  • EMOTIONS

    To what extent are emotions influencing, possibly driving business decisions, and affecting organizations ?

  • LEADERSHIP

    What kind of leadership your colleagues, employees or partners are expecting?

  • DECISIONS

    How are decisions taken ?

  • ACTION

    How is action taking place and unfolding in the business chain ?

  • RULES & POLICIES

    Are they mandatory or flexible?

  • TASK vs RELATIONSHIP

    What does matter most in relationships at work, the personal bond or the task to be performed ?

  • TRIALS & ERROR

    Are trials welcomed and errors well accepted ?

  • CONFLICT

    How can we detect and diffuse tension or conflict ?

COVERING THE WHOLE PLANET

The guide aims at covering most zones and countries where business is taking place.

Its goal is also to remain simple and practical.

Instead of reviewing about 200 regions or states it hence designates families of countries with similar business cultures, sharing more common patterns than differences.

ANGLO-SAXON

LATIN

ASIAN

ARAB

SUB SAHARAN AFRICAN

SLAV

This is not only a gain of time; this permits a wider geographical coverage as most countries in the world can be related to one group.

There are some exceptions though. In Turkey the business culture is a kind of hybrid made up of Latin, Slav and Arab influences. Slav norms largely penetrate the business culture in Central Asian countries along with Arab and Asian inclinations. The Arab influence is predominant in Iran with some Asian business culture patterns.

This classification somehow follows linguistic and religious borders but not entirely. Quebec in Canada and French speaking Switzerland, have a thoroughly Anglo-Saxon business culture. Greek is not a Latin language while the business culture is, in this Orthodox country. Romanian is a Latin language whereas the business culture is definitely Slav.

The diversity of Asia is challenging, with considerable disparities between India and Japan, China and Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam etc. Manifest Asian patterns are however plentiful in all these business cultures and this grouping bears no geopolitical implications. Arab and Sub-Saharan African business cultures also display numerous similarities with their Asian counterpart.