Cultural differences and clarity in Mexico's business world
When U.S. executives are sent to Mexico, they soon hear that Mexicans are "indirect" and "will not give you a straight answer, "especially if what needs to be communicated is unpleasant." Thus, the gen...
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Bad news : Seeking concrete solutions to a cultural attitude
I found that the reluctance to communicate bad news was not a trait of our Mexican employees alone, but I did find that it was more prevalent there.
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English Required:
Since the signing of NAFTA, an increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of knowing English in Mexico. And not surprisingly, English teaching has become a profitable business. Unfortunately...
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Building Trust
Like many other authors, I have often commented about the "trust" issue in business. According to author Francis Fukuyama, "trust" is a human capital that determines the way society develops business. ...
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You Owe Me One! Or the Concept of Favors in Mexico and in the U.S.A.
Favors are done in every culture, but how favors are given and received differs among cultures. Comparing the mainstream U.S. culture and Mexico regarding this issue, we find striking differences, whic...
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Double Standards
The topic of business ethics is one that too often ends up on the back burner, unless you happen to be a social activist. In business circles, the topic arouses as much interest as a turtle race.
...
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Power Play
Empowering employees in Mexico presents a different series of challenges than in the United States. Mexico’s hierarchical and authoritarian tradition makes it extremely difficult for managers to dele...
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Mexotic Products
To many outside Mexico, the country often seems "exotic." Described as "surreal," endless description about the inner soul of Mexico (the "
Mexico Profundo," or the "Deep Mexico"), complex, tradition...
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About Number One
A common saying among professionals in the United States goes something like, "I've got to take care of number one, you know," usually when discussing a situation in which the speaker had clearly behav...
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Just The Facts Ma'am, Or Will My Hunch Do?
I get many inquiries from non-Mexicans interested in investing in or starting a new business in Mexico. The inquiries usually ask the normal "administrative" curiosities: What are the numbers for the i...
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Racism And Business In Mexico 2
In July, I wrote about racism and how this affects business in Mexico. The article provoked a
huge reaction. I got love mail and hate mail. This month I'll share some of the most thoughtful response...
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Racism And Business In Mexico
Although denied officially and, personally by many Mexicans, racism in Mexico is so evident that most foreigners notice it right away. All you have to do is look at Mexican-produced television programs...
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Inner And Outside Circles
One thing that often puzzles observers from the U.S. about Mexico is the apparent dichotomy between how Mexicans behave at the personal level, and how they manifest themselves in anonymity. Thus, your ...
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Communication: The Asian Factor
I always tell my students and seminar participants that Mexico is a complex culture. In some ways is much like the rest of Latin America. Yet in other ways it is more similar to South and East Asian cu...
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Feeling Nuts In Mexico
In Mexico, when you go to a traditional marketplace, or a store around the corner, it is not unusual that a number of things will be packaged in small plastic bags with a close-knit knot, and not a sho...
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Sensitive Mexicans
It has been said by many non-Mexicans such as Americans, Germans, French, among many others, that Mexicans are much too touchy: They don't seem to handle criticism very well, and are too easily hurt. S...
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Mexican Business Lunches
Business people in Mexico will tell you, as most business people will, that business meals are important rituals considered well-spent perks, since often business people work long hours and are away fr...
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The Heavy Toll Of Culture Shock
Is culture shock, as experienced by many ex-pats and their families, a psychological or a cultural issue? I was recently involved in a discussion group where this issue was debated. All of us agreed th...
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The Cultural Contexts Of Mexican Business Dealings
The Cultural Contexts of Mexican Business Dealings: From Stereotypes to Respect
By chris stewart
Copyright © Chris Stewart 2001
Questions or comments? mail to
chris@mex...
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Comparing Management Differences - Cultural Myths
General Items
Myths
"What works here ought to work in Mexico." Not so. You cannot transplant Canadian or US techniques, methods and management styles without adapting them and expect them to work...
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When in Rome... Mexican greeting practices in the business world
It is surprising how different norms on the proper greeting method in the business world affect people so strongly. This is especially true when we contrast U.S. and Mexican preferences. Some people wi...
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Increasing equity in Mexico: Discrimination in the world of international business
Discrimination is an important moral concern for all of us.
In the business world, the issue of discrimination goes beyond moral grounds. Although businesses’ main concern is profits, discrimination...
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Pulling together: Cross national teamwork promises greater efficiency for doing business in Mexico
These days it seems every company is adopting a team approach to doing business. While the concept is relatively new in the Western world, it is an old practice in Japan. But team-building, which requi...
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Mexican-Anglo staff meetings: Meetings halfway
A reality of any manager's life is attending and calling staff meetings. Another reality is that most managers complain staff meetings are a "waste of time."
When meetings involve Mexican and Anglo-Am...
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In the dark: Without reliable information, Mexican managers get in touch with their feelings
Anyone who has ever worked in Mexico realizes that one of the biggest differences between doing business in this country and its two Nafta partners concerns information. Whereas in the U.S. and Canada ...
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