615 Case 2
Miscommunication with a Brazilian Auto Parts Manufacturer
1. The most glaring misstep was not Mr. Williams not properly notifying Mr. Silva that he had an emergency and would not be making the trip, and sending a subordinate in his place. Not notifying his hosts was a sign of disrespect, and the unclear excuse made by Wally Astor compounded the issue. The second misstep occurred when Wally innocently dressed for travel and not for business. Wally should have taken the time to research his Brazilian counterparts, and their how they view respect, and business dealings Brazilians dress formally for business dealings and take pride in their appearance. (Dersky, 2014 p 101). If he had done so, he would have known that the significant differences between the cultures, and would not have been so quick to brush off a late dinner, again insulting his hosts. Brazilians like to feel comfortable with whom they do business with, and it is a dance, and Wally was quick to rush, and show impatience which again showed disrespect. Brazilians do business with people and they like to get to know with whom they are doing business with.
2. While the Brazilian culture is typically late, I would advise an American to be early if not on time when it came to business negotiations. Brazilians take business very seriously and prefer one on one negotiation opposed to other forms of communication (phone meetings, email and even teleconferences). Do your due diligence. Spend a bit of time learning not only about the company you are thinking of doing business with, but also the men or women you are about to enter negotiations in. Find the common ground, a place where you can meet and common interests you can talk about to continue to build the relationship before you even discuss the business at hand. So much information is now available online to gather the knowledge about your foreign counterparts.
3. Again here knowledge is power and preparation is key. Many American
1. The most glaring misstep was not Mr. Williams not properly notifying Mr. Silva that he had an emergency and would not be making the trip, and sending a subordinate in his place. Not notifying his hosts was a sign of disrespect, and the unclear excuse made by Wally Astor compounded the issue. The second misstep occurred when Wally innocently dressed for travel and not for business. Wally should have taken the time to research his Brazilian counterparts, and their how they view respect, and business dealings Brazilians dress formally for business dealings and take pride in their appearance. (Dersky, 2014 p 101). If he had done so, he would have known that the significant differences between the cultures, and would not have been so quick to brush off a late dinner, again insulting his hosts. Brazilians like to feel comfortable with whom they do business with, and it is a dance, and Wally was quick to rush, and show impatience which again showed disrespect. Brazilians do business with people and they like to get to know with whom they are doing business with.
2. While the Brazilian culture is typically late, I would advise an American to be early if not on time when it came to business negotiations. Brazilians take business very seriously and prefer one on one negotiation opposed to other forms of communication (phone meetings, email and even teleconferences). Do your due diligence. Spend a bit of time learning not only about the company you are thinking of doing business with, but also the men or women you are about to enter negotiations in. Find the common ground, a place where you can meet and common interests you can talk about to continue to build the relationship before you even discuss the business at hand. So much information is now available online to gather the knowledge about your foreign counterparts.
3. Again here knowledge is power and preparation is key. Many American