As a German corporation, Daimler AG subscribes to very different values and norms when compared to Brazilian society. Charles Hill (2011) defined society as a group of people that share a common set of values and norms. Brazil’s society is a melting pot of nationalities due to centuries of Portuguese colonization, African slavery and assimilation with the natives. As a result, modern-day Brazilian culture is unique and very complex. However, over the centuries, they have developed a common culture.
Daimler AG’s proposed entry into the Brazil requires an astute understanding of the social and ethical issues in the country. Businesses may fail when there is a lack of understanding of these aspects. Engaging in a society is engaging in a people; people are key to Daimler AG’s success1. It is also important for managers of Daimler to navigate past ethical dilemmas because when Daimler AG’s managers engage in the Brazilian workforce, right and wrong becomes an issue of perspectives rather than absolutes. To become successful, an individual needs to be driven by strong ethical values and businesses are no exception to this (Oak 2013). Even effective corporations can experience a fall in their profits and popularity when there is a lack of understanding of these issues, especially a society as diverse as Brazil’s.
According to www.brazil.org.za. (2011), social issues present in Brazilian society are Poverty, Violent Crime, Lack of Education and Infant Mortality. Other contentious issues are Rights of Women, Nature and Environmental issues, Being Black in Brazil and Being an Indian Brazilian (Virtual-Brazil.com. 2013). Corruption and Nepotism are daily occurrences and are sometimes seen as endemic in Brazil’s business and political landscape (Moises 2010). In Brazil, business and political relations are treated as personal relations and they are often the catalyst for corrupt acts, which is described as normal by corrupt politicians.
German society grapples with other social issues such as Reunification, School Violence and Dropouts, Political Extremism, Gender Roles and Integration of Immigrants (Stroh, E. u.d.).
Reference
DAIMLER AG. 2013. Targets [Online]. Daimler AG. Available: https://www.daimler.com/company/strategy/targets [Accessed 10th October 2013.
HILL, C. 2011. International business: competing in the global marketplace, NY, McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
MOISÉS, J. Á. 2010. Political Corruption and Democracy in Contemporary Brazil. Revista Latino-Americana de Opinión Pública, 1, 103-124.
Oak, Manali . (2013). Importance of Ethics in Business. Available: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ethics-important-in-business.html. Last accessed 10th Oct 2013.
Stroh, E. (undated). Social Issues. Available: http://germanyglobalissues.weebly.com/index.html. Last accessed 10th Oct 2013.
Virtual-Brazil.com. (2013). Brazil - social issues. Available: http://www.v-brazil.com/social/. Last accessed 10th Oct 2013. www.brazil.org.za. (2011). Brazilian Social Issues. Available: http://www.brazil.org.za/social-issues.html#.UldUVIZmiSo. Last accessed 10th Oct 2013.
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