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Working outside of one's own home country is not as easy as it sounds. This means struggling with a new language, a different culture and more importantly understanding diverse values in the workplace. An expatriate should be very careful in the application of practices and methods that were successful in his/her country; they might not work in the host country. Operations can and often do meet with failure when applied to another environment if the local customs and values are not considered. This paper deals with how various cultural variables determine companies' strategies in being successful in markets outside the United States. Authors also provide some strategies along with do's and don'ts for the expatriate.
Introduction
Before embarking on an international business trip, one should learn about the customs, history, and religion of the country to visit and to avoid possible misunderstanding and embarrassment. Cultural adaptation and flexibility are two international guiding principles for foreign trips whether for business or for pleasure. It is advisable to keep in mind always that each country is unique with its own customs, business manners, jokes, and religious practices. A business traveler should study important aspects of the country's culture beforehand. Reading travel guides, online sources, and information packages is one easy way to overcome some cultural issues (Black and Gregersen, 1999, p 4).
Here are some of the cultural distinctions that U.S. firms face across the borders: differences in business styles, attitudes toward development of business relationships and toward punctuality, negotiating styles, gift-giving customs, greetings, significance of gestures, meanings of colors and numbers, and customs regarding titles (Bernick 2001, p532). These may seem to be unimportant but a small mistake; ignorance or insulting behavior could cost the loss of a business deal worth million dollars. That is why this paper stresses that understanding cultural variables is critical to success in international business. Lack of familiarity with the business practices, social customs, and etiquette of a country can weaken a company's position in the market, prevent it from accomplishing its objectives, and ultimately lead to failure (Funakawa, 1997, p!21 ).
All over the world there are different styles of doing business and developing business relationships. In some countries, businesspeople have a very direct style. Others may be...