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Choose a country that is NOT familiar to you. Research the culture of that country and post a brief summary of what a U.S. manager would need to know about contextual, legal, ethical, social, nonverbal, age, and gender differences in order to conduct business effectively in that country. Be sure to identify the country’s cultural context (i.e., is the country a high-context or low-context culture?) in your summary.
The country chosen is Saudi Arabia. Their deep-rooted cultural heritage is defined by its Islamic heritage. It would benefit the US manager to learn how to behave appropriately in Islamic society to avoid offense. The official language is Arabic. Showing interest in their culture by learning some Arabic would Help in building relationships, but not required as English is widely understood in the business world of Saudi Arabia. Saudi working week is from Sunday to Thursday, and they typically observe a 3 hour lunch break. Business is hierarchical in nature based on age and position. Decisions are made by the highest-ranking person and filtered down. Respect should be always shown to the most senior person. The gender differences are very marked with men being predominantly taking roles associated with power while women are generally relegated to secondary positions. This is a masculine culture, which could make it difficult for women to forge effective connections for successful business relationships. Physical contact between unrelated men and women is frowned upon. Gifts are not expected when meeting potential business partners, but if given, knives, alcohol and pork products should be avoided. The country is a high context culture.
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Choose a country with which you are unfamiliar. In order to do business efficiently in that country, research the culture of that country and publish a concise description of what a U.S. manager would need to know regarding contextual, legal, ethical, social, nonverbal, age, and gender variations. In your overview, make sure to mention the country’s cultural context (i.e., is it a high-context or low-context culture?).
Saudi Arabia is the chosen country. Their Islamic heritage defines their deep-rooted cultural history. To avoid offending the Islamic society, the US manager would benefit from learning how to behave responsibly. The official language is Arabic. Showing interest in their culture by learning some Arabic would Help
