Access to Asia. Waisfisz Bob

      If you fall within the range of 5 or 6 on this continuum, you will likely easily adapt to Japanese formalities within business. If you are someone more comfortable with showing emotion in business dealings, expressing strongly held opinions, and acting assertively with others, you may need to consider seeking intercultural training.

      Business Is Relationships

      Regardless of home country, human beings share a common desire to relate. In their work identifying the universal attributes called strengths, the Gallup Organization found that out of the 34 personal themes described by the StrengthsFinder assessment tool, the top five were common internationally: Achiever, Learner, Relator, Responsibility, and Strategic. The placement of these themes in the top five differed slightly according to whether it is U.S. or international data, but whether we're from Baltimore or Bangalore, San Francisco or Shanghai, achieving, learning, and relating appear to be primary concerns for us all.

      Regardless of the industry, then, we are all in the relationship business. Understanding this is even more salient when operating abroad. As Professor Christine Uber Grosse points out: “Personal relationships matter in Asian business, in contrast to their lesser role in U.S. business. As a result, U.S. managers do not always understand the need to establish trust and build business relationships with Asian partners and clients.”4

      From Theory to Practice

      Prior to the launch of the inaugural Formula One U.S. Grand Prix at Austin's new Circuit of the Americas, Sharon was asked to write a series of articles and to conduct workshops on international protocol and etiquette, to help prepare Austin's business community for welcoming international visitors. While speaking privately with various attendees, Sharon shared the following story to illustrate how intercultural respect and courtesy play a huge role in establishing long-lasting business relationships:

      Some years ago, on a tour of American cities, a Chinese delegation visited Austin. On the final night of their stay, after attending well-organized business and government events around the city, the delegates were treated to a banquet featuring Texas BBQ at a real estate broker's private residence. Each delegate received individually-wrapped gifts of memorabilia unique to Texas. The organizers even supplied slippers so everyone could remove their shoes before entering the private residence, if desired. Everything went smoothly and the delegation traveled to the next stop on their national tour. Their next experience was quite different, however. On one occasion the Chinese delegation waited thirty minutes before someone realized they were in the wrong downtown high-rise – they'd ended up next door. The delegates were not as impressed as they had been in Austin. When the Chinese returned home, they invited the Austin real estate host to make presentations and talks in China. These opportunities have subsequently boosted her business internationally.

      While Robert Burns wrote in Scottish dialect, fellow Scot Liz has anglicized this quote from one of his poems to make it more understandable: “Oh, would some Power the gift to give us/to see ourselves as others see us!”5

      With that in mind, the chapters that follow help you learn about the values held by your Asian clients and partners, but they also encourage you to view U.S. cultural values in a new way. With a willingness to adapt, this material can help you develop strong, long-lasting business relationships for powerful, mutual benefit.

      Chapter 1

      A Question of Culture

      When we marry, most of us discover that our spouse's family has a different set of expectations, values, and beliefs, ranging from broad topics, such as boundaries to specific subjects such as shared holidays. Invariably, these are different from the way we were raised. If we can reconcile our own values with those of our new extended family, we avoid the potential culture clash; if not, and things escalate, the end result can be unpleasant. The same holds true in business.

      J.B. (not his real name) is a factory owner in Chennai, in southern India, whose mid-sized business produces revenues of around $250 million a year and has two joint venture agreements. One relationship, with a German company, has happily lasted 18 years. The other, with a U.S.6 company, he wants to draw to a close, because of their less than desirable approach to doing business.

      For example, on one occasion, J.B. wanted to spend $5,000 to manufacture a tool for a particular project and was questioned at length by his U.S. partners as to why he didn't just buy the tool from vendors overseas. J.B. responded that these vendors did not allow him to purchase a single item, only items in bulk, which he felt was wasteful and would incur unnecessary shipping costs. Overall, it was going to be considerably less expensive to make the part. After further laborious discussions, his U.S. partners reluctantly agreed.

      In contrast, J.B.'s experience with the Germans is such that, “If I make a request, they will ask me if that is the best solution in my opinion. If I say yes, they trust my expertise.” Why would J.B.'s experience with the Germans be so different than the experience with his U.S. partners? In short: cultural differences. But before examining this example further, let's explore what we mean by the word culture.

      We use the word culture in many different contexts, including countries, organizations, and groups, and we talk about cultural misunderstandings, cultural clashes, cultural fit, and even culture shock. However, books and articles focused on cultural topics often neglect to define the term. Perhaps that is not surprising, considering the complexities involved in explaining culture.

      Culture was