Working in Multicultural Teams(Part1)
In today’s world, it’s common to work with people from different cultures. And since effective business depends on clear communication, it’s important to consider different aspects of culture. Your colleagues may do business differently than you do. So, knowing more about intercultural communication can help your work go more smoothly and avoid any misunderstandings
Ming:... so, let's see who's on this team. I know some of these people,but there are a few new ones. I grabbed some notes off the Internet to read up on Brazilian culture (a bit).
Tanya:That's exactly what I did
before I left, there's some really helpful stuff out there.
Ming:Yeah. I've heard that Curitiba
is a really business-friendly and there's
a big mix of cultural backgrounds. Besides Brazilians of Portuguese
descent,there was significant
immigration from Europe and Japan.
Tanya:Yeah, Brazil is very
multicultural.A real melting pot,just like the U.S.
Ming:So, how's doing business in
Brazil different from the States?
Tanya:Well, relationships come first
in Brazil, so you need to devote time to developing friendly relations and
bonding with your team. Don't be surprised if people tell you all about their
education, career, and family.
Ming:Okay. So, how does that apply to
meetings?
Tanya:Well, Brazilians
don't“get down to business”immediately
like Americans do. There's quite a bit ofsmall
talkbefore meetings actually begin.
Ming:Yeah, that's similar to China. I
was surprised at the way Americansjump right
intomeetings and negotiations without engaging in a fewpleasantriesfirst.How about addressing team
members?
Tanya:Brazilians tend to be more
formal than Americans when addressing each other. It's more common to use
titles andhonorary titles,with or without
the surname
Ming:I saw that in the
notes.“Docteur” is one, isn't it?
Tanya:I think it's more
like“Doutor”- But my Portuguese is a
bitrusty.
Ming:Now, have they dealt with the
issue of Chinese names before?
Tanya:They might have. But most
Chinese who immigrated to Brazil went to Sao Paolo. Curitiba doesn't have a lot
of Chinese-Brazilians.
Ming:Hmm...
Tanya:And one more thing. I know you
prefer tea, but you might want to develop a taste for coffee. Coffee culture is
very important in Brazil and there's a bar near the office that everyone goes
to, they even deliver coffee to the office if you call.
Ming:That's gonna be a tough one. I
drink tea pretty much all day long...
Vocaburary Note
read up on ・・・ Do background
reading on
melting pot・・・ A society that includes
a mix of different cultures
get down to business・・・ To start working immediately
jump right into ・・・ Start immediately
pleasantries・・・ Friendly remarks or
comments
rusty・・・In need of review
