Living and working in the Arab World will be completely different from anything else you have so far experienced. The place will be full of wonder and new things to encounter; exciting times – that’s the upside. However, most Western managers find working practices very frustrating and the lifestyle limiting; challenging times – that’s the downside. So how can you prepare for your new posting?
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Deborah Swallow | June 7th, 2010
“We should never denigrate any other culture but rather help 
people to understand the relationship between their own culture and the dominant culture. When you understand another culture or language, it does not mean that you have to lose your own culture.”
Edward T Hall (Anthropologist)
How difficult can it be?
A significant amount of overseas investment is wasted each year because there are invisible core differences between the American and British cultures. These are not always appreciated by corporations and leaders. Consequently the result can be culture clash. The damage to US – UK relationships leads to an absence of trust, the erosion of communication and cooperation and failure to achieve the common goal. When management time is applied to the ensuing crisis often only the symptoms are tackled.
So, what are the differences, how did they occur and what can we do to get over the shock and pain of culture clash?
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Imagine a situation. You have just received a memo from your 
CEO (you work for a huge global organisation). In the memo, the newly appointed CEO states his vision for the company, and the core values he will be implementing as part of his new strategy. The core values are: Freedom, Respect, Integrity. Very simple values and easily understandable. In fact there is little doubt what he is looking for……or is there?
Many congratulations to my Colleague from the Transcultural Business Group who has successfully accomplished climbing the seven peaks of the world. Ania Lichota, who was born in Poland, has just reached the summit of Mount Everest and sent intercultural greetings from the roof top of the world. See more spectacular photos…
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The ‘Faces the Mediterranean’ exhibition is a regular event 
taking place in April and May each year. It’s part of the Anna Lindh National Networks of Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Lebanon, Bulgaria and Cyprus, which aims at engaging with young people and with individuals from migrant backgrounds. Watch the video…
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Today, UK businesses are very different from 20 years ago. 
However, there is still some hierarchy in British firms, with a distinctive difference between the status of Executives and managers, with most executives having secretaries. But contrary to many articles you’ll read about the Brits and their working practices, they have become much more egalitarian with flatter organisational structures. And, NO! bowler hats and pinstripe suits are rarely seen…
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1. Learn something about the country, local customs, and cultural sensitivities to avoid making faux pas while abroad. Get a good grasp of why understanding cross-cultural differences is important in global business.
2. Always err on the side of formality and conservatism. Be low-key in dress, manners, and behaviour. Very few countries are casual in approach. The Australians are the most casual.
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China is a crazy, beautiful, frustrating, enlightening, contradictory, 
wonderful place. But whether you are doing business in China or entertaining visitors from that part of the world, it is important to understand Chinese business etiquette so that you can save ‘face’ and the ‘face’ of others. Watch this instructional video for a good insight into the behaviours you should be aware of…
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Communicating successfully across cultures to multicultural 
audiences isn’t just about the linguistic differences , but rather about the attitudes that lie behind them, and the cultural values that give rise to those attitudes. Most importantly, it is about the true identification of how to adjust your mindset to ‘fit’ others. Here are my tips on how to do so…
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Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets.
Contact me now for better international performance and increased profits
Tel: +44 (0) 207 1936 281
Email: deborah@deborahswallow.com
