3. International business styles
The characteristics of management often vary according to national culture, which can determine how managers are trained, how they lead people and how they approach their jobs.
The amount of responsibility of any individual in a company depends on the position that he or she occupies in its hierarchy. Managers, for example, are responsible for leading the people directly under them, who are called subordinates. To do this successfully, they must use their authority, which is the right to take decisions and give orders.
Traditionally, the models for leadership in business have been the army. Managers and army officers give orders and their subordinates carry them out. Managers, like army officers, may be sent on leadership courses to develop their leadership skills, their ability to lead. But they still need a basic flair or talent for leadership.
The greatest leaders have charisma, an attractive quality that makes other people admire them and want to follow them. A leader may be described as a visionary, someone with the power to see clearly how things are going to be in the future. People often say leaders have drive, dynamism and energy.
Before leaders were distant and remote, not easy to get to know or communicate with. Today managers are more open and approachable: one can talk to them easily. There is more management by consensus, where decisions are not imposed from above in a top-down approach, but arrived at by asking employees to contribute in a process consultation. There are more women managers now, who are often more able to build consensus than traditional military-style authoritarian male managers.
Managers often delegate authority. This means that employees at lower levels in the company hierarchy can use their initiative that is make decisions without asking their manager.
In different countries there are their own international styles. For example, in German managers have a strong sense of authority. But in Great Britain managers prefer to delegate authority. In the US managers have competitive and aggressive attitudes to work and accept innovation and change.
As there are so many differences between many corporate cultures, it’s very important to learn to cope with corporate culture clashes.
The dos and don’ts of traveling abroad are a potential minefield for the unprepared traveler. The Centre for International Briefing has spent 40 years preparing the wary traveler for different pitfalls. This Centre prepares travelers for encounters with new social and business customs world wide.
There are two broad tracks to this training program. One covers business needs, the other social etiquette.
Greetings, gestures and terms of address are all potential hazards abroad. The difference between understanding a culture and ignoring its conventions can be the measure of success or failure abroad.
As a starting point, learning how to greet people is very important. It’s also necessary to show an interest in and at least an elementary knowledge of the visiting country. Anyone shouldn’t think that there is no any communication problems.
Gift giving is sometimes an integral part of the negotiation process when doing business abroad. It’s important to learn about the etiquette of gift giving before sending or taking a gift to an international client or business partner.
To sum it up every manager should be very careful not only with his or her subordinates, but also with colleagues and partners of other cultures and notions.