Every nation has its own cultural background and orientations of thought, existence and action, and these differences strongly influence the business world. The purpose of this essay is to present the main cultural characteristics of Brazil that affect the conduct of business.
Culture can be defined as the distinctive patterns of ideas, beliefs and norms which characterize the way of life and relations of a society or a group within a society. These set of beliefs are assumed to be natural and unchangeable. Culture can also consist of the sum of the total learned behaviors transmitted from generation to generation. Understanding cultural differences is essential in the modern society. How individuals from numerous social foundations convey, in comparable and diverse ways, inside and remotely, is the object of investigation of culturally diverse correspondence. Understanding social contrasts will help ensure that communication across borders is effective and business transactions are successful.
Brazil is characterized by a diverse culture and has always been rich in natural resources. It is the largest country in South America, both by way of area and population. The Brazilian culture is a fusion or Portuguese, African and other indigenous cultures, resulting in a distinct and rich culture. Here, the family is the foundation of the social structure and the basis for stability for majority of the population.
There are several significant aspects of Brazilian culture that are important in the business world and that are very important to consider in interpersonal business interactions. They are as follows:
The Brazilians need to know who they are working with before they can do can effectively work.
They prefer to build relationship. It is suggested to let the Brazilians bring up the negotiation topic. Negotiation is a lengthy one most of the time.
Face-to-face meetings are preferred to written communication, though when it comes to business agreements, they value detailed legal contracts.
They append more significance to the individual they manage than to the organization.
As the Brazilians are progressively open to working with individuals and organizations they know, inquiries concerning the organization are normal.
Normally the highest-ranking person is the one who makes the decisions. This makes evident what hierarchical business is like in Brazil.
Men welcome by shaking hands, with a watchful gaze contact. This should be possible as a between sexual orientation welcoming, as well.
Kissing is a standard welcome for ladies. Brazilian companions regularly do embrace and backslapping, as well.
Embarrassing a Brazilian ought to be kept away from, for this is a gathering society. When an individual is condemned, he/she loses face with the others in the gathering. The person who makes the analysis likewise loses face.
Informal communication: Anyone who feels like adding their opinion will just say it.
Brazilians are normally more tolerant on interrupting someone who is speaking.
People, as opposed to organizations, are who Brazilians consult with. Consequently, it isn't prudent to change the arranging group. This would mean beginning from zero. It is vital to feature that ordinarily the general population you consult with don't have basic leadership specialist.
During presentations at a gathering, business cards are traded with everybody.
As Brazilians heavily depend on relationship, it would be ideal to spend time with them, getting to know them, both professionally and personally. Personal relationships are a big part of the culture. By cultivating personal relations and building them, one can achieve great success in Brazil. It is common to see members of the same family working for the same company. This is due to the strong importance placed on family relations. Brazilians prefer to do business with those they know and trust, what reinforces this characteristic.
In conclusion, developing better relationships and doing business more successfully are possible benefits of understanding the diversity of Brazilian society, as well as its unique values and attitudes. By developing close ties and building trust, you can increase your chances of doing business effectively in Brazil.