Cultural Differences & Cultural Diversity in International Business

Joe Cobbs is Associate Professor of Sports Business at Northern Kentucky University, and co-founder of KnowRivalry.com. Research, teaching, and industry engagement in the Department of Marketing, Sports Business, and Construction Management. Specialties include team rivalry, international sponsorship, and the business of Formula One racing.

Neil Krishan Aggarwal is a cultural psychiatrist. He is an Assistant Professor at Columbia University, member of the university's Committee on Global Thought, and Fellow with the Truman National Security Project. His research focuses on conceptions of culture and psychology in clinical and forensic mental health settings.

Jean Paul Wyers is the founder and director of Protocolbureau, an organization based in The Hague, the Netherlands. Most people associate protocol with etiquette and Royalty, but the official definition of protocol is "how meetings with officials should be organized". In a modern translation, the method of protocol is also used by Protocolbureau to manage meetings and events with VIP’s, large clients and other important stakeholders. Protocolbureau supports organizations at official occasions and in less formal situations such as networking events, fashion shows, and even dance events.

Peter Alexander Kerkhof's academic position is research fellow at the Linguistics Department of Ghent University, Belgium. Peter Alexander is a historical linguist and philologist of the Old Germanic, Old Romance and Old Celtic languages. "History is the product of our invented past."

It's that time of the year again: Summer + Holidays. That means that for the months July and August there will be no posts on the Culture Matters website. I wish you a fantastic Summer and look forward to seeing you back in September!

Deborah Moody is Executive Director of the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants or ACPWC. The ACPWC offers training and certification courses for wedding and event planners. They also have a membership association which provides continuing education and support for wedding professionals. Her tips to become more culturally competent are: Take the time to do (some) research. So when you come to a new destination or meet new people you know something about that culture. Not all, but something. Be open to new experiences. Realize that new cultures can enrich you. If you can, Travel. Even if it is only within your own country. Set out to make a friend where you go.

Laura Lindsay is Director of Global Communications at Lonely Planet; an avid traveler she has worked in the travel industry for almost a decade interspersed with visiting over 40 countries. Currently looking after Lonely Planet’s brand communications; Laura is responsible for Lonely Planet’s reputation in the media, profiles of the company’s spokespeople and internal company communication. Most recently, driving the company’s story of transformation from guidebook publisher to multimedia brand. Laura also manages the company’s largest brand campaign, Best in Travel. Be curious. Being curious about your new surroundings, the people, the food is the best way to experience different cultures. Engage with the local people. Go to that man around the corner. Talk to the waiter. Share stories and expertise. Don't always focus on the negative. The food you didn't like, the way you were treated. Although bad experience stories seem to be interesting to tell at birthdays, remembering the good things is really more enjoyable.

Ask the Pilot: Patrick Smith Patrick Smith is an airline pilot and the host of www.askthepilot.com. His book is COCKPIT CONFIDENTIAL: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel. He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. His tips to become more culturally aware are: Be patient. Patience is a virtue. And this is even truer when you're dealing with different cultures. Be open minded. Ask yourself "what if..." (they were right). Be humble towards the other culture. Let the experience and what is happening around you come to you. Rather than imposing your own thoughts on them.

The Textile Industry and Culture with Imran Rath Imran Rath is from Pakistan. He has been living in Belgium since 2005 and is Running a Global Sourcing company in Belgium Since 2005, before that he was living in New York. His tips to become more culturally aware are: When you go and visit a country that you've never visited before make sure to read-up on where you're going. Read something about the history, the differences between North and South, East and West. Take out a map. Make sure that you somewhat understand, from a geographical standpoint, where you will be going.

How to make your organization GREAT, with Shane Green Shane Green, A world-renowned keynote speaker, author of Culture Hacker, and television personality, Shane Green is a business magnate who consults global Fortune 500 leaders on customer experience and organizational culture. Shane draws upon his foundation at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and works in multiple industries to transform your employees’ mindset, experience, and habits to improve customer experience, employee retention, and organizational performance. As a catalyst for the modern service economy, Shane Green and his team inspire companies and their people to move beyond the mundane and out of status quo so they want to exceed the expectations of their internal and external customers. His tips to become more culturally aware are: If your organization has values (and yes, it has values), make sure those values carry meaning to the people working in your organization. And you know what? Fresh them up while you're at it. You'll be surprised how much that will mean to them. Select the right people for your organization. Both for your sake and for their sake. It will take more time, but in the end, it will get you the right people on board and will save you a ton of money avoiding hiring the wrong type of people. What does the first day of work look like for someone new in your organization? Make it an experience rather than a procedure they need to go through. Make them :) at the end of the day. Interview Links Links that are mentioned in this episode: Email: shane@shgreen.com Get the book Culture Hacker here