Business Communication for Success

Question

Your supervisor is planning a trip to Mexico to discuss a joint venture to get your company's product into the Mexican market. 

What information would you provide your supervisor with when it comes to cultural communication differences in the workplace? Address workplace communication differences between your current culture and that of the Mexican culture such as greetings, exchanging business cards, level of formality, input and decision-making during meetings, marketing, small talk, and gift giving in business situations. Within your discussion question, be sure to name your current country, so that your professor and peers can better understand the comparison and contrast.

Answer 1

Hello ,

There is also a higher level of formality, especially in early interactions. Using proper titles and showing respect goes a long way. With this in mind, business cards should be exchanged thoughtfully, not casually.

When it comes to decision making, US workplaces often encourage group input, while in Mexico decisions are more likely to come from senior leadership. It’s important to be aware of that structure and not assume decisions will be made quickly or collaboratively in the same way.

Small talk also plays a big role and helps build trust which is key to doing business successfully. This will be very important when it comes to marketing and communication as it helps business partners focus more on relationships and credibility rather than speed or pricing.

Extending on the subject of cultural respect, gift giving isn’t always expected but in some situations it can be appropriate as a sign of respect once a relationship is formed.

To sum it up, I would advise taking a respect first/relationship driven approach while coming in and very early determining preexisting uplines and downlines.