INTRODUCTION

Everything about the entire, mode of life style and activities that is particular to a segment of a people is described as Culture. These segment of people could be religious groups, family, nations etc. culture setting can also be attributed to be with similar ethnic inclination and work dynamics. Essentially, culture can be seen as the features that insist between a particular region in the area of language, history, arts, family values, food and belief system.

Culture can be diverse. It can be practice by many people as well as just an individual. The diversity of culture is age group, work, religion or family.

Spending quality time and understanding their cultural setting especially in work or corporate society allows you to assimilate their struggles and the rationale behind their traditions. It enables you to carefully rejig your assumptions you previously have in order to keep to sacred laws and decrees particular to your host community. This knowledge encourages personal growth and enable you to acquire immense new knowledge about their culture in the discharge of your corporate functions. Learning about cultural differences can be done via research or asking relevant questions to colleagues and business associates. Also, the internet is a good place to learn.

CULTURE AND ITS IMPORTANCE ON BUSINESS IN AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE (A LOOK AT ASIA)

Our divergent economic expansion will permanently be refined in our capability and capacity to flourish globally. It is projected that India GDP will grow at 8.9 percent by 2050, Republic of China at 5.9% and Vietnam at 8.8%. This list goes on. What this means is that cross-cultural capability is the bottom of a sustainable modest benefits and it needs to be treated with much seriousness. Because organizations with branches in various parts of the world can engage reshuffling of staff where some managers can be assigned to manage branches of, let’s say, China, India or Indonesia. A good knowledge and expertise in cultures (including geographies) of these regions can help in promoting the business to achieve maximum profits. A good example is that in the United States, when dealing with a prospect, the closeness between the prospect and you should be 2.5. This is part of their cultural intelligence.

Globalization and technology have brought much accessibility and expansion for business around the world in the past decade. However, for the fact that business and resources have gone global, cultural integration in the day to day operations needs to be strictly adhered to in order to record efficient profits and this can be achieved through the through training on culture intelligence and alignment by organizations.

Importance of culture integration on business

Understanding of cultural differences in business operations is immensely important because it eventually shapes the modus operandi of your organization’s ecosystem. This knowledge will be the ultimate rule that will guide one in tailoring their work schedules and plan to achieve organizational goals. Below are some of the highlighted importance:

·        Interesting

Generally, learning new thing is usually interesting especially while learning about cultures of different regions. Today, the whole world has been “consumed” by technology where cultural difference is being studied meticulously. So getting to learn about a cultural inclination, hands-on, and experiencing the culture practiced by a region where your business activity is cited can be very interesting even more interesting when you read or what it on television.

·        Create an inspiration

Exposed to a new culture of a work environment can be a source of inspiration and can initiate diverse ways work can be carried out effectively. It is a great way of development one’s thought and creating a smooth way by which information can be refined. 

·        Understanding

Due to the multicultural setting we live in, understanding can prompt up leading to a lot of problems especially in a corporate world. Identifying with people facilitates quick understanding and reduces occurrences of misunderstanding. 

·        Preparation

Today, the world has become techno-savvy making it a global village. As people move from place to place globally, they get to meet different people and experience different cultural belief. In such situation, the mastery of tolerating each other across cultural lines will foster understanding. In the corporate world, one tends to know when and how and whom to assigned particular duties judging from the purview of the culture predominant in that area.

·        Communication: Understanding that the use of English with non-native speakers will yield results as well as create a major vacuum in communication is very pivotal in international business objectives especially when operative across divergent cultures and traditions. For example, in East Asian countries, communication is usually indirect and major subtle therefore initiative conversation through the western way can become a serious offence even though the intention is pure and genuine. For example, the word “no” is infrequently used in reference to unintended methods of communication in China. But an American can see the words “maybe”, “we shall see” and “we shall study it” and not realize that, that is their cultural way of saying no. Failure to comprehend these mode of communication can lead to waste of money and time and can jeopardize the business objective.