From the course: Managing Globally
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How to read the cultural environment
- The United Nations recognizes 193 countries in the world. No one would expect you to know every cultural nuance for every one of these countries. And if you did memorize the cultural differences, you might find that the reality is different from what you learned. The U.S. for example. You might understand that Americans prefer informality. This is a good tip to know. But you'd also need to realize that a Wall Street investment bank and a Silicon Valley startup would have different levels of formality. The best global managers understand how cultures might differ. They're prepared. But they're also great at reading the realities of the environment and recognizing patterns. In that way, they become cultural anthropologists. They look for any visible cues that will help them understand deeper cultural values. So channel your inner cultural anthropologist. This is a skill, it's a practice to act. Whenever you arrive in a new place, you can practice. So start at the moment you get off…
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