Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette
Imagine this: You walk into your local Wal-Mart and see a pool filled with live turtles, cages of live chickens, and an aquarium with live fish. Are you in the pet department? No, you’re in the grocery section – these animals are for your dinner!
In Western culture, this would be shocking. You might even see protests, or consumer outrage. But in Eastern cultures, this is typical. Why? Wal-Mart conducted market research before expanding into China, and discovered that people in these cultures don’t like food wrapped in plastic. It gives them the impression that the food is old, and they won’t buy it.
So, Wal-Mart’s solution for the East was the complete opposite of what they do in the West. They decided to sell live animals. As a result, the company has been very successful in Eastern markets.
Read more >> Mind Tools
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