International Business Essay: The Importance of Cultural Awareness

This essay delves into the critical role of cultural awareness in international business, emphasizing its impact on global market success. It highlights the necessity for companies to recognize the nature of the global market to compete effectively abroad. The essay explores how culture influences communication, language barriers, business etiquette, and organizational frameworks in multinational firms. It discusses the importance of understanding cultural differences to avoid misunderstandings and foster effective collaboration. The paper also touches upon the need for businesses to adapt to various cultural attitudes towards business practices, including communication styles, workplace etiquette, and management approaches. The essay underscores the significance of prior investigation and openness to new cultural proficiencies for companies engaged in international commerce, referencing key factors that contribute to success or failure in a foreign market.

Running Head: Essay on International Business
ESSAY ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

1Essay on International Business
Cultural awareness is key in a globalized economy. Nowadays, more companies are
growing, and the global position of the market to access for small businesses is becoming
more popular with international and cross-cultural teams. It suggests that if companies want
to compete abroad, then it is necessary to recognize the nature of the global market. Culture is
a thought of a single person, traditions and social actions. In this era, culture becomes so
important that it emphasizes to affect the international market if not taken care of. The paper
aims to throw light upon the importance of culture on international context. In a market,
circumstance culture is associated with what behaviour, as opposed to another, is normal and
socially acceptable in one area. Whatever is appropriate in a region, the method used by
businesses abroad can be quite different ( Michailova & Holden, 2019). It must also be
acknowledged how culture will affect multinational firms to prevent misunderstandings
between co-workers and consumers and to ensure that companies introduce themselves in the
best way possible to their global marketplace.
Many aspects fall under culture are important and directly depend upon cultural
differences. For instance, for international industry, communications play a significant role,
and often successful communication may be the difference between success and failure in a
foreign market (Griffin et al. 2017). To multinational organizations, effective correspondence
is especially important as the communications are at risk of getting lost in translation. First of
all, the language barriers that can hinder contact between businesses and the customers
market are critical for business. Nevertheless, it goes deeper than the vocabulary used for
communication; it's crucial how messages are conveyed. Language differences apply not only
to people who speak various languages but also to the sound used in them (Rohlfer & Zhang,
2016). The central customs, etiquettes and gestures generally adopted in that society are

2Essay on International Business
another thing to be considered. Conduct which may be typical in a single community may be
inappropriate or insulting to consumers or co-workers in foreign countries.
Companies working globally must be conscious of Language barriers, tone and body
language. Trans-cultural connectivity can act as an obstacle, but it will enable businesses to
gain international progress in resolving global gaps insensitiveness, accessibility and interest.
Businesses must also understand that different societies vary in business attitudes. Some
countries prefer an informal style of communication and collaboration typically at the heart
of the organizations. While other countries believe that senior management commands
esteem every time and anticipate the level of custom from a subordinate of their teams, such
diverse management cultural practices make it difficult for international teams to identify
responsibilities (Peterson & Barreto, 2018). For organizations to be aware of the cultural
approach towards the organizational framework of their target markets, hence, it is necessary.
Another important factor of the multinational sector when dealing with peers and customers
from other countries is the formality of the address. Workplace etiquette in some
communities often involves a particular attitude to conflict, rules and working hours in the
workplace. While some find lengthy working hours to be a symbol of dedication and
accomplishment, some find such extra hours to be an indication of inefficiency or a lack of
family or personal prioritization (Taşkıran et al. 2017).
The misunderstanding of culture can make a company fall apart if not taken with
proper consideration and can be very challenging for any company to hold commands
internationally. So it very important for a company to do a prior investigation and be open to
new cultural proficiencies and expectations when doing commerce worldwide.

3Essay on International Business
Reference
Griffin, D., Guedhami, O., Kwok, C. C., Li, K., & Shao, L. (2017). National culture: The
missing country-level determinant of corporate governance. Journal of International
Business Studies, 48(6), 740-762.
Michailova, S., & Holden, N. J. (2019). How can research on culture in international business
be made more interesting?. European Journal of Cross-Cultural Competence and
Management, 5(1), 1-12.
Peterson, M. F., & Barreto, T. S. (2018). Interpreting societal culture value
dimensions. Journal of International Business Studies, 49(9), 1190-1207.
Rohlfer, S., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Culture studies in international business: paradigmatic
shifts. European Business Review.
Taşkıran, E., Çetin, C., Özdemirci, A., Aksu, B., & İstoriti, M. (2017). The Effect of the
Harmony between Organizational Culture and Values on Job
Satisfaction. International Business Research, 10(5).