Week 5: Discussion Question 2
Alan, a US representative selling products in Mexico, is having
difficulty understanding why the person he meets with is frequently
late, and treats their meetings with “disrespect” by
allowing interruptions and speaking about things other than what Alan
is there to sell.
The Mexican business owner is operating within his/her culture.
S/He has a polychromic view of time, as well as a preference for
knowing the person before doing business with Alan. Alan’s
lack of knowledge about the culture is derailing his efforts, as well
as leading him to believe that Mexico is not ready for his products.
If Alan would take the time to learn about the culture, and perhaps
even learn the language, he would have better luck selling his
products. He needs to learn about the culture to understand why
the people he meets with run later, as well as, insist on talking about
family and taking interruptions. If he would learn to do business
within the Mexican construct, he would most likely be successful in his
endeavors.
© Erik Smith 2005
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