Cultural Differences Between Countries: The Brazilian and the Chinese Ways of Doing Business

Abstract

Each country has its own cultural backgrounds and standards of thinking, being and acting, and these cultural differences strongly influence the business world. The purpose of this paper is to present some cultural differences between countries highlighting the Brazilian and Chinese examples. Many are the cultural aspects within a society; therefore this paper will emphasize how these aspects can have an impact in business in both cultures, having as a background the basic cultural points of each country. Brazil and China will be analyzed through the Hofstede (2001) dimensions which measure cultural differences. This paper gives a short overview to provide an understanding on how cultural similarities and cultural differences are important when doing business in the mentioned countries. The authors propose that the more acquainted one is with a culture, the more successful his/ her business will become. In addition, it is necessary to evaluate which cultural issues have an impact when it comes to business.