Advantages And Opportunities Of Portugal

Culture is an observable, powerful force in any organization. “Made up of its members’ shared values, beliefs, symbols, and behaviors, culture guides individual decisions and actions at the unconscious level. As a result, it can have a potent effect on a company’s well-being and success” (One Page, n.d.).

Every country differs in culture which has been there for centuries. The international market is growing rapidly, with more and more multinational organisations entering new markets each day. In this assignment I will evaluate how the difference in cultures affects the performance of international businesses.

Portugal has cooler summers and milder winters than other places that are also in a Mediterranean climate.

Portugal joined the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Portugal earns foreign income from trading agricultural products and reselling imports. They modernized their industries so they could work faster and make more money. 39.7% of the land is used for agriculture. 11.9% is arable land. 7.8% is permanent crops and 20% is permanent pasture. In portugal there are 2.4% of agriculture. Portugal is one of the leading exporters of tomato paste and wine. 21.9% of portugal is industry. Some of the leading things that the industries make are wood and cork. And the last percentage is Services which is

1- Based on the definition of Ricky W. Griffin, Michael W. Pustay in their book international business a managerial perspective in chapter four they defined culture in saying, culture is the collection of attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that distinguish one society from another. A society’s culture decides the rules that govern how firms operate in the society. many characteristics of culture are worth noting for their relevance to international business.

It is bordered by Spain to the North and East sides and the Atlantic Ocean on the West and South sides. Based on Portugal’s location on the Iberian Peninsula this makes it the westernmost country in continental Europe. When looking at Portugal’s geography one can see that each region of the country is not the same. The varied physical environments creates several geographical regions in Portugal that changed the culture of the people in that region. The Northern Portugal region is characterized by many small farms and vineyards known to be a more mountainous, rainy region compared to the others. Another characteristic of this region is the isolated rocky hillsides where it looks like it has been untouched for hundreds of years. It is known by the Portuguese people as the region with origin of national values of hard work, thrift, traditionalism, and practicality

Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. Its oceanside location influences many aspects of its culture – salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve's beaches are a major tourist destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s-1800s, when Portugal had a maritime empire.

Culture within an organisation is a system of shared values, beliefs and norms of individuals in the organisation and how the value consensus creates a way in which people behave. The shared values have a strong influence on the individuals in the organisation and dictates how a person acts, dresses and performs in their job. A unique culture is developed and maintained by an organisation which provides guidelines and boundaries, through informal means, for the behaviour of the people within the organisation.

One of the biggest and most widely known accomplishments of the Portuguese is their foundation of the Portuguese Empire. The Portuguese Empire was one of the largest and longest-lived empires of the European Colonial empires. The voyages of Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama and his crew would come to be extremely influential in boosting the economy of the empire, but doing so wasn’t always their purpose. While the original goal of the Portuguese was to have more power than Spain through colonization, they changed their motives upon arriving in the Indian Ocean world, and by using violence and advanced technology they became a superpower in the Indian Ocean world in the 16th and 17th century.

Cabral left Portugal on March 9, 1500 and planned to imitate Vasco da Gama’s westward-then southward route that would lead to India. There was one problem. He headed so far west he reached current-day Brazil. He then continued to India like he was supposed to in the first place. He returned to Portugal on June 23, 1501.

Portugal went on to carve out four more colonies in Africa: Portuguese Guinea (present-day GUINEA-BISSAU), SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE, ANGOLA, and MOZAMBIQUE. Guinea-Bissau, a small administrative post in Portuguese Guinea, became the capital of the Portuguese colonies of West Africa in the 1900s. An international trading zone since the 1400s, Guinea-Bissau over the centuries supplied ivory and gold to Europe and slaves to the Americas.

Making business abroad can be risky, but it can also be profitable for a company as well; thus the necessity to study in deep the country where the company will bring the business to. International companies are faced with many cultural challenges, when doing business across and inside of different borders. Identifying the significant cultural issues involved when evaluating the attractiveness of a particular location as a place for doing business can be crucial for a business. Aspects to consider when studying culture in a new place

     Cultures are varying among different parts of the globe. People with different cultures have different characteristics and viewpoints on the subjects due to diverse understanding and method of learning. During the past few decades, the international trade grows in a very rapid rate due to the advantages that it provides; “increased sales, operational efficiencies, exposure to new technologies and broader consumer choices” (Heslin). Therefore, when considering the culture aspect to current business world, it is crucial for business to understand the culture aspect because of the tremendous growth of international business as well as utilize the international market to its maximum

Sometimes cultural difference between countries can cause a negative impact when conducting free market businesses. According to the textual evidence, economic advancement and globalization may be important factors in society change. The culture of societies may also change as they become richer because economic progress affects a number of other factors, which in turn influence culture.

Our four bordering cultures clearly all have very different business orientations. Though German business culture might anticipate explicit instructions from their management concerning what their roles and functions involve, the French business culture might prefer an implicit understanding of their roles´ function and the responsibility attached to it. The Italian culture would appreciate a manager with whom they can have a reciprocal relationship in an environment where responsibility, obligation and loyalty are needed within working relationships. Last, British business culture would value indirect and diplomatic communication, along with the qualities of modesty, reservedness and fair play.