Business Customs Paper - Brazil

One thing that surprised me most about Brazil, was that it is considered rude to move out of the house, or unexpected to move out before 20. Unless of course they went to college. It was just very different compared to the united states, where you are expected to move out by 19. A difference also between the US and Brazil is Mcdonalds. In Brazil people go on dates at Mcdonalds, and they throw birthday parties, and it’s also more expensive. While here in the US Mcdonalds is cheap and a fast food.

Looking around the world there are so many different kinds of cultures and subcultures. There is no way to completely understand all of them. But looking at pieces of a culture can help us better understand the culture as a whole. There are many parts of cultures that are hard to understand, especially when it seems like their values are different from our own. But taking what I know to be true in the American culture, I can use it to understand a few aspects of the Brazilian culture which differ from my own. Some of Brazilian’s cultural values that differ from the American culture include communication, cleanliness, and views on vacations.

Perhaps many people may argue that both the US and Brazil have similar collections of ethnic and racial groups, that is a big minority of indigenous individuals, such as blacks and immigrants from Germany, Italy, and Asia. The presence of the minority groups in both nations was led by activities such as slavery and colonization during the19th-century (Wade, 2017). Chinese predominate the United States while Japanese predominate Brazil. Globalization and the rapid advancement in technology have demonstrated that technological revolution hasn't done much in altering the way of life and the belief of many people (Moran, 2014). With this in mind, I propose research on the differences in culture between Brazilians and Americans. This is because culture is social hence it is not an individual occurrence, it is a product of society, and it grows from social interaction. Culture is differentiable to us by comparison. Thus we should compare different cultures.

Moreover there are a lot of similarity between Brazil and American but both countries are denying having thing in common which they do. Black women in Brazil and the United States both of problems with their skin color, shortness and texture of their hair,

The concept of aesthetics describes what people of certain cultures tend to consider to be popular or in good taste (Wild & Wild, 2014). To this extent, despite being mostly unified by a single language, Brazil represents such a diverse culture that regional aesthetic variances could almost seem like they were different countries altogether (Castano, Goossens, Terlouw, and Vliet, n.d.). According to Encyclopedia Britannica, of all the cultures that make up the Brazilian way of life, the Portuguese culture is the dominant influence and provides the main language, religion, and many customs. Indigenous Indians and African influences are also apparent in some forms, especially in certain parts of the country.

Despite claims of Brazil’s racial democracy, darker skinned Brazilians are at a disadvantage when it comes to institutional racism. Both in America and in Brazil, darker-skinned individuals have higher changes of being excluded from economic and political activities. (Guest 2014, 208) The grand majority of the richest people in both Brazil and the United States are white according to Kenneth Guest. The only difference between the two countries regarding racism is the fact that in America, racism is a commonly discussed topic. In Brazil, racism and race is an unspoken topic.

Brazil is under a currently a significant growth trajectory. What could be considered one of the great national BRIC powers of the next century, what is hindering Brazil are its poor investments in education, cumbersome and complex tax structure, unemployment rate and poverty. Currently 80% of Brazil’s population is situated in the urban complexes such as Sao Paulo, Rio and Belo Horizonte. However, there is a clear and distinct caste system with a very large poor class that is only now being able to move into the more working-type middle class. This poor class is usually distinguished by the color of someone’s skin and national origins. As such, an undertone of discrimination in ever-present in Brazil where one can witness the disparity between whites and blacks in the country. Most MNEs doing business there are staffed up by what is considered the “upper class” and most of these employees are white. Still, although this is the case there are laws that protect discrimination. “However, this is mostly a formality that is not really followed in practice nor has there ever been any form of affirmative action to bring the working class up to par with the varied races of the

Brazil is the largest country in South America. The primary language spoken in Brazil is Portuguese. However, there are some exceptions, such as immigrants from Japan and Korea and some Amerindians. Brazilian families can be big and interracial due to intermarriages. There is a class system established in Brazil; there are three classes: upper, middle, and lower. Skin color can be used to depict one's economical status. People who have darker skin tend to be seen as having a lower economical and social status (Brazil Guide). A majority of Brazil's business comes from tourism besides exporting cars, planes, textiles, and coffee (Brazil Public Holidays). Coffee is one of Brazil's major exports and business people tend to

Creating a unique national identity was at the utmost importance for the Brazilian people. That proved challenging, due to the fact that Brazil is made up of a miscellany of races. There was the Indigenous people, the European immigrants, and the two major groups: former African slaves and “white” Brazilians. The thing that sets Brazil aside from other countries is their embracement of the mixture of cultures. Not only was interracial mixing accepted in society, it was encouraged.

Brazil is a very diverse country with an assortment of different cultures. There are many influences that make the culture what it is today, such as the European settlers bringing new ideas, beliefs and variations. As a result of African slaves being shipped to Brazil, their primeval customs and knowledge greatly impacted the culture. Out of a population of about 190 people 80% of Brazilian people are of Roman Catholic faith. Half of Brazil's population consists of whites, 40% mixed with black and white, and less than 10% are blacks. (Brazil.org, n.d.) “Many original Portuguese settlers married native women, which created a new race, called 'mestizos' ( Kwintessential, 2014).”

Brazil vs North America business habits can be quite different. North Americans are far less expressive when communication nonverbally, for example greeting people, Brazilians will use handshakes but more commonly a kiss on the cheek or some sort of touching, whereas in North America business etiquette greeting is most common with a firm handshake. Personal space is also much different in Brazil versus North America, Brazilians are close talkers and a small distance between each other is considered appropriate, if a step is taken back they could feel offended, while in North America it's all about personal space, if too close it could be construed as rude or threatening. Silence and time is also not an issue either, Brazilians will interrupt

and Brazilian working professionals are alike and in what ways they contrast. Although, globalization has made the world a smaller place, all in all my findings are that Brazil and US firms are more similar than different. Many of beliefs have been reinforced along the way. Education, diversity, and experience are the cornerstones for a successful working professional in the United States. In Brazil, attitude, creativity, and energy seem to be equally important. My research into the similarities and differences between the typical Brazilian office environments and corporate cultures, illustrated to me that there is a common trend that runs across all business environments – no matter the country a business’s success is dependent on relationships and people. Office culture and environments are a reflection of working relationships and the people who make up the company’s

The business is to be structure by use of cross-cultural teams that can provide a source of experience and innovative thinking to enhance the competitive position of the organization. The manager is to avoid at all cost cross-cultural misunderstandings and understand that Brazilians prefer collectivism to individualism. The manager is to implement the right price for the right product the culture needs in order for the business to have a chance at success. A work description with work shifts, mutual respect, benefit packets, respect for all religion, and a dress code. Formal apparel is acceptable for business Overall, the appearance would not be a huge deal as the Brazilian people are extremely concerned about their appearances and they practice their religion but it does not affect the workplace. Business meeting are to take place once a week to discuss progress of the business and handshakes are appropriate for both men and women however, once the women get to know you and/or a friendship is develop and kiss on the cheek is not unusual. Time is important but allow at least 20 mins for the latecomers as Brazilians idea of time is flexible than it is in the United States. If any questions and problems the manager does not understand, then the headquarter office in the United States should be contacted for

The population of Brazil is 159 million with a population growth of 1.7% p.a. (“Brazil Background”). This is causes for a lot of diversity in the way of life and the people. Contrary to the fact that there are so many people, the people of Brazil speak almost exclusively Portuguese, with no dialects of Portuguese (“Brazil-Language”). Some of the only people who don’t speak Portuguese are immigrants from South Korea and Japan that have not learned it yet (“Brazil-Language”). In Brazil they have middle and upper classes that are determined by economic status and skin color (“Masterclass Brazil”). Generally those with darker skin are socially and economically disadvantaged (“Masterclass Brazil”). They are not described as being racist people, but it is evident in their culture. The middle and upper class Brazilians have little contact and interaction with those on the low classes. These people are generally maids, drivers, or other jobs like those (“Masterclass Brazil”). The women make up around 40% of the workforce, but are usually only found in lower paying jobs. The only place they are starting to get equality is in the government (“Masterclass Brazil”). The people of Brazil are direct, but they are usually relaxed and informal (“’Brazil.’ A”). They have many festivals and are often described as friendly happy people.

Genetically, Brazilian women come from different backgrounds. So they don’t necessarily share the same DNA. As for the climate, the tropical humidity of Brazil is beneficial to the skin. However, there are many other countries with the same climate- yet their women are not nearly as beautiful and youthful as the Brazilian women.