You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for this episode, the first in a two-part series on working in multicultural teams.
In today's world, it's common to work with people from different cultures.
And since effective business depends on clear communication, it's important to consider different aspects of culture.
Your colleagues may do business differently than you do, so knowing more about intercultural communication can help your work go more smoothly and avoid any misunderstandings.
In this episode, we'll go over some points to consider for working in a multicultural team.
We'll look at general business culture, specific business customs, levels of formality and local cultural awareness.
And since food is often served in business settings, we'll talk about that too.
We'll be listening to Tao Ming, a manager at a biotechnology company based in the United States.
Although Ming is originally from China, he has worked for many years at the head office in New York and is now heading to Brazil to manage a team of international researchers.
In this episode, Ming is preparing for his trip by talking to a colleague Tania, who lived and worked in Brazil for three years.
While you listen, try to answer the following questions.
One, what has Ming heard about Curitiba?
Two, what does Tania say about relationships in Brazil?
3.
What honorary title does Ming ask about?
So let's see who's on this team.
I know some of these people, but there are a few new ones.
I grabbed some notes off the internet to read up on Brazilian culture.
That's exactly what I did before I left.
There's some really helpful stuff out there.
Yeah, I've heard Curitiba is really business-friendly and there's a big mix of cultural backgrounds.
Besides Brazilians of Portuguese descent, there was significant immigration from Europe and Japan.
Yeah, Brazil is very multicultural.
A real melting pot, just like the U.S.
So how's doing business in Brazil different from the States?
Well, relationships come first in Brazil, so you need to devote time to developing friendly relations and bonding with your team.
Don't be surprised if people tell you all about their education, career, and family.
Okay.
So how does that apply to meetings?
Well, Brazilians don't get down to business immediately like Americans do.
There's quite a bit of small talk before meetings actually begin.
Yeah, that's similar to China.
I was surprised at the way Americans jump right into meetings and negotiations without engaging in a few pleasantries first.
How about addressing team members?
Brazilians tend to be more formal than Americans when addressing each other.
It's more common to use titles and honorary titles with or without the surname.
I saw that in the notes.
Doctor is one, isn't it?
I think it's more like Doutor, but my Portuguese is a bit rusty.
Now, have they dealt with the issue of Chinese names before?
They might have, but most Chinese who immigrated to Brazil went to Sao Paulo.
Curitiba doesn't have a lot of Chinese Brazilians.
Hmm.
And one more thing.
I know you prefer tea, but you might want to develop a taste for coffee.
Coffee culture is very important in Brazil, and there's a bar near the office that everyone goes to.
They even deliver coffee to the office if you call.
That's going to be a tough one.
I drink tea pretty much all day long.
Let's take a closer look at Ming and Tanya's conversation.
How do they start?
