International Business Strategies

The three countries I will choose are China (Asia), Israel (Middle East), and Jamaica (Latin America).

Probably one of the most important concepts to understand from a business perspective when it comes to China would be their way of creating relationships. China will not discuss business until they have formed a bond with the potential business partner. It’s customary that the Chinese will spend several meetings just getting to know each other before discussing any business. It’s even acceptable to exchange gifts before any business is discussed. In addition, you may finally discuss terms only to have someone else join the conversation and have to start all over again. It’s also important to be careful and not disclose too much information as the Chinese will sometimes build a relationship so they can understand your business model and steal it for their own. Unfortunately they do not have any copyright laws which put Americans at a disadvantage if they divulge too much information, too quickly.

Going to Israel is actually a huge difference from going to China. The Israelites are sometimes seen as pushy and aggressive. However, this is because they are trying to be direct and honest. This is very similar to the American philosophy much better than the Chinese which is probably a reason they are one of our good allies. This also would make it much easier to expand to Israel since their customs make it easier to work together than China who you have to work to build relationships and you still may either not get a partner or they make take your work for themselves.

Jamaica is actually a combination of the previous two countries, China and Israel. Having traveled to Jamaica, it’s a really interesting place. Other than the tourist sites, Jamaica had a lot of closely built houses and buildings in which they conducted business. In my dealings with the business associates there, they were actually very aggressive. This may have been because they...