Training Packet for International Assignment

CULTURAL ANALYSIS

Country: Mexico.

Mexico, a country of North America, is located in the middle of North and South America; and bordered by the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Mexico’s terrain is made up of rugged mountains, coastal plains, high plateaus, and deserts. As for climate, the Tropic of Cancer divides the country into tropical and temperate zones. Mexico has pronounced wet and dry seasons. Most of the country experiences a rainy season from June to mid-October and significantly less rain during the remainder of the year. (www.cia.gov, 2009)

Mexico has a population of approximately 111,211,789 which ranks them on number 12 according to the world fact book. The ethnic composition of the country is 60 percent mestizo (a mixture of Indian and European), 30 percent Amerindian, 9 percent white, and 1 percent other. Mexico is a federal republic. Spanish is the official language of Mexico, although various Indian languages are also spoken, indigenous languages include Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages. English is widely understood by educated people and in urban centers. (www.cia.gov, 2009)

In regards to religion according to the 2000 census 76.5 percent of Mexicans are Roman Catholic, 6.3% Protestant, 0.3% other, 13.8% unspecified, and 3.1% none. Mexico is one of the United States’ most important trade partners. It is the third largest exporter to the United States, and its international trade products include oil exports, tourism, and the products of its many assembly plants. Most of the labor force is employed in the agricultural sector.

Mexico’s highest ranking factor in Hofstede’s Model is for their Uncertainty Avoidance, which indicates their society’s low level of tolerance for uncertainty. Strict rules, laws, and regulations are implemented in order to minimize uncertainty in this culture. Because of this, it is in Mexico’s culture to not readily accept change. Mexico...