Some cultures prize equality amongst workers, while others hold management roles as valued above all else, even calling management by their titles instead of their names, i.e., Mr. Director, Mrs. Vice President. Sweden prefer equality,

France treasures management roles, Germany has a balance between equality and authority using titles as names, yet being paid similar to the individual contributor. In most of Asia, including the middle east, woman should not be looked directly in the eye, in some countries opposite genders are forbidden to speak with each other unless they are related.

Decision-making can be an arduous task when consensus is the norm. Add the complexity of culture and it seems astounding that decisions occur at all between companies from different cultures.

Consider the complications of negotiating for a multinational company when the cultural aspects are vastly different than your own. In a new discussion post, select one of the following questions and post a complete answer:

If you have had the opportunity to work on a virtual team with members around the globe, share the benefits and the challenges the members faced particularly in the area of communications.

If you have not yet had the benefit of participating on a multinational virtual team, consider what preparation you would make to ensure the success of the team.