Interested in receiving the CultureWizard Digest every month? Click here to sign up.

Check out CultureWizard Digest #46 here!

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE:

* Interpreting Overtime in Brazil
* Improper Child-rearing?
* Who works more in Europe?
* Translating British Talk

CultureLinks
+ International Assignments: Then & Now
+ A Long and Prosperous Life

CultureTips
+ Brazil

RW-3.com

+ Unlike many other Latin American countries where there is a distinct indigenous population, Brazilians have intermarried to the point that nearly everyone has a combination of European, African, and indigenous ancestry.

+ Brazilian conversations are fast-paced and animated with frequent interruptions. Exclamations and a great deal of physical contact are normal.

+ Soccer is a highly respected national institution. Never say that another country plays soccer better than Brazil.

+ Appearances matters to Brazilians both in business and daily life. This includes dressing well and staying at the best hotel that your budget can accommodate.
- Men should wear conservative, dark-colored business suits. Lighter colored suits may be worn in the summer. Three-piece suits generally indicate that someone is an executive.
- Business attire for women is extremely important. Brazilian businesswomen generally wear elegant business suits or dresses with high quality accessories.

+ In doing business, much time is spent developing a friendly relationship. It will usually take several visits to close a deal as Brazilians need to know who they are doing business with before they can work together.

+ A foreign businessperson should learn as much about the Brazilian economic and commercial environment as possible before conducting business.

+ Status in Brazil is based more on educational and professional accomplishments than on family background.

+ By nature, Brazilians are future oriented, yet strongly fatalistic at the same time. They have strong religious beliefs but do not see themselves as having total control over their destiny.

- from RW3 CultureWizard’s Country Profiles

RW-3.com

In the Financial Times, a professor of accountancy says, “Brazilians are always late, meetings never start on time…You sit there for two hours talking about one thing, then another.” The argument is that because of the pace of business and the fluidity of “Brazilian time”, it may often become necessary to address certain emails and business needs outside of the regular work day.

In the CNN report below, one labor lawyer talks about “technological slavery” – that it’s impossible for us to disconnect from the internet, from our phones and thus from our jobs.

What do you think is more feasible: shutting down servers after hours to prevent work from taking place, or having the employer compensate the employee? Is responsiveness more important than work-life balance?

Sean
RW3 CultureWizard

Check out the Baidu.com homepage (China’s biggest search engine) for an interactive dragon animation.

QUIZ: which famous Chinese animal is not part of the zodiac? And, why do you think so? Leave your answer in the comments area below!

RW3 CultureWizard

A report by Natixis’ (a bank in France) chief economist Patrick Artus claims the contrary: “Germans worked less annually and during their lifetime than Southern Europeans, and did not work more intensely than their neighbours either.” This news comes from Mercopress, a Uruguay-based independent news agency.

Here are the stat’s according to Artus’ study:

Hours of work per year
Germany: 1,390
Spain: 1,654
Portugal: 1,719
Italy: 1,773
Greece: 2,119

Real retirement age
France: 60
Italy: 60.1
Greece: 61.5
Germany: 62.2
Spain: 62.3
Portugal: 62.6

Of course, efficiency and productivity levels must be factored into this information, and the study claims Germany is on par with most of Southern Europe.

The cultural stereotype Merkel used (think siesta in Spain, for example) was just that, a stereotype. On the other hand, the cultural norms that display Southern Europeans’ value for work-life balance may still apply, but surprisingly to some, this value certainly exists in Northern Europe, too. Clearly, the data indicates a penchant to work less hours, which is corroborated by what we know about the stark division of business and private life for many Germans.

What does the data say to you?

Sean
RW3 CultureWizard

RW3 CultureWizard