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Distributed working – practical and social aspects of virtual collaboration
In any translation project, it is quite common today for project members to be distributed over different offices, cities or even time zones. In many cases, project members don’t even know their team mates, let alone, have experience in working with them. Under such conditions, how can project managers guarantee a smooth workflow and combine each member’s skills, experience and knowledge to bring out the best possible result?
Collaboration and localization
In The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman divides modern history into three periods. Globalization 1.0 occupied the years between Columbus’ 1492 voyage to the Americas and the 1800s. It is characterized by collaboration at a country level. That is, things were generally accomplished within a national scope, and people were concerned with how their country fit into the world.
Attrition and motivation: Retaining staff in India
Many international companies in India struggle to find and keep the right people for the job. High attrition rates cause unforeseen expenses and sometimes even crush the entire Indian business venture. Motivating workers becomes a vital part of the business. But how do you motivate the Indian employee?
Conflict of generations: Business culture of contemporary Russia
Doing business in a foreign country and encountering an unfamiliar business culture can be a complex and strenuous activity. Even more so, if the country is torn between three different business cultures and mentalities. This is the case in contemporary Russia.
The multiculturalist – beyond one single perspective
Cross-cultural encounters are experienced on different levels: While some managers head home from a business trip feeling that the world is small and esentially the same everywhere, others have the ability to sense the hidden differences. These "multiculturalists" see the deep culture that lies behind the curtains of globalization.
Professional online networks - the Bridge to business and information
The world is a village – a village with nearly seven billion inhabitants, to be exact. Through modern travel and electronic means of communication, we’ve come closer to our friends and colleagues all over the globe. There’s no serious reason keeping us from working for customers in other countries, cooperating with partners on other continents, sharing information with peers from all around, networking with all the people we have met along our path during our entire professional and social life, something, that has lately become more popular than ever.
Spanish for local and global markets
In the translation and localization business we often come across the terms US Spanish and Latin American Spanish. Are there any differences between them? In what way do they differ from International Spanish and Neutral Spanish? Despite the slight variations that may occur in US Spanish, Latin American (LA) Spanish, International Spanish and Neutral Spanish, they all have one thing in common: none of them actually exist.
East meets West: Negotiating interculturally
Along with the prospects of success and benefits, negotiations in any business environment bear definite risks. They require thorough preparation, patience, time, and flexibility. Negotiating with people from different cultures might sometimes feel like sitting at a poker table, with all participants following their own rules, which remain mysterious for the rest. The result of this game is obvious: Pretty soon, both parties will be frustrated and confused.
Invisible difference: the deep culture of Japanese values
Some visitors to Japan are disappointed. The images on tourist posters – the graceful curves of a temple, the enigmatic smile of the geisha – are hard to find in this industrialized, high-tech, post-modern society. “Westernization” is everywhere. Geishas and Samurais do not walk among the skyscrapers of the Shinjuku district in Tokyo. For foreigners doing business in Japan this perception gap can be a challenge.
Interview with Thomas Kaeslin: “Show willingness to adapt to local customs“
Thomas Kaeslin is Vice President and Director of ABB’s Robotics Division in Japan. Having lived and worked in Japan for ten years – with no fixed plans of returning to his home country Switzerland – he is well-integrated and holds rich experiences in the Japanese day-to-day business life.
Holidays for every occasion
At the time I’m writing this column, it’s that “happy” time in the United States between the Thanksgiving holiday in late November (the fourth Thursday of the month) and the impending Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Well, the “happy” part is debatable, as this period has become characterized by the absolute chaos of shopping, the challenges of winter travel and the “holiday crunch” in the workplace to complete as much as possible before most everyone disappears for a week or two.
Challenging and being challenged: Westerners’ encounter with the Indian culture
Historically India attracted a lot of Western attention due to its different and complex culture, its spiritual philosophy and rich natural resources. Obviously, this attraction had both positive and negative effects. However, during the many centuries of colonization the country tried to safeguard its unique cultures and value systems. Nowadays, India as a country with a booming economy and a relatively stable democratic system looks even more promising to the West. All this explains the growing stream of foreign tourists, business people and researchers.