Establishing Business in Brazil Essay

In establishing business in Brazil, Under Armour has to study the country’s customs, traditions, language and cultural differences in order to start right. Learning these things will also help the company in its hiring and employing of local workers. Human Resource — one of the most important aspects of business is the workforce. To effectively deal with Brazilian employees, UA management should understand cultural differences that include: (customs/traditions) 1. business is a social event 2. Brazilians don’t buy on impulse 3. Brazilians are very conscious of rank and position 4. being late is socially acceptable Another important consideration that UA has to make is the hiring of local junior executives who could assist the company in the hiring and training of employees. Local executives would be very helpful and bridging the cultural gap between management and native workers. As an example, Chevron Corp., an American oil company has a successful operation in Brazil. It’s workforce is comprised of both foreign and local workers. Foreign workers come from the United States and other neighboring countries. Communication Communication is very important in any organization or corporation. More so when the natives of the country of operation speaks Portuguese. This language is used by all of the people in Brazil, and is considered a unifying factor. In order for Under Armour to handle local workers, it is necessary for the non-Brazilian managers to take up language classes. In the same manner, it is beneficial for the local workers to be enrolled in English classes. By being equipped with the right language skills, both managers and employees will be able to communicate effectively and lessen the chances of having conflicts because of miscommunication.