On September 3, 2013, Microsoft announced that it would acquire Nokia’s mobile phone division for $7.2 billion. Through a series of missteps, many of them cultural mismanagement, Microsoft informed the public in May 2016, of its intention to write off most of the $7.2 billion it paid for Nokia and agreed to sell the mobile devices unit to HMD Global and Foxconn Technology for just $350 million. This series uses the Mergers and Acquisitions Synergies Framework to explore the c

This video describes the 3R approach to working effectively in a cross-cultural environment. The 3Rs consist of (1) Recognizing cross-cultural differences, (2) Respecting differences, and (3) Reconciling differences. Transcript A few years ago while working for a foreign company with operations in Serbia, I met with the plant manager for a tire manufacturer. My job was to help streamline operations and identify additional suppliers. The plant manager was cordial but distant.

The World Bank reports that 60 percent of the world’s GDP comes from imports and exports. Clearly, today’s economy thrives on a global scale. Such vast economic activity, coupled with innovation that has improved both communication and transportation, has made it easier and more appealing than ever for domestic companies to expand into international markets. However, even with increased opportunity and expanded capabilities, international expansion is not without its challeng

Obtaining a meaningful internship is an increasingly important step in every student’s career path. As reported byGallup, students from 2002-2016 were found to be twice as likely to acquire a good job after graduation if they had a relevant internship during their schooling experience. More and more majors in colleges and universities across the world require internships for graduation, while the others highly encourage them. And for those interested in an international caree

An international business experience can take a variety of forms. In some cases, companies are well set up to guide employees through the transition. In other instances, individuals have to figure out logistics, such as work authorization and housing, on their own. Arranging all the pieces can be a lot to manage. And then there’s the role itself. What does it take to be successful? Mike Hoer has spent over 30 years living in and working in Asia, Africa, and Europe. In doing s

On the Windows 95 operating system, Microsoft chose to color 800,000 pixels a slightly different shade of green which, unknown to Microsoft, represented disputed Kashmiri territory in India. The different color was interpreted in India as meaning that the territory was not part of their country. The product was promptly banned by the nation and 200,000 copies of the system were returned. Had the team at Microsoft taken more time to understand culture, the losses – both moneta

In 2013, Nike initiated a women’s athletic clothing line patterned after traditional Pacific tattoos. The line quickly received backlash, however, due to cultural insensitivities. One Polynesian native said “To the outside world it’s just a design. But to my Polynesian people, it’s sacred.” Nike’s mistake was that the pattern they chose for the women’s leggings resembled the Samoan Pe’a, atattoo reserved for men. Receiving the Pe’a is an often long and painful process. Origin

Growing up in the United States, studying accounting at Brigham Young University, and acquiring an MBA from Northwestern University prepared Dustinn Jackson to be a voice of Western experience in South Korea. As Samsung’s global strategist, Jackson helped bridge the gaps between processes and procedures in South Korea and the United States. Getting accustomed to Korean operations, however, was a job in and of itself. Language Korean is a difficult language to learn. During se

Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in South Korea? Join us as Dustinn Jackson discusses the opportunities and cultural differences he experienced while working for Samsung in South Korea, and what he did to maximize his efforts there. Bio: Dustinn Jackson earned a BS in Accounting from BYU and a MBA from Northwestern University. He worked with Samsung in Seoul, South Korea for a number of years and is now currently working with Qualtrics. Transcript

There are approximately 2,000,000 saunas in Finland, a country with a total population around 5,500,000. That’s a sauna for every two to three individuals. It’s no wonder saunas are such a hot place for making connections and forming relationships. For a population that is fairly reserved in discussing personal topics in their normal business relationships, it is nice to have a place forblowing off steam and connect with those who typically hold a very professional demeaner.

After growing up in Washington state, graduating with a Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University, and starting a career with one of the Big4 accounting firms in San Jose, an international career seemed distant for Jeff Jenkins. But it was always a dream of his to work globally. Here are some key points from his Cultural Conversations podcast, where he walks us through his journey to working abroad. Work for International Opportunity After starting with Deloitte in

Throughout the last few decades, the world has undergone a digital revolution, introducing us to what is sometimes called the information age. With an exponential increase in digital tools and technologies, it can be hard to stay current and even harder deciding on and implementing a company culture surrounding these tools. It appears this rapid growth will only continue moving forward, so how can businesses learn to stay current and adopt this digital revolution? Shad Morris

There are currently more than 760,000 small businesses in Malawi that produce annual revenues of about U.S. $2 billion (Mawila.com). And although it’s not currently on the list of emerging markets, running a business in Malawipresents opportunity for future growth and provides quality service to a population in need. But managing a major business in Malawi is no walk in the park, especially when native culture and various regulations stand in the way. Here a few challenges ex

Brazilians are known for taking long lunches, lasting up to two hours each day. The main reason for a long midday break is because lunch is viewed by Brazilians as those from the United States view dinner – a larger meal that is more social and relaxing. Thus, individuals take time to be with friends and family, build work relationships, and relax over lunch. Some suggest that the duration of lunch in Brazil has been influenced by the tradition of siestas in Spain. Spanish In

Overview: In this episode Jennifer Birtcher talks all about her experience living abroad for over 20 years. From Kenya to Saudi Arabia to Switzerland she’s found HR roles wherever she has gone. Guest: Jennifer Birtcher is an accomplished human resources leader with experience in many different industries and countries. She has lived and worked in England, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, among others. With experience working for large companies such as Saudi Aramco and N

In this episode, we hear from students about Germany. The group visited the University of Duisburg-Essen to learn about education in Germany. Join us as we learn about German food, culture, and education. #University #internationalbusiness #Learning #UnitedStates #Differences #Cologne #Drinking #Culture #History #Similarities #StudyAbroad #Germany

Join us this week as we hear a little more about Polish education, history, and culture, but this time from some of our international friends we made while we were there. #University #Poland #internationalbusiness #Learning #UnitedStates #Differences #Culture #History #Similarities #Ghana #StudyAbroad #Indonesia #Katowice #Economics

Krupa Patel, Co-Founder and CEO of Anza, reveals how entrepreneurship will transform Tanzania. Are you an entrepreneur? Are you interested in international business? If so, take a few minutes to watch this video and follow @IHUB on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more from experts in the field. Transcript My older sister and myself co-founded an organization called Anza, which in Kiswahili stands for start, or commence, or begin. Anza really was the beginning of ou

The Mergers and Acquisition Synergies Framework we developed includes measures from research on national culture by Geert Hofstede, Erin Meyer, and Sidney Gray. We used their data to show how cultural factors in cross-border mergers and acquisition can lead to success or failure. Our research is limited to national culture factors, yet as seen in a few instances above, corporate culture can be different from national culture. These differences can cause culture clashes of the

The public had mixed opinions about the HP-Autonomy merger. Some shareholders felt that HP overpaid to acquire Autonomy, a sentiment picked up by the media. Many of the shareholders’ concerns were valid and stemmed from the lack of transparency concerning the deal. Public Acceptance Public Perception. The Cherokee have a proverb stating, “Listen to the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams.” The quote is used to remind those in charge to be mindful of public feedbac