Abstract
In times of Globalization the role of foreign countries is more and more increasing. To be more competitive in the global market it is necessary to research international markets i.e. in order to increase growth opportunities, to reduce costs for production and distribution or to find new sales market. Therefore, the considered environment has to be examined for several factors. The P.E.S.T. analysis is a common ‘tool' to do this. One significant factor is to examine this market for its culture what is an integral part of the operating environment. According to Daniels “culture refers to learned norms based on values, beliefs and attitudes of a group of people.” (Daniels, 2006, p.49) In order to be successful in a certain region or country a company must build an awareness of cultural differences. Cultural differences can be found in communication (spoken, written or silent language), information and task processing, risk-taking behaviour, relationship preference, work motivation, religion and social stratification. In the following chapters I will show how to discover cultural differences, how to deal with them and especially how to implicate this awareness in a company's business in a certain country. (Daniels, 2006)
