Abstract
The globalization of the economy, with increased cross-border alliances, ventures and global relocation's, as well as the arrival of e-commerce, has brought major changes in the field of international customer relations and intercultural diversity management. This has led to an increased appreciation by companies that managing cultural differences correctly can be a key factor in getting things done effectively across borders. With increased contact of employees and customers from diverse cultural backgrounds, there is a growing demand for businesses to understand and manage the diverse values, perceptions, business worldviews and behavior of corporations, staff, and its customers. In another culture than their own actors of economic life are helpless. There is of course the language factor.
For example, the shop signs are unreadable for the Western visitor in Asia. But there is also social values, customs, relationship to time, space, non-verbal communication, modes of cognitive integration… Everything seems to follow another path, find other expressions, receive a different meaning and as emphasized Wilden (1981). This makes it difficult companies to communicate efficiently with other cultures than their own.
